Rutgers has a football attendance problem. It is arguably the biggest threat to our future in the Big Ten and really needs to improve sooner rather than later. The best way to do this is to lower ticket prices.
As a test, I just searched for tickets for Indiana, a non-marquee Big Ten opponent where ticket demand is relatively low. I chose arguably the worst section in the stadium, U201, and picked the lowest priced parking pass available. The total for 4 lousy seats and 1 parking pass is $257. That is a lot of money for the average family to spend on one afternoon of "entertainment" to watch two mediocre-to-bad football teams.
I am not talking about hardcore RU fans; most of whom probably have season tickets anyway. I am talking about regular New Jersey families looking for something to do with their kids on a Saturday afternoon. Yes, things cost more these days, but this is still way too much. Rutgers should immediately cut ticket prices for the entire upper deck and consider doing the same with some lower level seats; especially those corners that always look empty on TV. This will help rebuild a loyal local following which will really pay dividends when Schiano is finished revamping and improving the on-field product, which most of us are confident he will.
Do the right thing, RU.
As a test, I just searched for tickets for Indiana, a non-marquee Big Ten opponent where ticket demand is relatively low. I chose arguably the worst section in the stadium, U201, and picked the lowest priced parking pass available. The total for 4 lousy seats and 1 parking pass is $257. That is a lot of money for the average family to spend on one afternoon of "entertainment" to watch two mediocre-to-bad football teams.
I am not talking about hardcore RU fans; most of whom probably have season tickets anyway. I am talking about regular New Jersey families looking for something to do with their kids on a Saturday afternoon. Yes, things cost more these days, but this is still way too much. Rutgers should immediately cut ticket prices for the entire upper deck and consider doing the same with some lower level seats; especially those corners that always look empty on TV. This will help rebuild a loyal local following which will really pay dividends when Schiano is finished revamping and improving the on-field product, which most of us are confident he will.
Do the right thing, RU.