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Post by rainbowbadger on Jun 10, 2022 20:17:42 GMT -5
The advantage of a seat fee separate from the ticket price is that it is 80% deductible as a charitable contribution. Of course, that's only useful if you itemize, and the odds are that you won't benefit from itemizing any more. I’m pretty sure that deduction went away a few years ago. I’d have to go back and check the letters from the Foundation thanking us for our contributions, but I’m pretty sure that the seat donations stopped being deductible fairly recently. Correct. From supportthebadgers.athletics.wisc.edu/GeneralInformation/PaymentAndTaxInformationTax InformationAll contributions to Wisconsin Athletics are considered gifts to the University of Wisconsin and are credited at full value for purposes of the donor's gift record at the University of Wisconsin Foundation. As of January 2018, a contribution that entitles the donor to purchase tickets is no longer deductible as a charitable contribution for income tax purposes, according to IRS Code. |
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Post by JT on Jun 10, 2022 21:13:44 GMT -5
The advantage of a seat fee separate from the ticket price is that it is 80% deductible as a charitable contribution. Of course, that's only useful if you itemize, and the odds are that you won't benefit from itemizing any more. I’m pretty sure that deduction went away a few years ago. I’d have to go back and check the letters from the Foundation thanking us for our contributions, but I’m pretty sure that the seat donations stopped being deductible fairly recently. Thank you for the correction. |
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Post by Wiswell on Jun 11, 2022 10:18:51 GMT -5
If someone is going to buy it, the Athletics Department is going to charge it. It doesn't matter if they actually show up or not. I think what we will see is a demographic shift, though, with an even more mature fan base.
For my tickets I am going to the $171 price. Not terrible. But in the past if I had a ticket I couldn't use I just gave it away. That is probably less likely now (except for my one Minnesota friend, you know who you are!).
It could crimp (along with gas prices) my annual away match trip though (unless I haven't been to the venue before).
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Post by robtearle on Jun 11, 2022 10:27:23 GMT -5
I wonder if overall donation level & points accrued in each donor level will determine who gets first shot at VB Gold level tix? I’m not sure we can afford $1000/season for VB in the gold section on top of our FB & BB tix, but I’m guessing we’ll have a good opportunity for them if we chose to do so. Odds are good we’ll stay in Bronze. Are you sure you'll be able to, be allowed to? As best I understand all this, there will simply be fewer seats available in what we're now calling the "gold sections". What if all the people or even enough of the people in gold apply for their old seats? Unlikely, I understand, but for the sake of the argument. What happens to those for whom seats simply no longer exist? Do they automatically bump 'down' to the "silver" sections". What about the people already sitting there? It isn't like there were reserved seats sitting empty (there actually was one right next to me last year, but that's another story). Unless enough people say "no" to the price increase (and I believe they would phrase it as "Hell no!"), we're playing musical chairs. Are displaced former "gold" people simply out of luck, or does the seats we're all scrambling for include 'silver' and 'bronze' seats as well? This is just a mess. And at least for me, it is KILLING the 'good will' that would otherwise have been in the building following a national championship. Ughh! |
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Post by robtearle on Jun 11, 2022 10:33:31 GMT -5
If someone is going to buy it, the Athletics Department is going to charge it. It doesn't matter if they actually show up or not. I think what we will see is a demographic shift, though, with an even more mature fan base. For my tickets I am going to the $171 price. Not terrible. But in the past if I had a ticket I couldn't use I just gave it away. That is probably less likely now (except for my one Minnesota friend, you know who you are!). It could crimp (along with gas prices) my annual away match trip though (unless I haven't been to the venue before). The price for that family of four sitting in general admission - with the two little kids coming down to line courtside - essentially doubled. So, fewer kids lining courtside? Probably. See the response I just posted to Savannahbadger; will you even be able to "go to the $171 price"? What happens to the person who had that ticket last year? |
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Post by robtearle on Jun 11, 2022 10:50:08 GMT -5
Another semi-random thought: people used to complain that Barry et al didn't pay much attention to volleyball. Well, I guess now Chris is paying attention to volleyball.
Be careful what you wish for...
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Post by rainbowbadger on Jun 11, 2022 11:11:49 GMT -5
For me, the big question is whether those displaced gold patrons will have “right of first refusal” for the new gold section, or will they throw open the doors and let the straight up go to the highest bidder, even if that person was a football season ticket holder who had only kept GA tix to VB because it got them priority points, or who never had VB tix at all.
If they throw wide the doors and just let it be a free-for-all, then they’re going to have a LOT of angry people on their hands. And I say this as a displaced gold patron who is willing to pay for gold chair back seats. Those of us who’ve been loyal to the program since the Wilderness Days deserve some consideration, IMO.
If they DO give displaced patrons right of first refusal, then the question is how many people will try to get gold tix, and how many will want to drop down to silver? Will the gold folks who want to drop down to silver bump silver folks who want to keep their seats? Or they anticipating that enough silver patrons will drop down to red or bronze that there will be room in silver for displaced gold patrons?
The article said they did a lot of market research and analytics when deciding to set the prices. I’m really interested in learning how they go about doing that sort of thing.
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Post by savannahbadger on Jun 11, 2022 11:55:31 GMT -5
I believe Camp Randall end zone season ticket holders did get priority shot at the new renovated suites & seats, so I would assume that current ticket holders in the gold section will get a similar first shot at remaining in their seats. After that, I would assume that something Badger Select for VB would be implemented, as is the case for FB & BB, and maybe mens hockey as well.
Highest level donors have first access to Badger Select for those sports, so they get first crack at any open seats and first choice of parking locations (arguably most important for FB). I doubt they have that program set up officially for 2022, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they did so for the 2023 season.
How many gold seats ultimately are going to be available remains to be seen, but I don’t see VB as being like FB, where’s it’s a hell of a lot more corporate types and high rollers throwing money at tickets that they might not even use. VB has always seemed like an average Joe type of audience. Even people with means didn’t always get seats in what is now the gold section (Governor Evers sat in my section, and he might have been in the GA portion of that corner). I would guess that a majority of VB season ticket holders aren’t high level donors (annual $2500/5000/10000 worth of donations), and probably 1/3 have VB as their only sport for season tix.
I wouldn’t be surprised if as many as 50% of the gold seat holders jumping ship. I don’t know what those season tickets cost last year, but if it was around $150, going from that to $275 plus a $250 donation is significant enough that a LOT of people will bail.
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Post by savannahbadger on Jun 11, 2022 12:00:23 GMT -5
The price for that family of four sitting in general admission - with the two little kids coming down to line courtside - essentially doubled. So, fewer kids lining courtside? Probably. I’m considering adding a seat, so I can take the kids more often. I have 4 kids, so 3 seats would mean I could take the older kids one night and the twins the next match. This assumes being able to stay in bronze. |
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Post by Del Bocavista on Jun 11, 2022 12:30:24 GMT -5
I'd just like to know more details for what I'd be paying, (as a displaced gold section season ticket holder-since '98 btw). It appears from the number of seats per row, that they are just putting a seat back on the current collapsible bleachers, and my row (12) is going away for ADA. I'll be curious to see what my options will be. Those rows are so narrow, that I don't want to be in the middle (mobility issues climbing over people, literally). This could have been handled much better, that sort of increase in an inflation plagued market. Should have just increased prices coming off the natty, allowing people to keep their seats, and work on the remodel and redistribution over the next season.
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Post by rainbowbadger on Jun 11, 2022 12:33:03 GMT -5
The price for that family of four sitting in general admission - with the two little kids coming down to line courtside - essentially doubled. So, fewer kids lining courtside? Probably. I’m considering adding a seat, so I can take the kids more often. I have 4 kids, so 3 seats would mean I could take the older kids one night and the twins the next match. This assumes being able to stay in bronze. Originally we just had our two seats. We were between a nice family to our left and Pete Waite’s parents to our right. We decided to add two seats for the 2013 season so we could bring friends. I talked to the ticket office and specifically asked for those two: “I have a strong suspicion the previous seat holders will not be renewing.” So now it’s us two grown-ups and Rainbowkiddo, so we have room for them to bring a friend when they get a bit older. |
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Post by rainbowbadger on Jun 11, 2022 12:36:34 GMT -5
I wouldn’t be surprised if as many as 50% of the gold seat holders jumping ship. I don’t know what those season tickets cost last year, but if it was around $150, going from that to $275 plus a $250 donation is significant enough that a LOT of people will bail. $100/seat for Section F season tix in 2021 - the center of the new Gold section. So more than quadruple the price. |
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Post by robtearle on Jun 11, 2022 12:36:34 GMT -5
I wouldn’t be surprised if as many as 50% of the gold seat holders jumping ship. I don’t know what those season tickets cost last year, but if it was around $150, going from that to $275 plus a $250 donation is significant enough that a LOT of people will bail. For sections E and G, last year was $85 per seat; for center count F, it was $100. A 500% increase, give or take. The question is what does "bail" mean. |
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Post by northwoods on Jun 11, 2022 13:00:31 GMT -5
Another semi-random thought: people used to complain that Barry et al didn't pay much attention to volleyball. Well, I guess now Chris is paying attention to volleyball. Be careful what you wish for... Under Sheffield at least, Barry seemed to be a big supporter of Volleyball….The program got everything they wanted. Granted they had to fundraise a part to the new locker room, but everything involving the team from travel to support services was provided in a 1st class fashion. What he didn’t do, was ask much on the revenue side from the program…. The incremental upgrades to the field house always got covered under Camp Randall renovation plans. Those days appear over. |
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Post by savannahbadger on Jun 11, 2022 13:21:49 GMT -5
The question is what does "bail" mean. Some will tell the athletic department to pound sand, and not renew at all, in any section. This will probably be the minority. Most will move to other sections, creating a big domino effect that will effect everyone else. I suspect it might be hard for me to stay in bronze, if lots of gold people give up their seats and move to either silver or bronze. I guess this is the level of success that FB fans went through after the 1993 season, with loads more interest and increased prices. |
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