Last Day to Pay Football Preferred Seat Contribution
For football season ticket holders, today is the last day to pay your PSC. I've been a holder since right after I graduated in 2011, but this is the first year I'm seriously considering not renewing. I'm still in section 8 (corner) row 30 with only two tickets. Would be more inclined if I was sideline and had a group of 4. Also disappointed with our play on the field and scheduling OSU and MSU away the same year.
Anyone else in a similar conflict of deciding whether to continue as a season ticket holder?
January 31st, 2020 at 10:06 AM ^
Not a season ticket holder—how much $$ is the "contribution?"
January 31st, 2020 at 10:11 AM ^
Here's a handy link Don.
January 31st, 2020 at 11:23 AM ^
Thanks. That raises more questions—suppose I'm interested in finding out how much season tickets cost for 2020?
Well here's a "handy" link: https://mgoblue.com/sports/2017/6/16/tickets-fbl-season-html.aspx
There isn't a single bit of information on this page to inform somebody what the actual cost of season tickets are. Perhaps you have to set up an online account to find out first.
But there's more: "Those contributing $150 or more to the football season ticket interest list have the first opportunity to purchase any available season tickets."
And then there's this: "Football season tickets are based upon availability and will be allocated according to priority points."
As an alumni, I get 20 points. To find out what, if any, that paltry point total gets me in terms of a place on the list, I have to set up an account first.
So to recap: I have to pay the PSC, contribute at least $150 to the "interest list", with my priority being greatly affected by how many thousands of dollars I've donated to the athletic dept or UM. All in addition to the price of the seats themselves, a cost that I can only divine if I set up an account online.
From a sales perspective, it's an enviable place to be if you can make it difficult for your prospective customers to find out the price of your product or service and still be guaranteed sufficient sales.
I'm not complaining, though. It's been obvious for many years that somebody like me is not part of the target audience of the athletic department, and there's certainly no constitutional right to buying a ticket to watch Michigan lose to Ohio State in person. Any talk of "fairness" is stupid.
Whether pricing a good portion of its natural customer base out of the market is a good business strategy in the long term is a different question.
January 31st, 2020 at 11:33 AM ^
Sorry, Don - I don’t have any more information. I happened to look the other day and had the link handy as I was curious what the other tiers from mine cost.
January 31st, 2020 at 11:38 AM ^
Hey, it's not on you.
I think it's weird that the athletic dept would be so opaque about what season ticket seats cost, but like I said, they don't need to give a fuck about people like me. I'm not their target, and they know that.
January 31st, 2020 at 12:21 PM ^
Ticket cost and donation piece remained the same as last year, so $527 for the tickets (or ~$75/game).
Every seat has a contribution that starts at $80 for endzone seats, so at minimum you're at $607/ticket (~$86/game).
January 31st, 2020 at 3:16 PM ^
Correct, but i think the PSC would cover the $150 to get on the list. i don't think there is a list this year - there wasn't last year.
January 31st, 2020 at 12:20 PM ^
Everything depends on where you sit. I originally had two tickets in Blue or section 18 row 1. PSD is 220 per seat. Picked up a third across the aisle in section 18 row 17. The PSD is only 80. The season ticket itself cost roughly $500 each for the season. Price once again depends on location. With PSD and cost of the season ticket my tickets cost approximately 100 per game per seat on average. Hope that helps some.
Getting close to saying no more and seriously considered it this year after sitting in a sea of red and hearing O-H-I-O echo through our stadium. Also don't understand our cheerleaders chanting go big blue which happens to be a pet peeve of mine. With the 2022 schedule being finalized I just can't see myself paying to see that crappy of a schedule. It has gotten to the point of even years being terrible (sick of Wisconsin being on schedule) and odd years having all the marquee games.
January 31st, 2020 at 12:47 PM ^
Not sure if you really care but that contribution of $150 is instead of the PSC the first year you get tickets.
Most seasons (for my blue section seats section 18) if you add up the face value printed on the season tickets for the entire season it has been almost the same amount as if you add what you paid for the tickets plus the personal seat donation.
I have debated giving up my seats the past couple years due to price and on field performance but I just can't pull that trigger. I have been to every home game but 4 since 1997.
January 31st, 2020 at 2:08 PM ^
A general rule of thumb is an average of $75 per ticket per game, and then add on the PSC. The PSC varies greatly by location in the stadium, but most years, the only available seats are in the end zones or nearby, where the PSC is $80 per seat (for the year). The PSC goes up very steeply as you move towards mid field.
IMO, I love being a season ticket holder. It's not just the games, it's the tailgating and such. We have a large group of people that tailgate together and it's always a blast.
If I were to just show up at game time at the stadium, I would agree with the complaints. But saturdays in the fall are my favorite days of the year. Seeing all of the old friends. Bringing family. cooking. And then venturing in. I love that shit. So they'll get my ~$600 per year and my brother's as well
January 31st, 2020 at 9:13 PM ^
I just paid yesterday. Enjoy these days while you're young. Almost all the people I tailgated with over the years are gone now either they passed on or they're too old and infirm to come or they moved away. I've met a lot of new friends tailgating but it's just not the same. This year will be our 51st year in exactly the same seats. They started out as my parents seats but then over the years when my parents we're too old I had them transferred to my name. I attended my first game when I was 11 years old! Same seats. So yes it is truly about the tailgate experience and game day as a whole. Don't know how much longer I'm going to go it's really about the friends more than the game. Hoping and praying for a great season! Go Blue!
January 31st, 2020 at 10:11 AM ^
Just paid mine yesterday. I can't bring myself to give them up. At least it's not the Rich Rod/Brady Hoke era anymore!
January 31st, 2020 at 10:11 AM ^
Don't miss being a season ticket holder at all.
January 31st, 2020 at 10:12 AM ^
I think you're gonna see quite a few people not renewing this year.
January 31st, 2020 at 1:23 PM ^
Honestly, what’s the point?
In any given season you’re looking at an average of 7 home games. 3 of those are most likely going to be blow outs against lightweight opponents.
So that leaves around 4 games against quality opponents. There’s a good chance at least one of those games is going to be played in rain or other miserable weather conditions. And, of course, in odd numbered years, one of those games is going to be an OSU loss and probably an ass kicking. Then you have all the costs, the weird ass start times, the games taking 4+ hours, etc, etc.
So in the end it’s thousands of dollars for 2-3 games against a quality opponent, in nice weather conditions, that results in a UM victory.
No thanks. I’ll watch in my comfy recliner on my 65 inch OLED with easy access to food and drinks and restroom facilities.
I dropped season tickets 8 years ago and haven’t regretted it a bit. I go to a few games a year off stub hub and that gives me my fix and at a much lower cost. The game day experience has been getting far more expensive with far less in return.
January 31st, 2020 at 1:37 PM ^
Yeah I'm over it. The in game experience is so routine and choreographed at this point it's no fun. Oh and LONG AS FUCK.
January 31st, 2020 at 6:39 PM ^
I’m with you on this. I used to have 7 season tickets and am down to 2 now. Deep down, I know that I am a sucker for keeping the 2. Life is so busy with my 10-yr old’s sports on the weekend that I may only make it to 1-2 games. I know that my son won’t be 10 forever but I could save money just buying the few quality games on stubhub.
January 31st, 2020 at 7:06 PM ^
“Just do it!”
January 31st, 2020 at 6:42 PM ^
Your strategy is the one I am going with, as I dropped my season tickets for the upcoming season. Go Blue!
January 31st, 2020 at 10:27 AM ^
I was on the fence last year. The deadline passed and thought it was for the best. Fast forward to the middle of March and I get an email asking if I still wanted to renew. I relented and now I sit here once again on the fence...
January 31st, 2020 at 10:46 AM ^
After 8 years in sections 15 - 17, I decided not to renew this year. I still plan on attending 2-3 games, but just decided to pass on renewing for the season.
January 31st, 2020 at 10:50 AM ^
I relented and paid up ($1320 total for two tickets - actual ticket cost still to come). They know I'm a sucker and they know I can't help myself. Still makes me feel like an idiot on a yearly basis.
January 31st, 2020 at 11:00 AM ^
You must be near midfield and/or in club seats?
My group dropped our block of four (that we'd had since 2006) before this past season (2019) and I think our PSD/PSL/PSWhatever had gone up to $350 (from $175, then $250) for 2018 and for 2019 was going up to $375 (maybe more, I forget) for our SE 15-yard line seats.
I figured I would really miss it once the season rolled around but quickly found that to not be the case. I did end up going to the MSU game as a one-off and had a blast but I think I enjoyed it much more knowing that it was more of a special thing compared to one of 7-8 trips to A2.
January 31st, 2020 at 12:26 PM ^
Yeah, we are on the aisle of section 22, right on the 35 yard line. What makes it even worse is that our aisle is the dividing line. I don't know what the next lower tier is, but the guy on the other side of the aisle, a solid 3 feet away from me pays less.
I am actually afraid that I won't miss it, which at this point is even scarier.
January 31st, 2020 at 12:33 PM ^
I’m in section 21 and pay $1075 for 2 PSDs.
January 31st, 2020 at 11:02 AM ^
I feel the same way, I have great seats as I sit in front of the handicap row that gives me a seat back and can stand without blocking anyone. The reality is most games you can buy on Stub Hub for under $30. On top of that dropping teams like VT and UCLA and replacing with teams like Uconn is a kick in the balls to season ticket holders. I was lucky enough this year to sell my tickets to break even and push the decision to next year.
January 31st, 2020 at 11:23 AM ^
This is truly a difficult decision for me. I’m originally from New York and have no ties to the state of Michigan so my fandom was built from nothing, rather than being passed down from previous generations. My dad and I bought the tix together 12 years ago and he has since passed away. Part of me says it’s time to let go and another part of me knows that he’d want me to continue on. The schedule changes are for the best with regards to championship goals but they’ve certainly made it less exciting to attend certain games. Plus, I feel like with MSU/OSU being played in the same year that this is essentially a 2 year commitment because why would you sign up this year only to let them go for next year with those two games on the home schedule?
January 31st, 2020 at 12:42 PM ^
OSU is its own thing, that's the game and nothing is going to replace it. But is MSU that big of a deal anymore? They're a sub-Indiana team now and will be for at least a few more years. Wisconsin and PSU this year are much more attractive draws to me, and they're at home.
PSU and OSU are even/odd, I think that's the important split.
Yes MSU is a rivalry and it's great fun clubbing them. PSU will be for a chance to rival OSU for the East. It's going to be that way for at least several years.
January 31st, 2020 at 11:26 AM ^
I decided not to renew this year after being a season ticket holder for 20+ years. I live in Chicago and can only make a couple of games a year; it has finally become too expensive to rationalize, especially with the less than stellar performance. I wish I had money to burn and would be able to continue, but I'd like to retire at some point. Sad day indeed.
January 31st, 2020 at 12:27 PM ^
Rich Rod and Hoke didn't have enough less than stellar performances that you kept renewing?
January 31st, 2020 at 11:33 AM ^
My brother finally gave up his 2 this year. Graduated M dental school in 72 so he's been going to games since his Freshman year in 1965.
The night games did him in. That and not winning the B1G 10 in 15 years. He finally gave up.
January 31st, 2020 at 12:20 PM ^
Hoke not wearing a headset finally did it for me after 20 years. I just couldn't take it anymore.
January 31st, 2020 at 12:24 PM ^
^This is really telling. Michigan football has a big problem on its hands right now. I did not graduate from U of M, but have been an avid fan since 1973. I gave up my season ticket this year.
January 31st, 2020 at 11:33 AM ^
Went back and forth, then renewed yesterday. I actually kind of regret it already. Terrible home schedule, and no real hope of a special season this year or anytime in the near future.
I'd be better off handing the money to a homeless dude on the street and then asking him to kick me in the balls. Oh, well.
January 31st, 2020 at 11:37 AM ^
I am. Taking it right to the wire with my decision, but leaning against.
January 31st, 2020 at 11:38 AM ^
The experience is not worth the money anymore. Road games are way more enjoyable.
January 31st, 2020 at 11:39 AM ^
This thread is really amazing thus far.
I mean, Kilgore Trout is spending 4 figures for season tickets and complaining about feeling like a fool. Others saying they don't miss being a holder at all.
On the one hand, this is really sad to me: Attending games is an amazing experience, one that I got to share with my kids for the first time this past fall.* One that I shared with my dad, and at other times with good friends.
On the other hand, Michigan has managed to escape the collapse of the ticket bubble so far. Basically every other major program has struggled with it; Alabama (Alabama!) is talking about removing seats from its stadium to be more "efficient" with ticket sales.
But with people reacting like this, I don't see how Michigan doesn't suffer a collapse in ticket sales in the near future. We have a huge fanbase, but the program is... not exactly blowing any of us away. The expense is phenomenal. The alternatives to attendance are increasingly attractive.
I wouldn't be surprised to see a serious collapse in season ticket sales this year, and if the season doesn't go well, at least one instance where the national media looks at pics of a game and remarks at how shocking the lack of attendance is. Dipping below 100,000 is absolutely on the table.
*Had a GREAT time. My three daughters, which at the time were 13, 11, and 7, all had fun. We tailgated with my mom and stepfather (they went home before the game) and we sang with the band and cheered on the team. But... on the drive home the next evening, I told my wife that I'd like to go back again with my son eventually, but there is no rush. I used to attend every game at home and a couple on the road, and I'm... ok not going? I'm getting old, but it's more than that.
January 31st, 2020 at 12:03 PM ^
It's sad, but outside of the costs of attending games, there is also a huge time commitment for season ticket holders. I haven't been in the stadium for a few years, but I have tailgated at a few games.
It's more enjoyable (for us) to come and tailgate for signature games and then head home to watch at a friends house, 30 minutes before kick off. There is something about being their live, but it's tough to beat HDTV, spacious seating, immediate restrooms, unlimited food and drinks. As a fan of college football and Michigan, it is also great to catch other games at halftime, during timeouts, etc.
January 31st, 2020 at 12:27 PM ^
Same for me. It has nothing to do with cost. Most years I go to a couple games a year still, but the game experience outside the tailgate just isn't worth it for a full season with the old aholes screaming at you to sit down, endless commercial breaks, sitting in traffic for hours after the game, etc.
January 31st, 2020 at 12:54 PM ^
I enjoy a whole day dedicated to an experience like a home football game. It's unique and special.
But it IS a big commitment, and even if I lived in the A2 area and could afford the tickets, I couldn't afford to give up a whole day 6 or 7 times a year anymore like I used to.
I have a season ticket to Minnesota-Duluth basketball this year (they're pretty good, it's general admission so I can sit anywhere, and it cost $75 for the whole year). One of the things I like most about it is that I can leave my house a half hour before tip and get to my seat during warmups (with free parking), leave at the end of the game and get home scarcely more than 2 hours after I left. I still have time to play a board game with my family or flip something on tv with my wife or head to the church building to finish prep on a Saturday, instead of committing most of a day.
I grant that I am older now. But I have a good and busy life, and it's nice not having days of my life occupied by attending one team's home games.
January 31st, 2020 at 2:46 PM ^
I love DII basketball. Low cost. Easy in, easy out. Very entertaining games with high skill level. $75 for season tickets is well worth it. Enjoy your steady diet of Bulldogs basketball!
January 31st, 2020 at 12:57 PM ^
This is all true, but so is the fact that threads exactly like this have been a staple around here for nearly a decade. People were predicting woe during Richrod and Hoke for performance reasons (which makes Harbaugh laments seem quaint), and the schedule complaints are constant.
As you note, Michigan has somehow managed to escape the collapse. It's an amazing comment on its fan base.
January 31st, 2020 at 1:17 PM ^
The discontent is growing, though. The prices are higher, the fanbase is older, and the product is worse.
When MGrowOld made a thread about dropping his season tickets during the Hoke era, he got heavy pushback. Including, I think, some modest resistance from me. He can correct me, but I think that was after the 2013 season.
2014 came and people actually did vote with their feet. There wasn't the organized boycott of the Maryland game that Brian agitated for (DB was already gone and Hoke was on his way out by then) but there were still thousands of ticketbuyers dressed as empty benches. Harbaugh got hired and fan interest in the program was completely revived.
Things aren't as bad as the late Hoke era, but the apathy is real, and I sense a much greater number of people who are ready to be done with season tickets. Many of them are people like the ones describing themselves here, that endured RR and Hoke without dropping tickets, but are ready to say "enough is enough."
And, crucially, these are not people pretending to not be fans anymore. They are simply fans who are ok with reducing their attendance from 6-7 games to a couple of games a year (or, alternatively, recognizing that this was really what they were doing anyway and why spend thousands of dollars if you can get to two games for $200?). These are people whose tvs are bigger and nicer than they were five years ago, who have spent a Saturday or two at home and realized that it was actually pretty good. Who want to see the team win, but are willing to watch it do so from home more frequently.
Michigan's attendance is the last bubble to pop. It is a testament to our fanbase that attendance is still robust. But it IS a bubble and it WILL deflate.
January 31st, 2020 at 1:43 PM ^
It WILL get to sub Hoke levels if the team is mediocre again this year. Why should people pay elite level prices for a team that does the same thing every year? Don Canham is probably rolling over in his grave with how bad fans are gouged these days.
The mystique of the program is pretty much dead, and very few people my age are going to be lining up to replace the 50+ year olds that are giving up their tickets.
January 31st, 2020 at 9:12 PM ^
I am one of those “50+ year olds” you speak of...I am done with season tickets.
January 31st, 2020 at 3:51 PM ^
To the extent that all ncaaf bubbles will deflatr, I agree with you. It will happen eventually of course. Rome fell.
People are only saying they don't regret it because it's been short of championships. If McCafferey is the deliverer and the Wisconsin and PSU games give Michigan a B1G title next year, every one of these people will regret it. And if 2021 is a win at home against Ohio State that permanently turns the ride back to even and gets Michigan into that elite Top 5 layer of performance and wins, the bubble will push itself out beyond the visible horizon.
January 31st, 2020 at 4:05 PM ^
Will they though? Watching a championship team would be just as enjoyable on TV as it would in stadium.
National Champs vs Top 10 team doesn't change the benefits that watching a game from home has.
January 31st, 2020 at 8:51 PM ^
You probably don't go to games. It's different. The ND UTL night game is a bit sad in retrospect because all of the hope of the Hoke era it seemed to be embody died several years later. But what an amazing night. There's no replacement for being there.
January 31st, 2020 at 3:11 PM ^
" People were predicting woe during Richrod and Hoke for performance reasons "
...and there was some woe.
There were a few years in there where they weren't selling every available season ticket.
February 1st, 2020 at 9:07 AM ^
"There were a few years in there where they weren't selling every available season ticket."
Right at the beginning of the 2010 season the UM Alumni Association began quietly offering season tickets for an extremely reasonable price, with no seat license fee and no priority points nonsense. The only "catch" was that the seat location was different for each game, but since I didn't care I picked a couple up.
It was obvious they were doing this because there were thousands of unsold seats and the athletic department was concerned about the optics of great swaths of empty seats.
The problem of unsold seats will start happening again, and the athletic department has a choice to make—they can either provide incentives for purchase, or live with the fact that they can't hide there's no longer a capacity crowd at each game, which has probably been a fiction for a while anyhow.