I don't think our current fans are price sensitive.  It won't drive the existing 750 fans away, but we don't want to have 750 fans forever.  We want "new" fans every game to build the program.  They should not be charging for parking, they should be out in the general public giving tickets away for "free" so people can see what a great product we have on the court.

When we have a demand, we can evaluate parking fees.

---

My counterpoint on Teddy's blog:

My point is, that $5 parking fees at Bball games is not a great "bang for the buck" as far as funding the athletics program.

Having grown up in Indiana many, many years ago and being an alumnus of FAU, I can say with confidence that Boca Raton is not the capital city of basketball.

FAU would be better served by developing the fan base to get butts in seats.

We DO need those fans that are NOT willing to pay a lousy $5 for parking. We need every fan we can get right now for Bball.

Let's convert the people of Boca Raton and the immediate area into FAU basketball fans through marketing ideas and save the petty $5 for when we have a demand for the product.

…and btw, FAU basketball is a great product right now. That message needs to get out to the public.

fauowls44 said

You make some good points, and this is why I think some of you are blowing a $5 parking fee way out of proportion here.  Attendance has gone up becuase of STUDENT groups.  As in groups that will not be effected by a parking fee.

although what you just said addresses it perfectly…but i think you are still missing a crucial point:

"Blood from a Stone".

The people who will shell this out are the MINORITY - a portion of the base that is NOT established.

Bottom line, i stand with fauowl on this one:

AWEFUL timing with this decision…grow first…….

fauowl said

I don't think our current fans are price sensitive.  It won't drive the existing 750 fans away, but we don't want to have 750 fans forever.  We want "new" fans every game to build the program.  They should not be charging for parking, they should be out in the general public giving tickets away for "free" so people can see what a great product we have on the court.

When we have a demand, we can evaluate parking fees.

---

My counterpoint on Teddy's blog:

My point is, that $5 parking fees at Bball games is not a great "bang for the buck" as far as funding the athletics program.

Having grown up in Indiana many, many years ago and being an alumnus of FAU, I can say with confidence that Boca Raton is not the capital city of basketball.

FAU would be better served by developing the fan base to get butts in seats.

We DO need those fans that are NOT willing to pay a lousy $5 for parking. We need every fan we can get right now for Bball.

Let's convert the people of Boca Raton and the immediate area into FAU basketball fans through marketing ideas and save the petty $5 for when we have a demand for the product.

…and btw, FAU basketball is a great product right now. That message needs to get out to the public.

I completely agree that we need "new" fans, but it's not as if people have been showing up with free parking, so I doubt they will not show up now because the parking is $5.  Besides, the majority of our crowds for basketball is going to be from students.  Sure there were maybe 500-700 people at our biggest games last year that had paid for a ticket, but the big spike in attendance came from students turning out in big numbers.  It will continue to be that way for the time being…at least until those students who love to go to the games graduate and become alumni who buy season tickets.  It will take some time, but that is the way to grow a fan base.

Look, i'm not saying that I would have personally made the decision to charge for parking yet, just that I understand the reasoning behind it.  The most effective way to draw more fans is winning, and winning takes money.  Even if the fee generates a small amount of cash, it is more than was coming in before.

By the way, giving out free tickets isn't a great way to go either.  Just handing out a bunch of tickets doesn't mean people show up.  We tried that in football a few years ago where people were just allowed to walk up and mention the Publix promotion and get as many tickets to a game as they wanted and it didn't really boost attendance much at all.  You want people who are willing to go even when they have to pay for it, not just because it is free.  Your ticket needs to have some sort of value.  All giving out hundreds or thousands of free tickets does is devalue your product.  People will say "why should I pay for a ticket when last game they were just giving them away?" Offering discounts or half price nights is much more effective.  

Florida_Owl said

fauowls44 said

You make some good points, and this is why I think some of you are blowing a $5 parking fee way out of proportion here.  Attendance has gone up becuase of STUDENT groups.  As in groups that will not be effected by a parking fee.

although what you just said addresses it perfectly…but i think you are still missing a crucial point:

"Blood from a Stone".

The people who will shell this out are the MINORITY - a portion of the base that is NOT established.

Bottom line, i stand with fauowl on this one:

AWFUL timing with this decision…grow first…….

I'm one of the people in that minority, and I don't mind paying the $5, so long as it is going toward the basketball program.  Maybe I'm in the minority of that minority, but I don't look at it as them being unreasonable.

You say the timing is bad…perhaps, but there is never a GOOD time to raise prices or add a parking fee.  No matter when you do it there will be some sort of backlash.  Is it better to implement this now and have the small number of people upset by it or wait a few years when hopefully the crowds are double what they are now and then have a backlash from thousands of people?  I guess we'll find out this year.  I could be worng, but I think it is the kind of thing where most people won't even notice or if they do, it'll blow over quickly. 

True, fees are not somthing that is welcomed with open arms

I hope you are right….although i stand firm upon the confidence that the "backlash" will be felt as soon as the first game is over…

the best time to raise fees is when the demand is FIRMLY entrenched…which it most certainly is not in this case…

The first time I am running late from work trying to get to the game and I have to wait in line to pay a $5 parking charge when the lot is half empty I will turn around, go home and think twice about going to the next game.

Now you can respond that anyway you want but that is the truth and I don't believe I am the only one who feels that way. 

dusky256fc said

The first time I am running late from work trying to get to the game and I have to wait in line to pay a $5 parking charge when the lot is half empty I will turn around, go home and think twice about going to the next game.

Now you can respond that anyway you want but that is the truth and I don't believe I am the only one who feels that way.

:o :o :o

dusky256fc said

The first time I am running late from work trying to get to the game and I have to wait in line to pay a $5 parking charge when the lot is half empty I will turn around, go home and think twice about going to the next game.

Now you can respond that anyway you want but that is the truth and I don't believe I am the only one who feels that way.

Well, I don't think this will be a problem, but if you are running late and there is a line to get into the building after the game has started, that to me is a good sign.

This is the problem with South Florida fans in general…it's the whole attitude of "if anything is even the least bit inconvenient for me, or if i'm not being given something, then I'm not going."  Hey, if you feel that way, that is fine, but I think it sucks. 

The biggest problem I have with paying the $5 to park is the opponents we play. Everyone mentions oh this school does this and that does that but when we play FGCU and Savannah State at home aside from our regular sun belt schedule why should I pay $5 to park plus the costs of a ticket to watch these no name teams. If we can get UM to come back and play us or any big name school then it will be worth it even if we get blown out at least we can say hey we're playing UM at home this year or we're playing Kansas at home this year. We may as well be playing St. Mary's school for the blind at home.

People have mentioned we pay $5 at Lockhart, we also played the # 6 team in the nation at the time and almost beat them, we will host big schools in the future especially once the new stadium opens, my point is that if you can bring in the big name opponents to play against FAU at home, no one will care about the $5. I'd pay $5 to park plus the cost of a ticket if I can see FAU vs. UM or FAU vs. Boston College.

When we are playing FGCU no one really says ohhh I have to get to the FAU game tonight they're playing FGCU it's going to be incredible! I am so pumped for this game I can't wait!

Jab979 said

The biggest problem I have with paying the $5 to park is the opponents we play. Everyone mentions oh this school does this and that does that but when we play FGCU and Savannah State at home aside from our regular sun belt schedule why should I pay $5 to park plus the costs of a ticket to watch these no name teams. If we can get UM to come back and play us or any big name school then it will be worth it even if we get blown out at least we can say hey we're playing UM at home this year or we're playing Kansas at home this year. We may as well be playing St. Mary's school for the blind at home.

People have mentioned we pay $5 at Lockhart, we also played the # 6 team in the nation at the time and almost beat them, we will host big schools in the future especially once the new stadium opens, my point is that if you can bring in the big name opponents to play against FAU at home, no one will care about the $5. I'd pay $5 to park plus the cost of a ticket if I can see FAU vs. UM or FAU vs. Boston College.

When we are playing FGCU no one really says ohhh I have to get to the FAU game tonight they're playing FGCU it's going to be incredible! I am so pumped for this game I can't wait!

I see your point, but at the same time you are paying to watch FAU play, not the opponent.  But, this is why a lot of sports teams are using variable pricing depending on the opponent or the day of the week.  Perhaps this is something FAU should look into at some point.  You can't schedule big names all the time, but maybe have one price for OOC games and another for Sun Belt and "BCS" coneference teams.