Can anyone help with the correct info as to Donating to MU, Seat donations etc as to how it might affect seat reseatting, given the new tax deductions law??? Thanks for any help... 8-)
Any donation to MU, you can choose to take the Priority Points with no Tax Deduction, or decline the points and receive a Tax Deduction.
However, when you pay the Mandatory Donation when buying season tickets, you have to take the points and do not get the Tax Deduction.
That's it in a nutshell.
OK, thanks ! ! ! But the Points are no longer showing up on our account.... Also, how do these said donations affect "Picking" our seats?? or do we have to keep playing the "game" with describing where we want to sit??
Someone better connected can jump in, but my guess is points get phased out in the next couple years, and donations will be all that matter.
I wonder what percentage of repeat STH are donating. Because MU is risking alienating a good number of people if they continue down the path they set out this season.
Quote from: guzica on December 01, 2018, 09:50:46 AM
OK, thanks ! ! ! But the Points are no longer showing up on our account.... Also, how do these said donations affect "Picking" our seats?? or do we have to keep playing the "game" with describing where we want to sit??
If points aren't there, it's likely somewhat a temporary issue, they were there before and should be in the future. Likely not a big issue as points don't serve a purpose in December .. the next time they would is when MU is filling BE tourney ticket requests.
As for a "game" describing your seats, that's really never been the case besides picking a row and "describing" if you'd rather be on an aisle or closer to the center.
You may not have closely watched the summer's reseating .. but in the BC years, points mattered a lot, meaning if you wanted to get into the center sections, you HAD to have a high point total. When we reseated for the Chaluparena, it didn't matter as much.
If you wanted to drop a lot of money on center section seats, there was space for you, regardless of your point total. Roughly, points don't matter as much now as availability is higher.
Quote from: mu_hilltopper on December 01, 2018, 10:20:36 AM
If points aren't there, it's likely somewhat a temporary issue, they were there before and should be in the future. Likely not a big issue as points don't serve a purpose in December .. the next time they would is when MU is filling BE tourney ticket requests.
As for a "game" describing your seats, that's really never been the case besides picking a row and "describing" if you'd rather be on an aisle or closer to the center.
You may not have closely watched the summer's reseating .. but in the BC years, points mattered a lot, meaning if you wanted to get into the center sections, you HAD to have a high point total. When we reseated for the Chaluparena, it didn't matter as much.
If you wanted to drop a lot of money on center section seats, there was space for you, regardless of your point total. Roughly, points don't matter as much now as availability is higher.
More points mean an earlier re-seating appointment. However, with more lower level seats available in the FF, points have become less important to some. If that's your experience, decline the points and take the tax deduction. I haven't heard any talk of points going away.
Quote from: MUfan12 on December 01, 2018, 10:11:25 AM
Someone better connected can jump in, but my guess is points get phased out in the next couple years, and donations will be all that matter.
I wonder what percentage of repeat STH are donating. Because MU is risking alienating a good number of people if they continue down the path they set out this season.
I've heard nothing of points going away and see no reason why they would.
Quote from: #UnleashMatt on December 01, 2018, 11:59:07 AM
I've heard nothing of points going away and see no reason why they would.
This.
There are plenty of older alums who have a lot of points because they have been STH for 30+ consecutive years. I can't picture MU screwing those folks over. After all, isn't loyalty and legacy a big part of the Marquette basketball story?
Not to give away my plan. But I have upstairs ST's. And yesterday I sat in 109. Great seats. But holy crap. The downstairs concourse is a mess during halftime. I'm staying upstairs. It's like walking around a beautiful botanical garden on a sunny day compared to downstairs.
I guess that comes with having 5,000 more people seated downstairs.
Points mattered for the time to pick our season tickets. However when single game tickets went on sale in October points did not matter for purchase time as in the past. Rather how much was contributed in the current year was what determined when you could buy extra tickets.
I asked but did not get a clear answer on what sets priority for purchasing NCAA tickets this year - points or current year donations.
Quote from: warriorchick on December 02, 2018, 12:52:33 PM
This.
There are plenty of older alums who have a lot of points because they have been STH for 30+ consecutive years. I can't picture MU screwing those folks over. After all, isn't loyalty and legacy a big part of the Marquette basketball story?
My tickets go back to the 1955-56 season. However, we had eight season tickets, so we lost four seats when MU went to point system. This does not matter now as I only take two seats, but at the time it was very upsetting to our family. I have no inside info, but my gut feeling is that MU is going to change the point system. My guess would be they are going to limit consecutive season ticket holder points and the time period that they give points for donations. However, I am not sure it matters much, because the view from all of the seats are very good.
Quote from: fjm on December 02, 2018, 01:09:38 PM
Not to give away my plan. But I have upstairs ST's. And yesterday I sat in 109. Great seats. But holy crap. The downstairs concourse is a mess during halftime.
I guess that comes with having 5,000 more people seated downstairs.
+10000 .. wow, the lower bowl concourse is a total circus at halftime. There's zero flow, no real lanes to get through if you are trying to escape the area, not to mention tables and crowd barriers to halt your progress. Plus the lines to use the men's bathroom? What the hell? Then you have the corners that are dead zones, which is nice but .. hard to get to, and it's not about finding a spot to be alone.
Quote from: mu_hilltopper on December 02, 2018, 04:16:40 PM
+10000 .. wow, the lower bowl concourse is a total circus at halftime. There's zero flow, no real lanes to get through if you are trying to escape the area, not to mention tables and crowd barriers to halt your progress. Plus the lines to use the men's bathroom? What the hell? Then you have the corners that are dead zones, which is nice but .. hard to get to, and it's not about finding a spot to be alone.
The concourses at halftime are my only real gripe. Though one other drawback, and maybe it's just me, but it seems a lot harder to go grab a beer and use the restroom in a TV timeout. My old section had a bathroom just outside it on one side & beer stand on the other, so it was pretty easy to do both and get back just before the inbound. Now, I think because of just how deep the bowl is and how many obstacles you run across, it's almost impossible to do both in a TV timeout.
You'd think for $12-14 /beer they would make it easier to purchase one
Lines 25 deep Ugh
I haven't been to the Chaluparena yet, but between the sardine-can concourses, the human refrigeration system, the length of food and beer lines and the long treks to bathrooms, my family room sounds better than ever.
When I finally do go, my plan will be to get to my seat early and stay put until after the game. At least it sounds like the sightlines are good.
I went for the first time yesterday, using a coworkers tickets in the lower bowl. I wasn't ever cold. Plus, had a burger and beer at Solbemans before the game and didn't leave my seat at the game so didn't have a single problem. Although my buddy who went with me did mention the concourse was crazy when he hit the head at halftime.
I'm not sure why people think a concourse would be crazy at halftime when 75% feels the need to leave their seat at halftime.
Quote from: brewcity77 on December 02, 2018, 04:22:21 PM
The concourses at halftime are my only real gripe. Though one other drawback, and maybe it's just me, but it seems a lot harder to go grab a beer and use the restroom in a TV timeout. My old section had a bathroom just outside it on one side & beer stand on the other, so it was pretty easy to do both and get back just before the inbound. Now, I think because of just how deep the bowl is and how many obstacles you run across, it's almost impossible to do both in a TV timeout.
The reason has to be the much deeper bowl. Your section is right next to me and we do have a very nice huge bar above our sections. (114, 115). Plus, the bathroom by section 114.
Quote from: Mr. Nielsen on December 02, 2018, 05:16:40 PM
The reason has to be the much deeper bowl. Your section is right next to me and we do have a very nice huge bar above our sections. (114, 115). Plus, the bathroom by section 114.
Yeah, I made the run yesterday. Was waiting for the whistle and left as soon as it came in one of the TV timeouts. Went straight to a bathroom with no line, then that bar that also had no line. Play got underway just as I started back down the stairs, so when I got to my aisle I crouched down until a break in play.
Quote from: PBRme on December 02, 2018, 04:32:45 PM
You'd think for $12-14 /beer they would make it easier to purchase one
Lines 25 deep Ugh
Try the little rolling/kiosk things in the corners. I walked by a couple with zero lines at half time, merchant was yelping "no line for beer!"
.. also not a fan of the huge rows in the bowl. Gotta ask 65 people to get up and let you out.
Not sure why anyone would leave their seat at halftime and miss out on seeing the guy juggling chainsaws. ;D
With the open concourse and monitors throughout, you can leave your seat for refreshments during the game without missing the action.
Quote from: Marcus92 on December 02, 2018, 09:16:42 PM
With the open concourse and monitors throughout, you can leave your seat for refreshments during the game without missing the action.
If any of them have the game on. None of the screens by us upstairs had the MU game.
Quote from: warriorchick on December 02, 2018, 05:45:50 PM
Not sure why anyone would leave their seat at halftime and miss out on seeing the guy juggling chainsaws. ;D
Have they had the trampoline team yet this season? I love watching those guys.
Quote from: MUfan12 on December 02, 2018, 10:03:06 PM
If any of them have the game on. None of the screens by us upstairs had the MU game.
I'd rather all the monitors had the MU game on. Instead, it was Gonzaga/Creighton here, college football there, NBA somewhere else. Also, the Homer/Tony broadcast seems to be either sporadically piped in or set say a pretty low level throughout the game.
I forgot I did have one complaint about the Fiserv. No fewer than 10-15 times during timeouts that damn spotlight on the bottom corner of the scoreboard shined directly in my eyeballs. It felt like the light physically penetrated the back of my eyeballs and made it to the inside of my skull. In other words, it's really fricken bright in your eyes. However, ironically, they are not very noticeable when they are moving around the crowd.
Quote from: brewcity77 on December 03, 2018, 05:30:31 AM
I'd rather all the monitors had the MU game on. Instead, it was Gonzaga/Creighton here, college football there, NBA somewhere else. Also, the Homer/Tony broadcast seems to be either sporadically piped in or set say a pretty low level throughout the game.
I want the TV's to have other college games on. Plus, the MU game.
Quote from: Mr. Nielsen on December 03, 2018, 06:45:37 AM
I want the TV's to have other college games on. Plus, the MU game.
If there is a single TV anywhere, it should have the MU game on. If there are multiple teams, at least half should have the MU game on. I don't think we should ever have to be hunting to find the game while walking around the concourse.
Man it sounds like this new arena is horrible?
I think I am a perfect example of how the new seating prices have devalued the point in the current system. The number of points still dictates when you can purchase season tickets. However, the lower rows in the mid-court sections now have a graduated mandatory donation amount that increase the closer to the court you get. I was willing to pay the increased amount for better seats and was able to get much better seats than in the past when there was less difference in donations as you got closer.
Points still matter, but the mandatory $$ donations per seat has caused some to select worse seats than they could have purchased, opening these seat to those who were willing to pay more.
Not sure how this will work next year. My contact at MU said this was a trial year to see what happened and to let STH get comfortable with the layout of the FF.
Quote from: Mr. Sand-Knit on December 03, 2018, 07:45:13 AM
Man it sounds like this new arena is horrible?
It sounds like you need to attend a game and draw your own conclusions. :)
Quote from: Mr. Sand-Knit on December 03, 2018, 07:45:13 AM
Man it sounds like this new arena is horrible?
No, not at all. The Fiserv Forum is great! Many are us, are just looking for 150% great.
Quote from: LeftyWarrior on December 03, 2018, 07:58:30 AM
Points still matter, but the mandatory $$ donations per seat has caused some to select worse seats than they could have purchased, opening these seat to those who were willing to pay more.
Agree with picking worse seats -- although "worse" is not always worse in the Chaluparena. I'm in the upper half of 115. I saw a friend in lower 114 (one section worse) and sat with him for 20 minutes and realized .. those seats are quite nice, and I think better than mine. I didn't want to "downgrade" a section from the BC, so eliminated those tight corners .. but truth is, they have great sight lines.
Next year, I'll "downgrade."
Quote from: LeftyWarrior on December 03, 2018, 07:58:30 AM
Not sure how this will work next year. My contact at MU said this was a trial year to see what happened and to let STH get comfortable with the layout of the FF.
What do you mean? What's a trial this year?
Quote from: Mr. Sand-Knit on December 03, 2018, 07:45:13 AM
Man it sounds like this new arena is horrible?
K-State was my first game and I loved it. Night and day better than the BC.
Quote from: TAMU Eagle on December 03, 2018, 01:13:40 PM
K-State was my first game and I loved it. Night and day better than the BC.
I guess it just seems that way given 30+ posts if bitching n complaining
Quote from: Mr. Sand-Knit on December 03, 2018, 02:09:22 PM
I guess it just seems that way given 30+ posts if bitching n complaining
The Fiserv Forum is fantastic. Great sight lines, great amenities, great food and beer options. However, because it's brand new, every negative is going to be amplified, and the complaints always come out louder than the compliments. Just human (and message board) nature.
Quote from: LeftyWarrior on December 03, 2018, 07:58:30 AM
I think I am a perfect example of how the new seating prices have devalued the point in the current system. The number of points still dictates when you can purchase season tickets. However, the lower rows in the mid-court sections now have a graduated mandatory donation amount that increase the closer to the court you get. I was willing to pay the increased amount for better seats and was able to get much better seats than in the past when there was less difference in donations as you got closer.
Points still matter, but the mandatory $$ donations per seat has caused some to select worse seats than they could have purchased, opening these seat to those who were willing to pay more.
Not sure how this will work next year. My contact at MU said this was a trial year to see what happened and to let STH get comfortable with the layout of the FF.
This is also how it worked out for me. I got slightly better seats compared to last year without make a reseating donation. There were still many seats available in my area long after I picked my seats. I am very happy with my seats. However, it is a lot of stairs up and down. Especially since I tore a muscle in my left leg playing volley ball last Thursday. To get to the concourse at halftime we have to fight the people coming down the stairs to go through the tunnel going to the Marquette room. It was a lot easier to get to the concourse at the BMO Center. I think the stairs will keep many older people from picking seats below row 16, which should allow me to continue sitting in lower rows next year without making a reseating donation.