2 mistakes

[Sean Miller Fan]

1. Pitt badly underestimated demand for the PSU game, to the point where a single ticket is selling for much more than the entire season. Heck, I could get $500 a seat right now for my lowers and I think they cost less than $300 for the season.

Now, I won't place much blame on Pitt for this because it is certainly difficult to guage demand for a game that hasnt been played in 16 years.....but in any event, they did get the price wrong, to the point they issued a warning to brokers that they could not be resold. If you have to worry about brokers profiting off of your tickets, then you know you set the price too low.

2. Pitt should have opened on Thursday night like NCSU, Wake, Louisville, and plenty of other teams. 65K of the 68K Nova seats will be sold, only their 3K traveling alottment will remain so there would have been no more tickets sold if the game was on Thursday night. A few more people would have used their tickets for a Saturday opener but I dont think actual attendance would have differes much. The reason to do this would be to give the team and staff 2 extra days to prepare for Penn State. I'll give up 5K in Villanova actual attendance if it means the team will be slightly more prepared to beat the Sandusky's.

 

[mbe 34]

I don't think its Pitt's call who and when they play.
ESPN and TV make those calls.
Lately Pitt has not drawn well for Thursday nite games.
I doubt they would sell any where near 65K - lucky to get 40 to show up.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

I don't think its Pitt's call who and when they play.
ESPN and TV make those calls.
Lately Pitt has not drawn well for Thursday nite games.
I doubt they would sell any where near 65K - lucky to get 40 to show up.

Schools decide their game times when the games are untelevised as Pitt/Nova is.

I think the crowd for Pitt/Nova would have been 45K on Thursday night and 50K on Saturday

 

[ThePanthers]

1) Tickets were priced right IMO. The majority were sold via season tickets, and in order to get the other games sold, the entire package has to be right. You risk alienating your long time season ticket holders to spike the package one year and then lower it the next year based on 1 game. The pricing is based on long term, not one game.

2) I like the Saturday game. Rib fest is usually going on as well and the atmosphere is better on a Saturday afternoon. People typically hate Thursday night games.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Thinking back to the last early season home game, Florida State in 2013, I recall the attendance being well over 60K, closer to 65K most likely. There's no way FSU brought 10K to that game. So, with that being, Pitt fans made up 55K+ of the crowd for that one. With that mind, why wouldn't Pitt bring 55K or a little more to a much, much bigger game with more hype versus an old rival?

1) Tickets were priced right IMO. The majority were sold via season tickets, and in order to get the other games sold, the entire package has to be right. You risk alienating your long time season ticket holders to spike the package one year and then lower it the next year based on 1 game. The pricing is based on long term, not one game.

2) I like the Saturday game. Rib fest is usually going on as well and the atmosphere is better on a Saturday afternoon. People typically hate Thursday night games.

Rib fest starts Thursday.

 

[JohnnyGossamer]

I expect this home opener to have a crowd just/over under 55K. There's a lot of buzz and a lot of season tickets sold. Folks will show up for a change. It's not like Pitt hasn't seen crowds of just under 50K for recent openers with far fewer season tickets sold.

 

[9nationalchampionships]

It has been 16 years since we played state so the demand was eye opening and I would expect the same when wv comes into PITTsburgh. Now they know!

 

[ThePanthers]

Rib fest starts Thursday.

The majority of people go down over the weekend.

 

[mbe 34]

Schools decide their game times when the games are untelevised as Pitt/Nova is.

I think the crowd for Pitt/Nova would have been 45K on Thursday night and 50K on Saturday

I didn't realize there was no TV.
Night game for Labor day weekend might have been a nicer draw. Makes it more of an event.
BUT -Pirates are a problem - I think they got night games at home

 

[pittzap]

1) Tickets were priced right IMO. The majority were sold via season tickets, and in order to get the other games sold, the entire package has to be right. You risk alienating your long time season ticket holders to spike the package one year and then lower it the next year based on 1 game. The pricing is based on long term, not one game.

2) I like the Saturday game. Rib fest is usually going on as well and the atmosphere is better on a Saturday afternoon. People typically hate Thursday night games.

Yeah, Villanova game on Saturday, I am going. If it was on Thursday, I wouldn't be able to make it, as I would have to travel across the state.

I want to see Conner take the field. Im sure they will draw more for that game because others feel the same.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Yeah, Villanova game on Saturday, I am going. If it was on Thursday, I wouldn't be able to make it, as I would have to travel across the state.

I want to see Conner take the field. Im sure they will draw more for that game because others feel the same.

But is an extra 5K people using their tickets (since all are sold anyway) worth the extra 2 days of rest and to prepare for PSU?

 

[JohnnyGossamer]

I don't mind a proper Saturday afternoon opener v. FBS squad.

So... Which jersey combo does Pitt wear here? My money's on blue helmet, blue uniform and gold pants. I'm expecting all blue v. PSU. Fingers crossed there isn't some bizarro gold uniform that they're saving for this one. That'd be kind of hilarious though... Come out in all gold.

 

[TIGER-PAUL]

1. Part of the demand/price is so few have been on secondary market. Agree though Pitt probably could have charged more.

2. Pitt voluntarily playing a fcs home game on a Thursday?
Come on.

 

[ratking17]

This notion of a Thursday night game? Ummm. Smf, you remember our week night games against usf, and uconn, and navy? Ughhhh

 

[daminals76]

Everyone hates Thursday night games including me...
disgusted that they force us to play at least one Thursday every year.

 

[wbrpanther]

1. Pitt badly underestimated demand for the PSU game, to the point where a single ticket is selling for much more than the entire season. Heck, I could get $500 a seat right now for my lowers and I think they cost less than $300 for the season.

Now, I won't place much blame on Pitt for this because it is certainly difficult to guage demand for a game that hasnt been played in 16 years.....but in any event, they did get the price wrong, to the point they issued a warning to brokers that they could not be resold. If you have to worry about brokers profiting off of your tickets, then you know you set the price too low.

2. Pitt should have opened on Thursday night like NCSU, Wake, Louisville, and plenty of other teams. 65K of the 68K Nova seats will be sold, only their 3K traveling alottment will remain so there would have been no more tickets sold if the game was on Thursday night. A few more people would have used their tickets for a Saturday opener but I dont think actual attendance would have differes much. The reason to do this would be to give the team and staff 2 extra days to prepare for Penn State. I'll give up 5K in Villanova actual attendance if it means the team will be slightly more prepared to beat the Sandusky's.

Thursday night vs. Villanova. Be still my heart.

 

[PITTLAW]

1. Pitt badly underestimated demand for the PSU game, to the point where a single ticket is selling for much more than the entire season. Heck, I could get $500 a seat right now for my lowers and I think they cost less than $300 for the season.

Now, I won't place much blame on Pitt for this because it is certainly difficult to guage demand for a game that hasnt been played in 16 years.....but in any event, they did get the price wrong, to the point they issued a warning to brokers that they could not be resold. If you have to worry about brokers profiting off of your tickets, then you know you set the price too low.

2. Pitt should have opened on Thursday night like NCSU, Wake, Louisville, and plenty of other teams. 65K of the 68K Nova seats will be sold, only their 3K traveling alottment will remain so there would have been no more tickets sold if the game was on Thursday night. A few more people would have used their tickets for a Saturday opener but I dont think actual attendance would have differes much. The reason to do this would be to give the team and staff 2 extra days to prepare for Penn State. I'll give up 5K in Villanova actual attendance if it means the team will be slightly more prepared to beat the Sandusky's.

As usual, you make some mighty jumps of faith, and assume some facts not in evidence. With respect to Thursday versus Saturday for Villanova--you assume Coach Narduzzi would want the extra time, and two, that Villanova would be willing to move the game to Thursday. Many coaches like to get their teams in a rhythm of a week of practice and installs and then play the game. The extra days are not always favorable, especially early in the season. If you think Pitt has been doing anything other than getting ready to play PSU all camp, then you are stark raving mad. Why would Nova want to move the game? They take the money and the beating from Pitt, because it is in theory a pretty easy trip for their fans--not so on a Thursday.

As for the ticket pricing--I'm not quite sure where to begin. Pitt had to price season tickets based upon what they have charged in the past [with some modest increase]--otherwise, fans like you would have been up in arms. Frankly, it is nice from time to time when Pitt schedules at home in a way that gives the fans a premium and attractive schedule. You automatically assume Pitt would have sold the same number of season tickets based upon the present StubHub value of one game on the schedule? I do not follow your "logic." Pitt is charging $95 for each ticket that is not part of a season ticket package, and that price is considerably more than they usually charge--in fact more than double for other "normal" games. Without more financial data--which will never be forthcoming--it appears the athletic department has "hit it out of the park" in capitalizing for this season in ticket sales. And like any other business, the key will be doing it again [or better] next season. Hopefully the team meets expectations and wins! Hail to Pitt!

 

[runthewildcat]

It has been 16 years since we played state so the demand was eye opening and I would expect the same when wv comes into PITTsburgh. Now they know!

The demand for Pitt wvu tickets won't be close. No matter what people say, they'd rather beat PSU than wvu.