Student season ticket sales

[BearLover]

I have friends who did not attend a hockey game until the spring of their Senior year. They didn't even know there was hockey at the school or that the atmosphere was so insane (this is 25 years ago). Why? Because they were nerds who study all the time, because Cornell is about academics, which is why they went there, and because they genuinely didn't know anything about sports or care until that exact moment. Of course there are lots of more well rounded kids, and the stands were full full in those days, but I'm telling you that if you care about watching sports and also getting a few classes in, Cornell isn't your school. Or, you're at the frat watching ACC football on Saturday like 98% of the country.

Yes but seriously I'm just trying to get 500 more people to come to Lynah each game. I have no illusions about selling out Schoellkopf or anything like that. I think there are definitely things Cornell could do to improve attendance. Our ticket prices are much higher than most other schools', as one example.

Also:
ACC football?

[ugarte]

ACC football?

You're the one who brought up Clemson!

[Trotsky]

I missed this weekend's women's games due to a case of the Stomach Pains.

They would have made it worse.

[andyw2100]

I think it's all about getting the kids that have never been to a game into Lynah the first time.

I went to my first game as a freshman in 1982. (It may even have been the Harvard game because I definitely was at the Harvard game that season.) I probably went to only three or four games that entire season, but then bought season tickets for my last three years at Cornell and for every year since then, except for the few years I was out of Ithaca before moving back. I had never followed hockey at all. It was the Lynah atmosphere that hooked me. Like BearLover, (and I'm guessing nearly everyone here) I'd really like to see Lynah more like it was in "the old days." I doubt there's a simple answer. I doubt even more that any discussion here will have any impact at all.

That being said, I think one thing that would help, if we could somehow get the administration to buy in, would be giving every freshman a personalized voucher good for one free admission to any game. Vouchers have to be redeemed for tickets, and the freebies could be allocated based on anticipated sales. So perhaps only 50 or 100 of these freebies set aside for the Harvard game, and hundreds available for games unlikely to sell out.

I have to think that there are students out there who would be "hooked" if they experience a game, but may never go if they aren't given the one free ticket.

The "up-front" cost to Cornell would be negligible, since they would manage the inventory in such a way that it shouldn't really cannibalize sales.

I doubt anything like this will ever happen, but I think it would work if it were tried.

[stereax]

Hell, even I missed this weekend's women's games due to a case of the Stomach Pains.

I thought you swore off the Taco Bell?

I did... fun fact, I missed the entire third period and shootout of the regular season men's home game vs Yale due to Taco Bell, lol. But nah, my stomach's just being fucky again. It happens. :/

[stereax]

I think it's all about getting the kids that have never been to a game into Lynah the first time.

THIS!!!

Every time I manage to bring a friend to Lynah, they're AMAZED at the game, the atmosphere, all of it. It's genuinely fun as hell, especially if you have someone with you who "knows the ropes". Problem is getting people to that FIRST game. (And then retaining them. But you can't retain if you don't go to the first game.)

I don't attend many other sports - iirc, their tickets are almost all free, though. Does anyone have an estimate of how the other sports fill their barns?

[Tom Lento]

Well this sucks.  Someone tell me why they always do this on a tournament weekend?  Ah, for it to be last fall when I was too gimpy. . . no, wait, I take that back.  (Relatively) non-gimpy is good.  Think I can get top of section G if I go in on Monday morning?

There was a time not that long ago when students were hopeful they could get season tickets at the top of section G...

LOL that was me. 😂

I wonder where I ended up getting tickets... wherever they were, I'm sure I had a great time at the games.

[chimpfood]

I think it's all about getting the kids that have never been to a game into Lynah the first time.

THIS!!!

Every time I manage to bring a friend to Lynah, they're AMAZED at the game, the atmosphere, all of it. It's genuinely fun as hell, especially if you have someone with you who "knows the ropes". Problem is getting people to that FIRST game. (And then retaining them. But you can't retain if you don't go to the first game.)

I don't attend many other sports - iirc, their tickets are almost all free, though. Does anyone have an estimate of how the other sports fill their barns?

No other sports here come close to capacity, even for NCAA tournament games. It's always good to improve of course, but I'm very happy with where we are at in terms of hockey attendance.

[marty]

I think it's all about getting the kids that have never been to a game into Lynah the first time.

THIS!!!

Every time I manage to bring a friend to Lynah, they're AMAZED at the game, the atmosphere, all of it. It's genuinely fun as hell, especially if you have someone with you who "knows the ropes". Problem is getting people to that FIRST game. (And then retaining them. But you can't retain if you don't go to the first game.)

I don't attend many other sports - iirc, their tickets are almost all free, though. Does anyone have an estimate of how the other sports fill their barns?

No other sports here come close to capacity, even for NCAA tournament games. It's always good to improve of course, but I'm very happy with where we are at in terms of hockey attendance.

In 2024 the N C State wrestling meet was held in Bartels.

It was in anticipation of a crowd too large for the Friedman center.  I'm not sure how many attended. 

[RichH]

I think it's all about getting the kids that have never been to a game into Lynah the first time.

THIS!!!

Every time I manage to bring a friend to Lynah, they're AMAZED at the game, the atmosphere, all of it. It's genuinely fun as hell, especially if you have someone with you who "knows the ropes". Problem is getting people to that FIRST game. (And then retaining them. But you can't retain if you don't go to the first game.)

I don't attend many other sports - iirc, their tickets are almost all free, though. Does anyone have an estimate of how the other sports fill their barns?

No other sports here come close to capacity, even for NCAA tournament games. It's always good to improve of course, but I'm very happy with where we are at in terms of hockey attendance.

In 2024 the N C State wrestling meet was held in Bartels.

It was in anticipation of a crowd too large for the Friedman center.  I'm not sure how many attended. 

From what I understand, that has had to happen regularly for big wrestling matches. Which makes me wonder with a palace to wrestling (1st stand-alone wrestling-only facility in the nation, which we absolutely needed, for reasons) why they didn't design enough seating capacity in the first place. Beautiful new facility that we can't use half the time. Great job everyone.

Always makes me suspicious for other projects like the new fieldhouse.

[ugarte]

I think it's all about getting the kids that have never been to a game into Lynah the first time.

THIS!!!

Every time I manage to bring a friend to Lynah, they're AMAZED at the game, the atmosphere, all of it. It's genuinely fun as hell, especially if you have someone with you who "knows the ropes". Problem is getting people to that FIRST game. (And then retaining them. But you can't retain if you don't go to the first game.)

I don't attend many other sports - iirc, their tickets are almost all free, though. Does anyone have an estimate of how the other sports fill their barns?

No other sports here come close to capacity, even for NCAA tournament games. It's always good to improve of course, but I'm very happy with where we are at in terms of hockey attendance.

In 2024 the N C State wrestling meet was held in Bartels.

It was in anticipation of a crowd too large for the Friedman center.  I'm not sure how many attended. 

From what I understand, that has had to happen regularly for big wrestling matches. Which makes me wonder with a palace to wrestling (1st stand-alone wrestling-only facility in the nation, which we absolutely needed, for reasons) why they didn't design enough seating capacity in the first place. Beautiful new facility that we can't use half the time. Great job everyone.

Always makes me suspicious for other projects like the new fieldhouse.

We usually don't need more seating than Friedman requires. Columbia holds a lot of their meets on the basketball court too and they *definitely* don't need the space.

We got a special wrestling building because there is a billionaire donor who wrestled at Cornell and Rob Koll found his g-spot. The seating capacity for dual meets is a secondary concern to the standalone training facility. Friedman wasn't built primarily for the fans, even though a tight theater in the round setup is great for wrestling. Bartels is a perfectly good place to watch a meet. On the other hand, the full team has plenty of room to train when they retract the stands plus they have a rehab facility, weight room and other perks in the building.

It's obviously a bit much from the perspective of "how important is sports, really" but less so in the context of "is this school attractive for an elite wrestler who can't recieve a scholarship and probably won't get much in NIL."

Rich, you have made* a powerful* enemy* today.

*false

[RichH]

I think it's all about getting the kids that have never been to a game into Lynah the first time.

THIS!!!

Every time I manage to bring a friend to Lynah, they're AMAZED at the game, the atmosphere, all of it. It's genuinely fun as hell, especially if you have someone with you who "knows the ropes". Problem is getting people to that FIRST game. (And then retaining them. But you can't retain if you don't go to the first game.)

I don't attend many other sports - iirc, their tickets are almost all free, though. Does anyone have an estimate of how the other sports fill their barns?

No other sports here come close to capacity, even for NCAA tournament games. It's always good to improve of course, but I'm very happy with where we are at in terms of hockey attendance.

In 2024 the N C State wrestling meet was held in Bartels.

It was in anticipation of a crowd too large for the Friedman center.  I'm not sure how many attended. 

From what I understand, that has had to happen regularly for big wrestling matches. Which makes me wonder with a palace to wrestling (1st stand-alone wrestling-only facility in the nation, which we absolutely needed, for reasons) why they didn't design enough seating capacity in the first place. Beautiful new facility that we can't use half the time. Great job everyone.

Always makes me suspicious for other projects like the new fieldhouse.

We usually don't need more seating than Friedman requires. Columbia holds a lot of their meets on the basketball court too and they *definitely* don't need the space.

We got a special wrestling building because there is a billionaire donor who wrestled at Cornell and Rob Koll found his g-spot. The seating capacity for dual meets is a secondary concern to the standalone training facility. Friedman wasn't built primarily for the fans, even though a tight theater in the round setup is great for wrestling. Bartels is a perfectly good place to watch a meet. On the other hand, the full team has plenty of room to train when they retract the stands plus they have a rehab facility, weight room and other perks in the building.

It's obviously a bit much from the perspective of "how important is sports, really" but less so in the context of "is this school attractive for an elite wrestler who can't recieve a scholarship and probably won't get much in NIL."

Rich, you have made* a powerful* enemy* today.

*false

My Ugarte bait worked perfectly, and thank you for the good faith response.

That said, I still think more consideration should have been made for seating to avoid one program taking up an in-demand venue when they just got their own.

And yes, over the last 10 years or so I have been grappling (yes, I did) with the "maybe we're putting sports in an outsized place of importance in our lives" mentality.

[ugarte]

That said, I still think more consideration should have been made for seating to avoid one program taking up an in-demand venue when they just got their own.

It's maybe five hours a year on weekend afternoons and weeknights!

[Weder]

That said, I still think more consideration should have been made for seating to avoid one program taking up an in-demand venue when they just got their own.

It's maybe five hours a year on weekend afternoons and weeknights!

It was probably explained at the time, but I'm lazy, so: What was the deal with wrestling at Barton that one time last season (or was it the one before)?

[ugarte]

That said, I still think more consideration should have been made for seating to avoid one program taking up an in-demand venue when they just got their own.

It's maybe five hours a year on weekend afternoons and weeknights!

It was probably explained at the time, but I'm lazy, so: What was the deal with wrestling at Barton that one time last season (or was it the one before)?

Hmm I thought that was going to be Rumble and Tumble - a joint event with the gymnastics team - but that was apparently at Newman.

And I found it. Last year we hosted Buffalo for a dual meet at Barton on a Saturday, but used Barton because we also hosted a big multi-team, multi-mat event (the Big Red Invite) that required a lot more floor space the next day.

I assume it was easier to set up for the bigger event on Saturday before we faced Buffalo and have both events in Barton than the alternative.