Cater to millennials....

[Herd Insider]

Take one year’s worth of this new revenue and dedicate the $$ to build the patio bar for season two. Season two: The new party patio is built with last season’s new fan sales: $250,000. It is matched by the Coors/ Budweiser/ craft beer sponsor that sponsors the patio for X years for $250,000 and naming rights and beer sales. So after the $500,000 party patio is built. Year two sees these numbers: $250,000 from the new 10k fans and their concession purchases. Patio Club entry is $5 per person with ID showing they are 21. This is AFTER they pay admission into the game. There are 6 home games. Each game 200 “cool” people enter the club. That’s $6,000 for the season. Marshall gets $2 profit from each beer sold. Each of the 200 cool fans per game drink just two beers. That’s another $4,800. Total Season two revenue: $260,800. Not $350,000 but not 0. Good idea? Absolutely!

 

[Herd Insider]

Year three: word is getting around about this patio at Marshall. Cool People from Charleston are starting to come down. Cool people from Huntington wanting to “get their groove on” before going out clubbing are interested. It’s a great place to “hang out”, “hook up.” So now 200 additional nonfans buy the new Patio tic for $20 per game. That’s new revenue of $24,000 plus two beers at $2 profit. Year three income: $287,200. Not $350,000 but not 0 as in year -1.

 

[herdfan129]

Reducing ticket prices AND making renovations to meet evolving fan interest = more revenue. Ex. There are 10,000 unsold seats in general admission that sell for $35. $350,000 in unused inventory with little probability that it will be sold. And by the way has been idle for years. (Forget the chairbacks, that’s a different story altogether). Zero income. Unused inventory. It costs nothing. It earns nothing. Now lower the ticket prices to $15 per ticket. The lower prices induces fans who could not otherwise afford to go to the game, an affordable opportunity. Now suddenly there is an influx of $150,000. Not $350,000 but not zero either. And suppose this new fan spends a mere $10 on concessions. That generates another $100,000. So in total reducing the ticket price brings in $250,000. Not $350,000 but $250,000 more than 0. Add to that the game experience of 10,000 more fans cheering for the Herd! Good idea? Absolutely!

Excellent post. No reason for the upper endzone and the upper corners to be more than $10-15/ticket. We could actually start growing the fan base if we did this. Who knows, in a few years when things change, those people might upgrade to better/more expensive seats.

As millennials start to pay off student loans we will have more and more disposable income. If I haven't been to a game in 3-4 years it will be hard to convince me to buy season tickets. If I have been coming and sitting in the cheap seats, it would be much easier to convince me to upgrade my seats.

Marshall is one of the best entertainment options in the Tri State Area, but our athletic department is out of touch with reality when it comes to ticket prices. I can only imagine how some of the people my age feel. We are blessed with good jobs. For the people my age with student loans and struggling to get a good job there is just no way they could even afford the tickets. We can buy the tickets, but it wouldn't be what I consider to be smart on our part at this time. It's all about opportunity cost, and my family can do a lot for the cost of just the football tickets alone.

 

[Herd Insider]

Season four: average attendance has gone from 18,000 paid to ACTUAL fans attending 28,400 (Don’t forget the patio). New fans and new revenue is flowing in. Game experience is electric and fun! Because of the new revenue there are fewer commercials assaulting your ears at every break. The new revenue has resulted in the hiring of a “Game day” coordinator whose job has been to make sure the PA announcer is not speaking over the band that is playing over the cheerleaders who are chanting “We Are.... Marshall”, over the music guy who us playing a 1970s Chicago song (thrilling). The game experience is now more coordinated, more pleading, less confusing, less confounding. There is a rhythm to the time outs! Word gets around that THIS is the place to be on a Saturday, fan or not. It’s a great atmosphere! People are beginning to buy CHAIRBACK seats! The corners are filling in. Opposing teams are bringing fans because they’ve heard of the raucous atmosphere! The students are back! All the ones over 21 are at Da Club!

 

[Herd Insider]

Then...I woke up.

 

[raleighherdfan]

Not that I don’t appreciate the big ideas and dreams, I’m just playing devil’s advocate with some reality.

With the current product “playing” on the field, I doubt very seriously you attract 10k more fans a game even with reduced ticket prices.

Your estimate pushes the avg attendance above levels Marshall has rarely seen, even when they were nationally recognized because of our quality play(ers).

Let’s also remember we were supposedly talking about attracting millennials to the 5 home games...NOW...because we are in serious jeopardy financially. they supposedly need high end entertaining experience to show up. Apparently without a party deck and (heated) pool to drink and swim in....(at a higher ticket price....in a “poor economic state” no less) they could careless about coming to watch a mediocre team barely beat no name programs.

The reality is the university can’t even keep up with peeling paint and rusting urinals. Let alone the cost and upkeep of multi million reno’s

This is a university that at one time had a wait list for corporate box sales in the mid to late ‘90’s that were over a page long, but refused to invest on those capital projects when the people were willing to write checks the next day.

I am not saying change can’t happen and that some of the suggestions for improvements aren’t legitimate, but until a consistent performing team takes the field, much of what has been suggested is nothing more than a gimmick sale that will quickly go stale once the end zone pools start needing replacement parts.

 

[herdfan129]

For the record, I think the advertisements are annoying, but I completely understand them. My biggest complaint was pointed out by HI. Right now we have ads basting on the big screens, the PA announcer is trying to speak over the band who is playing over top of the cheer leaders who no one is paying attention to because of sensory overload.

I'd be ok with the ads if we had the game stuff coordinated.

 

[whf2]

Look at some of the notes from the MIllenials on here; you may want to cater to them but it sounds like many of them aren't going to be at the games, aren't ready or capable of contributing, etc.

I wish they were.

My point is very simple; broaden the fan experience to include your targeted audiences; and yes, that means folks with money to spend.

 

[CarolinaHerdzilla]

Back in my day, game day experience was waking up early Saturday morning before dawn with a massive hangover, meeting up with the same guys you just saw three hours earlier at the club, stopping at the Little General to fill up the coolers with several 12 packs, as well as picking up a few bags of Andy's hot fries. Biggest decision at that point was figuring out whose vehicle was in good enough shape to make the three hour trip to the game and back. Park, drink, walk to stadium, and once there, watch football for the next three hours. Nobody was concerned about the 'experience'. It was all about watching the football game. Afterwards, walk back to the parking lot, and quickly unlock the trunk to grab more beers and hot fries, and lie about women we had sex with on the previous night.

I HERD you...classic weekend! 100 Stars ***********

HerdZilla22

 

[herdfan129]

Look at some of the notes from the MIllenials on here; you may want to cater to them but it sounds like many of them aren't going to be at the games, aren't ready or capable of contributing, etc.

I wish they were.

My point is very simple; broaden the fan experience to include your targeted audiences; and yes, that means folks with money to spend.

That is true to an extent. I am not in a position to contribute a lot of money to the program. That's just the reality for another 6 years. Having said that, I would love to be able to bring my family to at least a game or two per year so I can try and get my kids hooked on Marshall before they are old enough to be influenced by others lol.

At the end of the day Marshall can do whatever it wants to do. There are literally thousands of empty seats every game. There are countless families who would come if the ticket prices were cheaper. Not saying either side is right or wrong, but that is where we are at right now imo.

 

[Herd Insider]

THE DEFINITION OF INSANITY IS DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND EXPECTING DIFFERENT RESULTS - Albert Einstein.

 

[raleighherdfan]

THE DEFINITION OF INSANITY IS DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND EXPECTING DIFFERENT RESULTS - Albert Einstein.

I agree. Hire some real coaches that know how to do the job effectively.

 

[sistersville]

I agree, we should start catering to the millenians; just like they have taken over the majority of donations in dollars, and far surpassed the number of elder donors as well. They deserve all they get, they've earned it and need to be rewarded for their investment.

You are full of shit

 

[sistersville]

what do you do? Give them a safe space and a pacifier?

And a gun and a bullet