Shockers vs UAB Ticket Special

[ShockerFever]

A lot of generalizations are being made here. Where at specifically did your friends sit Sub? Have they ever been to an arena outside of Wichita for a comparative purposes?

Because just as an FYI, there's a pretty substantial difference between row A of the upper-level seating and row V.

[Metalkatz]

Agree. The Pepsi Center here in Denver is steep and there's not a lot of leg room, but that's how these big arenas are. Maybe it's just that Wichitans are used to CKA or the Coliseum, I don't know. At any rate, it's a fact of life of having a brand new, big time arena. Get used to it. Whether it's IBA, the Pepsi Center, the Ford Center, Qwest, United, whatever--they are all like that. Appreciate what you have--a large, REALLY nice facility that your out of town visitors won't laugh at. I'm coming back to Wichita for Thanksgiving and bringing my girlfriend with me--we're going to the WSU game Friday night and the Thunder game Saturday night. You can bet the family farm I wouldn't be entertaining her like that if you still had the Coliseum.

I agree Rocky Mountain Shock. I went to an Avs game at the Pepsi Center a few weeks ago and sat up top. It is almost identical to that of IBA. Most people who complain are small minded people who dont get out to bigger arenas. There is nothing wrong with IBA. There is a certain amount of annoyance you have to put up with while attending a game, when people get up to use the bathroom, etc.

And again, A LOT of the complaints I've heard about seating in the upper deck of IBA have come from people who WEREN'T THERE FOR THE TULSA GAME! If upper seating is as bad at IBA as it is at other arenas, I won't be sitting in the upper bowl at any of them if I do attend an event I guess. Too many friends have had negative reactions to the upper bowl for me to waste my money there. I know some of you were fine with it, but nobody I know personally enjoyed their time up there. And many on here seem to have the same experiences from themselves and others.

How old are your friends? I can imagine if they are over the age of 55-60 they may have some difficulties walking up the steep stairs and such. but I do not know how someone can have a negative experience to an event they wanted to be at just based on the seats alone. Maybe they had other drunk annoying patrons? No bigger arena is going to have seats with enough leg room to be able to extend your legs without touching the seat in front. Just not possible. I have been to all the big arenas in OKC, KC, Denver, San Diego, and IBA is on par with them all in terms of comfort. Deal with it and enjoy the show or sit on your couch for the rest of your life.

[SubGod22]

I've had friends sit in all areas up there. And a number of them are big time concert goers and have been elsewhere. I've heard fewer complaints about being in the first row or two up there. Some still didn't enjoy. But most the rest have had very negative reviews.

If I could afford to go and got seats in the lower bowl I'd be there. It's just not in the cards right now. I will admit, that if this were a big time opponent, I might be able to talk myself into it, no matter how stupid a decision that might be.

[SubGod22]

Neither my friends or myself are that old. We're talking anywhere from 20-35 really. Some of them have been to OKC and KC I know. Outside of that, I'd have to ask where else they'd been.

[19SHOCKER76]

Again, the promoter is on the hook for $250,000 ($125K UAB and $125K WSU) we just have to show-up.

Aren't the arena folks in line for a little $ too? 10,000 @ average of $25 just pays the teams. I have no idea how concessions come into play.

[1972Shocker]

Ok. Our normal student attendance will probably take a hit. Say we lose 500 there. Will corporate season ticket holders buy an equal amount of IBA tickets. I'm thinking probably not. We lose another 500 there, maybe more. How many season ticket holders still pissed off about the seating and experience at the Tulsa game. We lose another 1,000. How many season ticket holders will be traveling out of town for the Thanksgiving holidays. Another 500 perhpas. So we start out with a base of around 7,000. About the number that showed up for UAB at Koch in the blizzard.

Assuming I'm in the ballpark, we need to pick up 3,000 to 5,000 fans from outside the season ticket base to make this a success (at least I believe 10k to 12k would be a success). Having the game the day after Thanksgiving for this target audience will be a plus for some and a negative for some. My guess is that this will be a net positive.

I also have a feeling that many folks may wait until the week of the game (and some even the day of the game) to make their ticket purchases. A great way to entertain guests from out-of-town if you can afford it and save Mama from having to cook another big dinner at home with an afternoon/evening out in old town. May as well live a little before the big one (earthquake) hits us. :)

There still may be some season ticket holders who don't realize that the UAB game is not part of the season ticket package and their may be a lot of assuming going on. After all has this pretty much a 1st for Shocker fans.

As has been mentioned a great performance in Puerto Rico could go a long way towards energizing the fans. OTOH, I suppose the opposite is true also.

So a late surge in ticket purchases may be entirely possible.

I don't expect anywhere close to a sellout but I think 10k - 12k is doable, although I would not be totally surprised if we lay an egg on this one. Very difficult to tell. I don't think will know for sure until game time.

[ShockerFever]

Just remember also, you're gonna pay for what you get. I think your criticisms should be skewed down a bit if all you're getting every time is the cheapest seats. They're cheap for a reason. Don't expect prime time views from the least expensive price level. But you will have a view of the event.

And this is the same with any arena, anywhere.

[ShockerFever]

What 72 said..

[pinstripers]

Just got back to the keyboard. To be fair, some of those that left the game early may have done it at least partially due to the temperature, which was maybe 60 degrees where we were. Many were complaining, and no one took their coats or gloves off. While I assume that this problem has since been corrected, it all adds to a bad experience. That is not my only time in IBA, but it was my only time for basketball there. I have been in other similar arenas, and while they are similar in many respects, none of those other venues were as disappointing as this one. Perhaps I set my sights too high. Just this morning at coffee, a friend of mine said that he had free tickets to this game and asked if I wanted them. My response was to ask him where the seats were. I would not return to last year's seats if they were free. I'm sure that there are better seats at IBA than we had, and certainly there are many that are farther away. I said earlier, I might go if I can get good seats at a late discount. I am sure that many had a far better experience than we did, and many did not.

[1972Shocker]

I wasn't wild about shelling out $140 for a couple of tickets. However, we have not and probably will not get many big name/BCS programs to agree to come to Koch Arena to play us. Games at IBA would seem to me to give us our best shot at perhaps getting one such game a year or at least, every know and then, in Wichita. Therefore, I see this game as a means of sending a message to the college basketball marketplace. That was enough to justify my support. For others it may not be that important. And others simply may not be able to make it work for financial or other reasons. Hopefully, we have enough fans that can make it out and send a positive message to the marketplacy. If not we will just have to deal with the consequences, whatever that might be, and move on.

I attended the Women's NCAA tournament games last March for the same reason, although I will say that I did enjoy the games and the ticket prices were pretty darn reasonable.

Edit: Can't say for sure I would have the same attitude if I had a poor view and had 60 degree breeze blowing on my neck, although I am willing and fortunately able (for the time being) to pay up to avoid those situations.

[pinstripers]

For us to drive over to Wichita, the experience needs to be enjoyable. Our seats in row 31 at the Roundhouse have far more legroom that the ones that we sat in at Intrust, but I imagine legroom varies from location to location in both places.

[Kung Wu]

Hey speaking of crappy experiences in arenas ... did anyone else attend the WSU vs K-State game back in the early Turgeon days when they put us up in the freaking nosebleed section of that concrete prison known as Bramlage, and there were like several thousands of seats below us that were unoccupied?

[Kung Wu]

Oh and another reason to attend UAB .. I want to be there when both Carl Hall and Garrett Stutz go for 20+pts/10+rebounds each at the same game in big spot lights!!

[pinstripers]

Yeah, was at Bramledge for that one. A barn.

[shox1989]

Hey I finally saw my first ad for the WSU-UAB basketball game. At least now they are trying to get the word out.

I am still remaining cautiously optimistic that we will have a big crowd in spite of the high ticket prices.