Atlanta tickets

[Awesome Sauce Malone]

Im pissed as all hell right now...

I have a good friend who lives in Atlanta so lodging isnt an issue. The biggest issue was figuring out how to get down there. Dont really want to drive but should be cheaper than flying.

I woke up Monday morning to find out due to a bank error I have $0 to my name. They refuse to correct the error so suffice to say that I am cancelling my accounts and moving elsewhere.
I got an email from the school and student tickets are on the floor and only $40. I am beyond pissed as now I dont even get the opportunity to weigh my options, the decison was made for me.

On the bright side it is my sons first baseball tournament of the year this weekend.

[Kung Wu]

The game experience will be great but the suck part will cost alot more.

Hahahaha

[Kung Wu]

Where the heck could they have put us to make some of you happy? Center court? The fact that we aren't in the upper deck is awesome.

Was kinda hopin' I'd get a seat on the bench next to Zach or one of the trainers.

[ky-mike]

After getting busy signals for 30 minutes and waiting in the queue for another 45 minutes I got through to the ticket office. Tickets still remain, but if you are not a season ticket holder or a SASO member, they are requiring a $500 donation to SASO in order to purchase tickets.

So pissed off right now. Wasting my time like that. At a minimum, they could update the busy message by stating this requirement and clear up a lot of phone lines for people willing to pay for that.

[shoxlax]

After getting busy signals for 30 minutes and waiting in the queue for another 45 minutes I got through to the ticket office. Tickets still remain, but if you are not a season ticket holder or a SASO member, they are requiring a $500 donation to SASO in order to purchase tickets.

So pissed off right now. Wasting my time like that. At a minimum, they could update the busy message by stating this requirement and clear up a lot of phone lines for people willing to pay for that.

Understand your frustration but why don't you go to another source? Is it because you just want to sit with WSU fans?

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

$500 per ticket in addition to the $300 is what I was told.

I love the Shockers, but $1600 for two tickets is steep.

[ky-mike]

Understand your frustration but why don't you go to another source? Is it because you just want to sit with WSU fans?

I do want to see the game, not just pay a lot of money for the atmosphere. It's a money game that I won't play. $300 seats right now on the secondary market are upper level. Marginal seats for football. Unacceptable seats for basketball.

[Kung Wu]

$500 per ticket in addition to the $300 is what I was told.

I love the Shockers, but $1600 for two tickets is steep.

It sounded like it was a one time donation of $500, plus 2 x $300 = $1100?

I know it's not much of a consolation to most folks, but the SASO donation is almost entirely tax deductible. So if you are in a situation where you are either going to pay it to the government at the end of the year anyway, you may as well give it to WSU instead.

[blackandgold]

Can't take it with you.

[WuDrWu]

I understand everyone's frustrations. I wanted to stay at the team hotel, but dropping $10k for the experience just wasn't in the cards for me.

I've been to a FF where I sat in the upper deck...and I wouldn't ever do it again. I have no idea what it will be like for me watching my team play...I guess I'll know sometime Saturday night. I suspect I will treasure the moment.

If you want to be a part of it, and I think you do, you just have to find a way. Drive, stay outside of Atlanta. I'm staying in a very nice Hilton product 22 miles from the Georgia dome and paying less than the same thing in Wichita. And while I certainly sympathize with @Downtown Shocker Brown: in particular because he no longer lives in the 316, this is a "pay for play" market, and I think it's tough to expect to get the same product as the guys that drop several k a year to get good tickets.

That being said, there are still ways. I have a friend that has gone to 6 Final Fours and has NEVER had a ticket through the school. And he's ALWAYS had a good seat. Now, he works hard and isn't afraid to trade around but he usually is just patient and finds a scalper or someone who is willing to sell at face value or less....and can you really expect better?

You can always do what I am doing, and if you can't get a good ticket, watch it in a bar or someplace....that's not the worst thing either.

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

I understand everyone's frustrations. I wanted to stay at the team hotel, but dropping $10k for the experience just wasn't in the cards for me.

I've been to a FF where I sat in the upper deck...and I wouldn't ever do it again. I have no idea what it will be like for me watching my team play...I guess I'll know sometime Saturday night. I suspect I will treasure the moment.

If you want to be a part of it, and I think you do, you just have to find a way. Drive, stay outside of Atlanta. I'm staying in a very nice Hilton product 22 miles from the Georgia dome and paying less than the same thing in Wichita. And while I certainly sympathize with @Downtown Shocker Brown: in particular because he no longer lives in the 316, this is a "pay for play" market, and I think it's tough to expect to get the same product as the guys that drop several k a year to get good tickets.

That being said, there are still ways. I have a friend that has gone to 6 Final Fours and has NEVER had a ticket through the school. And he's ALWAYS had a good seat. Now, he works hard and isn't afraid to trade around but he usually is just patient and finds a scalper or someone who is willing to sell at face value or less....and can you really expect better?

You can always do what I am doing, and if you can't get a good ticket, watch it in a bar or someplace....that's not the worst thing either.

Make no mistake, @WuDrWu:, I expect those that support the program at the highest levels to get the seats they want. I expect for those who don't to get what is left. If it had been explained to me that one $500 donation would have gotten two tickets, I probably would have pulled the trigger. I am a fan and supporter of WSU. But $1600 was just something I couldn't do right now.

As others have said, you have to pay to play the game. Those supporting the university with large donations to get the good seats are the ones that have footed the bill for this Final Four run. I take nothing away from them, and I am happy to know we sold our entire allotment AND garnered additional funds for the athletes.

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

It sounded like it was a one time donation of $500, plus 2 x $300 = $1100?

I know it's not much of a consolation to most folks, but the SASO donation is almost entirely tax deductible. So if you are in a situation where you are either going to pay it to the government at the end of the year anyway, you may as well give it to WSU instead.

Just for clarity, a $500 tax deductible donation for the average family saves about $100 in taxes. If not all of the $500 is tax deductible, the number will be even less. Not to be a debbie downer, but your statement "you may as well give it to WSU instead" is very misleading. The real choice is $100 to the government or $500 to WSU.

[katrad72]

I might have one ticket for sale in the WSU allotted section. Likely decent seat as I'm fairly high on the priority points list. Face value is 300 plus 10 dollar processing fee. I am only asking face value but if you are not a SASO member/season ticket holder I would also ask for a modest donation to SASO. Not the $500 the school is requiring but maybe $100? I think that is fair. SASO serves a very important role and is not the bad guy here:) Would have to make arrangements to meet me at Georgia dome as I will likely have to pick up tickets from will call there on Saturday. Waiting on one person to decide if they are going but not looking likely. If anyone is interested, please PM me. IF the ticket comes available, I will sell to first responder. Of course, in addition to the price of the ticket, a beer for me prior to the game might also be part of the deal! LOL

[swem]

FWIW, the ticket office is not going to eat the tickets. They may be doing that now, however if the tickets do not sell, then, tomorrow maybe, they will open them up with no donation required.

A few other tips:

Go down and buy only for Saturday. If WSU were to lose on Sat, and you don't care about staying for Monday, then you are screwed, because it is very tough to get anything on Monday tickets if you do not have good seats.
Go down and stay by the WSU hotels (Grand Hyatt and Hyatt Place - Buckhead). Wear some Shocker stuff and patiently ask the alums if they have any extra. Friend did that in New Orleans at the Super Bowl at a Ravens' hotel, got a club seat for face. Getting a ticket should be your last concern. Be wary of buying from scalpers. A lot have legit tickets and are good people, some, however, are not. I've been to many big events (BCS CG's, Final Fours, SCF, even one Super Bowl), and almost always buy outside from scalpers, and had a problem once with a fake tickets (UF vs Oklahoma championship game) but that was my own stupidity. If it is from a scalper, and seems like too good of a deal to be true, it probably is. When you get down there, before you buy, ask someone to see their tickets so you can see the security features, where the holograms are, if there is any die cuts, etc. Haven't seen this years, but they are big, glossy, usually the wording "FINAL FOUR" has the NCAA hologram throughout it, and maybe on a logo as well. Some logo is sometimes die cut too. I'll find out on Thursday.

[Kung Wu]

Just for clarity, a $500 tax deductible donation for the average family saves about $100 in taxes. If not all of the $500 is tax deductible, the number will be even less. Not to be a debbie downer, but your statement "you may as well give it to WSU instead" is very misleading. The real choice is $100 to the government or $500 to WSU.

Excellent point.

For me the real choice is: Give $100 to the government and get possibly $2 back in value at some point in your life, while the other 98% of your taxes go to government entropy. Or give $500 to WSU and get once-in-a-lifetime entertainment value and the satisfaction that a large portion of that donation actually goes directly to helping a student athlete at WSU.

If you can swing it, go SASO, but if you can't I completely understand and you should hit the secondary market hard. I like @swem:'s tactics!