Penguins Renew 99% Of Their Season Tickets
Matt Bodenschatz | Pittsburgh Penguins
Jul 17, 03:21 PM | Hype this story!
The following is a Pittsburgh Penguins team press release via the team’s web site:
The Pittsburgh Penguins have renewed 99 percent of their season tickets for the 2008-09 season, it was announced today by team president David Morehouse.
Fans who are at the top of the Penguins’ season ticket waiting list now have the opportunity to purchase the limited number of season tickets that have become available.
“This is another tribute to the passion and loyalty of Pittsburgh Penguins fans and, especially, our season ticket holders,” Morehouse said. “It also gives us an opportunity to reward some of the fans who have been on our season ticket waiting list with the chance to buy Penguins season tickets. The waiting list is at more than 2,100 right now, and it is growing every week.”
Comments
Amy
Jul 17, 03:39 PM
I did a double take when I came to this part of the article:
“The club also plans to select four games for special “Student Rush” promotions. For those games, college and high school students will be able to purchase discounted tickets for $20. A total of 400 tickets will be available for each of the four games.”
Silly me, I thought they were talking about the pre-season games at first. This is even more disheartening than my last run-in with student rush [midway through the season], when my friend and I were told that being eleventh and twelfth in line for rush tickets wasn’t good enough, and that nowhere in the area were seats available that would allow us to sit next to one another. Beggars [and rushers] can’t be choosers, but… come on. Rush has been going on successfully for years, why the need to change things now?
I’m disappointed, PFO.
Matt Bodenschatz
Jul 17, 03:47 PM
To be honest, Amy, I am as well. No longer a college student, I wouldn’t be eligible for the program regardless, but I find it a bit unappreciative of the team to severely limit a program that really helped the team stay alive during the lean years — and one that produced a significant number of hardcore fans who otherwise may not know about or care for the team.
I don’t see what would be the harm in reserving 100 seats for each game for college students.
Jesse Marshall
Jul 17, 03:52 PM
Amy, it’s because of the limited ticket availability. Games are selling out autonomously now. In the past, we had no problems getting in because plenty of seats were available. The Penguins can now make more than $20.00 on a B or C level seat because people are selling the arena out. I can’t foresee the Penguins holding a section open so students can get in for $20.00. Washington’s student rush program is actually in the same shape ours is now that their team has skyrocketed in popularity.
Pens1967
Jul 17, 03:53 PM
It’s probably as good a compromise as one can expect. The Pens are spending near the cap now and in the foreseeable future. The hard fact is, they need the revenue from full price tickets, at least for the next several years until the new arena revenue and development dollars kick in.
I’m not insensitive to the college kids, many of whom will be paying 3.5% more in tuition this year, but it’s just reality the Pens need the money.
Amy
Jul 17, 04:35 PM
Oh, I totally understand the logic behind the move. I suppose I’m just slightly bitter, even though I’m not eligible for the program any longer myself. The program did indeed create a number of hardcore fans — I’ve had a hand in helping create some of those myself, dragging only-slightly-interested friends along and getting them hooked — but restricting / losing it might have an impact on future fanbase-building. Future season-ticket buyers have to come from somewhere. But from an organization that embraced the rush program — anyone remember Colby and Talbot showing up before a game a year and a half to bring pizza to the rushers? — this move almost feels like a slap in the face.
54Fighting
Jul 18, 08:06 AM
The Penguins are a business. They’re in it to make money, period. Why would they sell tickets at $20 when they have people beating down the door to pay full price?
When times were tough the organization went out of its way to get people in the door. Now that things are booming — they’re just out to get as much money as they can.
It’s really that simple. And they know they have the support and waiting list for tickets that they can get away with treating some season ticket holders like **** and eliminating the rush program and there will still be tons of people ready to take the place of those they drive away.
Matt Bodenschatz
Jul 18, 08:39 AM
54Fighintg — nice name, by the way — you hit the nail on the head. It’s a business decision that, I’m sure, was thought out quite carefully. It just stings to see it reduced to so few games.
Pens1967
Jul 18, 09:56 AM
If the Pens were truly just moneygrubbers, they would sell all the seats as full season ticket plans – no partial season tickets, no 6 game plans, no individual games sales, let alone student rush discounts – would be done.
Again, this is about as good a compromise as students, who aren’t entitled to a “discount” btw, should expect.
The NHL is heavily dependent on ticket sale revenue and that is the bottom line.
Perhaps when the new arena is built with more seating, there will be more games allocated for student rush. But in the interim, the Pens need to maximize revenue.
Matt Bodenschatz
Jul 18, 10:36 AM
Pens, I don’t disagree at all. I understand the decision and don’t blame the team for reducing the program. Regardless, I still don’t see the issue with reserving 100 seats per game or every other game…or maybe 50 seats per game or every other game to continue the trend of introducing hockey to the younger generations.
I realize they have to do what they have to do, and, ultimately, it doesn’t affect me anyway. But it just stings a bit to see the program reduced so drastically.
Ben Schmidt
Jul 18, 10:54 AM
Two thoughts:
1) I don’t think there has been any confirmation that there will be no student rush for the rest of the games – just that four games in particular will have 400 tickets set aside for student rush. That’s more student rush tickets than they set aside for any game last season, unless I’m mistaken. I’m not saying they’ll set aside tickets for every game, but they haven’t yet closed the door to the possibility that unsold SRO or obstructed view seats could be made available for Student Rush on gamedays.
2) Anyone else notice the increase in the number of full-season equivalents? Last year, they capped it at 13,500. This year, they are capping it at 14,000. Based on 1% turnover, and an additional 500 seats, that would seem to indicate over 600 tickets that should make it off the waiting list. Of course, some amount of that is probably covered simply from half-season plans being converted to full-season…
54Fighting
Jul 18, 04:45 PM
Some is probably covered by half-seasons being converted. I just wish mine was one of them. I asked before the playoffs even started if I could convert to a full — and I’d even gladly move if need be.
I was told absolutely not.
I’m fine with that. I’m glad I still have my half season. I just wanted more games.
Demand is simply ridiculous right now. The Pens have to walk the line between making as much money as they can and keeping as many people as they can happy.
Look, I’d much rather it be this way than it was when there were 10,000 people in the Igloo and the team was barely worth watching.
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