MUScoop
MUScoop => Hangin' at the Al => Topic started by: Dr. Blackheart on October 08, 2012, 04:01:18 PM
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Saw this posted but have not seen any communication on this.
- Reseating will now be every year
- You cannot select your own seats. MU staff will select for you based on your "preferences".
- You can watch the process online, but you can only see open rows and sections, not open seats.
http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/marq/sports/blue-gold/auto_pdf/2012-13/misc_non_event/MBBReseatingFAQ.pdf
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Oh wow... /dislike
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This is a horrible policy. I can handle every year, but not choosing seats? That's ridiculous.
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This is a terrible change.
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That's utter crap. Wow, I'm seriously upset.
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Saw this posted but have not seen any communication on this.
- Reseating will now be every year
- You cannot select your own seats. MU staff will select for you based on your "preferences".
- You can watch the process online, but you can only see open rows and sections, not open seats.
http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/marq/sports/blue-gold/auto_pdf/2012-13/misc_non_event/MBBReseatingFAQ.pdf
Document claims these changes are the result of changes in the charitable status requirements. Is that true? My aunt has season tickets to Badger football games and she can pick her seats,etc. Not a conspiracy, just seems like a mighty big change.
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Document claims these changes are the result of changes in the charitable status requirements. Is that true? My aunt has season tickets to Badger football games and she can pick her seats,etc. Not a conspiracy, just seems like a mighty big change.
I've never heard of this from another University and their athletic ticket sales.
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"charitable status requirements" sure smells like a red herring effort to squeeze more money out of the fan base, but I could be totally wrong. Ticket office called me up a couple of weeks ago and moved me down from Row X to Row F in my section, so I have forfeited all rights to complain.
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Here I thought we were in the clear for drama between now and Madness. Shocked they didn't broadly announce this, shocked I tell you.
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Why such a large step backwards in this process?
The online selection worked well. Now we have to fill out a form with our preferences for some intern to decipher where our thousands of dollars 'donation' gets chosen? Is this form only being accepted via Western Union as well?
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"charitable status requirements" sure smells like a red herring effort to squeeze more money out of the fan base
Bingo.
Essentially, their development staff is not very good. So they have to go back to the well and shake down the STH's.
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Bingo.
Essentially, their development staff is not very good. So they have to go back to the well and shake down the STH's.
unnatural carnal knowledgeing Larry Williams....
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Direct complaints directly to Joe True at the Blue and Gold Fund, who handle all reseating:
[size=8](414) 288-4668
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"Season ticket holders will now provide their preferred location by section and row and be allowed to give detailed preferences within selected row."
Is this just a technicality now? Officially the athletic department has to be the one choosing the seats, but we can provide "detailed" preference?
If this is a tax deduction reason, why not ditch the mandatory donations and just raise ticket prices?
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Shockingly enough, they pulled the PDF.
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Shockingly enough, they pulled the PDF.
Saved it.
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"Season ticket holders will now provide their preferred location by section and row and be allowed to give detailed preferences within selected row."
Is this just a technicality now? Officially the athletic department has to be the one choosing the seats, but we can provide "detailed" preference?
If this is a tax deduction reason, why not ditch the mandatory donations and just raise ticket prices?
Is this some stupid website development issue where they can't figure out how to select the specific seats through the web interface and they are hiding behind the mandatory changes thing????
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Is this some stupid website development issue where they can't figure out how to select the specific seats through the web interface and they are hiding behind the mandatory changes thing????
Or they don't want to pay for the system they currently use every year.
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I really hope there's simply been enough backlash from this that they are going back to choosing seats. If it's every year, fine, but especially for STHs that plan to upgrade their seats over the coming years, I want to be able to pick, not just say "ehh, throw a dart at the wall about there".
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Document claims these changes are the result of changes in the charitable status requirements. Is that true? My aunt has season tickets to Badger football games and she can pick her seats,etc. Not a conspiracy, just seems like a mighty big change.
The .pdf said that they are reseating annually to conform with charitable status requirements. Not that you can no longer pick individual seats due to IRS requirements.
I wonder if the "not picking out individual seats" thing is more of a time saving measure because they now have to do it every year. I can't see how it is though...
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I wonder if the "not picking out individual seats" thing is more of a time saving measure because they now have to do it every year. I can't see how it is though...
Considering that staff now has to do every single entry instead of watching and handling questions/problems, this can't possibly be a simpler way of doing it.
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Is it a reasonable request to write in not to be seated next to anyone that chooses to wear NASCAR apparel or resemble Honey Boo Boo's family?
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Considering that staff now has to do every single entry instead of watching and handling questions/problems, this can't possibly be a simpler way of doing it.
More so, you won't know if there are better seats unchosen that you could move into in advance. So you can still watch online but not select the better seats as you already gave your preferences? So, will there will be an IM system that I can converse with MU AD when my points appointment comes up to move up? Cluster.
As to the yearly reseating, not a bad idea. Now, folks give more in one year and the minimum the next which makes for uneven revenue flow.
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They tweeted out a link (http://twitter.com/muathletics/status/255426319612006401) to the PDF with a letter from Broeker.
The more I read this, the more I read a "you give us DETAILED PREFERENCES, *WINK WINK NUDGE NUDGE*, but we have to officially pick the seats for you to keep the tax writeoffs for you."
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They tweeted out a link (http://twitter.com/muathletics/status/255426319612006401) to the PDF with a letter from Broeker.
The more I read this, the more I read a "you give us DETAILED PREFERENCES, *WINK WINK NUDGE NUDGE*, but we have to officially pick the seats for you to keep the tax writeoffs for you."
But the problem is you still can't see seats. So if my preference is the best row with aisle seating, I have no idea where that is. If I'm in one of the sections right on midcourt and prefer to be as close to the halfcourt line as possible, I can't tell which row has seats which correspond with my preference.
There might be a wink wink nudge nudge attempt, but if you have to pick section and row first, there's only so much leeway you can get unless you pick an empty row.
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Dislike.
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HUGE DISLIKE.
Marquette: You let me and my accountant worry about the tax-deductability of my donations.
You stick to basketball.
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I can't believe with the conference going to crap, the violations and legal problems with the program, that they are going to do this, also. The season ticket base is going to start to erode.
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I can't believe with the conference going to crap, the violations and legal problems with the program, that they are going to do this, also. The season ticket base is going to start to erode.
Yup. My sister and I get tickets-my family gets two and she gets two-always next to each other. Apparently not anymore.
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I was mad for years when they went to the point system. At this point I do not see it as a big deal. On the bright side of it, if you get bad seats or irrating people sitting next to you you only have to put up with it for one season.
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Any of you homos touch my seats, I'll kill you.
400 C 5-6. (I sit in 6 so I can spend time with my good friend Jack, Arts '69.)
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This better not happen. ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Any of you homos touch my seats, I'll kill you.
400 C 5-6. (I sit in 6 so I can spend time with my good friend Jack, Arts '69.)
And jsglow makes me sit in seat 5 (closer to the aisle) to make it easier for me to get him a beer.
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HUGE DISLIKE.
Marquette: You let me and my accountant worry about the tax-deductability of my donations.
You stick to basketball.
Would it be possible to "pin" this thread? I think more people will read it that way and this affects nearly all season ticket holders. I also think this warrants the 2nd letter writing campaign of the year.....WTF!
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Would it be possible to "pin" this thread? I think more people will read it that way and this affects nearly all season ticket holders. I also think this warrants the 2nd letter writing campaign of the year.....WTF!
I've got a feeling it is going to "pin" itself.
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I want to be a fly on the wall when LW picks Dick Strong's or Craig Kasten's "preferred" seats, "per the IRS".
Love that Broeker gets the honor of signing the letter to STH's. ?-(
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Guys, you are reading the letter wrong. The tax-deductibility issue is that the IRS is apparently requiring re-seating every year. Not that you get to pick out your seat. Look at the second question in the link above.
HUGE DISLIKE.
Marquette: You let me and my accountant worry about the tax-deductability of my donations.
You stick to basketball.
Marquette has requirements to report the tax deductibility of your donation back to you or else they can lose their non-profit status.
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So why can't you pick out your own seats?
You can make picks on your seats.
http://grfx.cstv.com/schools/marq/graphics/auto/Reseating-5-review2.jpg
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Good question. Could be they simply want the flexibility. Could be that it saves them time. No idea.
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Yup. My sister and I get tickets-my family gets two and she gets two-always next to each other. Apparently not anymore.
Not true, according to the release. It says you can request to sit by other STH's.
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- You can watch the process online, but you can only see open rows and sections, not open seats.
If I have to sit in the middle of a row with my small army of children, whoever is sitting on the aisle is taking them to go potty, (and while you're up, can you get me a beer)?
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So why can't you pick out your own seats?
You can make picks on your seats.
http://grfx.cstv.com/schools/marq/graphics/auto/Reseating-5-review2.jpg
That is terrible.
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I don't know if many have seen this page. Odds are if you are picking your section and row. PLUS, you can give a preference and one of the picks is same seats as last year. You will have the same seats.
http://www.gomarquette.com/tickets/reseating.html
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If I have to sit in the middle of a row with my small army of children, whoever is sitting on the aisle is taking them to go potty, (and while you're up, can you get me a beer)?
Welcome inferiority. Outstanding suggestion. Trade ya for my double tuition bill. Deal?[/list]
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That is terrible.
Yep, because it's no longer dynamic. My buddy and I get 4 seats for us and our wives and we would always adjust based on availability of aisle, 2 in one row each or four across, etc. Now with this new "system" I'm stuck with the row and section I picked ahead of time with no idea if there are better seats lower or an aisle available a row behind, etc.
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Well, if they keep the crappy system for the reseating I'll just go down to the Al. Increasing the human cost for them to take away my headache will make me happy.
I don't know if many have seen this page. Odds are if you are picking your section and row. PLUS, you can give a preference and one of the picks is same seats as last year. You will have the same seats.
"Odds are"
There are pretty significant blind spots in the upper deck, as well as in corners of the lower bowl. If you get put on the wrong aisle of the row you choose you could either have sweet seats or be completely blocked by the basket or by the railings. No way am I going to count on the "odds" when I'm dropping thousands of dollars a year.
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I suggest we go to the student section General Admission procedure.
Warriorchick and I are pitching our tent outside the BC as we speak and call dibs on courtside center court for the Wisconsin game. Please bring beer.
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No way am I going to count on the "odds" when I'm dropping thousands of dollars a year.
And same seats is well and good if you want to stay where you're at, but I'm hoping to move to the lower bowl in the next couple years.
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Is it possible to sit with another season ticket holder?
Yes, if you would like to sit with someone please indicate this on your appointment response form. The individual with the lower point total determines the time of the reseating appointments.
I purposely don't move up/around my sections to keep families (including young families) together. And, this includes Non-Conference where family and friends "appear" to fill in seats from the uppers. Guys and gals, it is about choice and the new new MU Admin is now making them for you!
Think about it, we are all digitally wired...but Grandpa/Ma West Bender are going to have a coronary when this letter arrives. IRS? Come on...yes for the one year thing, but to have Big Brother Piilarz give away your seat like at the BET to a Wall Street banker or a Domer Hanger-On after 50 years of straight up support is criminal.
This admin cannot shoot straight. Why was this posted to MU's website BEFORE it was sent out to the stewards of the program? Problems in River City hidden behind the IRS? If other schools don't announce this, do you really think our alumni base isn't savvy enough to catch on?
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hoping this "grand" idea goes the way of the attendance points they tried giving out a few years back :-)
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The new PR firm musta told em to release this sh!t on a Monday, not Friday.
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Has anyone asked what MU's motivation might be for picking seats (heh) for us? Before everyone has their periods over this thing, maybe we should ask ourselves this question? I would think that there is no possible reason for MU to do this with the current system working so well other than to maintain charitable deduction status for the season ticket holders, AS THEY HAVE SAID. Could it be that MU is actually protecting the interests of it's season ticket holders by adjusting in the least invasive way possible to new state and federal laws regarding charitable contributions? I for one would not be contributing as much as I do for my seats if that 80% write-off went away (yes, I am an admitted a-hole who doesnt care what charity this cash goes to as long as I get my rad seats). So maybe we give them the benefit of the doubt on this thing for now?
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Has anyone asked what MU's motivation might be for picking seats (heh) for us? Before everyone has their periods over this thing, maybe we should ask ourselves this question? I would think that there is no possible reason for MU to do this with the current system working so well other than to maintain charitable deduction status for the season ticket holders, AS THEY HAVE SAID. Could it be that MU is actually protecting the interests of it's season ticket holders by adjusting in the least invasive way possible to new state and federal laws regarding charitable contributions? I for one would not be contributing as much as I do for my seats if that 80% write-off went away (yes, I am an admitted a-hole who doesnt care what charity this cash goes to as long as I get my rad seats). So maybe we give them the benefit of the doubt on this thing for now?
Could you show me where in the events of the last couple of years we should assume they have our best interests at heart?
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Could you show me where in the events of the last couple of years we should assume they have our best interests at heart?
Marquette Gold?
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What's the big shock here? Marquette has never been pro-choice.
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Marquette has requirements to report the tax deductibility of your donation back to you or else they can lose their non-profit status.
Hey, this is an internet forum, there's no place for your facts!
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The administration probably figured that alums are already on their case about the sexual assault allegations, Buzz to SMU, Larry-Buzz riff, 720, in-season suspensions, off-season suspensions, higher athlete academic standards, etc so they figure that the best thing to do is mess with reseating to make sure that they p!ss off the remaining fans who have stood by their school. That's really the only logical explanation. ::)
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This is all on the Wisconsin Department of Revenue. MU has been dealing with this for a couple of years, trying not to have to make the change. As stated, the question is the deductibility of the donation versus whether it is a taxable (sales tax) transaction. MU has no option and no control over the situation. No one is happy about it, fans or MU admins but there is nothing that can be done about it.
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Spent about 20-30 minutes talking to Joe True tonight about the changes. I'm out right now, but I'll get the gist of what he told me posted in the morning.
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This is all on the Wisconsin Department of Revenue. MU has been dealing with this for a couple of years, trying not to have to make the change. As stated, the question is the deductibility of the donation versus whether it is a taxable (sales tax) transaction. MU has no option and no control over the situation. No one is happy about it, fans or MU admins but there is nothing that can be done about it.
So as a non~resident of Wisconsin, will MU offer me a form for a rebate like when I travel to Europe or Asia with the VAT? The California Circuit Court wouldn't even allow this nonsense on an allowable federal income tax deduction. About as federally unconstitutional as you can get.
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Somebody call the Governor.
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Any of you homos touch my seats, I'll kill you.
400 C 5-6. (I sit in 6 so I can spend time with my good friend Jack, Arts '69.)
lighten up Francis
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This is all on the Wisconsin Department of Revenue. MU has been dealing with this for a couple of years, trying not to have to make the change. As stated, the question is the deductibility of the donation versus whether it is a taxable (sales tax) transaction. MU has no option and no control over the situation. No one is happy about it, fans or MU admins but there is nothing that can be done about it.
If it is on the DOR, then say it. Explain it. These situations could be easily handled with some explanation.
Looking forward to brew's discussion with True.
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If it is on the DOR, then say it. Explain it. These situations could be easily handled with some explanation.
Looking forward to brew's discussion with True.
+1. The DOR is going to make the claim I bet that this is a PSL and they want to collect the tax on your seat. When this is federally protected under IRS laws. MU's work around is yearly and they pick. Very difficult to explain and the state's basis for this is flimsy. Like to see the Badger fans' reactions to this.
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First of all, and I'm sure this is of little consolation, this PDF wasn't supposed to be leaked yesterday. The PDF is currently at the printer and was supposed to be mailed out along with an explanatory letter this week.
Second, I went through the three threads about this and tried to address any questions not included in the first bit of this post below. So if I don't address something in the next 2 paragraphs, scroll down and look through the various topics. I'm sure I will repeat myself in here, but better to make sure I pass on as much as I can than not explain enough.
As far as the taxable nature of this, this is Wisconsin State Department of Revenue. Joe said that the IRS had nothing to do with this as far as he is aware. The reason for the change is if you are able to pick your exact seats, you are effectively purchasing something with your charitable donation. Because of that, this change will only affect people that buy seats with automatic charitable donations. That includes the lower bowl and the center sections upstairs. People purchasing seats that do not have an automatic charitable donation (such as the wings upstairs and the upstairs baseline sections) you will still be able to pick individual seats as before.
Regarding how picking will work, Marquette is planning a seminar or something along that line to go through the process. But here's what I gather: when your slot comes up, you will be able to fill out the new form. If you want to guarantee aisle seats, he advised picking a section and row where there are still 14 seats available as aisles generally go first. At this point, I highly recommend the seminar because I have a feeling it will be the best way to answer questions. However, Joe also asked me to contact him with any questions, so pass whatever on and I'll try to get answers and get them posted. Suffice to say that calls yesterday didn't go unnoticed...he called me around 9:00 last night ;D
Going through this thread and looking at specific questions and issues that were raised, here's what I learned:
mu03eng Regarding Badger fans not having the same policy: They may not have it yet, but as this is a state law, they will also have to institute it, as will UW-Milwaukee and UW-Green Bay.
PTM Regarding the ease of the process for Marquette: MU isn't happy because this will be a lot more work for them. Joe said they loved the online picking system and having got used to it, it was very easy for them as all they did was field the occasional question. The new rules will make a lot more work for them as they have to pick seats for 80% of the STHs every year.
MUfan12 Regarding "charitable status donations": Marquette will not be changing donation requirements based on this law. I am sure seat prices will continue to go up, but this won't be the reason for it.
Brewtown Andy, mu03eng, MUfan12 Regarding the current system: The website worked fine and Marquette was very happy with the results; they would continue to use it if they could. The new interface will be a lot more work and hassle for the B&G Fund.
Dr. Blackheart Regarding changing preferences based on available seats: In the past, you had to pick your specific seats when your slot opened up. This will work similarly, in that you will submit your preferences when your slot opens up. Those preferences will be able to be pretty specific, from Joe's description. If you want the aisle closest to center court, you can request that. Center aisle, you can request that. Same seats as last year, you can request that. Sitting next to another STH, you can request that.
mu_hilltopper Regarding them allowing you and your accountant to figure it out: Really sounds like they can't call it a charitable donation without picking the seats for you. I asked for the specific tax codes and Joe said he'd email me information. Now the only problem is figuring out which email I have that stuff routed to...
5YearsatMU, jsglow Regarding sitting by your sister/classmate or keeping the same seats: All of those can be requested in the preferences, as mentioned above.
Sultan Regarding the DOR requirement to reseat every year vs Marquette picking your specific seats: Again, the big thing is that if you get to pick exact seats, the DOR sees it as using your charitable donation to purchase something. The sense I got last night was that if they had their way, Marquette would just pick all the seats. This system allows them to comply while still getting you as close (section, row) to exactly what you want, and then inferring from your preferences further what you want. It really sounds like both the annual reseating and the picking of exact seats are something Marquette had to do to be compliant with the DOR.
WI_inferiority_complexes Regarding getting aisle seats for your kids: This is definitely a tough one. If you want to guarantee aisle seats, when your slot comes up, pick a row and section with 12 or more seats left. That way you will be guaranteed to be on an aisle. Or if you are happy with your current aisle seats, just say "same seats". Aisle seats almost always go first, so if you see a row with 8 seats left, they will likely be in the middle.
Skatastrophy Regarding going down to the Al: I'll be curious to see how this helps. I imagine they'll be able to give you more direct feedback on what's available. At least for year one, I imagine this is how I'll be handling my reseating slot too.
Dr. Blackheart Regarding why this was posted to the website before being sent out: Sounds like simple human error, though I agree that's a bit distressing. Another gaffe in Marquette's PR machine. All Joe could really say to explain that was it wasn't supposed to be posted. When it was, and when the backlash started (the message board outrage coupled with phone calls was why he called me last night), he said they were prepared in that the letter from Broeker was already ready to go, which is why they re-posted that shortly thereafter. But I agree that there have been too many slip-ups, and this is another. Letters in the mail would have been much better, at least we would have had a bit of explanation along with it.
MUunderpants Regarding MU's motivation for this: You hit it pretty much on the head. Both for Marquette to maintain non-profit status and for us to continue being able to get an 80% write-off on the charitable donation, this had to be done.
Dr. Blackheart Regarding non-WI residents: I think the issue here is that Marquette has to follow WI DOR laws because they are located in Wisconsin. No matter where the purchaser is, they still need to maintain their non-profit status based on our laws. However, I will be curious to see the Bucky reaction to all this, because from what Joe said, everyone will have to go to this type of system.
MayorBeluga Regarding the DOR forcing MU to choose your seats: Pretty sure I covered this above, but it largely comes down to using your donation to make a PSL purchase. In the eyes of the WI DOR, if you can pick your exact seat, you are buying that seat under the auspices of a "charitable donation", and because you are buying it, you shouldn't be able to write it off.
CaribouJim Regarding splitting up your section: One of the preference options will be "same seats", so if you and the people around you like the section, you can stay there provided no one bumps you out before your choice comes up.
BuzzWilliams4Pres Regarding the status of the points system: The points system will still be intact. In the past, when your point level was reached, a slot opened up and you were able to pick your seats. Now, a slot will open up and you will be able to submit your preferences. I am not sure how they will handle tiebreakers, but Joe did say that if people were equal, the preferences would be considered based on submission time. So if the B&G fund had you and I exactly equal on points and all other considerations and we both submitted the same preferences, they would take whichever of us submitted our preferences first based on the Internet time stamp.
MU_Iceman Regarding the seating process for non-seat fee STHs: If you pick a seat in a section that does not require a donation seating fee, you will not be affected. If you pick in 425, for example, you will still be able to pick your exact seats. This change is only affecting those with seats that have automatic donation requirements.
And if anyone has any other questions, please PM me or ask in these threads and I'll pass them on to Joe. Probably easier to send a mass email to address multiple things.
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I bet they don't have to do this at ND! ;D
Yah, I am just being a smart a$$.
Seriously, Brew, thanks for the EXTENSIVE effort for your fellow scoopers. Well done.
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Wow. So the WI DOR requirement is more strict than the IRS's??? That is absurd.
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You're awesome for taking the time to write that all up, brewcity. Thanks a ton :)
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Slow night at the firehouse?
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Wow. So the WI DOR requirement is more strict than the IRS's??? That is absurd.
Head of the WDOR must be a Domer. It's the perfect Evil Plan. Screw with Marquette Fans (and throw in Badger fans for good measure) without affecting ND fans.
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lighten up Francis
'Bout time! :)
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I thought this was basically the reason we could only deduct 80% of the donation. I would like to see the reasoning of why we can't take the full deduction now with having to jump through all these hoops.
p.s. Thanks Brewcity for all the leg work.
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The mandatory donations have "only" been around since (I think) 2005.
Checking the way back machine:
2003: $434, $386, $354- lower bowl tickets
2005: Lower bowl: $448 or $504, donations start, can't breakdown, think it's $150/$100/$50
2007: Entire lower bowl $600 per year, plus donation, think it's $250/$150/$50
2008: Entire lower bowl $600 per year, plus donation, think it's $250/$150/$50
2010: Entire Lower bowl, $570, plus $375, $225, $75, $50 donation
2011: Entire Lower bowl, $570, plus $375, $225, $75, $50 donation
2012: Entire lower bowl: $570, plus $500, $300, $100, $50 donation
Wow, they are really crushing the middle sections, this year the donations went way up.
Back in 2005 .. $1000 for a pair in the corner. Now those same seats are $1340, a 34% increase in 7 years.
Middle sections in 2005- $1300 .. now its $2,140, up 64%. Wow. Man, those middle section prices are high.
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I would like to see the reasoning of why we can't take the full deduction now with having to jump through all these hoops.
That one is on the IRS. If you make a payment to a University and receive a benefit in return (tickets) you can deduct 80% of the charitable donation -- that is for the donation ONLY, not the price of the ticket. This is nothing new and has been on the books for years.
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There are quite a few posts here regarding the seat selection issue but many more "silent" unposted thoughts from other ticket holders. Has the consideration been given to those fans that might simply "give up" their seats and leave without having to be subjected to this "new"system?
Reseating each year isn't as big an issue as the seat selection, where ever anyone sat. Downstairs or upstairs. Many of us like where we sit and want to sit where we want to sit, plain and simple.
If I can't be guaranteed my choice, actually for a specific reason, I'll just give up my tickets and MU will lose a fan. I guess with new students coming in each year and new graduates going out each year they'll easily find replacements for me so who cares. Right?
On the fence for a lot of reasons. Need to assess the actual details when presented and make my choices. I live in Chicago and could be saving a lot of gas money and travel time, too. Wouldn't miss the "white knuckler" driving on snowy nights, either......hmmmmmmmmm.
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There are quite a few posts here regarding the seat selection issue but many more "silent" unposted thoughts from other ticket holders. Has the consideration been given to those fans that might simply "give up" their seats and leave without having to be subjected to this "new"system?
Reseating each year isn't as big an issue as the seat selection, where ever anyone sat. Downstairs or upstairs. Many of us like where we sit and want to sit where we want to sit, plain and simple.
If I can't be guaranteed my choice, actually for a specific reason, I'll just give up my tickets and MU will lose a fan. I guess with new students coming in each year and new graduates going out each year they'll easily find replacements for me so who cares. Right?
On the fence for a lot of reasons. Need to assess the actual details when presented and make my choices. I live in Chicago and could be saving a lot of gas money and travel time, too. Wouldn't miss the "white knuckler" driving on snowy nights, either......hmmmmmmmmm.
Yeah, but if you read the entire thread, this isn't a MU sided decision... They are essentially being forced to do this to comply with Wisconsin State Law.
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Middle sections in 2005- $1300 .. now its $2,140, up 64%. Wow. Man, those middle section prices are high.
It's all relative. Take a look at the seating prices for UCLA or North Carolina some time. As I recall, it's tough getting into the stadium for the prices we pay to be in the lower bowl.
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The mandatory donations have "only" been around since (I think) 2005.
Checking the way back machine:
2003: $434, $386, $354- lower bowl tickets
2005: Lower bowl: $448 or $504, donations start, can't breakdown, think it's $150/$100/$50
2007: Entire lower bowl $600 per year, plus donation, think it's $250/$150/$50
2008: Entire lower bowl $600 per year, plus donation, think it's $250/$150/$50
2010: Entire Lower bowl, $570, plus $375, $225, $75, $50 donation
2011: Entire Lower bowl, $570, plus $375, $225, $75, $50 donation
2012: Entire lower bowl: $570, plus $500, $300, $100, $50 donation
Wow, they are really crushing the middle sections, this year the donations went way up.
Back in 2005 .. $1000 for a pair in the corner. Now those same seats are $1340, a 34% increase in 7 years.
Middle sections in 2005- $1300 .. now its $2,140, up 64%. Wow. Man, those middle section prices are high.
By adjusting prices to what the market will bear, Marquette is simply being fiscally responsible. Doing anything less would simply put the difference in the hands of scalpers instead of the University.
To be honest, I am a little surprised that the IRS has not swooped down on the concept of "mandatory donations" and determined that it is, in fact, part of the market price of the ticket, and therefore, not deductible at all. It could certainly argue that if a donation is "mandatory", it ls really not a donation.
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"fiscally responsible" to charge what the market will bear? Let's remember, MU is not a for-profit organization.
The Season Ticket Holders aren't cows to be milked for all they've got. They are supporting athletics at MU, not just BBall, but all sports. Not to mention the gigantic benefit the BB team has to MU's stature. To raise prices to the point that these fans can "bear" is not a good choice. They are part customer, part charitable donor, and should be treated as such.
The argument that any excess would end up with scalpers is .. weak sauce. The scalper market is highly inefficient.
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Did you purchase from one-legged Morry
outside of Goolsby's? Dude runs a good corporation.
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You're awesome for taking the time to write that all up, brewcity. Thanks a ton :)
+1000
(Because I know you're all worried about me), my family and I are jut going to keep our same seats on the aisle until the kids are older and no longer want anything to do with Mom and Dad. Then the two of us will move to the lower bowl.
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I don't understand why the seats need mandatory donations at all. I have to think there's a revenue-neutral way to eliminate the mandatory donations while keeping balance between current donations and prioritization of seating. For example:
B&G Donors at the $500 level select their seats week 1 according to priority points,
Donors at the $300 level select week 2 according to PP,
Donors at the $100 level select week 3 according to PP,
Donors at the $50 level select week 4 according to PP,
All others select week 5 according to PP.
Of course, you can tighten the time frame for each, but since mandatory seat donations already count towards B&G donations (and vice versa), can't you just do away with them and have four or five separate re-seating "events?"
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Seats getting more costly, can't pick them yourself, downgraded Big East=downgraded schedule=downgraded ESPN payments=higher need for more ticket revenue, coaching staff may not be the same .. bumpy road ahead for Marquette.
Lots of folks will be reconsidering continuing as season ticket holders.
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It sounds like they could also just remove the mandatory donation tied to the specific seats. Just rely on general donations for the blue-gold fund and the point system. Would people still give enough to keep up with the blue-gold points if it wasn't mandatory? I suppose that's really the decision MU has to make to determine which way they would make the most money.
1) Keep the mandatory donations, but remove individual seat selection.
2) Eliminate mandatory donations, but keep individual seat selection.
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Would people still give enough to keep up with the blue-gold points if it wasn't mandatory?
No.
Do you really think the average fans in the lower bowl are going to give an extra $1,000+ per year just out of the goodness of their heart? Would you?
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The argument that any excess would end up with scalpers is .. weak sauce. The scalper market is highly inefficient.
Really? Have you used the Ticket Exchange process? It's a couple of mouse clicks. You don't even have to physically mail the tickets. If Marquette tickets were sold well below market, people would buy all the tickets to which they were entitled and scalp the ones they weren't intending to use.
To have Marquette sell tickets for less than what they are worth is cheating the programs that rely on that revenue.
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And jsglow makes me sit in seat 5 (closer to the aisle) to make it easier for me to get him a beer.
Can you get me one -- across the way in 422??????
Thanks
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No.
Do you really think the average fans in the lower bowl are going to give an extra $1,000+ per year just out of the goodness of their heart? Would you?
I agree. 99% of people would not. Some have said, just give the price in one total sum.
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Let's eliminate all this contributory crap and just go to Personal Seat Licenses ("PSLs"). The PSL is a license that exists forever that allows a season ticket holder to re-up his seats, as they stand today. The Packers did this with financing Lambeau Field; the Bears did it at Soldier Field; and, even the St. Louis Cardinals did it with Busch III.
Make 'em steep. $10,000 a seat and you sit NEXT TO BUZZ.
$100 and you're up in the corners!
You want your seats at courtside with Father Pilarz, well, then you have to pay for them, unless you become a Jesuit and befriend Father Pilarz.
Marquette gets the initial money but OOPs, the license holder makes money future. Wouldn't be prudent!
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No.
Do you really think the average fans in the lower bowl are going to give an extra $1,000+ per year just out of the goodness of their heart? Would you?
No, I agree with you. But then they would theoretically get passed over faster by others that are making donations. MU could also modify the point system to be weighted more heavily on donations.
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No.
Do you really think the average fans in the lower bowl are going to give an extra $1,000+ per year just out of the goodness of their heart? Would you?
Again... there has to be a revenue neutral way to do away with the mandatory donations. The money is still being donated, and donors are still getting seating preferences. On the surface, nothing changes, but the details need to be worked out.
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Seats getting more costly, can't pick them yourself, downgraded Big East=downgraded schedule=downgraded ESPN payments=higher need for more ticket revenue, coaching staff may not be the same .. bumpy road ahead for Marquette.
Lots of folks will be reconsidering continuing as season ticket holders.
This is exactly what has troubled me about the current leadership with everything over the last 2 years. There is a whole mess of trouble brewing across a broad spectrum of areas that could create a very negative environment for MU basketball success and ultimately hurt the university as a whole if not very carefully navigated. To date leadership seems unable to navigate these issues without punching their largest stakeholder in the face continually. Not sure what the ivory tower is doing but I'm getting concerned.
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Can you get me one -- across the way in 422??????
Thanks
For a fellow Purple Irishman, sure!
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For a fellow Purple Irishman, sure!
Thanks. I'll remember that. I'm only at five to seven games a year.
Something to do with constantly traveling and never being home Monday to Friday. I'll look for the woman in the hot Father Ryan shirt next winter!
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Thanks. I'll remember that. I'm only at five to seven games a year.
Something to do with constantly traveling and never being home Monday to Friday. I'll look for the woman in the hot Father Ryan shirt next winter!
I only wear the Blue and Gold in the BC. Don't want anyone to mistake me for a colorblind Domer.
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Thanks Brew...the pdf certainly wasn't "leaked"...MU should be happy in the end it got out there so that explanations can be vetted here. The letter in itself is not descriptive. Anxious to see how this hits the Badgers. That said, non-profits need to defend their status with full vigor in every instance, and a state effing with a federal donation accepted in every other state has little merit of standing up.
While this is a work-around, it is ridiculous that a season ticket holder who doesn't donate gets to pick their seats while one who does, doesn't. That puts MU in a precarious position. One would think that MU would have collaborated with UW on this to band together. This won't go away. The DOR will still come calling with their tin cup out.
I saw a cool app demo yesterday where Facebook marketplace hooked up with Ticketmaster...so when ordering your tickets, you can see where your Facebook friends are sitting. Perhaps, this can be adapted for MU reseating to enable the "preference" seat selection for those who want to sit together..
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I am surprised no one has suggested taking this issue directly to Scott Walker.
I don't think anyone could argue that he is the former Marquette attendee (I am not getting into the whole alum debate) who has the most pull with WDOR.
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I did. Just sayin.
I hear MU has an entire Law School on campus, too.
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Anyone know what the driver was behind the legislation change? The state is still getting the revenue, people are still getting tax breaks. It seems like it's legislation for legislation's sake. (not a WI resident, so I haven't followed this at all)
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I talked to my boss (UW alum) who has season tix for UW football and he said UW already does this so nothing would need to change for their ticket selling practice.
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Anyone know what the driver was behind the legislation change? The state is still getting the revenue, people are still getting tax breaks. It seems like it's legislation for legislation's sake. (not a WI resident, so I haven't followed this at all)
The state isn't getting the revenue. Right now buying season tickets requires a mandatory donation that is 80% tax deductable. The state doesn't get the revenue from the deductable part, and now they want it.
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My impression was that it was a sales tax issue. There is sales tax on ticket sales. State is trying to claim that donations are part of sale and therefore subject to sales tax. Assuming it is only on mandatory donations MU would owe 5.6% of mandatory donations added to ticket prices. Following the State's logic further they then could claim that since the mandatory donations are part of sales price they are not really deductible as donations.
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Thanks bilsu, that makes sense.
But the one thing I'm still wondering is where will the state actually draw revenue. Obviously any academic institution will take on safeguards to ensure that donors/fans will still be able to retain their deduction - such as MU is doing. Was there a different target in mind with this legislation, and we just came under the line of fire? Or is it just such poor legislation that it has this gigantic loophole.
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If it's (only) a sales tax issue, then MU should just bump the donations to cover it.
For the middle-section swell people buying 2 tickets, their donation is $1,000, sales tax is roughly $55 .. for a corner section person, $16 extra. We'd all pay that extra 5% so we could pick our own seats.
.. (I imagine this is more of a charitable donation deduction issue than a sales tax one.)
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If I can't be guaranteed my choice, actually for a specific reason, I'll just give up my tickets and MU will lose a fan. I guess with new students coming in each year and new graduates going out each year they'll easily find replacements for me so who cares. Right?
One of the options under preferences will be "same seats". So when your slot comes up, as long as your previous section and row are still open, you can say "same seats" and you should get the same seats you had before. The only way you wouldn't be able to do this is if a STH with a higher point status than you bumped you out of your seats, but that was a possibility under the old system as well.
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I talked to Joe True at Haunted Hoops and asked about a number of questions that had been brought up here and elsewhere and wanted to share his responses with everyone. I didn't keep track of who asked what, so I'll just post the question and the answers I received:
Will there be a continuous update of which rows/seats have been taken?
There will continue to be real-time updates of how many seats are available in each row, however MU will not be able to let us know which exact seats are available. In the past, you would see the exact seats. Now you will simply see the row and how many seats out of 14 are available. In general, aisle seats tend to go first, so consider that when you are picking your seats. Also, for any seats that DO NOT have a minimum donation, you will still see the exact seats in real-time. The changes only apply to those sections with mandatory donations assigned to them.
Would it be possible to simply add sales tax to the value of the seats and allow us to still pick exact seats?
If they did this, it would kill the Blue & Gold fund, which pays for virtually all of the sports scholarships, not just basketball. The only way to keep seat donations (which are the primary source of B&G Fund funding) was to make this switch. In order for Marquette to get those donation values tax-free, a portion of the seat price must be left as a donation. Simply adding sales tax wouldn't work.
Will this also affect Wisconsin, Milwaukee, and Green Bay?
It will not force any change at Milwaukee or Green Bay because they do not require seat donations on any of their seats. Madison has their own seating policy and their own way of conforming to these rules. From what I understand, they do not pick exact seats there either. Wisconsin is a bit different because as a larger school, they are not so reliant on seating donations from football/basketball/hockey to fund their other sports. But they are already compliant with the law that we now must follow.
Has there been any thought of going to a PSL system?
Like the sales tax, this really isn't an option. The PSL system used in Green Bay was only allowed because the state gave an exemption to the Packers (go figure). Otherwise, they would be subject to the exact same rules. But part of the GBP deal allowed the PSLs. However this would have a tremendous impact on the B&G Fund and really isn't a viable option.
How will it work if I want to sit with a friend?
If you have another group of season ticket holders you want to sit with, the time slot will be picked at the lower STH's spot. One STH will be declared "team captain" and will pick all of the seats for the group. Thus, two STHs could pick up to 8 seats at the same time with the captain making the selections.
Will I be able to sit with FaceBook friends?
So far, there has been no action to try to link FB with the reseating process.
When will I know which seats I get?
Marquette is still settling how best to handle this. It sounds like it will most likely be next day as most people won't want to wait until the entire reseating process is done before finding out their exact seats.
If there are 14 seats in a row and the first two selectors take 4 each on the ends, and the third requests 2 seats with a center aisle preference, will I be alerted that picking the remaining 4 seats in this row will be non-sequential?
I asked this mid-conversation. It's something Joe will be bringing back to the table. It sounds like they have the process 80% done and are ironing out final details.
Why make this change so soon after implementing new software?
I'm sure I addressed this before, but MU didn't have a choice. If they had their way, they would much rather we pick our seats bi-annually because them picking them every year is a lot more hassle and work. As mentioned, the old system will still be in place for non-donation seats. Initially, there was discussion of only allowing STHs to pick their section. Marquette is trying to be as transparent as possible by allowing us to select section and row, as well as preferences such as aisle, mid-aisle, or same seats as before. I really get the sense that the B&G Fund is going to do everything in their power to get you the exact seats you want. The new laws from the state aren't making that easy, but Marquette is trying to work within those laws to make the process as smooth and satisfactory as possible.
What about people with the same number of preference points?
Tiebreakers will work the exact same as before. Everyone will still get their slot, and if multiple people have the same number of preference points, tiebreakers will separate them. Nothing is changing in that regard.
Would I be better off just going down to the Al to pick my seats?
Going to the Al will still be an option, but the only advantage is that there will be about a dozen computers there for you to log on to. You still won't see the available seats, though there will be people to help you through any changes. But if you have reliable internet at home, there is no advantage to going to the Al.
What if I have additional questions?
I'd be happy to talk to Joe on anyone's behalf, but I'd also encourage you to call him. His number is listed earlier in this thread, and at least from my perspective, it's very reassuring to hear that MU really is doing everything in their power to make this as easy as possible. In addition, they are planning some Webinars to further explain the process, and may have some live seminars as well.
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Thanks Brew .. hey, did he ever explain .. why the change from every 2-years to every year?