I know NIL deals with these companies are supposed to be separate from the universities, but let's face it, they are very connected. My concern is with all this money being thrown around, will the fans end up paying for it with increased ticket prices? It's already ridiculous how much tickets cost now, but I can't see millions of dollars being handed out without some type of return for the companies. I understand there are a lot rich LSU alumni, but they got rich by making money, not giving it away! I enjoy going to a couple of games a year, but I haven't been to one in two years due to Covid. I hope I haven't seen my last LSU game in Tiger Stadium, but I have a bad feeling that ticket prices around the country are about to jump real soon. I guess the good news is I still have my 55 inch widescreen tv to watch the game, so come rain, snow or sleet, I still have a good seat from my recliner! Of course, there is still something very special about Tiger Stadium on a Saturday night that can't be replaced!
If the RV lots keep getting more and more Prevosts with 70” screens outside, covered seating, and way more awesome food, IMO, the “ticket” is to the tailgate. Before the ZSU 23/4 goes off, I understand being INSIDE vs outside, but at LSU people gonna have options!
I've never visited the RV lots, but I can see how they can be a lot of fun. My concern is that college football is ruining the game with NIL and the transfer portal and that fans are going to start turning to other things for entertainment. Going to an LSU game is supposed to be fun, but it's not a lot of fun when it costs an arm and a leg to attend.
I have to admit I had to look up metaverse, but that thing sounds incredible. Never thought about attending a game virtually, but I'm game!
102,321 seats are a lot with everyone having massive HDTV/4K screens. Add the tailgating option and I would hate to be in charge of filling Tiger Stadium for all but the biggest games. I think it will be tough to raise prices too much but logic doesn't always work these days.
IF you're talking about parking for a game? In Tuscaloosa there's a lot about a mile away, University maintained, that's $100 for a single game pass. On campus, $200.
In a sense this isn't unlike the transfer portal and scholarships: it's a zero sum game. The vast majority of these NIL deals are driven by fans who sit in corporate roles, right? In another of those unintended consequences examples ... Where did these guys spend their money five years ago? It's been through booster activities/groups and we've seen those monies go to things like the locker room improvements/amenities marketed so much recently. Now where does that money go? If you're Joe Businessman you're not going to think "I spent 100K last year in donations, now with the NIL I'm going to spend 200K." Athletic departments run year to year with expenses and revenues: there's no "endowment fund" they pull from each season. So where do you spend your money? Are you going to go the NIL route, leaving the "facility type" donations to (hopefully) someone else? There's no unlimited money fund here: like scholarships, there's a cap at some point.
You couldn't be more right about logic. College football clearly is not thinking logically for sure or we wouldn't have all this NIL and transfer portal mess on our hands. To be honest, I was in support of NIL at first because I felt players deserved a piece of the pie since they were the product on the field, but I thought there would be guidelines in place. Clearly, I was wrong. If universities start raising ticket prices, I think it will only drive more fans away from attending games, which isn't good for the game long term.
