The folks at the alma mater are doing their best to price middle-class and working-class UVA Football and UVA Basketball fans out of being UVA Football and UVA Basketball fans.
I’ve written about the what they’re insisting over there is “not a reseating plan” for UVA Basketball, and the sticker shock for people who’ve had season tickets for 20 years and now realize, I’d have to take out a second mortgage and sell one of my kidneys to afford to re-up.
ICYMI
- UVA Basketball: The 1 percent is going to be asked to dig a little deeper for tickets
- Mailbag: UVA Basketball fans vent on ticket prices, lackluster transfer portal
Obviously, the folks at UVA Athletics responsible for this harebrained scheme, who should be sacked, but won’t be, only talked to the big-money folks before hitting send on the email announcing this “not a reseating plan.”
Flying under the radar is what they’re doing to also ruin football.
I got an email from a reader and long-time football season-ticket holder who’d had three season tickets since the first year of Al Groh, so, a while.
Last year, having “had enough of mediocrity, getting embarrassed by Virginia Tech, the cumulative effect of lousy coaching, horrible gameday experiences in a one-third-full stadium after driving from Richmond, that was it, I cancelled my season tickets in Section 106 halfway up.”
Can’t blame the guy.
It’s my job to be at games, and it’s hard for me to get motivated to want to be there, and not just phone it in.
“As an alum and long-time fan, I’ve contributed $35,000 through the years to the VAF. I had hoped withholding support would be the theme of many and lead to Carla getting replaced. But alas, some billionaire bailed her out,” the reader wrote.
The good news from the transfer portal, also the result of bailouts from the billionaires, got my new friend to relent and say, OK, time to come back into the fold.
“Before my time window opened, I saw green available seats all over the lower stadium, probably thousands. I think, OK, I’ll get another decent pair of seats with my tepid donation,” he wrote.
“I excitedly clicked a seat around the 50 yard line, but it doinked, and I got a message saying the MINIMUM required to get that seat was $7,500. Holy shite!”
That would have been my reaction as well.
That’s $7,500 just to be able to then buy tickets, and doesn’t include parking.
“I thought, I’ll move over and try the sections on either side. Five thousand dollar minimum. I moved over on both sides again to 123, and $3,000 minimum. Going further over to Section 122, my $800 donation finally allowed me to sit down, 15 yard line. About the same seat I had to watch Al Groh doing his thing my first year. So, $1,810 for two tickets to seven games on the 15 yard line with thousands of empties all around. And Coastal Carolina and William & Mary shouldn’t even count.”
“Bottom line, the stadium will be empty again, leading to a lousy gameday,” the fan wrote. “Funny thing, I had fun watching our teams then when the stadium was full and we won. The two key things we can’t seem to figure out. Fill the f***ing place up and win.”
I’ve been saying and writing this for years.
Put butts in seats, build an atmosphere.
The money in football comes from TV anyway.
Make UVA Football fun again.
They don’t get it over there.
“Central Virginia citizens can’t afford the elites now running the show. Unless they sell all the available seats as singles for $200 each, they are losing money. Good luck with that. No tailgate parking available for those giving less than $1,750, either.
“Unless we beat VT, get in the playoffs and a good bowl game, this recent retiree is going fishing on Saturdays. Pickleball, anyone?”
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Chris Graham
