M Alumni Assoc Cancels Football Saturdays Ticket Program

Submitted by umbig11 on
Dear Friend, As we look forward to the upcoming 2016 football season, we'd like to inform you of a change we've had to make in our ticket offerings. For many years, we've been able to provide our members access to tickets through our Football Saturdays Ticket program. However, what we've seen over the past few seasons is that with the rise of other ticket purchasing choices, such as StubHub, our Football Saturdays program is not exclusive anymore and the demand for our tickets has declined dramatically. And we want to provide our alumni with the kinds of benefits that only we can offer. Therefore, we have made the tough decision to discontinue the Football Saturdays program. For those of you who have looked to us for this service, we would like to direct you to Michigan Athletics as an excellent source for ticket purchase. If you are interested, we invite you to get on the season ticket interest list. Complete information is available at Michigan Football. Additionally, information on ticket packs and individual game tickets can be found on mgoblue.com. To receive email notifications of ticket sale dates, you may subscribe to Michigan Insider. We'd also like to assure you that this decision has no bearing on the other football exclusives we offer. Tickets to this year's homecoming game on October 22 vs. Illinois will be available through our Go Blue Tailgate Package, which includes a ticket to the game as well as a ticket to our 40th Annual Go Blue Homecoming Tailgate. What's more, if you'd like to attend, you can have your name added to our Priority List, giving you the first opportunity to purchase the Homecoming package once tickets become available. For details on the tailgates, Bowl Tour, and other programs and benefits, go to umalumni.com. We apologize for any inconvenience discontinuing this once beloved program may cause, but understand that in a changing world, we must do the same and focus on how to serve you best across all the benefits we offer. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at 800.847.4764 or [email protected]. Thanks for your understanding, and Go Blue! Steve Grafton President & CEO Alumni Association of the University of Michigan

winterblue75

April 8th, 2016 at 2:39 PM ^

This is how I was able to purchase tickets to the first night game at Michgan Stadium (I won't call it by the stupid Dave Brandon monicker). Sorry to see it go.

jonny_GoBlue

April 8th, 2016 at 2:44 PM ^

"However, what we've seen over the past few seasons is that with the rise of other ticket purchasing choices, such as StubHub, our Football Saturdays program is not exclusive anymore and the demand for our tickets has declined dramatically."



I find it hard to believe that they think ticket sales have dropped because of StubHub and not because of the on-the-field product.

StateSmells

April 8th, 2016 at 2:49 PM ^

This was the best way for someone who wasn't a big time donor to get tickets for big games at face value - I used it pretty much every year to get an extra pair of MSU/OSU/ND tickets even though they weren't great seats.  Calling Michigan Athletics will not get you a ticket to one fo those games, at least not without a package deal. 

On the same note, I am sure  they had a hard time selling those FCS and MAC tickets.  Probably bettter off giving the seats back to the AD and selling them as season tickets.

It never did get you away tickets, though.  

Brodie

April 8th, 2016 at 3:22 PM ^

This is a big hit to the value of the alumni association

I mean, now they offer you some events in big cities, a window sticker, access to a UMich email address and? I'm not one of those who craps on the AA for allowing non-alums in, but I don't see why people would join without more tangible benefits. 

Former_DC_Buck

April 8th, 2016 at 9:25 PM ^

There was even a groupon for half off membership.  While not Dave Brandon's idea, it did seem Brandonesque at the time.

Penn State has a similar philosophy of letting friends of the University join the alumni association.  

Ours is a more traditional approach, per the alumni website, we limit members to:

Individuals who have earned associate, bachelor, graduate, professional, or honorary degrees from Ohio State, as well as medical resident graduates of the university.

Brodie

April 13th, 2016 at 1:09 AM ^

I know of several other schools, including UCLA, that operate on the same model as Michigan.

I don't see the problem with it as it's a voluntary fundraising organization, more or less. I also don't understand why you would exclude former students who did not graduate as they are often on fundraising rolls and should get something in exchange for the cash calls. 

flyboy

April 8th, 2016 at 4:17 PM ^

I agree with everything that has been posted so far. I would like to encourage those, like me, who are upset with this decision to call the alumni office (800.847.4764) to voice your concerns. They told me they are taking notes and documenting every call about this issue to pass to their superiors. I'm not sure if they are actually going to do that, but more people calling to complain can't hurt the situation any worse. As a consolation to my complaint, they offered free tickets to the Alumni Tailgate for the Homecoming game. This was the best program the alumni association had going and they should know that it is not sitting well with the members. Now Get Off My Damn Lawn and call them to complain!




Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad

MGoRobo

April 8th, 2016 at 4:38 PM ^

The university should just absorb them and create a new membership model. It's ridiculous that anyone can become a member if they pay a membership. If it's an ALUMNI association, it should be only for ALUMNI. Also, membership to the overall organization should be free, with due being paid to your local club so they can organize events. There is no value to the alumni association as far as I can tell. The Clubs are the main drivers of their value.

Bluegriz

April 8th, 2016 at 4:38 PM ^

I am totally bummed about this and yes this is one of the main reasons I invested in a Lifetime membership.  I am a season ticket holder and have always used this program to get additional tickets to the home games that other friends and family wanted to attend.  I can't imagine there's a benefit the AA provides that is/was used more consistently and by more people than the Football Saturdays program.  How many people could possibly be using the job board or the True Blue travel program each and every year?

Also I cannot believe he said the demand for tickets has declined. First off, isn't there a waitlist again now? Demand is not declining for Michigan Football.  Second, for all but the garbage can games, I cannot imagine StubHub prices will ever beat Face Value as long as Jimmy is at the helm. 

His point about exclusivity probably means they are seeing a lot of these tickets resold on StubHub. Probably true, however, IMO not a reason to cancel the program. Every ticket in the stadium could potentially be sold on StubHub! No different for the AAUM tickets, it's just a fact of life. And by the way, the Athletic Department ENDORSES THE USE OF STUBHUB!! Unless they ended that relationship and I missed it.

So to me the justifications given for canceling are total horseshit.

PurpleStuff

April 8th, 2016 at 6:31 PM ^

But I think what you call the "garbage can games" were kind of part of the package.  If I remember from over a decade ago, people would list their preference for games and the more games you were willing to pay for, the greater the chance that you would get OSU/MSU/ND tickets as well.  So some people were paying face value for shitty seats to some of the lower profile games in order to get big game tickets.

StubHub has destroyed the market for those games by giving a real look at the value of the ticket.  People aren't filling out forms and paying $50 when the same seats are online for $20 within a couple of clicks and you know exactly what you are getting.

joedafan

April 8th, 2016 at 8:10 PM ^

The most recent model was this: The form was online only. You entered your preferred games in order of preference. They did not package the OSU tickets with other games anymore. It was simply done as a lottery. All entries had to be submitted by a certain date and then they did a random drawing from there. (At least, so they said.)

Even without a likelihood or guarantee of getting an OSU or MSU ticket, you could still get a good Big Ten game at face value, which is not always easy, or possible, on StubHub. One of my issues is also that I get a group of six tickets together, which is much harder to do on StubHub. Lastly, it was used as a pre-sale service. You did not have to sign on to mgoblue.com with the rest of the public when tickets went on sale.

They are making an obviously bogus claim that they are discontinuing the program because it's no longer "exclusive." They offered something (as explained above) that is not available to the gernal public. They have not explained the real reason, so I don't know what it is.

My best guess would be that they have to buy a certain amount of tickets from the Athletic Department and then they eat the cost of whatever they can't sell. They probaby were not able to sell out their crap game tickets and were losing money. And with a season coming up with no ND, no MSU, no OSU, and no night game, there probably weren't going to be a lot of people even looking for any kind of ticket.

I have sent them an email expressing my displeasure. I hope there is enough outrage that they will reverse course. Judging by the lack of comments on this thread, I'm not optimistic.

UESWolverine

April 9th, 2016 at 12:34 AM ^

Here is what this actually means. The school had a hard time selling tickets to the non-conference games so in order to sell more of those tickets, you had to buy them in order to get tickets to the good games. They figured out that they are going to make more money by selling the good games directly on Stubhub then they currently do by offering the Football Saturdays program. 

ColsBlue

April 9th, 2016 at 9:08 AM ^

Everyone needs to call or email the AAUM and voice your disappointment. This is literally the only program that gave membership any value. I joined last year as a lifetime member on the promise that I would have priority access to tickets. They even threw in a "free" pair to OSU game. Looking back, I now realize this membership push was likely in anticipation of this announcement. Seems very sketchy. Hell, even OSU maintains a ticket program for alums.




Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad

kavinpaker

June 11th, 2016 at 7:43 AM ^

Groundbreaking, i was hunt online sites through specific home elevators provided with area and allow them how to mentor much of our feeling additionally, the guide. vitapulse reviews