The 6th Man Fund

[spartan3186]

So apparently Marquette just started the 6th man fund, which is "the official student group of the blue and gold fund.

By donating $100 a year for 4 years they will get 16 priority points that they can keep indefinetley.

Personally, I think this policy is ridiculous. As a recent graduate, I could see numerous people jump over me in priority points simply because they were a few years yonger.

http://www.gomarquette.com/sports/blue-gold/spec-rel/061410aab.html

[Benny B]

Great idea... but unless these points replace the 10 "degree" points, I agree that those of us still near the bottom of the totem pole (i.e. graduates within the last 5 years) will be screwed by this.  I was a devoted fanatic from the time I walked onto campus to the time I walked across the stage (at which time I became a devoted alum) and would have happily donated $100/year.

B&G fund is getting a letter and a phone call along with my donation this year.

[MerrittsMustache]

Great idea... but unless these points replace the 10 "degree" points, I agree that those of us still near the bottom of the totem pole (i.e. graduates within the last 5 years) will be screwed by this.  I was a devoted fanatic from the time I walked onto campus to the time I walked across the stage (at which time I became a devoted alum) and would have happily donated $100/year.

B&G fund is getting a letter and a phone call along with my donation this year.

I was a Fanatic for 4 years and I'd happily give $400 to retroactively get 16 more priority points. Actually, I watched 4 years of very mediocre Conf USA basketball, so I should get at least 25 points for that!

[Tom Crean's Tanning Bed]

This is total BS.

A student that invests $100/yr in this plan and gets their degree in 4 years comes out with 26 points (16 B&G points and 10 degree points).  Seriously?!?

Sorry, but this REALLY sticks it to the young alums (2004-2009), as well as other long-time non-alum season ticket holders, who are going to be permanently behind current students that exercise this plan once they graduate, unless they all make massive B&G fund donations to catch up.  

I currently have 18 points right now (20 points after 2010-2011), and in theory, a kid that graduates in 2014 will be even with me by the time they graduate.  That's ridiculous.

[bma725]

This is an absolute f'n joke.  It essentially devalues the points of every current season ticketholder, and screws everyone except for those that donate thousands per year to the program.  Can't say I'm shocked MU made a stupid decision, but I'm shocked it was this dumb.

[MU gimp ONE]

if this doesn't take the place of the 10 points from the degree, i'll be pretty pissed.  the best is, you can keep going with it as long as you are enrolled full time.  so if you are a 5th year senior you will get 30 pts by the time you graduate... and those are points you will never lose.  why does out donation money get half the points taken away every other year, but these they get to keep?  Oh Lucy... You have some 'splaining to do.

[Tom Crean's Tanning Bed]

if this doesn't take the place of the 10 points from the degree, i'll be pretty pissed.  the best is, you can keep going with it as long as you are enrolled full time.  so if you are a 5th year senior you will get 30 pts by the time you graduate... and those are points you will never lose.  why does out donation money get half the points taken away every other year, but these they get to keep?  Oh Lucy... You have some 'splaining to do.

Another excellent point.  These points are kept INDEFINITELY.  If you discontinue your season tix at any time right now, you lose your those points (except for donation points and degree points).  Complete crapola.

[Strokin 3s]

Actually I think they would probably get more than just 26 points.  10 points for the degree, $100/year = 16 points, plus 3 points for consecutive year donations = 29 total points.

And I thinkt he point Gimp was making Tanning bed was that when you donate money now $100 gets you one point, but only for the current reseating period.  After that current reseating period the points get devalued.  So if I donated $500 today it would be worth 5 points in the current reseating period, but after the reseating period those points get devalued to $250/point so I only get to "keep" 2 points indefinitely.

[MU gimp ONE]

any way you slice it... it really screws recent grads and people that aren't alum that don't have the 10 degree points.  imagine being a season ticket holder for 10+ years and donates $100-200 a year.  some kid in 4 years who just graduates will have priority over you in reseating.  time to flood the athletic office.  when do we gather with the pitchforks and torches at the 1212. 

this never would have happened under Pintens.  Why did you leave us Craig?

[bilsu]

Life is not fair. My kids had just turned 17 & 18, when the IRS started giving a tax credit for dependents 16 and younger. I paid $30,000 more in taxes than you would today with 2 kids. Things change and usually the result is that someone is disadvantaged everytime someone else receives an advantage.

Besides that, if the program is starting now, it is four years before someone graduates with 16 points. In four years you will have earned 2 points a year for having season tickets, so at most they are picking up 8 points on you.

I also wonder how many current graduates actually get season tickets? Given that a good number of them will not live in the Milwaukee area and starting out they may not be able to afford tickets.

[brewcity77]

This sounds like an utter load of crap. This year is the first I'll really be able to afford season tickets since my graduation in 2004, and this certainly makes me feel like I'm second class to current grads. We should definitely be able to make a retroactive $400 donation. Especially as these are permanent points 

[MerrittsMustache]

I also wonder how many current graduates actually get season tickets? Given that a good number of them will not live in the Milwaukee area and starting out they may not be able to afford tickets.

These points are permanent so even if a new grad doesn't buy tickets right away, he'd be able to come back in 3-4 years and jump over people who had been loyal season tickets holders during that time, or longer. Fair or unfair, the policy is flawed in the way it is constructed.

[Tom Crean's Tanning Bed]

Besides that, if the program is starting now, it is four years before someone graduates with 16 points. In four years you will have earned 2 points a year for having season tickets, so at most they are picking up 8 points on you.

I also wonder how many current graduates actually get season tickets? Given that a good number of them will not live in the Milwaukee area and starting out they may not be able to afford tickets.

Here's the two issues:

1)  Those 8 points will cost a 2014 graduate $200.  They'll cost a 2010 graduate $800 now to buy those points, and $1600 to maintain those additional 8 points by the time that 2014 graduate becomes eligible to buy tickets due to the reduction of those points by the B&G fund over time.
2)  Those points are maintained INDEFINITELY.  So in theory, even if that 2014 graduate doesn't buy tickets until 2018, they'll immediately be on par with that 2010 graduate who's bought tickets for 8 straight years after they graduated.

[dearest friend]

I too just graduated in May and am bummed by this announcement but I would also like to throw out there: How many current students would actually do this?

Several of my friends (who of course claim they love marquette basketball) refused to buy season tickets because they were $100. Especially if the price of tickets continue to go up for students (which seems incredibly likely). Also factor in the constant complaints regarding the cost of tuition as it is. I cannot imagine a lot of people will donate, and if they do I see it more being the $25.  Are students forward thinking enough to care-most don't even fully realize the point system and a ton assume they will be leaving the area upon graduation. Thoughts?

[bilsu]

That is part of my point. If you are not from Milwaukee area, you probably will not move here. If you are from the Milwaukee area you may be planning on leaving when you graduate. In either case why would you donate. It has to be a student (fan) who plans on staying in the area.

As far as the point system, it took me a long time not to be bitter about it in the first place. My father had 10 seats that never changed and they could be passed on to other family members. I was essentially guaranteed good seats for life. Point system came into effect and we went down to 6 seats. Four for my father and 2 for me. Four really good seats and two substandard compared to what I was used to. The good thing was at the start they allowed you to transfer seats between family members one time only, so we switched ownership. I still sat in my lesser seats and my father sat in the better seats. My father died in 2002. I now have the seating points that go back to 1955 (I started regularly going to games in 1962-63 season) in the point system versus the lesser seats that would go back to when the reseating started. So I do have a lot of seating points, but I still had to donate $2,500 last reseating to get what I consider to be good seats. However, they are not as good as the seats we had before reseating. I am guessing I would have needed another 50 points ($5,000) to get those. Unfortunately, my wife did not graduate from MU. It would be nice to have 10 degree points for her also. My advice is marry another MU graduate and be prepared to donate for life.

[bilsu]

Of course I remember basketball programs costing .25 and tickets to see Maurice Lucas play $4.50. Those were the good seats.

MU tuition $2,000 a semester.

5 cent candy bars.

Never smoked, but you could buy three packs for a dollar.

Inflation never goes away, someday you will be paying $100 a ticket.

[bma725]

FYI, MU has removed this page from the site, it now redirects to the main blue and gold page.

[mu_hilltopper]

I didn't get a chance to see the page before it was 'removed' .. indeed, from the comments, it seemed half baked.

If it replaced the 10 points you get for having a degree, I could handle that.  10 points, plus 6 more for $400?  On an off-seating year, the $400 would get you 1 point (div by $250) .. or 4 points in a seating year (400/100). 

So I could handle 10+4 to get 2 bonus points.  That's not going to tip the scales too much. 

But if it was 16 + 10 = 26 points?  That should piss off a ton of ticket holders.  There are about 3,000 accounts, and ~900 of them have 26 points or less.   

 Imagine if you created a system that would piss off a third of your customers!

I could handle some tweaks to the point system. 

* Name your first born son Buzz, get a point.
* Attend the Presbyterian College game, get a point.
* Bring a UW fan to the MU/UW game, subtract a point.

[dw3dw3dw3]

Still in the source before it redirects... I don't think its a bad idea in general, but they just didn't think through the consequences. It looks they have now, and are going to rethink things before putting it out there again. Kudos to them for taking it down before more people got upset.


<!--
<p>[Logo] (Tim working on)
The 6th Man Fund
MAKE YOUR MARQ</p>
<p>CLICK HERE TO JOIN ONLINE MEMBERSHIP FORM</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Contact Info | Blue & Gold Fund: (414) 288-4802 | 6thmanfund@marquette.edu</p>
<p><strong>Mission Statement</strong>: To build lifelong relationships with our finest Marquette University student fans.</p>
<p>The 6th Man Fund is the official student group of the Blue & Gold Fund. Once you become a member, you will immediately start building ticket priority. All membership fees contribute to the cost of student athlete scholarships at Marquette University.</p>
<p><strong>Benefits (for only $25 annually):</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Official club t-shirt </li>
<li>Priority Points- accumulation for post graduation men's basketball tickets I</li>
<li>nvitation to an exclusive pre-game party w/ special guest </li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Priority Points</strong>:
Each member will have the choice of how many priority points they would like to purchase. You may earn 1 - 4 priority points per year ($25-$100) $25 for each priority point. You will keep these points indefinitely.</p>
<p>
<table style="text-align: center;" border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="4">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #003366;" valign="top">
<td>&amp;nbsp;<strong><span style="color: #ffcc00;">Year</span></strong></td>
<td><span style="color: #ffcc00;"><strong>Cost</strong></span></td>
<td><span style="color: #ffcc00;"><strong>Points</strong></span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong><span style="color: #003366;">1</span></strong></td>
<td>$25-100</td>
<td>1-4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong><span style="color: #003366;">2</span></strong></td>
<td>$25-100</td>
<td>1-4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong><span style="color: #003366;">3</span></strong></td>
<td>$25-100</td>
<td>1-4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong><span style="color: #003366;">4</span></strong></td>
<td>$25-100</td>
<td>1-4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="background-color: #ffcc00;" valign="top"><span style="color: #003366;"><strong>TOTAL</strong></span></td>
<td>&amp;nbsp;</td>
<td>4-16&amp;nbsp;</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>
<p><strong>*Any student can earn points for an unlimited number of years, so long as they are enrolled as a full-time undergraduate or graduate student of Marquette University</strong></p>
<p><strong>Rules:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>You must be a Fanatics season ticket holder to join the 6th Man Fund.</li>
<li>You may earn points annually only as a full-time student (undergraduate & graduate) of Marquette University.</li>
<li>All members will keep points indefinitely.</li>
<li>You may choose to join at any time, renewal is not mandatory.</li>
</ul>
</p>
-->

[ChicosBailBonds]

Focus groups...come on MU....focus group test this stuff before putting it out on your site. 

Actually, maybe I should give them the benefit of the doubt and they did focus group it...I hope.  Doesn't sound like it's been well received by the small sample here.

[Skatastrophy]

Here's a screenshot of the html that dw3dw3dw3 posted after it's rendered by a browser.  Click on the image to open it independent of the forums.

[rocky_warrior]

Well done scoopers, it looks like you changed MU's mind in only a mere 3 hours of utter outrage.

Now, if we could have had the same effect on the Warrior's decision....

[ChicosBailBonds]

Well done scoopers, it looks like you changed MU's mind in only a mere 3 hours of utter outrage.

Now, if we could have had the same effect on the Warrior's decision....

We did, only problem was that in that case even though 99 of 100 saw the writing on the wall, it was the final decision of 1 that mattered.

[rocky_warrior]

Too true.

[🏀]

Too true.

Joe True? Eh? Amiright?