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EWU ticket policy angering some Griz football fans
Story Discussion EWU ticket policy angering some Griz football fans
By FRITZ NEIGHBOR of the Missoulian missoulian.com | Posted: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 11:36 pm |
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Some Griz football fans have worked themselves into a lather over Eastern Washington's current ticket policy, in which one can buy single game tickets - say, to Eagles' game against Montana on Sept. 18, in Cheney, Wash. - only if he or she joins the Eagle Athletic Association.
For example, two tickets for Sept. 18, which is the first game played on the new red turf at EWU's Woodward Stadium, come with the added price tag of a $120 donation to the EAA.
Guilty, says Eastern athletic director Bill Chaves.
"If you want to look through the lens of, ‘I want my ticket today,' than that is an accurate statement," Chaves said Wednesday.
Taking a step back, however, allows fans who can wait until Sept. 1 to avoid the EAA fees. Single-game tickets go on sale that day at 11 a.m. Mountain Standard Time, and while there may not be as many as in year's past, there will be quite a few left over. No EAA fees will apply.
Chaves said that Eastern's current policy has been in place for awhile, dating back to before he took over as AD in 2007. It's geared to raise funds and also drive up season ticket purchases, since a season ticket is comparable in price to joining the EAA for priority seats.
It possibly caught Griz fans by surprise because of the date of this year's game; it is the Big Sky Conference opener for both teams. The 2008 game in Cheney was on Oct. 11, and it drew 10,830 fans.
Another factor is that just 500 tickets were allotted to UM to sell, compared to around 2,000, by Chaves' estimation, for the last game in Cheney.
That may have helped Montana fans outnumber Eastern fans on the Grizzlies' last three trips to Cheney. Those games drew the top three crowds in stadium history, with a high of 11,583 in 2006.
An e-mail from EWU's ticket manager, Troy Kirby, said 72 percent of the tickets for the Sept. 18 game had been sold. Woodward Stadium normally has a capacity of 8,600 but increases to 10,800 with the addition of temporary bleachers. Using Kirby's math, some 7,700 tickets are accounted for.
That leaves roughly 3,100 left, and they'll likely go quick. The game may not be quite as maroon as it has been the past three trips - especially with that new turf - but there should be Griz fans aplenty.
And, Chaves hopes, more EWU supporters.
"Each year you're attempting to get as much season ticket support as possible," he said. "Then it's a known quantity of revenue coming in. Anything we can do to encourage ticket sales and donations to the EAA is a good thing for us.
"Certainly we want to try and get as many season tickets sold as possible. Obviously that's the goal."
Eastern had the turf completely installed as of Wednesday. Sports information director Dave Cook said the Eagles would practice on it for the first time Friday.
EWU ticket policy angering some Griz football fans
Story Discussion EWU ticket policy angering some Griz football fans
By FRITZ NEIGHBOR of the Missoulian missoulian.com | Posted: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 11:36 pm |
Font Size: Default font size Larger font size
Some Griz football fans have worked themselves into a lather over Eastern Washington's current ticket policy, in which one can buy single game tickets - say, to Eagles' game against Montana on Sept. 18, in Cheney, Wash. - only if he or she joins the Eagle Athletic Association.
For example, two tickets for Sept. 18, which is the first game played on the new red turf at EWU's Woodward Stadium, come with the added price tag of a $120 donation to the EAA.
Guilty, says Eastern athletic director Bill Chaves.
"If you want to look through the lens of, ‘I want my ticket today,' than that is an accurate statement," Chaves said Wednesday.
Taking a step back, however, allows fans who can wait until Sept. 1 to avoid the EAA fees. Single-game tickets go on sale that day at 11 a.m. Mountain Standard Time, and while there may not be as many as in year's past, there will be quite a few left over. No EAA fees will apply.
Chaves said that Eastern's current policy has been in place for awhile, dating back to before he took over as AD in 2007. It's geared to raise funds and also drive up season ticket purchases, since a season ticket is comparable in price to joining the EAA for priority seats.
It possibly caught Griz fans by surprise because of the date of this year's game; it is the Big Sky Conference opener for both teams. The 2008 game in Cheney was on Oct. 11, and it drew 10,830 fans.
Another factor is that just 500 tickets were allotted to UM to sell, compared to around 2,000, by Chaves' estimation, for the last game in Cheney.
That may have helped Montana fans outnumber Eastern fans on the Grizzlies' last three trips to Cheney. Those games drew the top three crowds in stadium history, with a high of 11,583 in 2006.
An e-mail from EWU's ticket manager, Troy Kirby, said 72 percent of the tickets for the Sept. 18 game had been sold. Woodward Stadium normally has a capacity of 8,600 but increases to 10,800 with the addition of temporary bleachers. Using Kirby's math, some 7,700 tickets are accounted for.
That leaves roughly 3,100 left, and they'll likely go quick. The game may not be quite as maroon as it has been the past three trips - especially with that new turf - but there should be Griz fans aplenty.
And, Chaves hopes, more EWU supporters.
"Each year you're attempting to get as much season ticket support as possible," he said. "Then it's a known quantity of revenue coming in. Anything we can do to encourage ticket sales and donations to the EAA is a good thing for us.
"Certainly we want to try and get as many season tickets sold as possible. Obviously that's the goal."
Eastern had the turf completely installed as of Wednesday. Sports information director Dave Cook said the Eagles would practice on it for the first time Friday.
