superman7515
September 10th, 2011, 10:02 AM
http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20110910/SPORTS07/109100343/Football-ticket-sales-down-revenue-up-Hens?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Home|s
NEWARK -- Season ticket sales for University of Delaware football are down, but contributions to the UD Athletic Fund are up as the Blue Hens enter tonight's home opener.
Tonight's game against West Chester is the first in which most season tickets at 22,000-seat Delaware Stadium include an additional mandatory contribution to the UDAF.
The new policy, announced several years ago to begin in 2011, has drawn a range of reactions from Delaware fans, who can avoid the fee by buying individual game tickets instead.
Nonetheless, some have gone as far as calling it "extortion," and that anger is reflected in a dip in sales.
Delaware has sold 7,950 season tickets, well below last year's 9,700, despite the Blue Hens reaching the NCAA title game last season. The school record of 11,302 was set in 2008. Season tickets remain on sale at pro-rated prices for two more weeks.
"Delaware has a great football program, and hopefully it continues," said Tom Crescenzo, a 1975 UD graduate, who mulled the situation before deciding to renew his season tickets. "I'd hate to see it take a step back.
"The university is doing what it has to do. Everything today is expensive. It's not something that everybody likes to step up to, but ..."
George Nimmo, 69, of Warren, N.J., preferred not to take that step. He continued buying season tickets after son George, a UD marching band member, graduated in 2008. But his satisfaction waned in part because of the blaring music played over the public-address system, and as parking fees rose. When UD added the ticket charge, it was the last straw, he said, calling it "bush league" and "offensive.".......
Part of a much longer article.
NEWARK -- Season ticket sales for University of Delaware football are down, but contributions to the UD Athletic Fund are up as the Blue Hens enter tonight's home opener.
Tonight's game against West Chester is the first in which most season tickets at 22,000-seat Delaware Stadium include an additional mandatory contribution to the UDAF.
The new policy, announced several years ago to begin in 2011, has drawn a range of reactions from Delaware fans, who can avoid the fee by buying individual game tickets instead.
Nonetheless, some have gone as far as calling it "extortion," and that anger is reflected in a dip in sales.
Delaware has sold 7,950 season tickets, well below last year's 9,700, despite the Blue Hens reaching the NCAA title game last season. The school record of 11,302 was set in 2008. Season tickets remain on sale at pro-rated prices for two more weeks.
"Delaware has a great football program, and hopefully it continues," said Tom Crescenzo, a 1975 UD graduate, who mulled the situation before deciding to renew his season tickets. "I'd hate to see it take a step back.
"The university is doing what it has to do. Everything today is expensive. It's not something that everybody likes to step up to, but ..."
George Nimmo, 69, of Warren, N.J., preferred not to take that step. He continued buying season tickets after son George, a UD marching band member, graduated in 2008. But his satisfaction waned in part because of the blaring music played over the public-address system, and as parking fees rose. When UD added the ticket charge, it was the last straw, he said, calling it "bush league" and "offensive.".......
Part of a much longer article.