Non-PSC Lots Charging for Parking

[TravelingPanther]

$5 parking in all non-PSC lots

http://unipanthers.com/news/2017/8/17/football-uni-to-begin-charging-for-parking-in-non-psc-lots.aspx

[kochrab]

I haven't seen this anywhere on here yet and thought it was worth thoughts and insights.

This came out today and the summary is that UNI is going to charge $5 to park in all non-PSC lots for football.

Good idea? Bad idea?

http://unipanthers.com/news/2017/8/1...-psc-lots.aspx

[CincyPanther88]

Seems like a pretty good deal to me. But I don't go to games.

[sevelev711]

Hmm... It'll be interesting to see if it has any effect on whether or not people come to games. I'm okay with it for football, but I hope it doesn't expand to other sports.

[UNIdad]

It is worth $5. Free parking is quite the luxury. I hope it doesn't deter anyone from coming. Or at least that they just get a ride with somebody who has $5 to spend on it.

[unipanther2154]

If people are worried about $5 parking and don't come they need to reevaluate everything they have done in life to get them to this point. ITS $5!!!!!!!!!!! give me a freaking break. If you care about the athletic programs at all you would have to understand that this $5 will not be much out of your pocket but add up over the year for our program. its obviously not life changing but it will give a nice amount of money. I am honestly surprised that it didn't go to $10. $5 seems like a joke to me. $5 is what they ask for at high school games...... God help us if this is something our fan base actually gets upset about. How do we raise money at all if ppl get worried over $5

[clenz]

Hmm... It'll be interesting to see if it has any effect on whether or not people come to games. I'm okay with it for football, but I hope it doesn't expand to other sports.

If someone decides to scrap an entire game because of $5 to park then f em

[hamalot]

I wish they would have announced this prior to season ticket renewal. It may have affected how I put a package together. E,G may have gone the route of being a PSC member or not getting tickets for all of the games. we may only have a handful of tickets, but at times with our work schedules could end up with 3 vehicles there.

[sivert]

Everyone hates losing something they thought they had. (Loss aversion)
But here, if you think about it, if you feel ok with paying it, then you should be very happy knowing that everyone is paying it.
I am a PSC member. Low to mid level. How much more would I contribute if I knew that when I did 1,000 more people would do the same? A lot, I think.

[clenz]

There isn't an argument against this. Bring my any argument and I'll debunk it.

A few I've seen

1. Now I have to carry cash. I never carry cash.
-It's a freaking $5. There are 5 home games. That's $25. Next time you're at the grocery store, gas station, etc... ask for $40 in cash back. As for it in $5 bills. Keep 5 of them in your console/glove box of your care. Bang. Done. Spend the other $15 ASAP so you don't get burdened by he $15 weighting your wallet down.

1A. Why can't they use something like Square to take cards, instead of cash
-I can tell you, from experience, those devices AND the card issuer charge to use them. Something like Square will charge 3-5% per transaction. The card issuer is another 2-4%. It's why many gas stations offer a card price, and a cash price or why many places require a certain dollar amount to use a card. Let's do some quick, easy, very rough math to explain this. Let's pretend each transaction ends up taking 5% of the transaction. At $5 that is $0.25. Doesn't sound like much. Now, we will just say 1,000 cars park in those lots (I have no idea on the number...again, easy numbers to show the point). 1,000 cars at $5 per car is $5,000. That's an extra $25,000 a season for the athletic department. In a multi-million dollar budget that's not huge but it does take the burden off of paying for like 2 scholarships out of general fund money. Back to the point. 5% of $25,000 is $1,250. Again, not a massive number but why just give money away? Also, given how universities run, and security reasons, something like Square wouldn't be used. It would have to be a much higher tech, more secure system. That will cost pretty major upfront fees for set up, firmware, hardware, tech support, etc... plus yearly fees and updating. Maybe at MASSIVE schools that isn't an issue. At a place like UNI, simply throwing thousands of dollars a year at something that will be used 5-7 times per year is just dumb.

2. Fan advisory committee decided against charging for parking a few years ago.
-ROFL thinking the fan advisory committee had any real power. It was also a few years ago and things change. Not only thing things change, the ATHLETIC DIRECTOR has changed since then. New director, new goals. New plans. This the first AD we've had willing to publicly state things will change and money is needed so we are going to get money from more places than donors.

3. It'll keep families from coming.
-No it won't. Will some, I mean a very small %, of people ***** the first time? Yes. It's new. People don't like change. However, $5 to park within a 10 minute walk of the dome will not stop a family from coming to a game. It's $20-50 per car in Iowa City. It's the same in Ames. Or you have to purchase a parking pass to park. State fair parking is high as hell too. I haven't been in a few years but I had to pay $20 to park last time I was there. There are a number of high schools that charge for parking. If a 1A high school in town of 1,000 can get away with it, so can a D1 university.

4. People will just park further away and walk.
-Fine. Go for it. Park a 15-20+ minute walk away from the dome. Enjoy the walk back to your car at 7:30-8PM in November.


Hell, I'm good with charging people for a parking pass. If it's $5 a game and there is 5 home games make the parking pass $20. Sell it with season tickets. Have them available to purchase at the lot entrance on the first game day. Charge $10. That's still real reasonable.

People want to enjoy a D1 experience but aren't willing to pony up for it because no AD in the past has had the guts to admit that it's about money and start doing things about it.

Bully for Mr. Harris

[7YrsOfCollegeDownTheDrain]

Agreed - $5 a game to park is not a big deal. It's not going to stop me, my family or any of the folks we tailgate with from coming to any of the home games. Here's to a fun season...Just waiting for 9/9 to get here.

[ronfitch]

Hell, I'm good with charging people for a parking pass. If it's $5 a game and there is 5 home games make the parking pass $20. Sell it with season tickets. Have them available to purchase at the lot entrance on the first game day. Charge $10. That's still real reasonable.

Sure, people love a bargain.

Five-game home season parking pass for $20 and throw in a UNI Football window decal. For those who set up for pre-game tailgating, get "Official Northern Iowa Tailgating Vehicle" stickers for them. It's cheap and maybe one in ten will throw it on their car or truck or big honkin' portable BBQ trailers. If not, kids will stick them to their bike helmets, siblings and trapper-keepers.

Then send them off into the night, to drive throughout the state and hope some continue over into other states.

Changing a bit but keeping with parking, I wonder if there would be enough interest to make a UNI football shuttle to the Western Home development on game days. That whole thing has exploded in the past 15 years and is loaded with UNI grads and parents of UNI grads. They - the Western Home - had their own shuttle going to and from Sturgis Falls this summer. Perhaps $5 a person from points within the Western Home to the door of the Dome and back on a UNI shuttle, with student ambassadors would have traction. Would not cut into parking proceeds and might open up parking. Just a thought (every time I go home, I am amazed at how much the Western Home properties continue to expand ... would not be surprised if they look at putting in something adjacent to the campus for those interested in UNI theatre, performances, lectures, sports, etc.).

[Panther AC]

The Western Home already transports residents by van/small bus to UNI football games. They get dropped off at the "front door" on the west side of the Dome.

[ronfitch]

The Western Home already transports residents by van/small bus to UNI football games. They get dropped off at the "front door" on the west side of the Dome.

Thanks, AC.

[GonzoCat]

What (where) is the Western Home? Sounds like long term care for cowboys.