🏈 A-Day '17: UA offers premium seats and suites-- AD Greg Byrne previews activities (video)

[TerryP]

• Reserved Seats in the Shade - $10
• North Field Suites (Tunnel View w/ Food) - $40
• South Field Suites (Includes Food & Drink) - $30
• North Zone Club (Includes Food & Drink) - $40
• South Zone Club (Includes Food & Drink) - $40

And more at the jump ...

Experience

 

[It Takes Eleven]

I don't like it. I've seen so many people at A-Day who, by the way they are taking photos and taking in the stadium, appear to not be able to attend games for whatever reasons (large families, general cost, I'd just be speculating the reasons). Regardless, it's a free event for them. I'd rather the guy bringing his wife, young kids, elderly relatives and such not have to go through a $10 a head reservation expense to not bake in the sun. Coming early shows the commitment. This incremental push (after admin expenses and such) in net revenues, I think, isn't worth the loss of goodwill swinging open the gates, equally, for all.

I'd rather Bama hit up a large corporation 250 grand or so and just sponsor the A-Day game. I know other teams have charged for spring games, but this doesn't seem the best course.

RTR,

Tim

 

[TerryP]

I'd rather Bama hit up a large corporation 250 grand or so and just sponsor the A-Day game.

I'm thinking this may be a move by Learfield that Battle gave the stamp of approval. I ran a little google search to see if Learfield handles Ohio State. They are doing the "Experience" thing as well this spring.

Create lifelong fans | Experience technology

 

[BAMAneck]

I agree with eleven, this could be the eventual start of charging admission. Greed would surely hurt attendance.

My wife and I have attended A-Day since '07 ... Granted we haven't been the last couple of years due to having a child in college, but we enjoyed being able to get a nicer room and spend a little more money in town shopping .

I know it would probably only be a few dollars but it's the principle of it . I mean we as fans is what made A-Day an actual event . Until coach Saban was hired there was never such interest . So they should make sure to nurture it and enhance ONLY .

 

[OldPlayer]

I don't think it's the first step to charging admission. The "pay seats" are all in the endzone. It gives people a chance to have a different experience. If A Day required everyone to pay, it would be the biggest PR disaster. I have faith that the new AD will listen to Saban and keep A Day free.

 

[It Takes Eleven]

I don't think it's the first step to charging admission. The "pay seats" are all in the endzone. It gives people a chance to have a different experience. If A Day required everyone to pay, it would be the biggest PR disaster. I have faith that the new AD will listen to Saban and keep A Day free.

The "shade" seats appear to be in half of the lower bowl. Please correct me if I'm wrong. I'll tell you, I get a little choked up watching folks go in the stadium for the first time. I've attended a few hundred games, but watching the spring folks stop at the rim, literally take a breath and take it in, and start posing for family photos is enough for me. I have no dog in this fight, but if The University wants to continue to endear IN STATE people, salt of the earth folks whose kid might be the first to attend college, there is no better start than A-Day. I'll admit I'm wearing my life experience, as a red dirt redneck, on my sleeve. There is a benefit to this experience you can't cash flow.

RTR,

Tim

 

[OldPlayer]

The "shade" seats appear to be in half of the lower bowl. Please correct me if I'm wrong. I'll tell you, I get a little choked up watching folks go in the stadium for the first time. I've attended a few hundred games, but watching the spring folks stop at the rim, literally take a breath and take it in, and start posing for family photos is enough for me. I have no dog in this fight, but if The University wants to continue to endear IN STATE people, salt of the earth folks whose kid might be the first to attend college, there is no better start than A-Day. I'll admit I'm wearing my life experience, as a red dirt redneck, on my sleeve. There is a benefit to this experience you can't cash flow.

RTR,

Tim

At 2 p.m. the only shade comes from the pressbox. I also enjoy watching the fan who can't find or afford regular season tickets. That's what I like about the enhanced experience options. Think about the father or grandfather or even the grandkid who wants to give the experience of being in the tunnel to the son/grandkid/father/grandfather who wouldn't normally get the chance to see it. $40 is cheap for an experience of a lifetime.

 

[TerryP]

The "shade" seats appear to be in half of the lower bowl. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

How many seats are we actually talking about here, Tim? A quick google search for images to refresh my memory ... this pic looks to me like it's from U2-A and I'm guessing there's less than 1000 seats there. Add the other side, call it 2000. Add the seats underneath here and we're at what ...

I'm just assuming here but, to me, taking 5000 or so seats and putting a dollar figure on them while leaving the East and over half of the West still free ... doesn't seem like that big of a deal to me. With the suites and shade...maybe 25% of the stadium? Maybe.

 

[TerryP]

Okay, now that I'm looking at this pic again I'm starting to think it's looking at the N end zone. Geez.

 

[RTB X Bot]

 

[rammerjammer]

Great posts Tim....I agree 10000000000%

On a side note, I have heard CNS along with players talking about how awesome it is for this to feel like an "actual" game with all the fans there. Also CNS likes it from a recruiting aspect (surprise). I remember when Dre Kirkpatrick was a senior in high school, he game to A-day (already committed) and was all in the stands taking pics and meeting folks. You could tell he loved the attention and the fact that he felt like a super star already. Plus you get to mingle with the likes of Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson, Derrick Henry, etc....... on the sidelines. That has to be cool as a high school kid being recruited/committed to come in and meet NFL players along with current possible team mates.

Keep it free and you continue to have a stadium full of folks.

 

[Max]

Great posts Tim....I agree 10000000000%

The issue I see with Tim's post is there's nothing he's mentioned people are losing with a few exceptions: shade and being in the suites.

 

[rammerjammer]

What I'm talking about is the whole experience of people being able to take families to the game that otherwise wouldn't. When we are talking about folks driving in to make a "day" of it. How many folks know how to get the information from the horses mouth? ie.....I have been told that they charge money for people to come to the game as opposed they charge for premium seats. It can be a situation where trying to find out if they charge or don't charge can be too much of a hassle to find out, as foolish as it may seem.

It was all about the experience aspect. To see folks getting to enjoy being at a "game" for the first time is always a beautiful thing.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

Greed....its all about....more-more-more.....i love Bama....but i sure dont like some of the things they are greedy about...2 tickets this year..920....tp 580...thars 1500....4 good conference games....and 3 garbage games...
My tickets are good and i like them and arent giving them up...but......
Keep ADAY free...get more former players back signing autographs....free....have more games for kids...have east side fans wear white and pull for white...west side red and same....cheer the color...have fun...

 

[TUSKtimes]

Coach Saban thinks the A-day game set up is giving back to the fans for the unconditional support his football program receives. I doubt that ever changes during his tenure as HC. Other than ticket prices, getting your family to Tuscaloosa still is an expense and takes as much planning and effort as the regular season. It may be Alabama, but it's only a glorified practice at the end of the day. Some incentives beyond the color Crimson will be needed if we keep having the same interest shown.

 

[It Takes Eleven]

Okay, now that I'm looking at this pic again I'm starting to think it's looking at the N end zone. Geez.

Like I said, I may be misinterpreting what they consider shaded seats, but at that time of the day a good portion of the lower bowl would be in the shade for much of the game, not just those seats immediately under a ledge.

RTR,

Tim

 

[BamaFan334]

The "shade" seats appear to be in half of the lower bowl. Please correct me if I'm wrong. I'll tell you, I get a little choked up watching folks go in the stadium for the first time. I've attended a few hundred games, but watching the spring folks stop at the rim, literally take a breath and take it in, and start posing for family photos is enough for me. I have no dog in this fight, but if The University wants to continue to endear IN STATE people, salt of the earth folks whose kid might be the first to attend college, there is no better start than A-Day. I'll admit I'm wearing my life experience, as a red dirt redneck, on my sleeve. There is a benefit to this experience you can't cash flow.

RTR,

Tim

I happen to agree with you 1000%. It comes across as a money grab by the University. The money they make wouldn't even pay for a meal plan for one guy, so I don't understand the decision. I don't have a problem with the locker room deal, paying to sit in the press box, or even on the sideline, but selling seats to the stadium is not a great move. It should be an opportunity to sit anywhere you want, not continue to show privilege to those that can afford to pay. They are essentially excluding so many for $10. I have personally spoken to many young kids at these games that talked about playing for Alabama when they get older and just how great it is being in the stadium, knowing good and well their parents could never afford to get them in a game, same goes for the Championship parades I have been to and seen some folks there. It should be a time for that group of the community to come out and support their school with everyone else that is maybe fortunate enough to get into a game. Some have said "well how many seats are we really talking here", that's the not the point. The point is that is comes across as a power grab by the athletic department to turn this into a profitable event, instead of just having a good free day at the stadium and being inclusive of the fans and community that support them through the thick and the thin. And in the end, we're talking about a practice where the star athletes are still taking precautionary measures to make sure they don't get hurt, no hitting on special teams, not even a full playbook, no hitting of quarterbacks, and things of that nature, so charging for extras just seems Busch league to me.

 

[TerryP]

Like I said, I may be misinterpreting what they consider shaded seats, but at that time of the day a good portion of the lower bowl would be in the shade for much of the game, not just those seats immediately under a ledge.

RTR,

Tim

So far all I've been able to find out is what is in that tweet.

It's my opinion it is a colossal screw up. At least my UI has been. I've looked at this a few times on my laptop and didn't get anywhere. You've got to use your phone to 'experience' the "Experience" app. I'll attach a screen shot of their advertisement for the shaded area. This may, or may not, give a rough idea.

A few of the things have sold out.

ALSO: This isn't just limited to A-day. A quick glance around their site and I see opportunities for other spring sports (IE: field pass, Bama baseball.)

 

[TerryP]

 

[TerryP]