Indiana to make $3 million by moving Penn State game to DC

[BlindRef]

I hope the Big Ten prevents this from happening. Not only is this a bad precedent...it provides and unfair advantage for Penn State.

[TheJON]

How are they screwing the fans when they don't have fans in the first place? Iowa played NIU in Chicago. We traded a home game to take a payday and play at Soldier Field. We still sold out the stadium with Iowa fans. And yes, I know DC is farther from Bloomington than Chicago is Iowa City but we could play anywhere in the country and if there are tickets available we will snag them up. If there are tickets available for IU fans and they don't snag them up- tough shit. Good move by IU. Might as well take some money. I doubt more than a dozen people in Indiana would put up much of a fuss about this.

[TheJON]

Really? I had no idea. There's no difference. They're giving up a home game to collect a paycheck. Why does it matter if its in conference or OOC?

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

It may be an unfair advantage, but all sympathy goes out the window for IU because they signed up to play this game. It takes two to tango. If they want to sell a home game for a chunk of change, fine, let them get stomped by PSU in DC and allow their program to continue to be an embarrassment. They'll still get stomped by 40 in Bloomington anyway, so what's the diff? I doubt this sets any trends beyond the bottom feeders selling out because no legitimate program would get on board with this.

And didn't IU just expand their stadium, or at least renovate it? And now they're selling conference home games. Nice.

[PSUFAN]

The spreadsheet fans are loving this.

[indyfrisco]

Yeah, nice. We have season tix to IU games. We actually pool our $ with the entire family and have 30 tix together. I still don't know why we do it other than to support the school.In any case, getting 20k to a game is a challenge. There are more people at the tailgates DURING the game than actually at the game.

And yeah, they just added tons of more seats. It will look even more bare on gameday now. Penn St. brings fans in just because people want to see a good team since we don't have one here. Sad and pathetic they are selling out a premeir game and trying to replace it with a game against a shit team who will undoubtedly hand IU their ass.

[H4ever]

So you're cool with the power programs buying extra conference home games? Are you really this fucking stupid?

^^^^ Gets it. Jon=bitch has just cemented his spot in bitch folklore forever. Congratulations.

I think it is fucking terrible what IU is doing. Just Fucking terrible.

[MuchoBulls]

doubt this sets any trends beyond the bottom feeders selling out because no legitimate program would get on board with this.

This isn't the first time this has occurred. Some years ago, Wake Forest and/or Maryland collected a paycheck by playing their "home" games against FSU in Orlando.

[SunCoastSooner]

doubt this sets any trends beyond the bottom feeders selling out because no legitimate program would get on board with this.

This isn't the first time this has occurred. Some years ago, Wake Forest and/or Maryland collected a paycheck by playing their "home" games against FSU in Orlando.

Kansas has taken a paycheck and played OU and believe Nebraska once in Kansas City.

[King Crimson]

Kansas has taken a paycheck and played OU in KC

that was 05. i was thinking then, they might have liked to take that one back to Lawrence for a true home field advantage. that OU team had already lost 3 games, AD couldn't go against UT the previous week, and the team was reeling. but, OU wins on the "neutral field" 19-3 or something. actually, they probably wished they could have played us in Kemper. :x

[Terry in Crapchester]

I think Schmick was right when he was talking about legislation to make it 6 home and 6 away games for all schools. Next thing you know, OSU and scU-M are going to be playing 10 home games and 2 road games as they'll pay NW and IU to move their home games to Cleveland or Detroit, respectively, or they'll just say fuck it and have them in their home cribs.

Bad move.

Nobody has more power within their conference than tOSU and Michigan, with the possible exception of Oklahoma and Texas. That being said, nobody will ever get their schedule up to 10-2 -- 8-4 is about the greatest disparity you'll see on a home/away basis. The second option is much more likely.

If it's just the bottom-feeders doing it, it won't have much of a practical advantage for any team. But if they were to talk, say, Purdue, Minnesota, Illinois, etc. into doing the same thing, that's where you'll see a huge difference.

[TheJON]

So you're cool with the power programs buying extra conference home games? Are you really this fucking stupid?

No, I never said that. Point me to where I said I was cool with what Penn State is doing? You guys need to learn to not just assume what I think.

I said I'm cool with INDIANA accepting this because it's a payday they probably could never get with a home game. Nobody in Indiana gives a shit about IU football and as long as fans refuse to show up for their games, if I'm IU's AD I just go ahead and take the money.

Do I think Penn State is taking advantage of IU? Of course they are, and I don't like it. But fuck.........$3 million or play another "home" game where 18 IU fans actually show up for?? I'll take the money.

[Terry in Crapchester]

I don't claim to be an expert on Indiana football, and I have no interest in looking up their attendance results. Notwithstanding NOJ's comments, however, I see four conference opponents providing potential for a sellout at Memorial Stadium. Penn State would be one, along with tOSU, Michigan and Purdue (the latter only because of the in-state rivalry). Assuming those games are split by years, that means a maximum of two sellouts per year, unless Indiana happens to ring the bell with a marquee OOC opponent willing to play in Bloomington.

At $50 per ticket and approximately 52,000 seats in Memorial, that translates out to about $2.6 million in revenue for the Penn State game in Bloomington. Instead, they're getting $3 million to move the game to FedEx field.

Sounds to me like a (minimal) short-term financial gain in exchange for selling out the long-term goal of improving the football program. It doesn't look like a good move to me, but of course, I'm not Indiana's athletic director.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

If there IS an expert out there on Indiana football, even HE'S probably not an expert on Indiana football.

[socal]

If there IS an expert out there on Indiana football, even HE'S probably not an expert on Indiana football.

There's a, um tradition in tournament play- not talk about the next step until you've climbed the one in front of you. I'm sure going to the state finals is beyond your wildest dreams, so let's just keep it right there.

[TheJON]

If there IS an expert out there on Indiana football, even HE'S probably not an expert on Indiana football.

I got a buddy that went to IU and is a die-hard Hoosier fan. He doesn't give a shit that they're doing this. I just emailed him. He says no one will care and that he might consider making the roadie to DC because it would be a fun trip.

NOBODY is going to care. Go talk to one of the few IU fans that actually give a shit about Hoosier football and they will echo my statements. Indiana football is simply a time killer before basketball season starts. That's why this isn't a big deal. If Hoosier fans on here aren't putting up a giant hissy fit over this, who the fuck are any of us to tell them they're doing something wrong?

Blame Indiana fans for not caring instead of blaming Indiana and Penn State's administration's.

[TheJON]

At $50 per ticket and approximately 52,000 seats in Memorial, that translates out to about $2.6 million in revenue for the Penn State game in Bloomington. Instead, they're getting $3 million to move the game to FedEx field.

Sounds to me like a (minimal) short-term financial gain in exchange for selling out the long-term goal of improving the football program. It doesn't look like a good move to me, but of course, I'm not Indiana's athletic director.

$50 per ticket???? Uhh......not hardly dude.

More like on average about $20 per ticket, if even that. Last time Iowa played there I had considered going and they were offering like 4 tickets plus some grub for about $40 TOTAL.

Student tickets are probably no more than $10. I think general public tickets are around $35. You also have to factor in season ticket discounts (probably $5 per seat per game), free tickets being given out to players/other organizations, etc...

So let's say they do sellout the stadium (which no way would they even if playing Penn State.....it would still be more like 40,000) at 52,000 and an average ticket price of $20. That's $1,040,000. Add on about $150,000 in concession revenues and you've got less than $1.2 million in just REVENUES. Subtract cost of hiring concession workers, security, ticket stand employees, etc... and what's their net profit from this game? Maybe $1 million at most.

But like I said, that's assuming 52,000 people do show up, which that won't happen. 40,000 is realistic even when a team that brings a lot of fans comes into town. So subtract another $240,000 or so from that figure.

So realistically, we're at a $3 million payday minus traveling expenses or a $700,000-$800,000 payday.

You've got about a $2 million difference in overall profit, but obviously money can't be everything. So you have to factor what the fans will think about this. They won't care. So it's really an easy decision for IU.

[Degenerate]

Kansas has taken a paycheck and played OU in KC

that was 05. i was thinking then, they might have liked to take that one back to Lawrence for a true home field advantage. that OU team had already lost 3 games, AD couldn't go against UT the previous week, and the team was reeling. but, OU wins on the "neutral field" 19-3 or something. actually, they probably wished they could have played us in Kemper. :x

I remember watching it on TBS. After the game, one of the LBs, Nick Reid, challenged the entire offense to a fight in the locker room for being pretty much worse than dogshit.

[indyfrisco]

Terry, NO games sell out. I've been to Ohio St, Michigan and Penn State games in Bloomington. Never seen the stadium more then half full.

[TheJON]

Shut the fuck up, =Bitch. IU tickets are $50 for prime games (Purdue, OSU), $40 non-prime.

Ok, so I guessed wrong on the general public cost. It is $50, but...........

Not to students and adult and youth season ticket holders they're not. That makes up a large percentage of the crowd. Factor in the free tickets players families get and the average ticket price comes out to probably around $30 instead of what I said at $20. Maybe even $25.

So 40,000 x $30 = $1.2 million

Nice try though, retard. You failed again.

[TheJON]

Terry, NO games sell out. I've been to Ohio St, Michigan and Penn State games in Bloomington. Never seen the stadium more then half full.

No shit. Why the fuck do people on this board always have to comment on shit they know nothing about?

Shut the fuck up Screw, you're an idiot. No one goes to IU games and no one gives a fuck about IU games.

Heck, the interest in IU football is so fucking bad, I bet they've got barely more people that give a fuck about their team than do Western Michigan.

[TheJON]

And in case you wanted to know how much students pay for tickets........

$210 for season tickets to football ($30 for 6 home games) and 16 basketball home games.

$5 a fucking ticket.

Gee.......I'd hate to see IU lose that revenue!

[Degenerate]

FWIW, Wisconsin once moved a home game with Michigan State to Tokyo. it ended up being a game that clinched the 1993 Big Ten co-Championship and their first Rose Bowl appearance in 30 years.

Kansas State also played a home conference game in Japan, I think.

[TheJON]

free tickets players families get

Thanks for proving, once again, you obviously have no fucking clue about anything. Feel free to walk in front of a bus, you fucking jerkoff.

No, thank you for proving my point.

So, like, umm.......is this all you got to dispute what I've said?

That's what I thought. Thanks.

Football board is not where you belong dude. Go back over to Cul de Smack and take your fellow idiots Vag and m2 with you. And stay over there.

Again........

IU fans don't care. IU will make a shit load more money by playing this game in DC. Indiana has a joke of a football program anyways, so you might as well just take the money and run. Would you like to try and prove me wrong, fuckface??? Didn't think so. Idiot.

[Killian]

Notre Dame players get free tickets, or did. One of their QB's (Eric Chappel) was busted for trying to sell the free tickets for money.

[King Crimson]

one of my buddies growing up was the son of a Switzer assistant and we went to games on unused player family tickets quite a few times. FWIW.

[SunCoastSooner]

I hate to agree with Jon but I do... nobody, not even IU fan, gives a flying fuck about Hoosier football. The last time I even heard Indiana and football mentioned in the same paragraph was when they changed their uniforms to imitate Oklahoma's. That was how many years ago? [sarcasm] Have they even been to a bowl game in anyone on this board's lifetime?[/sarcasm]

If players got tickets in the past, then I apologize to Noj. But I'm pretty certain they don't get tickets anymore.

You're a moron. Players get between 2 and 4 free tickets for family or friends at almost every major institution in the country for football (understandable that you wouldn't know this based on the criteria). Most of the time it is only two but at some schools (Oklahoma for example) in a students senior season they will receive four to two home games, one they choose and the all the seniors on senior day. It is against NCAA rules for the players to sell the tickets.

[TheJON]

Families and players DO get tickets. I got family tickets to the Iowa State-Texas A&M game a few years back because my wife (girlfriend at the time) is cousins with a player on A&M. We sat in the Aggie section. We got about 30 tickets gathered up by a bunch of players who didn't have any family members attending the game, and since she has a lot of relatives here in Iowa, we obviously scraped up a bunch of them.

I also do know that Iowa gives out tickets to players families. I believe every player that dresses for the game gets 2 tickets. Coaches get tickets as well for their family members. I'm going to guess that anyone that's related to Ferentz gets free tickets.

[TheJON]

The players at Iowa used to get 4 tickets for family members and I improved my seats a few times by using one of the family tickets. Players also take tickets from players who will not be using them and have been known to sell those. I never really saw the harm in a college kid making $20 off a ticket that would otherwise go unused until someone informed me that an unscrupulous booster might give them a couple of thousand dollars for the ticket. I guess that's why it's against the rules.

The best way to improve your seats at Kinnick is to sit anywhere that isn't next to a fat person. The seats are so fucking crowded. I love how they said there would be more room in the stands after the renovations. Bullshit. Last year I was stuck next to a fat guy and his fat wife and it was fucking brutal. I got shit seats this year and I will be just fine with it as long as there isn't a porker next to me.

I miss "sitting" in the student section. Awww.......those were the days!

[PSUFAN]

The best way to improve your seats at Kinnick is to sit anywhere that isn't next to a fat person.

Love that ^. Almost sig-worthy.

[Terry in Crapchester]

Student tickets are probably no more than $10. I think general public tickets are around $35. You also have to factor in season ticket discounts (probably $5 per seat per game), free tickets being given out to players/other organizations, etc...

I have a tough time believing that student ticket prices are "probably no more than $10." I'm not 100% certain on this, but if memory serves student ticket prices at ND were > $10/game back in the Stone Age when I was a student. I'll buy that student ticket prices are < $50/game, though.

As for free tickets to players, figure about 100 players on the team and 4 tickets per game per player. That comes out to 400 tickets/game -- not enough to make a significant dent on average ticket price in a 52,000 seat stadium. Complimentary tickets to other organizations are a different matter, of course, but those are sometimes bought by private entities first.

[TheJON]

Terry, I was wrong. Student tickets are actually 5 bucks. I would link the IU website if I knew how to do that on a Blackberry. 6 games for 30 bucks or you can buy individual game tickets for 5 bucks. And you also have to realize that 52,000 won't be showing up for the game. It would likely be 35k-40k and probably closer to the lower end of that. Fact is IU is going to make a couple million more by playing this game in DC so they might as well take the money

[indyfrisco]

At A&M, we bought sports passes. For football only, it was $90 for the season. The All SPorts pass got you into ay sporting event for A&M and it was like $120. That what I got every year. Watched all the football, basketball and baseball games. Went to a couple track events. Hit up a few softball games my senior year as my cousin was on the team. All in all, a helluva deal.

[TheJON]

Not at Iowa, we got the shaft in terms of student ticket prices. Since we actually had a good basketball program, tickets were expensive when I was a student. Was hard to get tickets and I think I paid on average about 160 bucks for the season. Football was around 100, maybe 120. I didn't give a shit about the other sports so I'm not sure what they cost.

[MuchoBulls]

Student tickets at LSU are $12 a game, it used to be free admission for students until at least the mid 1980s.

Students aren't charged for tickets here. Technically, they do pay athletic fees within their tuition, but isn't that done at every other program?

[indyfrisco]

Student tickets at LSU are $12 a game, it used to be free admission for students until at least the mid 1980s.

Students aren't charged for tickets here. Technically, they do pay athletic fees within their tuition, but isn't that done at every other program?

Yes, at A&M, we paid the athletic fees as part of tuition, but you could have opted out, taken football only or all sports.

[Terry in Crapchester]

I can't speak for the way it is for students now at ND, but back in my day the only sports tickets that were sold were for football, mens' basketball and (briefly) hockey (more on that later). You could only buy season tickets for those sports, unless you wanted to take a chance on individual tickets on a game-to-game basis. Ticket prices went up steadily during my time as a student, but if memory serves student football tickets cost about $10-15 per game, and mens' basketball tickets cost about $6-8 per game.

Hockey tickets were only sold my freshman year. After that the hockey program went down to club level status. It returned to Division I the following year but without scholarships. Hockey was free to attend after my freshman year. I didn't buy hockey season tickets, but did pay to go to one game, vs. Bowling Green my freshman year when Bowling Green was ranked #1. I don't remember how much I paid for that ticket, but it wasn't much (pretty sure it was < $10). All other sports were free to attend.

When I went to law school at Pepperdine, basketball was free admission with a student ID. That was the main revenue sport there, so I don't think any other sport charged admission (I went to one baseball game while there, otherwise never attended any sporting events there).