UD Announces Seating/Donation Plan for 2011

[93henfan]

I just got the brochure in the mail this afternoon. Here are per-seat donations required for 2011:

Premium Boxes in front of D & K - $500
Premium Boxes in front of C, E, J & L - $300
Premium Boxes in front of B, F, I & M - $175
Premium Boxes in front of A, G, H & N - $125
Sections D & K - $125
Sections C, E, J & L - $75
Sections B, F, I & M - $50
No donation required for A, G, H, N, NEZ (U-Z) or SEZ (student section)

Some selected excerpts of interest:

"Beginning with the 2011 football season, University of Delaware athletics will implement the Blue Hen Club Seating Program. Under this plan, a per-seat donation will be required in order to purchase football season tickets. The seat donation will NOT be in addition to existing donations made to qualify for preferred parking, it will be inclusive of those requirements. It is also important to note this will NOT be a complete re-seating of Delaware Stadium and during the implementation all season ticket holders will have the first right of refusal to maintain their current locations."

There is much more info in the brochure, which is about 10 pages including stadium and parking maps. It touches on the one-time seat transfer policy, how to declare your 2011 seating intentions (retain, upgrade, relocate or waive), and a formula for calculating your minimum donation for 2011.

[bluehenbillk]

Yep, we got ours in the mail today as well. Fairly consistent with what they laid out at their town meetings. Will upset some old-timers, but I'm still excited for this coming season!!

[SaintDK10]

I just got the brochure in the mail this afternoon. Here are per-seat donations required for 2011:

Premium Boxes in front of D & K - $500
Premium Boxes in front of C, E, J & L - $300
Premium Boxes in front of B, F, I & M - $175
Premium Boxes in front of A, G, H & N - $125
Sections D & K - $125
Sections C, E, J & L - $75
Sections B, F, I & M - $50
No donation required for A, G, H, N, NEZ (U-Z) or SEZ (student section)

Some selected excerpts of interest:

"Beginning with the 2011 football season, University of Delaware athletics will implement the Blue Hen Club Seating Program. Under this plan, a per-seat donation will be required in order to purchase football season tickets. The seat donation will NOT be in addition to existing donations made to qualify for preferred parking, it will be inclusive of those requirements. It is also important to note this will NOT be a complete re-seating of Delaware Stadium and during the implementation all season ticket holders will have the first right of refusal to maintain their current locations."

There is much more info in the brochure, which is about 10 pages including stadium and parking maps. It touches on the one-time seat transfer policy, how to declare your 2011 seating intentions (retain, upgrade, relocate or waive), and a formula for calculating your minimum donation for 2011.
Interesting. I would have thought UD would require more than a $500 donation for the premium boxes. GSU requires a $2,200 donation for ours, albeit there are only 300 of those exclusive seats, which allow access to the owner's club at the Georgia Dome during the games.

[Saint3333]

ASU went through this two years ago when they required $500 donation to the Yosef Club for seats between the 40's and $250 between the 20's (up to four seats). And then in 2009 a $2,500 donation was required to purchase club seats (up to four and availibility based upon cumulative priority points).

Sometimes I wish ASU would have done a per seat price.

Some long-time ASU season ticket holders who weren't Yosef Club members were upset, most donated to the Yosef Club to keep their seats. This will likely be the case for Delaware fans. Hopefully Delaware has a priority point system for their club member to reward long-time givers for their support.

[aust42]

Geez. Now I have to pay an extra $1,000 for my four seats in section K. And if I want to continue to park where I have parked for over 10 years it's gonna cost an extra $175 just to have the right to park there.

Seem like I am being nickle and dimed by everybody these days. From the grocery store to parking meters fees, everything has increased substantially the past couple years. xbawlingx

[henfan]

Regardless of what you think about this plan, it shouldn't severely impact overall attendance in the short term. Since UD has 10K season ticket holders in a 22K-seat stadium, I'd suspect that at least some who reliquinish their season tickets will continue to buy single game tickets to the games that interest them.

Of course the risk is that UD in the longer term could be eroding its historically solid season ticket base and left with a higher percentage of less committed game day ticket buyers. The walk-up crowd is much more affected by weather conditions, competitiveness of the home team, interest in the opponent, etc.

While UD's non-revenue sports are sure to gain from added UDAF support from FB season ticket holders, it remains to be seen if the plan will actually benefit the FB program.

Time will tell.

[OhioHen]

Interesting. I would have thought UD would require more than a $500 donation for the premium boxes. GSU requires a $2,200 donation for ours, albeit there are only 300 of those exclusive seats, which allow access to the owner's club at the Georgia Dome during the games.

Those "premium boxes" are seats in front of the walkway in front of the stands. Closest to the field, with view of the sideline blocked by players and coaches. Some of the WORST seats in the stadium, IMO.

[Side Judge]

Those "premium boxes" are seats in front of the walkway in front of the stands. Closest to the field, with view of the sideline blocked by players and coaches. Some of the WORST seats in the stadium, IMO.

Agreed - as a student (in the mid-80s, when they seated us in Sections A and B) I always requested Row PP - still do, except when I have my dad along...

[GannonFan]

Really no need to go as high as PP - I agree, the view's good up there, but you can get a great view and be close to the action as low as row G or row H. But yes, the box seats right at the bottom of the field aren't good for anything other than hearing the game.

On the topic of the prices, no doubt UD's going to reap a lot of money from this. Despite all the griping about required donation levels for the parking, UD generated more than $5M in revenue just from that in one year. They'll make money on this, even if they lose 1k or 2k season ticket holders. Of couse, as HF says, as long as the team is competitive. Just a shame to have to basically pay $35 per ticket per game, if not more, to attend a game.

[superman7515]

Geez. Now I have to pay an extra $1,000 for my four seats in section K. And if I want to continue to park where I have parked for over 10 years it's gonna cost an extra $175 just to have the right to park there.

Seem like I am being nickle and dimed by everybody these days. From the grocery store to parking meters fees, everything has increased substantially the past couple years. xbawlingx

If you're saying that you'll have to pay an extra $175 to qualify for the parking, you won't (if I read mine correctly). You just pay the higher of the two amounts (seating or parking) in order to get both. Example 5 on page 8 does a good job of clarifying that. Apologies if you were speaking of something different.

[aust42]

If you're saying that you'll have to pay an extra $175 to qualify for the parking, you won't (if I read mine correctly). You just pay the higher of the two amounts (seating or parking) in order to get both. Example 5 on page 8 does a good job of clarifying that. Apologies if you were speaking of something different.

Thanks for clarifying. I haven't been home in a week and haven't got my mail. So then I have to pay an extra $1,000 to keep my four seats. I'm still torn on the issue. I can give up my season tickets, save a thousand dollars and still have no problem calling Barb and get four tickets anywhere else in the stadium for any game. For goodness sakes, this isn't Penn State where it would be worth paying extra money for good seats, EVERY seat in Delaware stadium is a good seat. Maybe if I knew what that extra money was going towards (stadium upgrades) then I probably would lean towards keeping my seats. I could be way off base but this just seems to be Delaware taking advantage of the vast majority of their fan base that will ante up the extra money no matter what. I'm just tired of everything costing so much more money these days. xviolinx

[Attila the Hen]

I think you'll initially see a bigger drop in season ticket sales (say 3k), but as was mentioned those who drop will likely buy single game tickets. But I wouldn't be surprised if attendance at cupcake home games gets crushed, although UD probably has a plan in mind to hold freshman parents hostage for those games. If the cupcake games don't sell, it may drive a tougher OOC schedule or replacement with a road game with an FBS john.

[dchen]

Well I think they got the price point correct for the best (non box) seats. I have two seats in Section D, Row Q so I will have to pay an extra $250 for the right to retain my season tickets (before considering the tax benefit). Any higher and I was probably gone. Between having a lot of the better games on TV and the ability to buy single game tickets its even a toss-up at the extra $250. Plus I'm an Old Timer who grew up in the golden age of UD football, long since gone.

[dchen]

Also why does Aust 42 say an extra $1,000. Isn't it 4 time 125 = $600?

[superman7515]

Also why does Aust 42 say an extra $1,000. Isn't it 4 time 125 = $600?

Yeah. Aust, it will be $600 extra, all tax deductible, and you don't have to pay the $125 for the parking and you still get it. Or if it gives you more warm fuzzies you could say $125 for the parking and $475 for the tickets. Same price either way, haha.

As for where the money goes... "Will my seat donation go to fund facility projects? - No. Seat donations are part of the UDAF annual giving program and go directly to support athletic scholarships, sport operational costs, and special projects. Facility projects are funded by gifts made over and above annual Blue Hen Club contributions."

[aust42]

Yeah. Aust, it will be $600 extra, all tax deductible, and you don't have to pay the $125 for the parking and you still get it. Or if it gives you more warm fuzzies you could say $125 for the parking and $475 for the tickets. Same price either way, haha.

As for where the money goes... "Will my seat donation go to fund facility projects? - No. Seat donations are part of the UDAF annual giving program and go directly to support athletic scholarships, sport operational costs, and special projects. Facility projects are funded by gifts made over and above annual Blue Hen Club contributions."

Ok, I'm retarded. For some reason I was thinking it was $250/seat for my section K seats despite the first post showing the fees in black & white. I think some of the preliminary plans and figures were in that range so I had my beotch fest ready to aim & fire. Thanks for keeping me straight!