Men's Basketball Reseating

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#26      
Illini2010-11
IndyIllini2 said:
Parking was already part of the price for season tickets to begin with. My biggest issue is that nobody seems to know how for sure any of this works, even the box office. When i asked questions, with several different reps, I either got an unsure answer or was treated like I was stupid for not understanding. And again, where does the donation go? Maybe this makes me sound bad, but I would only make a donation based on knowing that it goes to the sports I watch and care about. They can't and won't tell me that information,
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1) Parking was not part of the price for season tickets. Even this year, you had to donate at least at the Captains level to get free parking. If you were not in the Captains Club or above, you had to purchase parking separate at a cost.

2) If you are a season ticket holder, I strongly suggest that you contact your account manager directly instead of the general box office number if you have questions related to reseating. My account manager has been helpful every step along the way. The official website is also very clear as to how the reseating works. https://jointheifund.com/illini-era/

3) The IFund is a generic funding arm of the DIA.

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4) If you really hate the idea of sending a donation to to the IFund because it does not directly go in buckets you care about, then simply select seating that does not require a donation. Simple as that.
 
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#27      
Illini2010-11
RandyfromTuscola said:
I don't think this guarentees you get to pick your lot though, it's just that you'll get a spot in one of the lots based on priority. For example, NW lot tends to be the most limited for general parking because that is where all the reserved spots are. They also have non-reserved spots in there, but they'll do parking based on priority and the request you put in during the parking distribution. You're almost guarenteed to be in the E14 lot (the large lot across the street) if you donate $500, but getting into the NE, SW or SE is still based on priority points
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Correct. They will send out a survey link in a couple months (they do the same with football). You select your preference priority for parking lots, and then they will assign based off of what is available based on your level and priority points within that level.

The original poster asked if you get parking if you donate $500 with your season tickets, and the answer is yes, you get guaranteed free parking for both football and basketball (as long as you have a season ticket package).
 
#28      
IndyIllini2
Illini2010-11 said:
1) Parking was not part of the price for season tickets. Even this year, you had to donate at least at the Captains level to get free parking. If you were not in the Captains Club or above, you had to purchase parking separate at a cost.

2) If you are a season ticket holder, I strongly suggest that you contact your account manager directly instead of the general box office number if you have questions related to reseating. My account manager has been helpful every step along the way. The official website is also very clear as to how the reseating works. https://jointheifund.com/illini-era/

3) The IFund is a generic funding arm of the DIA.

View attachment 42317

4) If you really hate the idea of sending a donation to to the IFund because it does not directly go in buckets you care about, then simply select seating that does not require a donation. Simple as that.
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So because I don't want to make a donation to a general fund, I should only be able to sit on the baseline at the top of the arena? You are kinda making my point here. I get that there alot of large donors that get preferential treatment, but treating everyday fans in the same manner is ridiculous. I have no problem spending the money on tickets, but these donation guidelines turn it into a popularity contest of sorts.
 
#29      
Konnie
Illini2010-11 said:
Thanks for putting together. It is worth noting that the ticket prices from 23-24 season (Elite 8 team) to 24-25 season remained unchanged (at least they did not for my baseline tickets). Do you have any insights on how the priority seating cost (required IFund donation) changed for lower level seating? If that declined, then the percentage increase in ticket costs is actually lower than the 20% price increase shown here.
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I have no information about the past IFUND requirement for various seats in the SFC. All I know is my current seats will cost 2/3 of what they did in the past.
 
#30      
grue2
Illini2010-11 said:
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4) If you really hate the idea of sending a donation to to the IFund because it does not directly go in buckets you care about, then simply select seating that does not require a donation. Simple as that.
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Flippant answers on this subject are not going to make friends or sell seats. There is an implicit statement when people are looking at seats that they want at least a mediocre seat. By the time you get to no donation seats, you are either in nosebleed 45 degrees off the endline, or in the upper tier endline. I want to see the game, so I'll stay home and watch on TV before sitting there.

I also find the "ticket prices have not gone up" claim disingenuous. It is like Ticketmaster adding an additional $50/ticket processing fees and then claiming ticket prices have not increased. Looking at the chart above, I don't see a seat I'd want that requires less than a $500 donation. Those $600 seats are now $1100-1400. The extra membership benefits, e.g. parking, are of zero value to some of us. They come across as Comcast style forced bundling.

Note that none of this is saying that ticket prices should not rise with demand. If there is enough demand for the lower bowl seats to sell for $4900, then advertise them for $4900 w/free parking, not $900 with $4000 in hidden fees.
 
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#31      
Illini2010-11
grue2 said:
Flippant answers on this subject are not going to make friends or sell seats. There is an implicit statement when people are looking at seats that they want at least a mediocre seat. By the time you get to no donation seats, you are either in nosebleed 45 degrees off the endline, or in the upper tier endline. I want to see the game, so I'll stay home and watch on TV before sitting there.

I also find the "ticket prices have not gone up" claim disingenuous. It is like Ticketmaster adding an additional $50/ticket processing fees and then claiming ticket prices have not increased. Looking at the chart above, I don't see a seat I'd want that requires less than a $500 donation. Those $600 seats are now $1100-1400. The extra membership benefits, e.g. parking, are of zero value to some of us. They come across as Comcast style forced bundling.

Note that none of this is saying that ticket prices should not rise with demand. If there is enough demand for the lower bowl seats to sell for $4900, then advertise them for $4900 w/free parking, not $900 with $4000 in hidden fees.
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There are plenty of very good seats in areas that do not require donations (or relatively small donations). I had aisle seats in row 3 that were listed as baseline, not requiring a donation. It appears that the "premier" seats now have higher requirements to buy. I personally think those prices are highly inflated with the new requirements, so I will not be purchasing there. As a consumer you have the right to pass on that arrangement as well if you see no seats that are worth the price.

This is not hidden fees though. It is well above board to those that are making the purchase. It is a mechanism to increase funding to the student athlete funds. Most companies have hidden fees that get added on at the checkout stage of the purchase, and those hidden fees go to help the bottom line. That is not what is taking place here.
 
#32      
RandyfromTuscola
The other thing to keep in mind is that this first year is more of a money grab because they are re-seating basically everyone and they want you to donate as much money as possible because of the uncertainty of what seats you will get. Starting next year, you can keep your tickets and only have to donate the lowest IFund amount based on your ticket price requirement. So while it's still a price hike and it would be nice to just have a "here's what a single ticket costs", some people will be donating more money this year to guarantee the seats they want and then back down their total IFund amount to the minimum in that category for year 2 and beyond.
 
#33      
grue2
Illini2010-11 said:
There are plenty of very good seats in areas that do not require donations (or relatively small donations). I had aisle seats in row 3 that were listed as baseline, not requiring a donation. It appears that the "premier" seats now have higher requirements to buy. I personally think those prices are highly inflated with the new requirements, so I will not be purchasing there. As a consumer you have the right to pass on that arrangement as well if you see no seats that are worth the price.

This is not hidden fees though. It is well above board to those that are making the purchase. It is a mechanism to increase funding to the student athlete funds. Most companies have hidden fees that get added on at the checkout stage of the purchase, and those hidden fees go to help the bottom line. That is not what is taking place here.
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There were. The only ones I see now are either in nosebleed 45 degrees off the endline, or in the upper tier endline. I would not consider any of these mediocre seats, nevermind good seats. Am I missing some?
 
#34      
grue2
RandyfromTuscola said:
The other thing to keep in mind is that this first year is more of a money grab because they are re-seating basically everyone and they want you to donate as much money as possible because of the uncertainty of what seats you will get. Starting next year, you can keep your tickets and only have to donate the lowest IFund amount based on your ticket price requirement. So while it's still a price hike and it would be nice to just have a "here's what a single ticket costs", some people will be donating more money this year to guarantee the seats they want and then back down their total IFund amount to the minimum in that category for year 2 and beyond.
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And if it works, I expect reseatings to start occurring every few years.
 
#37      
illinoisgrad1990
I’m going to miss the mobile pass option, it was perfect for me… the cheapest fixed seat season tickets are $160 more than last year’s mobile pass price but I figure over a 20 game season that’s just $8 more per game for similar seats. I get more than enough enjoyment out of being there in person that I’m not going to sweat it.
 
#38      
blackdog
illinoisgrad1990 said:
I’m going to miss the mobile pass option, it was perfect for me… the cheapest fixed seat season tickets are $160 more than last year’s mobile pass price but I figure over a 20 game season that’s just $8 more per game for similar seats. I get more than enough enjoyment out of being there in person that I’m not going to sweat it.
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Yea the value per seat per game is still absolutely unbeatable. The mobile pass was around $17 per game which is insane value for a high level basketball game. I'm also ok with paying a little more if I have to.
 
#39      
Illini IndyCar Fan
grue2 said:
There were. The only ones I see now are either in nosebleed 45 degrees off the endline, or in the upper tier endline. I would not consider any of these mediocre seats, nevermind good seats. Am I missing some?
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Your seat ratings seem off if prime spots aren't even 'mediocre.' Most Illini fans know the value of season tickets, and if you're not willing to make a small donation for the seats you want - others will. My own 'lesser' seats are a steal with my $250 Captains donation being easily covered by the free parking perk at both basketball and football games.

Seems like your issue isn't actually with Illini Era; it's that you're just not willing to pay the market rate for premium access. Those seats will be filled regardless if it's you cutting or check for them or someone else doing it. Maybe you can come join me in some of the awful seats and realize how wrong you are about them......
 
#41      
Illini IndyCar Fan
kyillinifan said:
I park at the bank on Neil Street. $20 an d no problem in or out. It goes to the high school’s band. A good donation.
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That's cool. Parking there for 17 home games at $20/per is a $340 donation over the course of a season, so that can definitely help out the high school band. Do they do that for football games too?
 
#42      
grue2
Illini IndyCar Fan said:
Your seat ratings seem off if prime spots aren't even 'mediocre.' Most Illini fans know the value of season tickets, and if you're not willing to make a small donation for the seats you want - others will. My own 'lesser' seats are a steal with my $250 Captains donation being easily covered by the free parking perk at both basketball and football games.
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Are we talking about the same seats? The nosebleed 45 degrees off the endline, or in the upper tier endline. Are you claiming that the worst seats in the house should still be considered "prime" because it is IL basketball? If not, please clarify.

IMO the view from the upper tier near or on the endline is poor. I would not use those tickets if they were free. For me, its all about seeing the game; I've never been one to care about the crowd atmosphere. The lower tier endline seats that are not obstructed by the backboard are okay for the 1/2 of the game played on that end of the court. I like to see the whole game.

Illini IndyCar Fan said:
Seems like your issue isn't actually with Illini Era; it's that you're just not willing to pay the market rate for premium access. Those seats will be filled regardless if it's you cutting or check for them or someone else doing it. Maybe you can come join me in some of the awful seats and realize how wrong you are about them......
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My problem is firmly with the ERA method. Tell me the price of a seat, whatever that is, and let me decide. Affording the tickets isn't an issue.

The ERA method is designed to extract more than market value in at least three ways:

1) The ERA method is a blind bid once auction. Those auctions heavily favors the seller by forcing people to overbid or risk being left out. It's psychological. The winning prices are routinely above market value. (Ask your favorite AI about auction types and results.)

2) The ERA method is an everyone pays, even if you lose the bid auction. If you bid $500, but end up in a $250 donation seat because more people bid $501 than there are seats in that price range, you just threw away the $250.

3) The ERA method is forced bundling. You need to pay for both the "right to buy" and the perks, e.g. parking, together. If you value the perks, you probably don't care. All the perks combined, including parking, are worth $0 to me. My ticket price was unecessarily inflated by the price of the perks.

Sorry, no tickets, or donations from me, this year, or any year the ERA method is in place. I will watch on TV.
 
#43      
blackdog
grue2 said:
Are we talking about the same seats? The nosebleed 45 degrees off the endline, or in the upper tier endline. Are you claiming that the worst seats in the house should still be considered "prime" because it is IL basketball? If not, please clarify.

IMO the view from the upper tier near or on the endline is poor. I would not use those tickets if they were free. For me, its all about seeing the game; I've never been one to care about the crowd atmosphere. The lower tier endline seats that are not obstructed by the backboard are okay for the 1/2 of the game played on that end of the court. I like to see the whole game.



My problem is firmly with the ERA method. Tell me the price of a seat, whatever that is, and let me decide. Affording the tickets isn't an issue.

The ERA method is designed to extract more than market value in at least three ways:

1) The ERA method is a blind bid once auction. Those auctions heavily favors the seller by forcing people to overbid or risk being left out. It's psychological. The winning prices are routinely above market value. (Ask your favorite AI about auction types and results.)

2) The ERA method is an everyone pays, even if you lose the bid auction. If you bid $500, but end up in a $250 donation seat because more people bid $501 than there are seats in that price range, you just threw away the $250.

3) The ERA method is forced bundling. You need to pay for both the "right to buy" and the perks, e.g. parking, together. If you value the perks, you probably don't care. All the perks combined, including parking, are worth $0 to me. My ticket price was unecessarily inflated by the price of the perks.

Sorry, no tickets, or donations from me, this year, or any year the ERA method is in place. I will watch on TV.
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If money is no issue it sounds like you're willing to die on this hill just on principle and if that's the case then have fun at home. If all you care about is viewing experience it's probably a better choice anyway and you can let someone who cares about atmosphere have those seats.
 
#44      
Konnie
grue2 said:
Are we talking about the same seats? The nosebleed 45 degrees off the endline, or in the upper tier endline. Are you claiming that the worst seats in the house should still be considered "prime" because it is IL basketball? If not, please clarify.

IMO the view from the upper tier near or on the endline is poor. I would not use those tickets if they were free. For me, its all about seeing the game; I've never been one to care about the crowd atmosphere. The lower tier endline seats that are not obstructed by the backboard are okay for the 1/2 of the game played on that end of the court. I like to see the whole game.



My problem is firmly with the ERA method. Tell me the price of a seat, whatever that is, and let me decide. Affording the tickets isn't an issue.

The ERA method is designed to extract more than market value in at least three ways:

1) The ERA method is a blind bid once auction. Those auctions heavily favors the seller by forcing people to overbid or risk being left out. It's psychological. The winning prices are routinely above market value. (Ask your favorite AI about auction types and results.)

2) The ERA method is an everyone pays, even if you lose the bid auction. If you bid $500, but end up in a $250 donation seat because more people bid $501 than there are seats in that price range, you just threw away the $250.

3) The ERA method is forced bundling. You need to pay for both the "right to buy" and the perks, e.g. parking, together. If you value the perks, you probably don't care. All the perks combined, including parking, are worth $0 to me. My ticket price was unecessarily inflated by the price of the perks.

Sorry, no tickets, or donations from me, this year, or any year the ERA method is in place. I will watch on TV.
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Since you do not like the ERA process for season tickets, you can always purchase single-game tickets for games you want to see when they go on sale. A single game ticket’s cost and location are very straightforward and have no extras other than a seat in the SFC
 
#45      
Illini IndyCar Fan
grue2 said:
Are we talking about the same seats? The nosebleed 45 degrees off the endline, or in the upper tier endline. Are you claiming that the worst seats in the house should still be considered "prime" because it is IL basketball? If not, please clarify.

IMO the view from the upper tier near or on the endline is poor. I would not use those tickets if they were free. For me, its all about seeing the game; I've never been one to care about the crowd atmosphere. The lower tier endline seats that are not obstructed by the backboard are okay for the 1/2 of the game played on that end of the court. I like to see the whole game.



My problem is firmly with the ERA method. Tell me the price of a seat, whatever that is, and let me decide. Affording the tickets isn't an issue.

The ERA method is designed to extract more than market value in at least three ways:

1) The ERA method is a blind bid once auction. Those auctions heavily favors the seller by forcing people to overbid or risk being left out. It's psychological. The winning prices are routinely above market value. (Ask your favorite AI about auction types and results.)

2) The ERA method is an everyone pays, even if you lose the bid auction. If you bid $500, but end up in a $250 donation seat because more people bid $501 than there are seats in that price range, you just threw away the $250.

3) The ERA method is forced bundling. You need to pay for both the "right to buy" and the perks, e.g. parking, together. If you value the perks, you probably don't care. All the perks combined, including parking, are worth $0 to me. My ticket price was unecessarily inflated by the price of the perks.

Sorry, no tickets, or donations from me, this year, or any year the ERA method is in place. I will watch on TV.
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My biggest takeaway from ... all of that ... is that it sounds like you watching all the games from home is the best result for both you, the UI athletics department, and the lucky Illini fan who will get to sit in a seat you otherwise would have wasted at SFC.

I'll continue to sit in my 'poor' seat that's below your standards and root on the Illini. Oskee wow-wow!
 
#47      
Todd99
grue2 said:
My problem is firmly with the ERA method. Tell me the price of a seat, whatever that is, and let me decide. Affording the tickets isn't an issue.
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I’ll say first that my comments are regarding the ERA program in general. I don’t have basketball season tickets, only football.

1) The ERA method is a blind bid once auction. Those auctions heavily favors the seller by forcing people to overbid or risk being left out. It's psychological. The winning prices are routinely above market value. (Ask your favorite AI about auction types and results.)
I agree. Unfortunately, it feels like I was bidding against myself and I still lost. See #2.

2) The ERA method is an everyone pays, even if you lose the bid auction. If you bid $500, but end up in a $250 donation seat because more people bid $501 than there are seats in that price range, you just threw away the $250.
Agreed. Before the football reseat I had seats that didn’t require a donation. However I have been an Ifund donor for years and actually doubled my donation this year and still did not get my seats. When my turn came up, since I already paid the Ifund, I chose seats in a different section (i.e. cost more money per seat). So, in the end, I increased my donation level and I paid more for seats.

3) The ERA method is forced bundling. You need to pay for both the "right to buy" and the perks, e.g. parking, together. If you value the perks, you probably don't care. All the perks combined, including parking, are worth $0 to me. My ticket price was unecessarily inflated by the price of the perks.
People always say that for a $250 Ifund donation you get free parking. Parking for football games is $25 on game day. For seven home games, that’s $175. The perks are, you always park in the same place and you’re going to park closer to the stadium than buying on game day. Whether or not that is worth the additional $75 is debatable but it’s not “free parking”.

Now, the counterpoint to this is always same couple things:
  • The DIA can set the prices however they want and if you want to pay their price, fine. If not, that’s up to you.
  • The athletics program is seeing increased success and popularity which drives demand for tickets.
  • Ticket prices (particularly for football) are considerably less than most if not all other B1G schools.
And these points really can’t be argued, they are true. I chose to go along (and pay more) because I like going Illini football games on Saturday. That being said, I think the ERA program was largely a way to increase revenue without actually “raising prices”. It may have been necessary for various reasons, but I think overall it was poorly marketed and poorly communicated. But in the end, it was my choice, even if I didn't agree or like it.
 
#50      
grue2
If you like the experience from those seats, I hope that you are able to attend every game, have fun, cheer loudly, and enjoy the games. Different people having different priorities, and that is okay.
 
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