Register: Big Four Classic basketball tickets selling quickly

**capitalcityguy** · 12-11-2012, 01:42 PM

Register story this morning on sales. I see Randy Peterson just posted another short story related to recruiting and the Classic (lower link below)

A few related things I heard on the radio call-in show last night in case you missed them.

* Game will be on Mediacom
* Drake is one of best 3-point shooting teams in the country (I thought I heard #1....but not sure? I think it was for shooting percentage)).
* Hoiberg said (paraphrasing), the majority of the fans in Wells Fargo on Saturday will be Cyclone fans. (or maybe he said we'd have largest fanbase represented) Regardless sure hope we don't let him down!

Chris Connolly said only 3,000 tickets remain unsold, most of them in the upper deck. He is anticipating the downtown Des Moines arena will be near its capacity of 14,500 when the games tip off Saturday afternoon.
“In the past college basketball games we’ve had, we’ve sold a lot of tickets walk-up,” Connolly said. “That’s what you get with students.”

Read more: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/art...uickly?archive

http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/d...nclick_check=1

**capitalcityguy** · 12-13-2012, 11:20 AM

2300 tix left as of an article in this morning's Register.

**gocubs2118** · 12-13-2012, 11:21 AM

If this was such a "hot ticket" the event would already be sold out.

**alarson** · 12-13-2012, 11:23 AM

Originally Posted by gocubs2118

If this was such a "hot ticket" the event would already be sold out.

Yup, especially with 4 schools involved all of which are in state schools, one of which is in des moines, one is 30 miles from the arena, and one is a couple hours east but obviously has no shortage of des moines fans (iowa).

Having a couple thousand seats left this late isnt that impressive.

**capitalcityguy** · 12-13-2012, 11:29 AM

FWIW it is still more tickets sold than would occur when ISU or Iowa play at Drake or UNI. Also, this type of event tends to have a lot of walkup sales...for whatever reason.

**CycloneErik** · 12-13-2012, 11:30 AM

Originally Posted by capitalcityguy

FWIW it is still more tickets sold than would occur when ISU or Iowa play at Drake or UNI. Also, this type of event tends to have a lot of walkup sales...for whatever reason.

But less fans in seats (or standing, or whatever) than either game would have had.

**capitalcityguy** · 12-13-2012, 11:30 AM

Also, this is the first year and I'm still surprised how many people I run into that aren't even aware of it.

**WastedTalent** · 12-13-2012, 11:31 AM

I would be all about going, but i am not. Only because i do not want to deal with Hok fan talking ****/looking down on me because of their victory last weekend. Yes, I'm that fan.

**capitalcityguy** · 12-13-2012, 11:32 AM

Originally Posted by CycloneErik

But less fans in seats (or standing, or whatever) than either game would have had.

Not sure I"m following.

**alarson** · 12-13-2012, 11:33 AM

Originally Posted by capitalcityguy

FWIW it is still more tickets sold than would occur when ISU or Iowa play at Drake or UNI. Also, this type of event tends to have a lot of walkup sales...for whatever reason.

Sure, because of smaller arena capacity. But likely less than the combined total if both were told 'play at ISU\Iowa or not at all', which is what is going to eventually happen when this WF series is abandoned. With drake i could see it being a 'hilton and neutral' series.

**CycloneErik** · 12-13-2012, 11:36 AM

Originally Posted by capitalcityguy

Not sure I"m following.

ISU @ Drake = full arena. The complement of tickets purchased amounts to the # of people in the seats.

ISU or Iowa @ UNI= full arena. Same as above.

Full session tickets for this deal:
ISU fans attend the ISU game. Many of their seats are vacant for Iowa-UNI. Same goes for Drake fans.
Iowa fans attend the Iowa-UNI game. Many of their seats are empty for the ISU-Drake game. Same goes for UNI fans.

There's no way, even if they achieve a sellout, that the place is more than 60% full for any of these games, whereas the place would be packed and focused at either small school. Drake at ISU this year would be very close to a full house in attendance.

There will be a lot of paid-for, empty seats at each of these Wells Fargo games.

**capitalcityguy** · 12-13-2012, 11:38 AM

Originally Posted by alarson

Sure, because of smaller arena capacity. But likely less than the combined total if both were told 'play at ISU\Iowa or not at all', which is what is going to eventually happen when this WF series is abandoned. With drake i could see it being a 'hilton and neutral' series.

If this fails, it will be at Iowa and at ISU only in the future. No going back now IMO.

**capitalcityguy** · 12-13-2012, 11:39 AM

Originally Posted by CycloneErik

ISU @ Drake = full arena. The complement of tickets purchased amounts to the # of people in the seats.

ISU or Iowa @ UNI= full arena. Same as above.

Full session tickets for this deal:
ISU fans attend the ISU game. Many of their seats are vacant for Iowa-UNI. Same goes for Drake fans.
Iowa fans attend the Iowa-UNI game. Many of their seats are empty for the ISU-Drake game. Same goes for UNI fans.

There's no way, even if they achieve a sellout, that the place is more than 60% full for any of these games, whereas the place would be packed and focused at either small school. Drake at ISU this year would be very close to a full house in attendance.

There will be a lot of paid-for, empty seats at each of these Wells Fargo games.

I disagree. I think there are going to be more basketball fans than homers in attendance.

**capitalcityguy** · 12-13-2012, 11:43 AM

I predict that the seats that are sold will be filled for the most part 2nd half of Iowa vs UNI game and 1st half of ISU vs Drake (and potentially longer into the second half if game is entertaining.