Season Ticket Renewals, Redux

[JoeRU0304]

This thread is heartbreaking. The wasted opportunity this program displayed going into the B1G was borderline criminal. The post Schiano buzz, PSU scandal, Michigan down and an 8 win B1G season and we just flushed it in the toilet.

We didn’t need to ‘break the bank’ and just spend money to spend it, but this is what happens when you enter arguably the 1st/2nd best conference in the country with the primary goal of ‘budget neutrality’ and not ‘improving athletics’. If we actually invest well, we will achieve neutrality...but no, we enter Lord & Taylor and try to act like we’re at a flea market, and our admins and quasi-psychotic fans expect us to just blindly accept that gameplan as viable...ridiculous.


Joe P.

 

[e5fdny]

Good question...probably not. Only way would be if we miraculously are in the 9-3 territory regularly. I just can’t see that happening given how loaded the division is...

At this point, our upside, even with a new coach is 7-5 type seasons. With those types of records we’ll hold on to the core, but won’t see a dramatic uptick in season tickets.

We didn’t need to ‘break the bank’ and just spend money to spend it, but this is what happens when you enter arguably the 1st/2nd best conference in the country with the primary goal of ‘budget neutrality’ and not ‘improving athletics’. If we actually invest well, we will achieve neutrality...but no, we enter Lord & Taylor and try to act like we’re at a flea market, and our admins and quasi-psychotic fans expect us to just blindly accept that gameplan as viable...ridiculous.

These two posts IMO show why any talk of major Stadium expansion should be tabled for good.

The ceiling is the ceiling, it doesn’t go any much higher regardless of how good we become. That day/window has passed with tech advances, pricing and they way we live and go about our daily lives.

It also goes to show as I mentioned many times on here...Rutgers was not prepared for being a B1G school. The advance team from the home office said as much during their first visit here when Rutgers could not provide answers to some simple questions/requests.

It’s almost (or maybe the same) like entering the Big East when it was assumed everything was just going to fall into place once we put “Big East” on the field/court or the top of our letterhead.

 

[Upstream]

Much like my story. We kept losing our tailgate partners.
I had eight tickets for years but only six regulars. We would invite different friends/relatives to fill in. These people were never asked to pay for the tickets. I never minded treating as long as the tickets were used. But then it became hard to get people to come. As prices went up we dropped to six as eating unused tickets bothered me. Then a couple dropped out as the guys job had him working many Saturday mornings and with so many noon starts he couldn't get to enough games to justify buying. Now the other two have dropped out. It was hardly worth the work to put together a tailgate with only four people. In fact a couple of times we just stopped at a diner on the way to thestadium. With only two I know we would not tailgate. So will not be buying any season tickets.

Same with me. We used to have tailgate groups with up to 20 people. But little by little they dropped out. Last season, most of our tailgates were 4 people, if we even showed up, and we couldn't even give away tickets to friends.

Next year the 4 of us remaining are just going to buy single game tickets to 2 or 3 games we want to see. I'm considering buying 1 ticket and a parking pass, to have a good lot for those games. But I'm not sure it's worth the cost.

 

[JoeRU0304]

These two posts IMO show why any talk of major Stadium expansion should be tabled for good.

The ceiling is the ceiling, it doesn’t go any much higher regardless of how good we become. That day/window has passed with tech advances, pricing and they way we live and go about our daily lives.

It also goes to show as I mentioned many times on here...Rutgers was not prepared for being a B1G school. The advance team from the home office said as much during their first visit here when Rutgers could not provide answers to some simple questions/requests.

It’s almost (or maybe the same) like entering the Big East when it was assumed everything was just going to fall into place once we put “Big East” on the field/court or the top of our letterhead.

You were definitely expressing concern about our infrastructure back around the time of the original announcement and I remember thinking, “we really need to improve internally in order for this to work”...the sad thing is the 2014 squad showed that Schiano’s program could have competed...but at the time of entry into the B1G, I’m not sure we could have picked a worse crew (Barchi, Hermann, Flood, EJ) to lead the way.


Joe P.

 

[Local Shill]

not like a funeral but more like a holiday celebration for those that need to bash

What should be praised?

 

[e5fdny]

You were definitely expressing concern about our infrastructure back around the time of the original announcement and I remember thinking, “we really need to improve internally in order for this to work”...the sad thing is the 2014 squad showed that Schiano’s program could have competed...but at the time of entry into the B1G, I’m not sure we could have picked a worse crew (Barchi, Hermann, Flood, EJ) to lead the way.

I was told that by somebody who was VERY high up in Athletics at the time what I said above. The B1G folks were not impressed and a little disappointed at what they saw and were told.

The B1G doesn’t half ass anything. As time went on we were exposed. Let’s hope we change that perception going forward.

 

[Rhuarc]

To get back on track, I renewed my 3 seats online today. Was pleased to see the reduction in silver lot parking from 30 to 20 bucks a game.

 

[JoeRU0304]

I was told that by somebody who was VERY high up in Athletics at the time what I said above. The B1G folks were not impressed and a little disappointed at what they saw and were told.

The B1G doesn’t half ass anything. As time went on we were exposed. Let’s hope we change that perception going forward.

6-7 years ago half of our athletic facilities were literately grass lots with fences around them. We were mid-pack/ maybe upper tier for the Big East...but woefully underprepared for the B1G...the second I heard Barchi talking about “budget neutrality” when it should have been “all hands on deck”, I pretty much figured we were screwed for the immediate future.


Joe P.

 

[Upstream]

I was told that by somebody who was VERY high up in Athletics at the time what I said above. The B1G folks were not impressed and a little disappointed at what they saw and were told.

The B1G doesn’t half ass anything. As time went on we were exposed. Let’s hope we change that perception going forward.

If that were the case, how did the B10 expect us to catch up when we are getting $20 million less than everyone else in conference distributions

 

[e5fdny]

If that were the case, how did the B10 expect us to catch up when we are getting $20 million less than everyone else in conference distributions

And that my good man is the $20M question.

I think some of those B1G people on the initial visit might have made an assumption on their part before they even got here.

Or we just lied. LOL

 

[Scarlet83]

Renewed my 9 tickets but will drop down to a few if things go further south this year, i.e. worse or similar record and Ash is retained. I've had season tickets in football for 35 years, men's basketball for 40 years and women's basketball for 20 years, plus I've funded scholarships in football, women's soccer and women's basketball, and donated significant money to the build fund, so the amount I've spent on Rutgers athletics over the years is, well, I lost count. I am coming to the sad conclusion that If the Rutgers administration does not care to field competitive teams then why am I spending so much hard earned money on sports. We basically get embarrassed in just about every sport in the B1G, and seriously embarrassed in a lot them. In those we are actually good at, like wrestling and men's lacrosse, we are still middle of the pack or lower. I am hopeful about men's basketball and field hockey, and cautiously optimistic that we get a bid for women's basketball this year, but that's about it. Watching us finish, usually distant, last in the B1G indoor track and field, volleyball, swimming and diving, men's soccer, football, tennis (most likely), softball, golf, baseball, and more...ugh. Can't take much more.

Excellent post.

I seriously question Barchi’s and the BOG’s commitment to competing and winning on the athletic field. Do they know what conference we are in? All of our new peers believe in academic AND athletic excellence.

If Barchi and the BOG don’t start leading us in that direction, like RIGHT NOW, they will lose a lot of alumni, fans, donations and they will fail on the opportunity to raise and improve Rutgers University by being a B1G member. Do they have the strength, vision and the will to lead us to athletic excellence?

 

[rutgersal]

If that were the case, how did the B10 expect us to catch up when we are getting $20 million less than everyone else in conference distributions

They didn’t care whether we caught up or not. As long as they got our eyeballs, resulting incremental revenue, and easier recruiting access to NJ and surrounding area kids, by showcasing their teams when they played Rutgers, they were happy. What the Big 10 wants is actually what Ohio State and Michigan want, because they drive the bus. We’re just along for the ride.

 

[jtung230]

6 to 4 but upgraded seats. If I can justify a country club membership, it would be zero.

 

[rutgersal]

6-7 years ago half of our athletic facilities were literately grass lots with fences around them. We were mid-pack/ maybe upper tier for the Big East...but woefully underprepared for the B1G...the second I heard Barchi talking about “budget neutrality” when it should have been “all hands on deck”, I pretty much figured we were screwed for the immediate future.


Joe P.

The reason Barchi was hired was “budget neutrality”, as NJ was in an era of austerity, and couldnt have Rutgers overspending, which I’m sure was an edict groom the fat man. Had Kyle Flood not gone to Princeton, there’s a pretty good chance he’s still the football coach.

 

[rutgersal]

Excellent post.

I seriously question Barchi’s and the BOG’s commitment to competing and winning on the athletic field. Do they know what conference we are in? All of our new peers believe in academic AND athletic excellence.

If Barchi and the BOG don’t start leading us in that direction, like RIGHT NOW, they will lose a lot of alumni, fans, donations and they will fail on the opportunity to raise and improve Rutgers University by being a B1G member. Do they have the strength, vision and the will to lead us to athletic excellence?

Barchi and the BOG aren’t motivated by athletic success, they’re motivated by budget neutrality. Thats why we have a budget for assistants, that is not Big Ten competitive. That’s why Ash will get his full five years, and perhaps more, come hell or high water.

Barchi and the BOGs view is, “we’ll spend x amount on athletics, to achieve as close to budget neutrality as possible. If alumni want better teams, they’ll have to pony up”. Any shortfall in revenue and donations will be significantly made up by annual increases in Big Ten revenue.

 

[MCY]

Sad to say that after 25 years of having 4 season tickets I opted to only renew 2. Just can't justify the expense any longer or the aggravation of watching the beat downs. Unless we find ourselves a high energy, creative coach the chances of climbing out of the basement are slim. The guy we have now is neither.

 

[e5fdny]

Barchi and the BOGs view is, “we’ll spend x amount on athletics, to achieve as close to budget neutrality as possible. If alumni want better teams, they’ll have to pony up”. Any shortfall in revenue and donations will be significantly made up by annual increases in Big Ten revenue.

Which is fine. Since that’s how everybody else does it.

 

[rufeelinit]

I would love to see the trend in the demographics of our season ticket base. I think it would make this situation even more alarming. I bet it is skewed toward older long time season ticket holders with a much smaller pipeline of new and younger individuals who are making such an investment. I doubt this trend is unique to Rutgers but we have never done a great job of harvesting the young alumni for donations and season tickets. I know we have have lower cost plans designed for them but I would question the effectiveness of those programs. The combination of the cost of living around here, other things to spend your precious entertainment dollars on and a crappy product with very limited prospects for improvement is a toxic mix.

I encountered many of the same issues expressed by others (lack of interest, eating unused tickets and wondering why I am making the effort) and I don't regret at all giving up my season tickets a couple of years ago. I really can't think of a scenario where I would go back to a season commitment. It just stopped being enjoyable.

 

[Scarlet83]

Barchi and the BOG aren’t motivated by athletic success, they’re motivated by budget neutrality. Thats why we have a budget for assistants, that is not Big Ten competitive. That’s why Ash will get his full five years, and perhaps more, come hell or high water.

Barchi and the BOGs view is, “we’ll spend x amount on athletics, to achieve as close to budget neutrality as possible. If alumni want better teams, they’ll have to pony up”. Any shortfall in revenue and donations will be significantly made up by annual increases in Big Ten revenue.

Al, I know this. Everyone knows this. But effective leaders will change their goals and their actions if they see that progress is not being made. Being cheap with coaching budgets to achieve budget neutrality has FAILED. It has FAILED.

We can achieve athletic success and move toward more responsible budgets if we spend on coaches and their staffs with the goal of athletic excellence. Barchi and the BOG needs to be challenged to improve Rutgers University by seeking athletic excellence, and as a result, we will be a stronger University AND more fiscally responsible.

 

[rurichdog]

Which is fine. Since that’s how everybody else does it.

Our alumni aren't ponying up...they're bailing.

 

[JoeRU0304]

Which is fine. Since that’s how everybody else does it.

...sort-of. I’d almost guarantee that when their programs were being build the main goal wasn’t ‘budget neutrality’.


Joe P.

 

[JoeRU0304]

Our alumni aren't ponying up...they're bailing.

...because the school has taken whatever alumni support they’ve gotten and threw it down a manhole. When you have decades-long donors who help endow athletic scholarships talking about bailing, that’s a GIANT red flag on the school’s part. It’s all heresay but reportedly the money was there for a new staff this offseason...but nope, let’s keep doing what we’re doing since it’s obviously working so well.

I *want* Rutgers Football to be in my family’s life...but I *don’t need* it to be in order for us to be ok. It doesn’t seem like our admins get that concept.


Joe P.

 

[Rhuarc]

RU should have dumped a huge chunk of money as an investment in facilities, coaches, etc. for entering the Big 10. Then, they could have worked towards budget neutrality when the bigger money rolled in. Good leadership would have done this regardless of the blowback.

 

[rutgersal]

We can achieve athletic success and move toward more responsible budgets if we spend on coaches and their staffs with the goal of athletic excellence. Barchi and the BOG needs to be challenged to improve Rutgers University by seeking athletic excellence, and as a result, we will be a stronger University AND more fiscally responsible.

The only way to challenge Barchi and the BOG is to write a check, other than that, it’s mindless blathering. Barchi isn’t averse to spending others’ money. Their minds are mind up and nothing is going to change until Barchi leaves, IMO.

 

[e5fdny]

...sort-of. I’d almost guarantee that when their programs were being build the main goal wasn’t ‘budget neutrality’.

If we were truly in their shoes back then (in the B1G or something similar) maybe things would have been different.

 

[BlockR]

Which is fine. Since that’s how everybody else does it.

chicken and Egg. NOBODY as an average alum or fan is going to donate any real $ when the product on field goes O fer the B10 schedule and is a national joke.
Until the BOG and Barchi show they care by investing themselves in a real HC and AD,this empty stands,horrible results on the field will continue.
Its not the fan base required "job" to invest in a bad and mismanaged program..

 

[Knight Shift]

chicken and Egg. NOBODY as an average alum or fan is going to donate any real $ when the product on field goes O fer the B10 schedule and is a national joke.
Until the BOG and Barchi show they care by investing themselves in a real HC and AD,this empty stands,horrible results on the field will continue.
Its not the fan base required "job" to invest in a bad and mismanaged program..

Just stop with the AD drum already. He made a bad hire in Ash. The others have been fine. And fundraising and building projects have been outstanding.

 

[rutgersal]

chicken and Egg. NOBODY as an average alum or fan is going to donate any real $ when the product on field goes O fer the B10 schedule and is a national joke.
Until the BOG and Barchi show they care by investing themselves in a real HC and AD,this empty stands,horrible results on the field will continue.
Its not the fan base required "job" to invest in a bad and mismanaged program..

I dont think you understand what the mentality is. They’re content to run athletics as a loss leader. If alumni want better results, they’ll have to write the check.

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

Barchi needs to be forced out.

He has continued to fail at leading RU into success

 

[Knight Shift]

Barchi needs to be forced out.

He has continued to fail at leading RU into success

Umm, Rutgers is a University, not a professional sports franchise. Barchi has performed just fine on the academic side. This is why the BOG asked him to stay on. Hobbs has been a great hire that, like any other human being, made a bad decision or two. The bad decision was hiring Ash with a bad contract/severance clause. His other work and hires have been successful.

But our bloodthirsty fans and alums need to get their pound of flesh and pound their chests and demand firings when something goes wrong. Yes, RU fans are special snowflakes who have not enjoyed success over the years. But the cycle of firing ADs for every mistake they made has to stop. It is costly and disruptive to continuity. Pernetti should have never been fired in the first place. Then we got Julie, who, together with Flood, put RU athletics in a death spiral.

It's a lot to ask for a fanbase that has experience a lot in the way of poor results, but more patience is required. If RU fired last year, that could have been viewed badly by some coaches who would look at RU as a school that would not give a new coach time to rebuild a broken program, especially after sanctions and the public relations disaster suffered under Flood and Herman.

No, firing Barchi and Hobbs because the football team currently sucks is not a panacea that will fix RU's problems. That would bring another round of buyouts and setbacks.

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

I like Hobbs, but hate Barchi because he hates Athletics and is preventing the teams from having success

 

[Knight Shift]

I like Hobbs, but hate Barchi because he hates Athletics and is preventing the teams from having success

That narrative is not necessarily true. Probably disinterested in athletics. Maybe he is just letting Hobbs due his job within financial constraints. If the BOG is happy with Barchi, he is not going anywhere. That's a fact.

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

That narrative is not necessarily true. Probably disinterested in athletics. Maybe he is just letting Hobbs due his job within financial constraints. If the BOG is happy with Barchi, he is not going anywhere. That's a fact.

Keep cheering for a laughingstock due to an uneven playing field.

You're in too deep to see common sense

 

[JoeRU0304]

Umm, Rutgers is a University, not a professional sports franchise. Barchi has performed just fine on the academic side. This is why the BOG asked him to stay on. Hobbs has been a great hire that, like any other human being, made a bad decision or two. The bad decision was hiring Ash with a bad contract/severance clause. His other work and hires have been successful.

But our bloodthirsty fans and alums need to get their pound of flesh and pound their chests and demand firings when something goes wrong. Yes, RU fans are special snowflakes who have not enjoyed success over the years. But the cycle of firing ADs for every mistake they made has to stop. It is costly and disruptive to continuity. Pernetti should have never been fired in the first place. Then we got Julie, who, together with Flood, put RU athletics in a death spiral.

It's a lot to ask for a fanbase that has experience a lot in the way of poor results, but more patience is required. If RU fired last year, that could have been viewed badly by some coaches who would look at RU as a school that would not give a new coach time to rebuild a broken program, especially after sanctions and the public relations disaster suffered under Flood and Herman.

No, firing Barchi and Hobbs because the football team currently sucks is not a panacea that will fix RU's problems. That would bring another round of buyouts and setbacks.

I definitely get there’s no overnight fix, but to those just saying ‘everyone needs to donate more’, from what I’ve seen our current admins want everyone to donate $1000 so they can go to the dollar store, get $156 worth of merchandise and call it day...it has to work both ways.


Joe P.

 

[Knight Shift]

I definitely get there’s no overnight fix, but to those just saying ‘everyone needs to donate more’, from what I’ve seen our current admins want everyone to donate $1000 so they can go to the dollar store, get $156 worth of merchandise and call it day...it has to work both ways.


Joe P.

Agreed. The reality is that only the highest level donors- the Towers, the Browns, the Rodkins, and perhaps a few others get any meaningful say in what happens with the money that is donated. And while this is probably fair because they are donating the most, not sure that they are the most knowledgeable about what specifically to do about fixing football and hiring the next coach to get RU out of the basement. To some extent, however, the whole process is a crap shoot, but RU could do better at it.

 

[scarlet89]

Luckily the Athletic Department was kind enough to let me know that if I renew by tomorrow they’ll kindly take away the 25 dollar processing fee. They really have some nerve charging a fee for this at all and I’ll be giving my rep a hard time over that when I renew later next month.

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

Luckily the Athletic Department was kind enough to let me know that if I renew by tomorrow they’ll kindly take away the 25 dollar processing fee. They really have some nerve charging a fee for this at all and I’ll be giving my rep a hard time over that when I renew later next month.

Processing fee?

That is straight up theft

 

[DJ Spanky]

Until the BOG and Barchi show they care.....

That's all you have to say right there.

I like Hobbs, but hate Barchi because he hates Athletics and is preventing the teams from having success

I don't think he hates athletics, he just considers them a necessary evil that he would rather not have to deal with.

 

[BlockR]

Just stop with the AD drum already. He made a bad hire in Ash. The others have been fine. And fundraising and building projects have been outstanding.

what other revenue program ,that Hobbs hired the HC,has won a B10 division,Conference,been ranked..or we can even set the bar at 500?
BTW Football drives the Bus.Always has,always will.

 

[Scarlet83]

The only way to challenge Barchi and the BOG is to write a check, other than that, it’s mindless blathering. Barchi isn’t averse to spending others’ money. Their minds are mind up and nothing is going to change until Barchi leaves, IMO.

Trust me Al, there are other ways.