Tailgating At Oklahoma is going ELITE (Not the Good Elite)

[ISUMAN13]

Josh Pate talked about this on his show and I have seen @ChrisMWilliams bring this up, but these media rights deals keep on getting bigger and we the fans keep on getting asked to shell out more money. The Big 10 is making a billion per year and the SEC is not far behind.
I know Iowa State is doing some renovations to tailgating with the RV lot or the Pollard and light district but I have talked with my buddy (we both graduated Iowa State in 16 & 17) and we both are thinking what I feel a lot us are that it is making it harder to care when the greater powers that be (ESPN/ FOX) spit in your face constantly along with certain college admins & athletic departments. I don't mean Jamie or Iowa State, I know they make tough decisions (moving lots, SEZ project, etc). Ranty post but something I feel most of us are thinking. could be wrong. Also Pate love IState watch his stuff if you can and @ChrisMWilliams should have him on the pod if possible!

 

[BryceC]

I'm sure some people will have some bad examples, but IMO the only major tailgating change I can remember at ISU (moving the students to a dedicated student lot across the road) was an awesome move. For the record I was a student when it happened and we were all mad about it, then about 2 games in we were like, dang this is great. I think the RV lot experience will be the same thing.

I think JP knows that the tailgating and fun of the ISU experience is what keeps fans coming back even in the lean years, and at a place like ISU there will always be lean years.

 

[CYdTracked]

I fear that at some point the money is going to get so ridiculous that going to college athletic events is going to be the same problem as going to professional sporting events. The average fan will get squeezed out financially at certain price points and our mindset is going to be a lot like going to a professional sport event where you can only afford to go to a certain number of games and season tickets and game day traditions like tailgating will be a matter of what you are willing to pay for or afford. Paying college athletes and all the fundraising needed to keep up with the Jones race in facilities are just going to get passed on to the fans in some form and I fear it's going to ruin some of the gameday atmosphere and ability for the average fan to continue to enjoy or even afford to go at some point. Feels like college athletics are already headed down that path of being essentially a semi-pro league with the NIL, collectives, huge TV deals, conference realignment that is all tied to that, and more talk of universities some day directly paying student-athletes. At what point does it have a trickledown effect on the fans where they no longer enjoy the product as much as they have due to all the money involved that has changed their experience?

 

[BryceC]

I fear that at some point the money is going to get so ridiculous that going to college athletic events is going to be the same problem as going to professional sporting events. The average fan will get squeezed out financially at certain price points and our mindset is going to be a lot like going to a professional sport event where you can only afford to go to a certain number of games and season tickets and game day traditions like tailgating will be a matter of what you are willing to pay for or afford. Paying college athletes and all the fundraising needed to keep up with the Jones race in facilities are just going to get passed on to the fans in some form and I fear it's going to ruin some of the gameday atmosphere and ability for the average fan to continue to enjoy or even afford to go at some point. Feels like college athletics are already headed down that path of being essentially a semi-pro league with the NIL, collectives, huge TV deals, conference realignment that is all tied to that, and more talk of universities some day directly paying student-athletes. At what point does it have a trickledown effect on the fans where they no longer enjoy the product as much as they have due to all the money involved that has changed their experience?

Don't you think we've already crossed that line? I think I probably don't enjoy the product as much as I used to. I still love it enough we'll deal with it.

 

[Aclone]

Josh Pate talked about this on his show and I have seen @ChrisMWilliams bring this up, but these media rights deals keep on getting bigger and we the fans keep on getting asked to shell out more money. The Big 10 is making a billion per year and the SEC is not far behind.
I know Iowa State is doing some renovations to tailgating with the RV lot or the Pollard and light district but I have talked with my buddy (we both graduated Iowa State in 16 & 17) and we both are thinking what I feel a lot us are that it is making it harder to care when the greater powers that be (ESPN/ FOX) spit in your face constantly along with certain college admins & athletic departments. I don't mean Jamie or Iowa State, I know they make tough decisions (moving lots, SEZ project, etc). Ranty post but something I feel most of us are thinking. could be wrong. Also Pate love IState watch his stuff if you can and @ChrisMWilliams should have him on the pod if possible!

I am pretty sure that one day you and your buddy (young whippersnappers!) will be tailgating in what you may well call the Nineteenth Hole—new lots where half of the golf course now is, just beyond the RV

 

[Aclone]

I am pretty sure that one day you and your buddy (young whippersnappers!) will one day be tailgating in what you may well call the Nineteenth Hole…new lots beyond the RV parking where half of the golf course currently resides.

I understand their lease is up before too terribly long, on the facilities scale of things.

 

[CYdTracked]

Don't you think we've already crossed that line? I think I probably don't enjoy the product as much as I used to. I still love it enough we'll deal with it.

Yes but it's only going to get worse going forward I think. I know myself and the guys I have season tickets with have already had this discussion about how much more are we willing to pay to continue buying season tickets as there will be a day when we may hit our breaking point and feel we don't enjoy the product enough to pay the inevitable price bumps are coming. We already are non-donor season ticket holders that park in GA lots for tailgating and we enjoy game days from our "cheap seats" but I don't see our situation going in the direction of committing significantly more financially to continue that. At some point the price I pay to enjoy a half a dozen game days in the fall could become not worth it to me if it starts to feel too commercialized and more like going to a pro sporting event. I really hope that doesn't happen but I never thought there would be a day I would start to question it either.

 

[Didley]

Tailgating will be fun regardless of where it happens. The only thing that would kill tailgating is something like a no-alcohol policy or something like that.

 

[Thomasrickj]

Tailgating will be fun regardless of where it happens. The only thing that would kill tailgating is something like a no-alcohol policy or something like that.

Don't ever mention anything that preposterous!

 

[intrepid27]

https://www.google.com/maps/place/G...3ea1be12!8m2!3d35.2058537!4d-97.4423145?hl=en

This crack me up that this is even a thing. There is VERY little parking around that stadium so I'm not sure this is going to effect very many people. The paved lot just NE of the stadium is traditionally used for food vendors and a "fan experience" type set up.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

Wouldn't OU have to have a tailgating scene for this to even matter? It's easily the worst gameday experience I've attended.

 

[Didley]

https://www.google.com/maps/place/G...3ea1be12!8m2!3d35.2058537!4d-97.4423145?hl=en

This crack me up that this is even a thing. There is VERY little parking around that stadium so I'm not sure this is going to effect very many people. The paved lot just NE of the stadium is traditionally used for food vendors and a "fan experience" type set up.

Agreed. We did the DFW alumni tailgate out by Noble Arena in the RV lots and had fun. This seems to be where any real tailgating takes place. The thing that kills tailgating in my opinion there is that the football stadium is on campus so the kids can just drink in their houses and walk there. And they sell beer in the stadium everywhere so people went in early and got beers pre-game.

 

[Didley]

The private tailgating Pate is bashing seems more like what they did at UNLV in Vegas. Where they had a huge tailgate going on by the Luxor and Mandalay Bay. Lines were long but i dont think anyone really complained much about that.

Also UNLV folks still had an Alumni tailgate right outside the stadium with food and a stage with a band playing. We stopped in there and that was fun too.

 

[cytor]

The private tailgating Pate is bashing seems more like what they did at UNLV in Vegas. Where they had a huge tailgate going on by the Luxor and Mandalay Bay. Lines were long but i dont think anyone really complained much about that.

Also UNLV folks still had an Alumni tailgate right outside the stadium with food and a stage with a band playing. We stopped in there and that was fun too.

The lines were long.... and the beer prices were downright criminal.

 

[cytor]

Wouldn't OU have to have a tailgating scene for this to even matter? It's easily the worst gameday experience I've attended.

Thank God every day for how cool ISU campus and stadium set up are.

 

[SEIOWA CLONE]

Yes but it's only going to get worse going forward I think. I know myself and the guys I have season tickets with have already had this discussion about how much more are we willing to pay to continue buying season tickets as there will be a day when we may hit our breaking point and feel we don't enjoy the product enough to pay the inevitable price bumps are coming. We already are non-donor season ticket holders that park in GA lots for tailgating and we enjoy game days from our "cheap seats" but I don't see our situation going in the direction of committing significantly more financially to continue that. At some point the price I pay to enjoy a half a dozen game days in the fall could become not worth it to me if it starts to feel too commercialized and more like going to a pro sporting event. I really hope that doesn't happen but I never thought there would be a day I would start to question it either.

We are in the same boat, I have already told my wife, this season or next will most likely be the last season we get season tickets. The only reason I am not letting them go after the season is that since we were moved to allow the students in our section, we got a 3 season price increase freeze.

As the brand grows and the team improves its just getting harder to pack the tailgating stuff up and drag it 2.5 hours away, when I can just sit at home and watch them on TV. Or purchase the season tickets, and sell off most but a couple of games.
I guess we will see after the year.

 

[CloneSt8]

My only issue with the new RV lot is that they upped - really upped - the donation level to get into the new lot. Your have to be giving $3500 per year to get a spot in the new lot! I have a friend who is a long time season ticket holder who for years has given at the Gold level. And they had a very nice RV with which they tailgated with friends. Would come in Friday morning and leave Sunday. But they cannot financially justify the added yearly cost for the new RV lot. They sold their RV now.

 

[davegilbertson]

I haven't been to all the Big 12 stadiums, but Norman is just barely a better experience than Manhattan

 

[SEIOWA CLONE]

The private tailgating Pate is bashing seems more like what they did at UNLV in Vegas. Where they had a huge tailgate going on by the Luxor and Mandalay Bay. Lines were long but i dont think anyone really complained much about that.

Also UNLV folks still had an Alumni tailgate right outside the stadium with food and a stage with a band playing. We stopped in there and that was fun too.

The tailgates in Vegas was fun, but they also served alcohol in the stadium, along with a number of other schools in the conference as well as EIU. Not sure why Jami opposes setting a few places separate and away from the concession stands where a person can get a beer or two during the game.

 

[CYdTracked]

We are in the same boat, I have already told my wife, this season or next will most likely be the last season we get season tickets. The only reason I am not letting them go after the season is that since we were moved to allow the students in our section, we got a 3 season price increase freeze.

As the brand grows and the team improves its just getting harder to pack the tailgating stuff up and drag it 2.5 hours away, when I can just sit at home and watch them on TV. Or purchase the season tickets, and sell off most but a couple of games.
I guess we will see after the year.

We got moved and got the 3 year price lock too. We actually relocated to a donor section for now because we normally would not pay the extra $200 a seat plus donation it would require and will re-evaluate our situation once the price lock is up. One of the guys that has tickets with me drives from the quad cities for games and he's had a lot of similar talk like what you described.