Funny how this thread represents other arguments we have talking past each other. A few thoughts:
1) The UGA loss matters; maybe not to you but to many. Maybe those who insist that it matters are irrational bad fans and you are the definition of a "good fan", but GT sports future will rise or fall based on the attitudes of that majority. GT will not attract enough "good fans" whose attitude is completely unaffected by the outcome of our rivalry. So we need to beat UGA to placate all of us "bad fans." :-)
2) The middle of the week after many have burned vacation for the holidays absolutely affects attendance. Hang that one on the BCS for spreading games to value TV over attendance. Move all the New Year's Bowls back where they belong.
3) Don't understand the ticket pricing. GT couldn't have paid more for tickets than the OB is selling them to individuals. Drop the price to $95 and see if things improve. Does GTAA expect the sale of crappy seats at $35 over market to subsidize those who got better value seats for $125? Why not sell the tickets at market value depending on location just like the OB does?
4) I'm a bad fan because I care about beating UGA but I am a good fan because I am paying large $$$$ for hotel, car, and airfare to support the team. But I am a bad fan because I am not going to spend all that money and sit in an overpriced crappy seat. I can accept that.
5) Airfare is not the same everywhere. I am paying $350 each for two people, not $50. And that was a good fare with limited seats available. Other options were much more.
6) Students have less excuse for expenses, not more. Cram people into a car and split gas. Put 8 people in a hotel room and draw straws to sleep on the floor. Your young backs can take it and you can eat junk food for a couple of days. This thing is costing me $1500 to $2000 but I could make it work for less than $200 in school, including a $95 ticket.
7) This game matters, big time. We need to win it for next year and to get a few to reconsider their attitude about the ACC and the value of "winning the ACC." We already won the ACC. This game is to determine how much that mattered and to a lesser extent how much it will matter next year.
We had a thread chastising a student for expecting GTAA to subsidize student tickets. But a lot of folks bought tickets for $125 that were priced significantly higher. Who subsidized those people?
The bottom line is fans and alumni of a school with block tickets should get as good or a better deal, if anything, from GTAA than they can get elsewhere.