Tide Pride and new alumni options?

[BamaFan334]

I have a few questions for those that know more about Tide Pride and Alabama football tickets than I do, which is probably a majority of you. I am a recent graduate, Summer 2013, and was curious if there was a recent alumni donation or group where we can donate and get season tickets for football? I know there is a wait to get in Tide Pride, and a long one from what I have been told, so I am attempting to find alternatives, if there are any? I know Georgia, Florida State, and Georgia Tech to name a few have programs set up where new alumni can have the opportunity to support their school and program, so I wasn’t sure if Alabama had one that I just haven’t heard of yet. <o></o>
I guess it pains me to see all of these third party companies getting tickets and selling them for triple their value and lining their pockets off a school they never attended or put an ounce of energy into while obtaining a degree, and the same for individuals that are doing the same thing. I have a young family and want to raise my children on going to games, but that’s nearly impossible at $300 a ticket, per game, and that’s to see a non-SEC game. I was an Accounting and Management double major, so I completely understand supply and demand, but to me this is a little different of a situation, especially because of what has happened to the student section as of late. I don’t think it is fair to criticize them without bringing light on the injustice that’s going on with scalpers and companies that simply scout the tickets and hoarding a ton of potential seat actual new alumni could use. Now I hear it’s a $20,000 donation or more to automatically be added to the season ticket list, but I think I can speak for a majority of us that we cannot afford that directly out of school. Maybe I’m being a cry baby here and just need to suck it up, but I more or less just want to exhaust every avenue I can instead of sitting on my hands and watching the action go by. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks and Roll Tide.<o></o>

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

Yeah, there isn't much that is going to help other than money. Back years ago, a GOB connection would help, now, it's all about $$$$. It doesn't cost much to join the Alumni Foundation though, I've been a member since I graduated. I don't go to any events or anything, but the money goes towards scholarships and help The University, so I try to encourage folks to join.

 

[BamaFan334]

Yeah, Tide Pride wrote me back saying one hasn't been formed yet, but they're looking into it. An alumni group that is. They told me the waiting list is about 30,000 people long, also stating only about 50-60 drop off every year allowing the list to add a fee to the Tide Pride program. Not that it'll make a difference, but I wrote them a spirited response in regards to rewarding alumni with the opportunity over these third party brokers that get all of these tickets and build a secondary market that makes it unaffordable. They're willing to punish students for not going, but don't do jack about all these seats going unsold. Look on eBay, Craigslist, and other ticket websites that have thousands of unsold tickets minutes before a game starts, and those are seats people like us could sit in. It's so damn backwards it's unbelievable. Without students and alumni there would be no university or team to go see, yet we're the ones getting the shirt end of the stick, the ones that labored in the classroom to build the schools revenue and reputation.

 

[bama alum]

Yeah, Tide Pride wrote me back saying one hasn't been formed yet, but they're looking into it. An alumni group that is. They told me the waiting list is about 30,000 people long, also stating only about 50-60 drop off every year allowing the list to add a fee to the Tide Pride program. Not that it'll make a difference, but I wrote them a spirited response in regards to rewarding alumni with the opportunity over these third party brokers that get all of these tickets and build a secondary market that makes it unaffordable. They're willing to punish students for not going, but don't do jack about all these seats going unsold. Look on eBay, Craigslist, and other ticket websites that have thousands of unsold tickets minutes before a game starts, and those are seats people like us could sit in. It's so damn backwards it's unbelievable. Without students and alumni there would be no university or team to go see, yet we're the ones getting the shirt end of the stick, the ones that labored in the classroom to build the schools revenue and reputation.

Hear, hear!