Is nobody else excited for ISU tomorrow, or what?!?

[bobsboy84]

Re: Is nobody else excited for ISU tomorrow, or what?!?

What the heck happened? We used to sell out the Dome against ISU and Iowa when the team sucked and had little chance of winning. Now, we're competitive and can only sell half the McLeod Center?

I think the struggling negative economy is a big factor. This takes some emphasis off all the other augruments, but, I am simply not spending $120 for BB and $66 for FB tickets plus concession $'s (for my family group of 3.) We are financially ok with two good incomes, but, much more frugal minded today than we were a year ago. Of course, I still have one more chance to win tickets from The Sports Guy this afternoon from OPR.

[TH1974]

Re: Is nobody else excited for ISU tomorrow, or what?!?

When BB was going to the Big Dance back to back to back years it was easier to compete with playoffs. Right now football is the one going post season and getting attention.

I'm talking about way before anyone ever dreamed of making 3-straight NCAA appearances.

[ubuntuCAT]

Re: Is nobody else excited for ISU tomorrow, or what?!?

My guess is there will be around 4,250 tonight. For an ISU game that is not good. If we sold them for $35 I think we'd be around 4,800. And if we sold them for $30 it would be around 6,000. That is obviously just me guessing, it very well may be way off. Usually I will try to go to a game with my dad and brother. If we do that this year it's $120 plus the drive up from Cedar Rapids. Just won't work for this game, but I'll be up there for almost every other game.

if they were $16.89 I bet we could get 38,526 in attendance.

[jman2004]

Re: Is nobody else excited for ISU tomorrow, or what?!?

I've been polling teachers around my building. No one is going tonight. Here are reasons I've been given:

1). Team is no longer fun to watch.
2). Football is more important at this point in time.
3). 8:00 tip-off will result in too late of a night for some school teachers.
4). Tickets are WAY too expensive.
5). It's cold out and the game will be on TV anyways.

Obviously, it's a combination of all these things. To talk back and forth about which one is a larger factor, is probably pretty pointless. The draw just isn't there right now. Plain and simple. Personally, I could see it coming on last season, so why in anyone's right mind, we decided to up ticket prices this season, blows me away.

One teacher in particular, even told me that if the University is going to try pulling a stunt like that ($40 tickets), they won't come to another single event all season.

I too, hope that if we have a low attendance tonight, that someone important treats it as a hard lesson learned. Heaven forbid we lose tonight . . . Iowa tickets next year should be $15.

[williebat]

Re: Is nobody else excited for ISU tomorrow, or what?!?

I'm talking about way before anyone ever dreamed of making 3-straight NCAA appearances.

plus ISU kind of sucks these days and the game is on TV. It is hard to be excited about basketball in the state of Iowa these days with 4 mediocre d-1 programs.

I get exicted about UNI if they are good or not but not everyone is as diehard a fan as those on panther nation.

[FerociousCat]

Re: Is nobody else excited for ISU tomorrow, or what?!?

I'm sure the Willie Nelson concert is also a HUGE factor...

[UNIChippewa]

Re: Is nobody else excited for ISU tomorrow, or what?!?

Getting back to Mac and how he left UNI, to his credit, I did read a quote either last season or in '06 about how he was disappointed in the way he left and that given the choice he would do it differently (he still would have left for ISU, but just done it in a different way).

And no, I don't have the link to the story, but I clearly remember reading that in an article about the game that season.

[bobsboy84]

Re: Is nobody else excited for ISU tomorrow, or what?!?

I'm sure the Willie Nelson concert is also a HUGE factor...

Wow, thanks for the memory. Back in the early 80's Willie played annually at McElroy. A high school friend from Drake would come for the concert and we would drink tequila and Miller long necks all day and night........ummmmmmm

[run&blade]

Re: Is nobody else excited for ISU tomorrow, or what?!?

I've been polling teachers around my building. No one is going tonight. Here are reasons I've been given:

1). Team is no longer fun to watch.
2). Football is more important at this point in time.
3). 8:00 tip-off will result in too late of a night for some school teachers.
4). Tickets are WAY too expensive.
5). It's cold out and the game will be on TV anyways.

Obviously, it's a combination of all these things. To talk back and forth about which one is a larger factor, is probably pretty pointless. The draw just isn't there right now. Plain and simple. Personally, I could see it coming on last season, so why in anyone's right mind, we decided to up ticket prices this season, blows me away.

One teacher in particular, even told me that if the University is going to try pulling a stunt like that ($40 tickets), they won't come to another single event all season.

I too, hope that if we have a low attendance tonight, that someone important treats it as a hard lesson learned. Heaven forbid we lose tonight . . . Iowa tickets next year should be $15.

Good post. The $40 ticket thing IMO is a slap in the face to people who take their kids to lots of UNI events because it is usually good entertainment at an affordable price. UNI needs to market themselves as family entertainment. Get the people in the building and soak them at the concession stand.

I bet the popcorn for the football game on Saturday is already popped, that has to be the worst crap on earth. Smells like a bad fart and chews like gum.

Few years ago my family of 5 went to football games for probably $50, tonight they want me to spend $200 to watch basketball. ROFLMAO, I could probably go to an NFL game for that.

[FerociousCat]

Re: Is nobody else excited for ISU tomorrow, or what?!?

Wow, thanks for the memory. Back in the early 80's Willie played annually at McElroy. A high school friend from Drake would come for the concert and we would drink tequila and Miller long necks all day and night........ummmmmmm

So Willie @ McElroy or Mac @ the Macleod tonight?

Willie has only sold a 1000 tickets so far...maybe he could just move his show to the Macleod & do it at half?

[FerociousCat]

Re: Is nobody else excited for ISU tomorrow, or what?!?

Good post. The $40 ticket thing IMO is a slap in the face to people who take their kids to lots of UNI events because it is usually good entertainment at an affordable price.

Combine the $40 with 8 pm start & you have nearly eliminated all kids.
Instead of taking my two kids, I'm taking a couple buddies...who would have purchased their own tickets...

[bobsboy84]

Re: Is nobody else excited for ISU tomorrow, or what?!?

So Willie @ McElroy or Mac @ the Macleod tonight?

Willie has only sold a 1000 tickets so far...maybe he could just move his show to the Macleod & do it at half?

Kind of like Bob Dylan and the Iowa Cubs.........great night.

[AmesPanther]

Re: Is nobody else excited for ISU tomorrow, or what?!?

So it's a combination of things. Bad economy, late start, good football, both BB teams are down, high ticket price, weeknight...

[run&blade]

Re: Is nobody else excited for ISU tomorrow, or what?!?

If I was ticket dept. and things get really ugly with the basketball team as far as butts in seats I would do something like this: Kids get into some Saturday night games for about $10 and that also gets them a slice of pizza and a soda.

Between my family and my brothers family we usually hook up for a game or two and that is about 11 tickets total and a lot of kids. This would make it a lot more appealing for us.

The $40 thing isn't even a discussion point, the price point is laughable to most people that usually go to UNI athletics.

[Pantherwoman]

Re: Is nobody else excited for ISU tomorrow, or what?!?

Church night in the Cedar Valley.