Great to have new/young fans that will spend. But the whole narrative around “we can’t get better seats” ignores the fact that most of the folks complaining are also grown ass men that, for whatever reason, chose not to buy better seats when they were available (not that long ago).
You must realize that we have seen people explain here that they had season tix and were denied renewal.. probably because they were bare minimum donors.. but that doesn't matter.
This game of maximizing revenue for the short term, in both football and basketball, has already resulted in long time fans.. long time season ticket holders surrendering their tickets rather than pay what was demanded. And, sure, maybe it increased revenues short term but has also reduced the number of diehard fans in the season.. the kinds of fans who will cheer wildily down double-digits hoping for a comeback.
The results in reduced gameday experience of college sports.. especially when you add in the pipe in "music" that cuts off fan participation and marching and pep band participation and cheerleaders leading cheers.
In turn, that reduced experience results in fans in the seats that can take or leave it.. and this year, in basketball we are seeing, I think, seatbroker sold seats to visitors as well as locals who just want to see the two star players because it was deemed a "hot ticket".
When we saw "sold-out" Jersey Mikes seats vs cupcakes listed for $2, few seemed worried. But now we have cheap seats for UCLA.
Lets play this out.. if all those ticketbroker seats were in the hands of real fans, they'd still show up. Maybe the ticketbroker already paid for the seats and Rutgers will be okay.. until next year when that broker offers a reduced rate and Rutgers cannot turn it down because the number of fans who felt cheated this year will not offer to buy again, anytime soon.
Rutgers could have been honorable toward their fans right down the line. Grandfather long-time seatholders from having to move from desirable seats to less desirable unless they pay up. Allow alums and fans to renew or add season tickets as they want and what's left.. if Rutgers football and basketball is in high demand.. put a higher price on those seats... if it is such a hot ticket fans will pay just to be in the building.
I think Rutgers has blown it with moving ticket control to some outside organization whose allegiance is to themselves and not to Rutgers long-term success.
