For the eager freshmen sleeping in their tents outside of Magness Arena on Sept. 26, there was great anticipation for the morning and the ensuing availability of student hockey tickets.
In this college version of Christmas, students were able to purchase season tickets for the upcoming hockey schedule. This year, however, the price of tickets was raised to $50 from last year’s $20 for the bundle.
In spite of much harsher conditions and freezing temperatures last year, the $20 season tickets sold out in just two hours. All 500 of them. So, how will the increase in price affect student attendance this year?
Freshmen are mostly unaware of the hike in price, so maybe game attendance will be similar.
It could even increase the amount of freshmen at the games because these students will have paid more money per contest than last year’s crop of freshmen. Therefore, there will be more money tied up in each game and possibly more incentive to get their full money’s worth.
Denver sophomore Madelyn Rahn did not buy tickets this year because of the price hike.
“I heard that it used to be $50 in past years and last year was only a trial run for $20. So I guess they’ve switched it back. I did not get tickets this year, but I did last year. I love hockey games, but I’ll probably only go to four this year. $20 will still be my limit,” Rahn said.
If many students think of the raise in price this way, attendance could logically lower.
According to Ryan Peck, associate vice chancellor of external affairs for DU athletics, college athletics administrators from across the country have noticed an alarming trend in the decline of student attendance for games. Due to this decrease, Peck says DU athletics is trying to determine various marketing strategies and pricing initiatives that engage the student body and entice them to attend home athletic events.
“Last year, we tried a significant price decrease to see if it would get more students in the building, and it didn’t seem to work as a result of de-valuing the ticket too much based on the attendance figures from 2013-14,” said Peck. “We are going back to the drawing board to see what new methods we can use to make the games attractive for the student body.”
Many happy campers did purchase their tickets Saturday morning despite the price increase, including freshman Carolyn Angiollo.
“I love hockey, so I plan to go to every game. I camped out and it was cold, but worth it,” she said. “The package covers about 15 games, so I’m happy with the price.”
Angiollo also knew about the increase in price.
“Fifty dollars is what it is. It’s still a value and I’m happy to pay that. It might have been $20 last year, but I wasn’t here for that. Lots of kids are going this year that I’ve talked to. They’re just excited for hockey, to get into the school spirit here,” Angiollo said.
Many students attend DU because of the rich hockey tradition, and are thrilled to attend the games as part of the student body, no matter the cost. For a lot of students, the games are about more than paying for the ticket; they’re about attending a unique and authentic experience that only DU can provide. Games ingrain them into the community in a way no other event can.
“This season, we are excited to have a good schedule with quality opponents coming to town, as well as being the reigning NCHC Tournament Champions,” said Peck. “Our hope is that we can find the right balance of a packed student section along with various initiatives that attract non-hockey fans to come and check out a game. We need to pack the student section and create a home ice advantage every game—we appreciate [students’] help in doing so.”
Peck also said he hopes the price adjustment will help DU athletics better gauge the size of the crowd that they will have on any given game night, expecting high redemption rates for big events like CC games and homecoming, and low student attendance when classes are not in session.
“By having a better gauge on the student section size, we can implement various initiatives to make sure the game atmosphere is exciting for all attendees,” he said.
Even at $50, the bundle of season tickets for students represents a good value. The hockey program’s tradition makes the games attractive and worthwhile year after year.
The annual campout received many participants and several students were glad to fork over the $50.
The attendance numbers will remain unclear until DU kicks off its hockey season in Denver’s Magness Arena on Oct. 4. The puck will drop at 7:07 p.m.
This story was edited to include additional information on Oct. 11, 2014.
