January 31st, 2014 at 11:27 AM ^
January 31st, 2014 at 12:30 PM ^
It's actually 80% per IRS rules.
See IRC Section 170(1).
January 31st, 2014 at 11:10 AM ^
...make sure you let the Athletic Department know who you are and why you are saying goodbye. Make a big deal about it. Let them know. I'm not sure how much of a difference it may make, but I think it has an impact.
January 31st, 2014 at 11:30 AM ^
I'm not renewing, and made my position abundantly clear in the season ticket holder survey they sent out a few weeks ago. For the record, it has little to do with the on-field performance (after all, I've kept my tickets since much worse seasons than this one), and more to do with the way the AD has chosen to make it feel like I'm interacting with a business rather than my alma mater. I have no issues interacting with businesses, either, but I'm much more willing to make my own personal return-on-investment calculation while interacting with a business than with my alma mater, and in this case that calculation didn't work out very well for them.
January 31st, 2014 at 11:44 AM ^
All we need now, is a Ross School of Business case study on exactly how terrible is the deal that season ticket holders are getting. Published.
January 31st, 2014 at 7:55 PM ^
Granted a few hours left to convince myself differently, but my wife and I have all but made the decision to not renew. We live close to South Bend IN, and while having family in the Toledo area makes it convenient when traveling back for games… all the factors many have mentioned above have started to take their toll. We’ve even been fortunate in giving those tickets we don’t use to customers and then expensing them, hence limiting our losses as we still of course eat the PSD. We’re not Alums and have only been season ticket holders for 6 years so while selfish to say, it’s somewhat comforting hearing those who’ve been much more invested not renewing as well. For us the decision is more or less two fold. From a personal side, it’s realizing sooner rather than later our 2 yr old and future children will be tied up Saturday morning’s with activities where logistically we’re unable to make the 3 hr trek for most games. From a fan side it’s becoming less tolerant to what I’ll call the ongoing “excuses” as the youth and execution memes has worn out their welcome. Having been through it for 1 regime and seeing the direction of the current…sooner or later you have to call a spade a spade.
January 31st, 2014 at 11:18 AM ^
2015 home schedule will make up for it too.
January 31st, 2014 at 11:23 AM ^
January 31st, 2014 at 11:22 AM ^
yeah, I was very borderline on renewing. Escalating prices, poor gameday experience, and constant BS from Dave Brandon's marketing is making question my decision. If it was not for the individuals in my section, then I would probably not renew.
Hilarious thing was that I was just offered a parking spot 5 minutes ago. Brandon can take his parking spot and shove it. I am just going to park for free in student ghetto and wheel my cooler to our tailgate.
January 31st, 2014 at 11:37 AM ^
They're handing out new parking passes now? Where are they magically finding these spots?
January 31st, 2014 at 11:47 AM ^
Ferry Field?
Or perhaps they are re-naming the parking lots south of the UMGC, to fool people into thinking they aren't a 30-minute walk away...
January 31st, 2014 at 12:01 PM ^
I assume by "offered" he means "received an email from the AD explaining how parking spots will be assigned this year - so donate more now!"
I had been expecting a much stronger full-court press from the AD leading into today's PSD deadline, but it didn't really come. This parking email clearly isn't designed to increase the likelihood of making my PSD - quite the opposite: 'hey, after you send us your PSD, consider donating another $25,000 so that you can have the opportunity to pay an additional $420 (only* $60/game) to park so close you won't be able to get out of the area for hours.'
* they forgot to include the word "only", which dismayed me as a marketer, so I added it for them. Not sure how they missed that opportunity.
January 31st, 2014 at 12:16 PM ^
It's old news. It is just the same dismal news on how unobtainable are the parking places in the Champions, Blue and Grey lots.
This chart, which hasn't changed much at all in recent years, shows the terrible state of affairs:
|
Lot Name |
Estimated Points |
Cost of Pass |
|
Champions Lots |
$25,000 annual giving / Suite Holders |
$420 ($60/game) |
|
Blue Lot (car) |
750 |
$350 ($50/game) |
|
Grey Lot |
575 |
$280 ($40/game) |
|
Brown Lot (car) |
500 |
$140 ($20/game) |
|
Blue Lot (RV) |
500 |
$1,400 ($200/game) |
Ignore the cost of the parking fee. Look instead at the "Estimated Points" required to qualify, to pay the parking fees. 750 Victors Club points equates to about $70,000 in giving to the Athletic Department (not the University) in most cases. The fact that someone might be an alum, a past letter-winner, a multiple degree holder, a President's Club Member, an M Club member; those factors make only a tiny dent in the requisite donation numbers. Such is the focus on cash giving.
January 31st, 2014 at 12:16 PM ^
Even if I had 500 points I would not take them up on this parking deal. I can see if I were 70 years old or lacked mobility how this might be attractive, but I'm fortunately not in that camp and prefer taking a stroll to my car, anyway.
January 31st, 2014 at 1:10 PM ^
Personally I enjoy the walk so it's of no value regardless. It's either take an enjoyable walk with a bunch of fans or sit immobile in a jammed lot for hours. To each their own.
January 31st, 2014 at 1:46 PM ^
Has there always been a flat fee attached to the pass on top of the points? Honestly, I've never had to write the check, but it was my impression it's always been an automatic point-level perk.
January 31st, 2014 at 2:00 PM ^
Now, don't misread the chart. It's not, for instance, $420 plus $60 per game; it is $420 which equates to $60 per game.
It is: ($TOTAL) $Fee/game
Divide by 7 games. The chart gives you the total and the per game charge.
January 31st, 2014 at 2:39 PM ^
You know, I really do appreciate that this is the one subject for which we just endlessly high-five each other for an entire thread.
o/ \o
Cats and dogs, living together!
January 31st, 2014 at 12:06 PM ^
January 31st, 2014 at 11:26 AM ^
January 31st, 2014 at 11:34 AM ^
Paying for Dave Brandon's folly is not the same as buying tickets in the open market and attending. You can still go to all the games you want, just pay less, same experience all the way around. And you may even find a view or two that are unique that you'd never have tried otherwise!
January 31st, 2014 at 12:55 PM ^
That's the approach I'm taking Larry. Go to the games I want - sit where I want and pay a fraction of what I would've paid holding my season tickets.
Frankly I wish I had gotten pissed-off years ago. Couldve saved myself a ton of money.
January 31st, 2014 at 1:06 PM ^
That's been my approach for years. Pick the game(s) I want, scan StubHub, decide where I want to sit, buy when ready. Sooner or later this is going to come back on them in a not so good way.
It was actually better pre-StubHub when I could buy on ebay - maybe a little dicier but felt a lot more free market, and was cheaper. As soon as the season tickets went out people would offer any games they didn't want - could get great deals months in advance.
January 31st, 2014 at 11:28 AM ^
I'll definitely renew, but since our seats are in the south endzone, the PSD isn't that much. Yeah, I know we could probably pay for most games more cheaply on StubHub. But part of the experience for us is sitting next to the nice people around us who we've built up a relationship with. If there were a bunch of a-holes near us, we might rethink the decision. (That being said, I'm still hugely pissed at the bottled water extortion)
January 31st, 2014 at 11:35 AM ^
January 31st, 2014 at 11:36 AM ^
What time is the deadline? I'm still not sure if I'm going to do it. I drive from near Purdue, and it is getting increasinly hard to get up early enough to ge there before the band takes the field. I just don't feel the excitement like I used to.
January 31st, 2014 at 11:39 AM ^
January 31st, 2014 at 12:00 PM ^
the more I think about this, the more I am thinking about just paying just to keep my points (woot and free .5pt for $150) and then going stub hub.
January 31st, 2014 at 12:09 PM ^
I may be wrong, but you just need to pay the money to activate your points, not to keep them. So if you don't donate any money this year, then technically you have no active points, but your history just doesn't disappear, it just goes dormant until you make a donation again. So if you think you'll need your points this year, then it makes sense to make that donation, but if you're just going to buy through StubHub and don't care about priority for buying ticket packs or bowl tickets or whatever, then you probably don't need to bother with a donation now.
January 31st, 2014 at 12:18 PM ^
January 31st, 2014 at 12:40 PM ^
We lost all of our points when we transferred the tickets into my name. That was a bit painful. Our tickets have been in the family for over 30 years.
January 31st, 2014 at 11:52 AM ^
did any of you need a reminder to bitch about Dave Brandon?
January 31st, 2014 at 12:03 PM ^
It pains me since allot of the people who sit around me have been there for 15+ years in the same seats and we have gotten to know everyone very well.
They are good seats - I have 4 tickets, 2 and 2 with both sets on an aisle so I've always got great leg room. That's the only thing that's been keeping me from not cancelling 4+ years ago. That and the feeling in my stomach that I am abandoning the school and the players.
I do not like the direction the football program is heading nor am I happy with our beloved AD. The only way I can truly protest is to withhold my donation. I'll take my chances with StubHub. Who knows? Maybe I'll buy my old seats back and 1/2 the price.
FYI - when I called the ticket office about renewal they told me this. If you do not renew you still keep your points - they are not lost. If you have enough - chances are you will be able to get right back into the season ticket holder line without waiting.
I'm hopng things change and change soon.
January 31st, 2014 at 12:15 PM ^
January 31st, 2014 at 12:18 PM ^
... you'd probably have to donate $100/year to keep those points "activated."
January 31st, 2014 at 12:37 PM ^
You may be right. I still plan on supoprting/donating to the school but not to the athletic department. Hopefully those donations keep my points active.
January 31st, 2014 at 1:12 PM ^
Athletic Deparment giving is its own world.
I'd advise doing 100 bucks a year to Mr. Brandon; what you get for that, with your X number of priority points and your email address permanently embedded in their mailing list, is offers to other things; basketball tickets, baseball, other single-game ticket offers. You get the idea; if you've been getting the same stuff I have, you know how it goes. Plus your 100 bucks gets you 1 point. So you got that goin' for you. Which is nice.
January 31st, 2014 at 1:37 PM ^
Points are assigned as follows:
1 Point Lifetime Athletic Donations (per $100)
1 Point Lifetime University Donations (per $1000)
1 Point Ticket Loyalty (consecutive years as a season ticket holder in every season-ticketed sport since 1992)
1 Point Lifetime Marching Band Donation (per $100)
20 Points U-M Alumni
40 Points U-M Letterwinner
Line #2 - OK - I get it that it's 1/10 as valuable as a gift directly to the AD, but It still counts.
January 31st, 2014 at 2:37 PM ^
It's kind of ridiculous they only count season tickets since 1992. Our family has been football season ticket holders since 1975, basketball since about 1981 or 82, hockey since 1993 or 4. That's a bunch of points left on the table.
Though I guess when there are folks getting many times that amount for the cost of but a single seat in their luxury box, does it even really matter anymore?
January 31st, 2014 at 1:27 PM ^
I called and asked what would happen if I didn't pay the PSD but wanted to get tickets in the future. I was told I'd have to pay the $500 they now charge to join the "season ticket interest list" again and would basically start from the beginning again. I didn't ask about my points, but I don't see any reason I'd lose any beyond possibly the ones for consecutive season ticket purchases. I finally decided to just keep paying Brandon's ransom fee and try not to think about it any more until my tickets for Appalachian State arrive and I get angry again.
January 31st, 2014 at 1:34 PM ^
The AD will change their tune either when DAB is gone, or when they've had a few years of having to work to make the stadium appear full, due to declining sales of season ticket packages.
January 31st, 2014 at 1:43 PM ^
You do need to pay the $500 "donation" to get back on the list for tickets but if you had already accumulated points, you would have those points applied to you account once it is reactivated.. You would have to reapply for season tickets but should you have enough points previous, your order in rises
For example, let's say you give up your tickets but you have 100 priority points. When you go to reapply for season tickets, you pay the $500 and go on the list. But, your 100 points is still there so you move up the list w.r.t. getting first crack at the available season tickets versus the person who just started donating to the AD.
January 31st, 2014 at 12:21 PM ^
late in the season that I would not be renewing. This upcoming season will be the first in 58 years when my family has not been a season ticket holder. Old habits die hard. If I go, it will be at the hands of scalpers.
Sorry Dave, just can't justify the extortion any longer.
January 31st, 2014 at 12:36 PM ^
I always pay when I get it and then have to go through my credit card history to find it at this time of year because I get nervous that I will lose the best seats in the house.
But like Eric B and Rakim, I am paid in full!
January 31st, 2014 at 12:49 PM ^
I would consider tickets only if PSD was dropped and they were around $40 - $50 per game. That's what I'm willing to pay. The money losing sports with new facilities and $100k coaches salaries are too much for me.
January 31st, 2014 at 3:29 PM ^
January 31st, 2014 at 4:20 PM ^
January 31st, 2014 at 3:35 PM ^
January 31st, 2014 at 1:03 PM ^
If anybody in the Athletic Department reads this blog this thread should scare them a bit. You have a blend of "not renewing" with "reluctantly renewing" but very, very few "enthusiasticly renewing" and we're the zealots. This topic didn't exist two years ago and all we could talk about was "did you get your tickets yet"? Not this.
When the missionaries start questioning their faith (so to speak) the religion is in trouble.