Is anyone else trying to negotiate their Tech Fund?

beej67 said:
The Tech Fund is not payment for services rendered. It's a charitable donation to something you love, to support it and make it better.
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It's a donation in consideration with doing your taxes only. It's not a donation when you have to pay it to get the seat.
 
Re: what a pansy!

TechSBP said:
1. I will live 4400 miles away and will have an 80 hour a week job. It takes well over a day to travel to atlanta and it's about $1500 per flight. That's why I won't come to games next year. If that makes me a pansy, then so be it. You've already told the entire board you wouldn't spend $10,000 a year to go to games so I guess you're a pansy too.

I make a donation equivalent to the tickets I would normally buy + tech fund. I think that's more than fair

There is only so much I can afford to pay to watch tech football. Now, see #2:

2. I understand if you have kids, but there are cheap seats (150 a pop). You can get those instead of trying to pull one over on tech.

3. Yes, I know there is supply and demand. But what others have tried to tell you before--if that is what you go by, you are lucky tech football is even mediocre. with that type of fan support we won't be mediocre for long. It is about supporting the team, not getting the best price. Until you get that, our fan support will continue to suck.
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but soon they will release my season tickets or at leats comparable tix on the 50 YL in the UW or UE for $140 or so for the three game of my choice. Why pay $600 per seaosn ticket when I can go to the three games I want for less than $150 per ticket for basically the same seats?

I don't understand why being a Tech fan means getting screwed financially but UGA, FS, MIA, etc. sidewalk fans get to come to Tech to see their teams play for a lot less than I pay.
 
thwg said:
sounds like you're the cheap bastard, I'm trying to be a shrewd bastad.

I will buy season tickets but I'm trying to negotiate a price closer to market value.

If someone is willing to pay their prices and split them with me, let me know. i'm on the 35 YL about the 10th row lower west.
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It's kind of funny. Clemson fans, which have had about the same level of athletic success as us in recent years, go all out, give lots of money in donation, wear orange to the game, and make the whole thing a great experience so that others want to do the same. Tech fans, given the same level of success, see that not as many fans are willing to donate it, and instead of saying "Well, I'm going to do my best to support my institution anyway and hopefully others will follow suit" they say "Screw that, if others don't want to step up I'm sure as hell not going to, our institution's well being be damned" and then complain when they see how much better of an experience going to a Clemson game is than going to a Tech game.

How is the problem ever going to be fixed with that attitude? Do you not wear gold to the game because you see others wearing random colors and it's easier to just wear what you have on? Do you sell your extra tickets to opposing fans rather than Tech fans because you can generally make more money off of them? Becoming a major D1 athletic force requires effort on the part of more than just the administration...it requires it on the part of the fans too, and unfortunately the right attitude is not there among our fans, even our hardcore ones. What's the market value on winning a national championship in five years? We'll never know, because you have to make the investment five years in advance, and our fans simply aren't willing to do that. Fortunately, as someone else said, we have a small group of very generous alumni who do understand that, so we are able to get some things done(not that they can fill the seats with gold or prevent our fans from selling tickets to opponents when we are mediocre).
 
mts315 said:
THWG,

I am sorry that you don't feel that you got your money's worth last year. But I bought 3 3-game packs from you last year. I don't know how many you got stuck with but that is your bad. Also, are you holding tech over the barrel for Amy's tickets as well. I am sure that some of the UGA fans that sat around me bought them off of your wifes website, www.amystickets.com

The tech fund is an investment in the team and the institute. I am not sure what your motives are but I can assure you that most on here are motivated by having the best for our team and our school. It appears to me you are out for profit and what is best for you. If you want a good seat buy one from Amy or sit on your sofa and watch it on T.V., they get the best angles anyway.
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I think the Tech Fund is misguided venture because the demand is not legit. Demand for 50 YL Club seats and to some degree prime lower west seats is close to market value but paying to have to sit on the 20s and 30s almost as much is just a bad idea.

The $150 seaosn ticket this seaosn is a great example of them realizing the market value of GT tickets. i applaud them for doing so.

As far as amystickets goes it is a wholesale business than does basically no retail business. she has been featured on Good Morning America, Fast Company, and Atlanta Woman Magazine (with a pic of her at GT). For this reason, I have some insider knowledge with market value of seats.

Amy does not sell to UGA fans per my command and hence the reason I tried to sell UGA tix to only GT fans on ere last season. that being said we obviously have UGA friends and extended family that do use her tickets so those could have been near you.

But if you need some Braves tickets for this weekend, she'll sell to you regardles of your affiliation. That being said, she primarily sells to RazorGator, Empire, etc as a wholesaler.

Am I to assuem that instead of buying 3 packs this season you have instead given generously to the Tech Fund so you can invest in the team? I gave almost $3000 to the Tech Fund last seaosn for my family of 5 plus 3 extras to be used by our friends,family, etc. I also paid over $2000 on top of that for tickets. however, I got to see some good games against good competition so I could justify paying a premium over market value last season.

But this season, the premium is just way too much to justify. I hope you have justified and have dropped the thousands than you didn't have to drop last year thanks to me buying them for you.
 
gth816f said:
It's kind of funny. Clemson fans, which have had about the same level of athletic success as us in recent years, go all out, give lots of money in donation, wear orange to the game, and make the whole thing a great experience so that others want to do the same. quote]

You're making false assumptions. Clemson this season implemented something like the Tehc Fund. Previously, you could have been giving $100 a year for 30 years and be sitting on the 50 YL. i have friends who do. Many old-time Clemson fans are pissed and dropped their tickets because of the new Clemson Fund.

The principle I believe is people at some point will realize prices are being driven higher than what the market bears and they will quit paying it. Maybeat UGA right nowe they can charge an arm and a leg but at GT and most places, there is simply not demand for prices this high. this is not a bad thing for athletic associations to be reigned in to soem degree.
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thwg said:
. I also paid over $2000 on top of that for tickets. however, I got to see some good games against good competition so I could justify paying a premium over market value last season.

But this season, the premium is just way too much to justify. I hope you have justified and have dropped the thousands than you didn't have to drop last year thanks to me buying them for you.
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Let me make this clear to you:

1. You see this as a business decision--you want the most entertainment at the lowest price possible. There is nothing wrong with that and you have every right to do that.

2. For fans, especially in the education context of GT, the above approach is unacceptable. We give to the Tech fund not only b/c we want good seats (we could get those the same way you are talking about) but because we want to see GT succeed. Other fanbases do this, ours, full of cheap tools who see this as merely entertainment, is a mixed bag. Many of us support the Tech Fund (and AT before that) b/c it is good for tech and the future. We do it for reasons beyond getting the lowest price--and those reasons stem from our support for GT, not our desire to do #1.

You are in the first camp, many of us are in the second. We are obviously hoping to persuade more people to join the second camp and we suffer from the public goods problem that allow people in the first camp to free ride.

I hope I made things clearer.
 
thwg said:
Maybeat UGA right nowe they can charge an arm and a leg but at GT and most places, there is simply not demand for prices this high. this is not a bad thing for athletic associations to be reigned in to soem degree.
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While I agree somewhat with what you are saying, GT's PSL is far lower than schools like UGA, Clemson's new fund, LSU etc etc. We would be at the bottom of that list for equivalent seat cost, and there are PLENTY of seats that don't require PSL and you can't say that about UGA. If you don't like it, move to a non-PSL seat...what is the issue?

Secondly, I know for a fact the AA is looking at modifications to the techfund based on demand etc etc. When they first implemented it, they had no data to go on so they took a swag. Now with 2-3 years of data....there is enough to go on and I wouldn't be shocked to see revisions in 2009.

Secondly, to the posters who say tech fans are cheap...I agree. Its supply and demand. We complain about not having enough GT gear for sale, but don't buy enough to warrant the manufactures to make more. We complain about poor atmosphere in the stadium, yet can't get people to pony up $$ to buy seats or extra seats, dollars that are far less than an avg UGA or Clemson fan; with a fanbase that supposedly is smarter and more successful -- Scoff.

Theory; its engineers. Engineers are typically a conservative tight wad bunch that are overstressed and overanalytical. They would rather save $5 on parking than park close and save 40 minutes of time. They would rather fight every saturday to get a ticket below face value, than pay face value and enjoy the ease of the game. They would rather complain about what tech is giving them, then donate money to a school that essentially has provided them every opportunity by allowing them to attend it, and using their name on their resume. Its really funny.

Do you guys realize, the AA says they only have 18,000 fans that on any give saturday they can rely on? Now, THAT INCLUDES household fans like kids and wives. So if you say on average there are 3 people a household, that is only 6,000 households that come to tech games consistently. THAT IS PATHETIC.
 
Here's an analogy. Public schools fail, why? Because they're not held accountable. They get money, more money, and more money, yet they fail. Tech atheletics has started to "fail" in the sense the fans were getting pissed and showing it by not coming to the games. D-Rad held Chan accountable. Now Chan's gone. I'll bet donations will increase by a good percentage over the next couple of years. That's the way to do it, don't demand donations. Less TECH people came to the games last year. Clemson and UGA were an embarassment. It's not the fan's fault, it's the AD's fault. They dealt with it by hiring PJ. I bet Chan would still be here if we sold out every game last year.
 
I think the Tech Fund is misguided venture because the demand is not legit.
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The Tech Fund is not misguided because it took us from being in the red, to being in the black. Period.

What DanR has done, is realized there are some people who will pay more, and some people who can't afford to pay much but would still pay, and is getting more money out of the people who can pay more, and getting some money at all out of the people who can't. That's smart business sense.

You, thwg, want more, but aren't willing to pay more for it. If you want cheap seats, come sit upstairs with me, don't try and demand good seats for cheap just because there are cheap seats nowadays.

Would you use a fake student ID to get the student discount at a movie theater, with the justification that since students get tickets on the cheap, the value of the ticket must be what the students are paying? Same difference.
 
gth816f said:
It's kind of funny. Clemson fans, which have had about the same level of athletic success as us in recent years, go all out, give lots of money in donation, wear orange to the game, and make the whole thing a great experience so that others want to do the same.
Clemson fans have the luxory of beating their in-state rival. Their state fan base is split. Us, um, not so much.
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samsgt02 said:
Clemson fans have the luxory of beating their in-state rival. Their state fan base is split. Us, um, not so much.
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So how do you fix that? You get better. How do you do that? Maybe hire a new coach, improve facilities, improve recruiting staff, etc. What does it all require? Money. Where does the money have to come from? The fans. Ultimately the fans have to step up and donate/pay, because college institutions don't get quite rich off of TV royalties like pro teams do. Fortunately we have some rich alumni who were willing to shoulder the load that most fans didn't want to, and we have been able to make some big adjustments and hopefully get back on the right track.
 
gth816f said:
So how do you fix that? You get better. How do you do that? Maybe hire a new coach, improve facilities, improve recruiting staff, etc. What does it all require? Money. Where does the money have to come from? The fans. Ultimately the fans have to step up and donate/pay, because college institutions don't get quite rich off of TV royalties like pro teams do. Fortunately we have some rich alumni who were willing to shoulder the load that most fans didn't want to, and we have been able to make some big adjustments and hopefully get back on the right track.
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Clough should have stepped in when Braine extended Gailey's contract. If that happens, we wouldn't be in this situation, now would we? Not only was Braine's extension a bad decision that cost the Institute a lot, he announced Tech should have low expectations. You don't get money for crap management. DRAD has managed the big picture fine by getting rid of Gailey. That's when it will pay off. The big donors got DRAD to fire Gailey, hire PJ. Now the little donors will do their part when they see some improvements on the field.
 
the reality is GT has allowed too many opposing fans to take too much control over our events.

-GT sells tix to ugag fans at BB game and some students lost their seats

-GT sells tailgating area spots to opposing teams

-GT allows comp tix to be given to opposing teams

All of this makes the game experience SUCK. I have not gone to the Ugag game the last few years b/c I don't want to deal w/ those idiots ( I do make sure someone is wearing gold in my seats last year it was a former GT all-american).

GT's fans may be some cheap bastards but the GT tix people are JUST AS GREEDY.

I have no problem w/ someone attempting to negotiate a better deal. I hope it works out for him. The simple fact they moved the game to Thursday shows their disdain for FAN CONCERN.

Just b/c someone can give you an explanation for screwing you it doesn't change the fact you got screwed.
 
gth816f said:
So how do you fix that? You get better. How do you do that? Maybe hire a new coach, improve facilities, improve recruiting staff, etc. What does it all require? Money. Where does the money have to come from? The fans. Ultimately the fans have to step up and donate/pay, because college institutions don't get quite rich off of TV royalties like pro teams do. Fortunately we have some rich alumni who were willing to shoulder the load that most fans didn't want to, and we have been able to make some big adjustments and hopefully get back on the right track.
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WELL SAID
 
samsgt02 said:
Here's an analogy. Public schools fail, why? Because they're not held accountable. They get money, more money, and more money, yet they fail.
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Public schools fail because they can not restrict their clientele. Public School which can control student enrollment compete. This is why American high schools blow, but American colleges excel.

But that has nothing with thwg applying a cost-benefit model to an emotional issue like college sports.
 
thwg said:
I am leery of posting this here as i might lose my leverage by letting the cat out of the bag. I believe there is absolutely no demand for Tech tix this season at the inflated Tech fund prices.

So, I paid for my seasons without donating. I told them either they give me the same seats as last year or refund my money. I told them next season, if demand is greater, I'll pay the Tech Fund.

I've got to believe they're going to be selling excellent seats in the 3 game packs as there is little demand for $200-$300 per seat Tech fund seats. they have not given my seats away yet so it's not like they have others wanting to buy them.

Do you think i'll be successful?
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If you are successful, I have a major problem with this. If they are going to implement a program, then do it right. the minute they start negotiating with you is the minute the Tech Fund becomes like a used car lot.
 
TechSBP said:
THWG,
George O'Leary was slightly off when he said we wanted to be Harvard during the week and Notre Dame on the weekends.

He should have said---they want to be Southern Cal on the field---and pay like its a high school program.

Tech fans are cheap. Even VANDY, WAKE FOREST, and BOSTON COLLEGE have similar ticket programs. Their alumni (and Wake and Vandy are much, much smaller schools) don't complain as much as Tech's fanbase. Places where winning football is not common--even by our standards---like UK---don't have fans that are as cheap as ours. This isn't about getting "bang for your buck," it's about supporting the program.

Our fans are part of the problem--many of our alumni are just as much bandwagon fans as half the U[sic]GA ones---especially the ones who make more than enough money to buy tickets (and make the donation) but don't b/c they "expect winning first." A fellow alum (who makes well over 200K a year and single) told me recently that he wouldn't buy tickets b/c it was cheaper to watch at home. Yet, he was right there with me ready to fire Gailey after the U[sic]GA game last year. HE expects to win, on someone else's dime.

This isn't a chicken and egg problem. You've got to pony up if you want to win. The only reason we are still in the game is because Tech has a small core of very loyal and generous alumni. In a couple decades, I hope I'm one of them. But I hope there will be other shoulders to bare the load.

I'll be 4,400 miles away next year. I won't buy season tickets. But I WILL make my donation. But go ahead. Sit at home and complain about how it costs money to support an athletic program.
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Good post. A++++. Would read again.
 
33jacket said:
While I agree somewhat with what you are saying, GT's PSL is far lower than schools like UGA, Clemson's new fund, LSU etc etc. We would be at the bottom of that list for equivalent seat cost, and there are PLENTY of seats that don't require PSL and you can't say that about UGA. If you don't like it, move to a non-PSL seat...what is the issue?

Secondly, I know for a fact the AA is looking at modifications to the techfund based on demand etc etc. When they first implemented it, they had no data to go on so they took a swag. Now with 2-3 years of data....there is enough to go on and I wouldn't be shocked to see revisions in 2009.

Secondly, to the posters who say tech fans are cheap...I agree. Its supply and demand. We complain about not having enough GT gear for sale, but don't buy enough to warrant the manufactures to make more. We complain about poor atmosphere in the stadium, yet can't get people to pony up $$ to buy seats or extra seats, dollars that are far less than an avg UGA or Clemson fan; with a fanbase that supposedly is smarter and more successful -- Scoff.

Theory; its engineers. Engineers are typically a conservative tight wad bunch that are overstressed and overanalytical. They would rather save $5 on parking than park close and save 40 minutes of time. They would rather fight every saturday to get a ticket below face value, than pay face value and enjoy the ease of the game. They would rather complain about what tech is giving them, then donate money to a school that essentially has provided them every opportunity by allowing them to attend it, and using their name on their resume. Its really funny.

Do you guys realize, the AA says they only have 18,000 fans that on any give saturday they can rely on? Now, THAT INCLUDES household fans like kids and wives. So if you say on average there are 3 people a household, that is only 6,000 households that come to tech games consistently. THAT IS PATHETIC.
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To prove your ppint I had lunch with two GT grads developers in midtown yesterday. They both reminisced aboiut GT football. I asked if they had tickets, neither do. these guys must be worth at least several million each. They said they realized they were only going to 2-3 games a year and they couldn't justify the expense (these are multi-millionaires who I assume owe part of their success to their GT degrees and network). If they want to go to a game, they can always get a ticket from a friend.

So, here I am worth significantly less than them and one of the 6000 or so families who have dug pretty deep the last few years. Literally guys in this thread have been mildy critical when in fact they did not and do not give a penny to the Tech Fund and don't even buy season tickets.

If I'm one of the 6000, I just want to be treated like a MVC and have a more equitable Tech Fund. The great news is, and I know you are very connected, is that you say that is likely to come. i just wish they had done it for this year. My strong gut is they will let me sit in my seats from last year and a lesser donation as they realize for where I sit i am paying a huge premium.

I don't mind paying a premium to support GT but there is a line and this year's Tech Fund at $350 a pop plus the price of seaosn tickets is it for me.

Thanks for the great info.
 
law_bee said:
I have no problem w/ someone attempting to negotiate a better deal. I hope it works out for him. The simple fact they moved the game to Thursday shows their disdain for FAN CONCERN.

Just b/c someone can give you an explanation for screwing you it doesn't change the fact you got screwed.
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Have you ever thought that there are a lot of people who are happy that the game is on Thursday night as opposed to Saturday at noon? Say what you want about travel, work, etc., but the atmosphere at a Thursday night game will be FAR better than at a noon Saturday game, and a lot of people will take that and being tired at work or taking a day off if given the chance. I understand that you travel from out of town or whatever, but most of the people who go to Tech are in town. Don't act like they are doing something that most of the fan base hates and feels they are getting screwed by.
 
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