Ohio State: Major ticket price increase for "premium" games

Pricing the common trucker right out of the stadium. ::sheds tear::

They'll no longer be able to afford coolers and will begin pooping right in the streets.

I have to think that the corresponding tattoo value of those tickets also skyrockets.  Time to get that "REAL National Champs 2013" tramp stamp! 

Tattoos and loaner cars aren't going to pay for themselves.  

im fine with this. Would be nice then if they wouldn't force ticket packs on people. And lower the cost of the games against non bcs conference opponents

As the OP mentioned, they are obviously aware of the prices on the secondary market and what customers are willing to pay for premium games. Doesn't make it any easier to swallow.

Currently Michigan season ticket holders have their prices set per game so they don't bear the added cost of the premium game. Hopefully should more hikes be on the way, that continues to be the case.

How would this affect student ticket prices?

schadenfreude when the nut fans are watching ohio lose at home to Michigan at $175 a pop.

I'd bet that Ohio would never have contemplated increasing prices had they not gone 12-0.  The pressure to win becomes stronger because losing teams do not fill stadiums.  There will, however, become a break point where ticket prices won't be supported.  

Fully agree as to the creampuff games.  You can't give tickets away for the Delaware States we play on occasion.

scheduling future pre-season opponents (2012 was pretty bad). if they bring in oregon and texas and florida, i can rationalize bigger tickets. i am sure michigan will follow further, but will expect us to pay more for the "event-i-ness" of the game, a la Air Force or some contrived pre-game event.

again, this is not a sudden death-knell but a signal of further future erosion. the conferece dilutes itself for more tv gain, then the universities turn around and ask for more money for an equal or lesser product so that they can throw more money into the hole of college athletics arms races.

It is the way of the world. I don't like it, but I don't exactly blame DB or Ohio for doing what they can to maximize profit. It is simple economics to charge as much as the market will bear, and I'm out of touch with how much it costs. Nonetheless, the likelihood of my going to "premium" games in the future (ND, Nebraska, and Ohio next year, Michigan State and Penn State the year after) continues to go down.

I mostly enjoy being a fan, but at the end of the day, I can't justify costs of $200 - $300 per person (tickets, travel, food, etc.) to simply go to a game for an afternoon or evening. Take my son or wife along? There's a lot of things they would rather do with $500 than go to a football game, especially when it can be DVR'ed, start watching about an hour after it starts, and spend maybe 2 1/2 hours watching in large screen HD in the comfort of home or a friends house, with free water, inexpensive snacks, beer, etc.

Jesus, this is going to reach a tipping point sometime soon. People will stop buying if they keep jacking up the prices.

But the problem with this is you eventually squeeze many of the real fans out of the stadium or arena--as we see happening in a lot of pro sports.  Colleges should be guided by more than economics, however.  The college football (or basketball) game is a way to keep people connected with the school across generations.  The cost of attending ought to be reasonable enough that recent grads with families to raise and loans to pay off can easily afford to attend.  And if you want to evaluate it strictly economically, those are your future (if not present) donors and you want to keep them close to you.

OSU probably figured out it makes more sense for them to bank the money instead of some scalper.

Realistically, it shouldn't change the secondary market pricing too much.  Just means people who want to sell tickets above face value will be getting killed on margins.

OSU is probably only one of a handful of schools who could get away with this because they seem to be good about every year.  If a team runs into a dry patch though, this will come back to bite them in the arse.

A few questions:

1.  What's going to happen to season ticket prices?  Will their price be raised the full amount? In the past, the benefit of buying one meant that you got a "deal" on the big games.  If a season ticket is just the sum of all the games, then what's the point?  Only the best seats in a stadium will be attractive now.

2.  (half-joking) Will MAC snack tickets be cheaper now?  It's fair to point to secondary markets and raise prices for big games, but what about the $30 EMU tix I see on stubhub?  That will determine whether this is really about responding to the market (1% likelyhood) or just another money grab to us adicts (99%).

Disclosure:  I'm an out of state alum now, but I don't think I'd buy season football tix even if I could at this point.  I'd probably scalp a few early season games and then just couchgate for the rest.  

1. Saves $$ intended for tickets

2. Puts new fangled 4k TV on layaway

3. Muddys up yard to resemble Pioneer after a rainstorm to get authentic tailgate experience

4. ?????

5. Same experience, less money, no 16 hours spent on the road (mostly in Ohio)..... in short Profit.  

Had no idea cars and tats could cost so much.

According to the article UM already does this. 

"Michigan, for example, charged $70 for most games in 2011 but $85 for the Notre Dame, Nebraska and Ohio State games. In 2012, Michigan State cost $95, and all others were $75. "

I'd guess if OSU doesn't see their ticket sales dip to much, DB will start increasing the cost of the 'premium' games on the schedule. 

does this then he is such an asshole. we are just profit to him, he cares nothing about the loyal fans

With this news, the right one can't be far behind.

and now they raise prices?

Honestly, this is a good idea!  It is stupid to sell a ticket for $70 that you know will go for $250 on StubHub.  

Additionally, as mentioned above, you need to protect your season ticket holders.  I think premium costs are good, so as long as season tickets holders don't get charged the premium.  Or if you charge them a premium for Notre Dame / Ohio, you better knock off money to watch Eastern Michigan or another MAC school.  

Only bad thing is you will have to buy season tickets or 3 or 4 game ticket packs to get the premium games as well.  I will get pissed if I have to pay $150 for osu and stuck with $80 for eastern michigan and  central nevada...you get the idea..

Prices of non premium games you can find on line for half of face value aren't going down with ad ticket prices.....so it still may come out better to get the tickets on line. 

All we hear about is how Big Ten athletic departments are swimming in money because of the BTN. It would be nice if they used some of that revenue to ease ticket prices, but predictably it is the fan that gets screwed once again. The money all goes to a handful of administrators and coaches and ever more elaborate facilities that in turn are used to justify raising ticket prices even more.