Interesting comment from Stricklin RE baseball stadium

[engie]

"This is MY seat- is has MY name on it." - For any one season, it is. But I get your point.

"It has caused us a lot of problems and issues that we are now having to deal with" - What problems and issues?

"It was just a very short-sighted poorly thought out program." - Not when originally put in place. It was probably ACCIDENTALLY pretty smart. It has kept Dudy Noble chairbacks sold out for 25+ years. Think of the environment 25 years ago. Not the current one. Few stadiums had Personal Seat Licenses in 1986. Certainly no college baseball stadiums. It definitely should have been structured differently (annual or limited multi year) in retrospect but also looking in the rearview mirror it was pretty successful idea. And now needs an overhaul.

The common frustration I read is vacant premium seats. To me, thats not a Lifetime Chairback problem but primarily a function of the lack of an effective mechanism to move asses into those seats when vacant.

When a new stadium is built and the seating priority is based on BDC points plus an annual seat fee, how does the problem of empty seats in prime chairback areas go away? ( I am not talking about enough chairbacks but the premium ones having folks in them)

The "dugout to dugout" chairbacks will still be occupied by the top BDC point members. A rough guess puts "dugout to dugout" chairbacks in the #1000 rank BDC giving numbers. And those won't be at Dudy Noble at many weekend series just like they aren't now.

Same Problem. We have to have an effective way to get folks into unused seats.

Todd (and maybe a good board survey question) how much should an Annual Personal Seat License fee in the new stadium be on top of any BDC donation you make and a $250 season ticket? $0, $50, $100, $250, $500? $750 $1000 Let's assume the seat is First base Mid-dugout 20 rows up.

How do USCe, LSU, Arkansas, even Ole Miss to some extent manage to do it?

Fact is -- the "new" stadium doesn't need to be and should not be seated on straight up priority points. They need to have a proprietary algorithm that takes into account BDC priority, but also gives x amount of "points" to people that have kept their lifetime seats all these years, gives x amount of "points" to people actually showing up to > x% of games, etc.

Seat our new club area on BDC priority and offer the extra skyboxes to those with highest priority that do not currently have them. That (should) take care of 1300-1500 of the highest ranking tickets as well...

From there, you "mark" the seats of the people that show up all the time -- and make the grandstand full general admission during the midweek and early season non-conference(non premiere) weekend games with the understanding that you move if a ticket holder shows up -- and you don't sit in the marked seats.

WE can and will fill a new baseball stadium up regularly if we handle seating it correctly. We did for YEARS and YEARS before. Our fanbase hasn't gotten any smaller or further away from Starkville. And the ease of transit has gotten MUCH easier with the advancements of cars and the full 4-laning of 25. The point being --- build it, the people will come.

[ScottH]

How do USCe, LSU, Arkansas, even Ole Miss to some extent manage to do it?

Lets Start with UM......attendance doesn't factor in there...just dollars
Priority Points
The Ole Miss Athletics Foundation utilizes a priority point system to acknowledge those who support Ole Miss Athletics. Priority points are accumulated through the following:
• One point for every $100 donated to the Ole Miss Athletics Foundation.
• One point for every season ticket (up to 10 per year) since 1996 for football, men's and women's basketball, and baseball.
Allocation Process
The allocation process is the process of assigning seats. Seats will be assigned based on priority points with the highest points selected first and will continue until all seats are assigned.
Annual Seat donation prices including season ticket - 1500, 500, 350, 300(?)

Now LSU.....attendance doesn't factor in there...just dollars
All season ticket requests are combined with any season ticket wait list requests and are then sorted by using the LSU Priority Point System to determine the order in which customers will be contacted
LSU Priority Points are awarded for contributions to the LSU Tradition Fund, the Tiger Athletic Foundation and for academic giving to the University.
LSU Tradition Fund donation requirement per seat including season ticket - 2350, 1850, 665, 515, 380

Bottom line you have to pay to play. That is the business model. Better get you Bulldog Club Points in order or most of the same folks in "dugout to dugout" chairbacks now will have them in the new stadium

I wonder what price point will affect the majority of MSU Baseball fans for a combined seat license/season ticket? Assuming a 300 season ticket in a couple of years will a 450 fee fly for a 750 total outlay?

[maroonmania]

True, crowds were good in the eighties because we won, but the doubleheaders were popular. One of the reasons they were popular was because both games were 7 innings each. Each game may last two hours or less and you could play both games in 4 hours.

Plus in a rural town like Starkville, it's much better to have Dh s because most people have to travel and stay in hotels if you want to stay the whole weekend.

Losing the DHs was a HUGE deal for those that live farther away. It was not a big deal to make a 3+ hour trip when I knew I could spend the day at the Dude watching 2 baseball games. Its a LOT different debate to spend 6+ hours on the road coming and going to watch a 3 hour baseball game that is 1 of 56 on the year. I've found myself coming to a lot less games over the years and instead nowadays watching on Hail State TV.

[engie]

I know how they do them elsewhere. But they weren't facing the unique set of circumstances that we are either.

We don't need to screw the lifetime seat holders who have bought tickets every year for 30 years. That needs to have a certain level of priority. How much? I don't know -- but it needs to happen. And it needs to be a fair compromise. The reason for using actual attendance at games is so we can better allocate who gets the seats that are seen on camera as well. That isn't a problem for LSU our South Carolina given their metropolitan locations. And Ole Miss hasn't really figured that part out yet either.

If we can pull $750 for prime seats behind the plate, we need to be well over $1k on club seats, that's for sure. I'm not sure what the market dictates on that. But I know our current numbers are insanely low...

[Bullmutt]

I expect the new stadium to have more chairback seating, which will in turn bring more fans. We lose so many fans who would come on the weekend, but do not want to sit in those shitty bleachers. Many people do not know people in the LFL for the hook-up, and have zero desire to sit in the bleachers, so they stay at home.
Also, there needs to be some type of ticket exchange added to where people can sell their weekend chairbacks when they arent coming- and they can be sold by University on Gameday. With the technology we have today- this would be easy to implement with some proper planning. I also think you will see something done in the OF to make it more student friendly. This will get more students at games for bigger crowds.

Time to progress and get the Granstand filled every weekend

^^^This. Someone make it happen. I (and I'm sure others) would make alot more 2 1/2 hr.- one way daytrips for games if I knew there was a good chance to pay for a chairback!

[messageboardsuperhero]

I agree with Engie- just because UM and LSU prioritize seats a certain way, doesn't mean we have to do it like them.

There is a way to give priority to both big boosters AND long-time baseball supporters- it'll just take some outside the box thinking. Just because nobody has done it yet, doesn't mean that it's impossible.

[Todd4State]

"This is MY seat- is has MY name on it." - For any one season, it is. But I get your point.

"It has caused us a lot of problems and issues that we are now having to deal with" - What problems and issues?

"It was just a very short-sighted poorly thought out program." - Not when originally put in place. It was probably ACCIDENTALLY pretty smart. It has kept Dudy Noble chairbacks sold out for 25+ years. Think of the environment 25 years ago. Not the current one. Few stadiums had Personal Seat Licenses in 1986. Certainly no college baseball stadiums. It definitely should have been structured differently (annual or limited multi year) in retrospect but also looking in the rearview mirror it was pretty successful idea. And now needs an overhaul.

The common frustration I read is vacant premium seats. To me, thats not a Lifetime Chairback problem but primarily a function of the lack of an effective mechanism to move asses into those seats when vacant.

When a new stadium is built and the seating priority is based on BDC points plus an annual seat fee, how does the problem of empty seats in prime chairback areas go away? ( I am not talking about enough chairbacks but the premium ones having folks in them)

The "dugout to dugout" chairbacks will still be occupied by the top BDC point members. A rough guess puts "dugout to dugout" chairbacks in the #1000 rank BDC giving numbers. And those won't be at Dudy Noble at many weekend series just like they aren't now.

Same Problem. We have to have an effective way to get folks into unused seats.

Todd (and maybe a good board survey question) how much should an Annual Personal Seat License fee in the new stadium be on top of any BDC donation you make and a $250 season ticket? $0, $50, $100, $250, $500? $750 $1000 Let's assume the seat is First base Mid-dugout 20 rows up.

What problems and what issues- The very ones we are talking about right now. The personal seat licenses complicate things VERY much. It has also created a faction of our fan base than because they have a "too good to be true" deal to have fear about progressing our program and as a result some are very vocal about not wanting things that would actually help out program. They are the primary ones leading the "a new grandstand would be a waste of money" charge. Even though a new stadium would not only help attendance- it would also help recruiting, and it would make things more comfortable and better for everyone in the long run. Most of the time, if you talk about building a new stadium people get excited. Instead we have some people wanting to keep a hinderance because they will lose their license and have to pay more money and lose their prestige.

It was a very shortsighted idea. It may have "worked" for 25 years- and I would say that is debatable given the issues it has caused- but 25 years is a short time span given the fact that our baseball program is going to be around a LOT longer than that. If it "worked"- why are there massive amounts of empty grandstand seats for every game? Seats that average Joe fan can't sit in until the 5th inning for conference games. We need to do things as a program to continue to make and develop fans for the future- that to me means kids and college kids. THAT is the future of MSU baseball. Dumping those people in crappy bleachers or having a game day experience that is bad to the point where their parents don't even bother to show up in the first place is NOT how you invest in the future of MSU baseball. You may not realize it, but just three years ago we had LOST 10 years of high caliber baseball meaning that the kids and young adults in that age group probably consider Ole Miss and USM close to or as equal programs based on on the field results and game day atmosphere. The reason we almost lost it was because the University decided to remain status quo and try to keep things the same, and you can not do that in baseball. Things change constantly and you have to be on top of that. You have to constantly be thinking about the future on the field and also about the future of the product off the field as well. The fact of the matter is NO ONE in any sport anywhere does seating licenses. If it was such a great idea, people would be copying it. There's a reason why they just sell season tickets and be done with it.

How will this help with moving asses into seats? You have a good product on the field. CHECK. You have a facility that is accessible with conveniences that are nice, clean, and comfortable. We're working on it. And then you allow people to have access to reasonably good seats. Taking the bleachers out and giving those people a chairback seat is a start (based on stadium design). I think the honor system would work out fine- the University just needs to communicate it before the season starts and then everyone just needs to act like civil human beings which shouldn't be too much to ask for since we are the Hospitality State and most of us go to church on Sunday.

I'll let Scott decide what the BDC fee should be. Whatever it is, there should be something charged. You don't get 50 yard line seats at Scott Field without having to pay a good bit to the BDC, why should people not have to pay something reasonable to sit behind home plate or the dugout to the BDC?

[Todd4State]

I agree with Engie- just because UM and LSU prioritize seats a certain way, doesn't mean we have to do it like them.

There is a way to give priority to both big boosters AND long-time baseball supporters- it'll just take some outside the box thinking. Just because nobody has done it yet, doesn't mean that it's impossible.

We can do this. And I honestly think the end result will be a happier fan base. I wouldn't be surprised if the lifetime license people see the new stadium with their new seats and then feel silly about being in such an uproar over this.

Just like some of our fans were in an uproar over Cohen getting picked over Raffo. I sure hope they feel silly now about that.

[messageboardsuperhero]

What problems and what issues- The very ones we are talking about right now. The personal seat licenses complicate things VERY much. It has also created a faction of our fan base than because they have a "too good to be true" deal to have fear about progressing our program and as a result some are very vocal about not wanting things that would actually help out program. They are the primary ones leading the "a new grandstand would be a waste of money" charge. Even though a new stadium would not only help attendance- it would also help recruiting, and it would make things more comfortable and better for everyone in the long run. Most of the time, if you talk about building a new stadium people get excited. Instead we have some people wanting to keep a hinderance because they will lose their license and have to pay more money and lose their prestige.

It was a very shortsighted idea. It may have "worked" for 25 years- and I would say that is debatable given the issues it has caused- but 25 years is a short time span given the fact that our baseball program is going to be around a LOT longer than that. If it "worked"- why are there massive amounts of empty grandstand seats for every game? Seats that average Joe fan can't sit in until the 5th inning for conference games. We need to do things as a program to continue to make and develop fans for the future- that to me means kids and college kids. THAT is the future of MSU baseball. Dumping those people in crappy bleachers or having a game day experience that is bad to the point where their parents don't even bother to show up in the first place is NOT how you invest in the future of MSU baseball. You may not realize it, but just three years ago we had LOST 10 years of high caliber baseball meaning that the kids and young adults in that age group probably consider Ole Miss and USM close to or as equal programs based on on the field results and game day atmosphere. The reason we almost lost it was because the University decided to remain status quo and try to keep things the same, and you can not do that in baseball. Things change constantly and you have to be on top of that. You have to constantly be thinking about the future on the field and also about the future of the product off the field as well. The fact of the matter is NO ONE in any sport anywhere does seating licenses. If it was such a great idea, people would be copying it. There's a reason why they just sell season tickets and be done with it.

How will this help with moving asses into seats? You have a good product on the field. CHECK. You have a facility that is accessible with conveniences that are nice, clean, and comfortable. We're working on it. And then you allow people to have access to reasonably good seats. Taking the bleachers out and giving those people a chairback seat is a start (based on stadium design). I think the honor system would work out fine- the University just needs to communicate it before the season starts and then everyone just needs to act like civil human beings which shouldn't be too much to ask for since we are the Hospitality State and most of us go to church on Sunday.

I'll let Scott decide what the BDC fee should be. Whatever it is, there should be something charged. You don't get 50 yard line seats at Scott Field without having to pay a good bit to the BDC, why should people not have to pay something reasonable to sit behind home plate or the dugout to the BDC?

Agreed.

Unfortunately there is a very vocal portion of our fanbase who is more concerned about themselves than the advancement of the program and what's better for Mississippi State baseball. If we don't stay ahead of the curve, we will get left in the dust- it almost happened just a few years ago.

[berr6728]

engie you don't have to sit in bleachers in mid week games. all seats are available unless the owner shows up, then all you have to do is find another one.

Darryl Berryhill
Class of 1963/65
Box 13 DNF/PDS
berr6728@bellsouth.net
1-225-205-1499

[trob115]

^^^This. Someone make it happen. I (and I'm sure others) would make alot more 2 1/2 hr.- one way daytrips for games if I knew there was a good chance to pay for a chairback!

TAMU has a great exchange for tickets for all sports baseball included.... You just click purchase the ticket on the site and print either ticket or show them the bar-code on your smartphone for entry. I don't understand why we haven't implemented it already.

[Todd4State]

engie you don't have to sit in bleachers in mid week games. all seats are available unless the owner shows up, then all you have to do is find another one.

Darryl Berryhill
Class of 1963/65
Box 13 DNF/PDS
berr6728@bellsouth.net
1-225-205-1499

The University needs to publicize this. This is the second time in this thread I have heard this. However, I went to 6-7 games last year not including the regionals and I didn't know about it. Plus, we still continue to have the great migration. And there are still security people checking tickets, and maybe they are doing it because they are bored, but it gives the impression that you can't go into the grandstand unless you have a ticket.

I'll try it this season and see what happens. I'm sure slick will bail me out of jail if they haul me off.**

[Coach34]

TAMU has a great exchange for tickets for all sports baseball included.... You just click purchase the ticket on the site and print either ticket or show them the bar-code on your smartphone for entry. I don't understand why we haven't implemented it already.

We need to continue to hammer away on this...we can get this done now and not have to wait for a new stadium

[Tbonewannabe]

engie you don't have to sit in bleachers in mid week games. all seats are available unless the owner shows up, then all you have to do is find another one.

Darryl Berryhill
Class of 1963/65
Box 13 DNF/PDS
berr6728@bellsouth.net
1-225-205-1499

So on the weekends when I can drive up from Jackson I still probably will be stuck in the shitastic bleachers. It is still a gamble for me to drive 2 hours and then not sit in the chairbacks.

[engie]

engie you don't have to sit in bleachers in mid week games. all seats are available unless the owner shows up, then all you have to do is find another one.

It is my understanding that this is only true for students -- and only began 2 years ago. Like Todd said -- they've basically alienated a decade of potentially big MSU fans already with the "migration" policy. It certainly wasn't true for me when I was there as a student during PolkII -- when I last had to sit in the bleachers for 5 innings before being allowed into the grandstands in 05-07.

To be clear, I either sit skyboxes or lounges now. I've been blessed enough to make connections with people to enjoy Dudy Noble to the fullest extent possible every single time I go. So I'm not battling for "me" here -- I'm battling for the people that are in the position that I once was. I COMPLETELY understand how those people have been permanently or semi-permanently alienated from MSU baseball. The same was almost true for me at one time -- and I grew up a HUGE baseball fan and a huge MSU fan. We've whiffed on the "fringe" fans for a long time now -- and it's something that we have to fix -- and needed to fix a long time ago. We've GOT to grab those fans if we are going to continue being the Jones's in a sport that we've been at/very near the top for most of our lifetimes.

I just wish everyone would take a step back and look at this in the way that I am -- for the overall betterment of MSU -- and the preservation of a tradition of excellence for another generation -- instead of getting caught up in how it effects their personal "bubble" @ Dudy Noble and thus becoming part of the problem with the coming changes rather than part of the solution.

I've never been more excited about the future of MSU baseball personally...

[messageboardsuperhero]

It is my understanding that this is only true for students -- and only began 2 years ago. Like Todd said -- they've basically alienated a decade of potentially big MSU fans already with the "migration" policy. It certainly wasn't true for me when I was there as a student during PolkII -- when I last had to sit in the bleachers for 5 innings before being allowed into the grandstands in 05-07.

To be clear, I either sit skyboxes or lounges now. I've been blessed enough to make connections with people to enjoy Dudy Noble to the fullest extent possible every single time I go. So I'm not battling for "me" here -- I'm battling for the people that are in the position that I once was. I COMPLETELY understand how those people have been permanently or semi-permanently alienated from MSU baseball. The same was almost true for me at one time -- and I grew up a HUGE baseball fan and a huge MSU fan. We've whiffed on the "fringe" fans for a long time now -- and it's something that we have to fix -- and needed to fix a long time ago. We've GOT to grab those fans if we are going to continue being the Jones's in a sport that we've been at/very near the top for most of our lifetimes.

I'm in a similar position. I have access to grandstand tickets, but I did have to sit in the bleachers several times while I was a student- it's not fun and it's not something that can be fixed by just extending the grandstand.

Every year that we keep the status quo with the grandstand is another year that we lose the ability to gain new fans.

I just wish everyone would take a step back and look at this in the way that I am -- for the overall betterment of MSU -- and the preservation of a tradition of excellence for another generation -- instead of getting caught up in how it effects their personal "bubble" @ Dudy Noble and thus becoming part of the problem with the coming changes rather than part of the solution.

I've never been more excited about the future of MSU baseball personally...

Yep.

[Coach34]

I tweeted Strick and got this response:

@stricklinMSU
@Elitedawg34 Seat upgrade component of Maroon Memories (http://HailState.com/memories ) should help with that


That was his response to a ticket exchange

[jgunn]

Hey guys, I'm new to the site, haven't made any post...just really enjoy all the info. This may not be the best place to ask this, but it does go along with the thread somewhat... Going to be making my first trip for a baseball game this year with my family. We're coming for the tournament with Michigan State and I forget who else. I've been curious about what kind of seating I can expect. I've heard about the bleachers being bad. I'm not clear on how the chairbacks work. Will we be able to purchase a seat there, or maybe just move after the game has started if no one is sitting there?

[messageboardsuperhero]

Hey guys, I'm new to the site, haven't made any post...just really enjoy all the info. This may not be the best place to ask this, but it does go along with the thread somewhat... Going to be making my first trip for a baseball game this year with my family. We're coming for the tournament with Michigan State and I forget who else. I've been curious about what kind of seating I can expect. I've heard about the bleachers being bad. I'm not clear on how the chairbacks work. Will we be able to purchase a seat there, or maybe just move after the game has started if no one is sitting there?

You'll more than likely only be able to buy general admission tickets for the bleachers. If that is the case, you'll want to make your way to the chairbacks ASAP- now whether that is at the beginning of the game or in the fifth inning, I'm not sure but there should be plenty of seats available. You might also want to check out the ticket exchange link that C34 just posted. When you get to the chairbacks, your family will have a good time.

Attracting new fans like you without forcing them to jump through hoops to get a seat is a big reason why we're probably about to build a new stadium.

[Todd4State]

Hey guys, I'm new to the site, haven't made any post...just really enjoy all the info. This may not be the best place to ask this, but it does go along with the thread somewhat... Going to be making my first trip for a baseball game this year with my family. We're coming for the tournament with Michigan State and I forget who else. I've been curious about what kind of seating I can expect. I've heard about the bleachers being bad. I'm not clear on how the chairbacks work. Will we be able to purchase a seat there, or maybe just move after the game has started if no one is sitting there?

Along with messageboardsuperhero said- I would ask and see if they will let you sit in the grandstand with a GA ticket since it's a non-SEC opponent.

If they say no- you will have to sit in the bleachers for a few innings and then you can move.