Idea To Sell More Bowl Game Tickets

[SeaBull]

I have been an advocate for sometime for deeply discounted or free tickets to ALL high school students. By doing this, you eliminate the issue any potential impropriety in recruiting. I think kids would love to have a place to go and hang on Saturday Evenings with their friends. Lets make USF games the place to be on Saturday nights in Tampa and make the kids USF fans now before the "Dirty 3" can fully sink their claws into them. If we get 'em young, we will have them hooked for the rest of their lives (just like the tobacco comapnies do).

Just what we need....unaccompanied high schoolers roaming around the RJ during Bulls games.  Look at the problems oither places have with them. IE: Baywalk  The TSA will need more Tazers!

If I'm not mistaken studies say that freebies rarely translate in to paying customers.  As good as it may be, Bulls football isn't quite as addictive as nicotine.

usfbp. I completely agree.

First things first. High school kids are probably not likely to even watch the game. I say that with a level of certainty, because I worked for a professional sports team that decided to hand out free tickets to high schoolers. What did we have? A bunch of kids hanging out on the concourse in little groups. Many got in trouble for smoking. Put fairly, the majority of the high school kids would use the free tickets as a way to get away from their parents and socialize with their friends. It's really not worth the stress of dealing with 15 year old kids who are acting up or trying to be Johnny Knoxville on the concourse.

Second. Any sports marketer will tell you. Free Tickets = losing situation. Email the top guys, the professors, or even those in the USF office. It devalues the product. If USF isn't close to selling out most games and people got tickets for free, studies have shown they aren't likely to be willing to pay $28 a pop for tickets they were able to get for free before. A better marketing plan (and this is why you've seen it explode the last 10 years) is the 4 pack. Ya know. 4 tickets, 4 cokes, 4 hotdogs for 60 bucks..or something similar. Still puts value on your product, but makes people pay to attend the game.

About high schoolers...giving away free tickets to random High Schoolers = Bad Idea. BUT giving away free tickets to high school football teams = Good Idea. 1 player, 1 ticket. Throw some at Lakeland, Plant, Lake Gibson, and other bay area schools. Want recruits to stay local? show them the product first hand, with their playing buddies. Each team would almost fill up an entire section and they would be more inclined to watch the game...plus coaches provide as chaperons. Maybe we could even invite 2 high schools a week and feature them for the night.

While you're at it, throw a cheap bulls shirt their way. Another solid green section, and they'll have a souvenir from the game when the Bulls beat ___.

[usfbp]

The problem with the 4 pack is that USF would only get a small percentage of that money and the rest would still be going to the Glazers. I am not advocating giving away tickets liberally. I really think the best course of action is to offer $5 or $10 seats to high schoolers. By making them pay to loiter, you are less likely to get loiterers looking for trouble. There would be many who would watch the game. Yes, you would get your share of those that sip a coke on the concourse, but who cares, they can do what they want at the games. I promise you, over time, we would gain fans by doing this.

What does a hot dog and a small Coke cost at the RJ? $7- $8  and perhaps USF could negotiate a better rate for those tickets.  Joe's 4 pack selling for $60 would net more for USF than your $5 dollar tickets would and it wouldn't devalue the tickets.  Where would your $5 seats be?  If I'm not mistaken opening the upper deck costs USF mucho denero. 

[BullyPulpit]

They would most likely be in the South End Zone, unless the upper deck was open already for the game. Obviously, they would only be available if the seats were available, and it wouldn't "devalue" the tickets, as they would only be available to high schoolers.

But this is all for another thread. I want to hear feedback on the Bowl Deposit idea. I think it is a great idea and we would certainly be able to find a good use for any unused tickets.

[Joe]

About high schoolers...giving away free tickets to random High Schoolers = Bad Idea. BUT giving away free tickets to high school football teams = Good Idea. 1 player, 1 ticket. Throw some at Lakeland, Plant, Lake Gibson, and other bay area schools. Want recruits to stay local? show them the product first hand, with their playing buddies. Each team would almost fill up an entire section and they would be more inclined to watch the game...plus coaches provide as chaperons. Maybe we could even invite 2 high schools a week and feature them for the night.

While you're at it, throw a cheap bulls shirt their way. Another solid green section, and they'll have a souvenir from the game when the Bulls beat ___.

2 Words:

NCAA Violation. They gotta pay fair market for the tickets, the shirt. There are exceptions (official visits) but the risk of trying that is far outeighed by the almost certain violations the NCAA would levy.

[SeaBull]

About high schoolers...giving away free tickets to random High Schoolers = Bad Idea. BUT giving away free tickets to high school football teams = Good Idea. 1 player, 1 ticket. Throw some at Lakeland, Plant, Lake Gibson, and other bay area schools. Want recruits to stay local? show them the product first hand, with their playing buddies. Each team would almost fill up an entire section and they would be more inclined to watch the game...plus coaches provide as chaperons. Maybe we could even invite 2 high schools a week and feature them for the night.

While you're at it, throw a cheap bulls shirt their way. Another solid green section, and they'll have a souvenir from the game when the Bulls beat ___.

2 Words:

NCAA Violation. They gotta pay fair market for the tickets, the shirt. There are exceptions (official visits) but the risk of trying that is far outeighed by the almost certain violations the NCAA would levy.

That sucks.

So in theory, isn't giving away or discouting tickets for high schoolers a violation too? Random High Schoolers could include football players.

[BullyPulpit]

No, because you aren't targeting potential recruits. The offer is available to every high schooler.

[SeaBull]

No, because you aren't targeting potential recruits. The offer is available to every high schooler.

Can we got a lakeland practice and announce giving away 100 free tickets to all available high schoolers on a first come first serve basis? 8)

[BullyPulpit]

If we wanted to eventually get thumped by the NCAA, I guess we could.

[E.T.]

I like the idea of a Bowl Game Deposit . . . and how does somebody translate this to "forcing" ?

Giving away free tickets when it only costs about $20 won't attract more fans.

I think after the Auburn win by the BULLS , we'll have the week off and we can work on this idea.  8)

Go BULLS !!!

[BullyPulpit]

Actually E.T., my thought was more of a compulsory deposit with seaspn tickets, before the season begins. During the season we could allow non-season ticket holders to lay down non-refundabl deposits.