Reseating=PATHETIC

Not just getting the seat filled. This is the biggest reason why there are so many Ugag and FSU fans in our seats every other year.
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<font size="2" face="Arial, Verdana, Sans-Serif">If Tech grads revered Tech so much there wouldn't be any seats available except the few for Fred Free-Shoes's company ( which does have Tech grads.) I don't here other schools complain about too many of the enemy in the stands.

Its all about the money folks, just follow the money. The more money they generate from football, the more money they have for money losing sports. Just look at the premium seating decision. Even if they don't fill all of them the GTAA is money ahead.

I had season tickets for 6 years until last year. I used to park by the School of Business. Then, they decide you have to make a big donation to park where I did for 6 years. As a diabetic, running from the stadium to the school of business was far enough for me. Now I am like Ahso, I pull for them but from the living room.

You are selling entertainment. Without outside dollars from sidewalk fans like I was, or TV money, the grads can't financially support big time athletics. For the 60% non-grads you are competing for entertainment doooars with Ugag, the Falcons, Auburn, Alabama, and Tenn. The attitude from GTAA sure sent me packing.

That's why 790 doesn't talk all Tech all the time - nobody calls so there is no money in it for them.

When I lived in Richmond the Redskins had 23,000 on a waiting list that would take over 100 years to fill. Tech is not in that position to dictate to the fans, especialy non-grads.
 
DaveTech,

Part of the reason there are not enough Tech grads in the stands is the size of the school. When I graduated, there was about 9,000 including grad school, IIRC. Now there are about 15,000. This compares to about 30,000 at FSU and what, 50K at UGA, Alabama, Tennessee?

It's a small school trying to compete with much larger Division IA programs.

So, thanks to you, MsTechAnalysis, and many others (who post here) we have a support base of loyal Tech fans who didn't go to Tech. This is great! But it isn't the same as the corporate buyers like Fred Free-Shoes that are filling the stands with FSU, UGA, etc. guests for every home game. I know, I've sat next to a bunch of them every home game sense 1996. Never the same people in the season ticket reserved seats, and never a Tech fan in the bunch.

We should welcome Fred, because we do need his money but I wish there were allowances in the seating formulas that provided better seats for the real Tech fans, graduates and non-graduates.
 
Ahso, just a minor point of correction. I believe the student activity fee that is paid separately from the tuition is what gets a student into the various athletic events. Selah!

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Thanks goldeagle, I am really not that literate on the different college costs. Sort of trying to read between the lines.

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Non-alumni play a very important role in Tech athletics and I certainly don't think that contribution should be ignored.

Ahsoisee and 71Bee, I think you both have good perspectives on the issue. I do think that both of you hit on points that I think explains my theory.

Ahsoisee, you mentioned that you are a loyal Tech fan first and have had a few different secondary teams over the years. I certainly don't think that loyal non-alumni fans are going to be unsteady when things get rough. However, I do think there is probably a decent percentage of fans who consider Tech a secondary team and thus lack the loyalty that you and your friends have demonstrated.

71Bee, you mention the company or rival school alumni who purchase the tickets to provide entertainment to their clients or to enjoy their team & conference ball. These probably make up a decent percentage of the non-alumni as well. These season ticket holders are more likely to give up seats to non-Tech fans (as you mentioned) and to possibly not renew if Tech has a rough period.

Also, as calderman420 mentioned earlier, an alumni would likely have attended the games through his college education providing plenty of spirit (at least better than the older crowd). The credit partly rewards this contribution.

In the end, I still think the thought process behind the credit is to tap into the alumni base and generate support both in the stands and with the money. I do think it is tougher for Tech to get alumni interested in sports (again, due to the academic environment and the student body profile) and these bonus points help make sure they entice these people in the door.

There is really some truth in all our opinions. They've probably come up with the perfect system since neither side is completely happy with the process. Isn't that the ultimate sign of balance?
 
Originally posted by ahsoisee:
GTPilot, by the way, I have been watching your posts on the board, and I find them to be well thought out.

Hit me back with an answer to this. If the alumni are most likely to come and go with the performance of the team, why, as MsTechAnalysis has posted, are 60% of the season tickets purchased by non-grads?

MsTechAnalysis, can you get this data for past years for both the good and bad eras.

I wonder how other schools stack up in season ticket purchases comparing alumni and non-alumni?

Curious!

Calderman, hit me back with some answers. I thought the students paid the tuition and the school provided the academics. What has the alumni provided for the school in the way of contributions to the academics?

Ahso: I will try to get some data for non-grads % of season tix holders for other years (good and bad) as well.

Also, when Leigh Taylor and I had this conversation in 2001 - she mentioned that she came from the Univ. of Washington and was their Ticket Manager there. She said that there was a similar situation there where 57% of their season ticket holders were non-grads and that this was not uncommon for a lot of schools.

She also said that because they needed those fans to contribute and be in the stands, they offered non-grads an incentive program (pts.) to continue their support financially as well as being in the stands for each game. At the time of this conversation, she said she was hoping to develop something here as well if the AA would be open to something similar. Unfortunately, she left a year later and moved back to Seattle, Wash.

She said she thought it was unfair for season tix holders like myself to get bumped in their seniority when a team starts winning consistently and someone becomes a season tix holder for the first time during that winning period - gives a lot of money and moves fans like myself futher down the priority ladder because we can't give big sums of money like the new guy on the block.

She said this was a gripe a lot of fans have when they are true loyalists but don't come to the table with nothing but their loyality and the purchase of tix year in and year out with much smaller donations.

I thought she really had a feel for those fans like myself without the money means but understood our commitment for no other reason then just being a fan. I had this conversation with her because I had gotten a call from the AA before the season. They had left me a message about not paying for my seats yet and they needed to know if I would be renewing because of the demand for season tix after the 2000 season. By this time I had been a season tix holder 26 consecutive years.

I called her to place a complaint because I told her I didn't usually pay for them until June because of budgetary requirements. She kindly returned my call and apologized for how the message was left (this was in April) and told me not to worry and she would make note my payment was coming in June. We then proceeded to have this lengthy conversation about the process, the loyalty issue and the importance of not losing anyone in this whole process.

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MsTechAnalysis, thanks for the information. Also, thanks to all the others for input on the question.

It is natural each person would tend to provide answers from their point of view and to protect their own interest. As I stated in the beginning, I am asking these questions more from curiosity because I am not a ticket holder.

I am a long time fan, and, at a time in the past was a season ticket holder. I guess from this standpoint, I could be considered a little biased toward making it equal for all.

Trying to back away from the issue and look at it from a distance, it appears to me a fan is a fan, is a fan, is a fan. I don't think you could even begin to say an alumnus is a bigger fan than some one who is not an alumnus.

I would venture to say there are many who have attended Tech, have purchased season tickets, but are not near the fan as some non-alumnus. On the other hand, there are some fans that have attended Tech that are very loyal fans.

I really think it is all an individual matter and the loyalty is within each individual regardless of being an alumnus or non-alumnus.

I see some good points on both sides of the issue. It does appear to me, if a goodly portion of the fans are non-alumni, then the school would be wise to insure they are kept happy by allotting them their fair share of priority seating,

After all, any other businees anywhere would cater to its core customers.

I would guess that the biggest donors would be those that have attended Tech in the past, most likely have played football or another sport there, have now prospered quite successfully, and gives a goodly sum back to the athletics departments.

Other remarks on the issue are still welcomed.

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GT Pilot, your post #235 totally infuriates me and is totally off base in its entirety!!!! It is a statement of total inaccuracy and insulting!!
 
Because I am not an alumnus and how do you know all those things in said post fits me or not. That was the most snobbess post I ever read!! Now I must go out of town , because my daughter who gave birth on last Friday is now back in the hospital not doing well!
 
Sorry to hear about your daughter and I hope she gets better soon.

In regards to my post, I am not an elitist when it comes to alumni and non-alumni and I didn't realize that post was conveying that message. I was merely trying to explain the logic behind the A-T Fund giving alumni credit. I presented my opinion on the issue based on my own experiences. I am fully aware that there are die-hard Tech fans who didn't graduate from Tech and I count my blessings that they exist.

However, the point of the post was that the AA likely sees the alumni as being more loyal, on average, then the non-alumni fan base. This has a lot more to do with the casual fans, corporations, and opponents fans being a part of this group then those who are loyal fans (I'm assuming like yourself).

I personally can't stand it when people say you can't cheer for a team or be a "true" fan unless you went to school there and find that idea absurd.
 
Typical Tech athletic department ineptness. Yes, those seats will more than likely be filled by scumbags from Georgia. They like to believe that it is because they walk up and plop their money down - but in reality it is because our ticket department sort of reserves seats for them in this fashion. Which in turn creates and endless cycle since Tech people get pissed off and don't come back. Auburn and Clemson also appreciate the extra seating.
 
Since there has been a lot of talk on this thread about non-tech grads being tech fans, I thought I would de-lurk and add my comments. As you can tell from my name I am not a tech grad. I graduated from that other research University in Atlanta. If you think Tech gets ignored in this state trying asking Joe sixpack what the second largest university in this state is. He will probably say Georgia Southern thinking he is insulting Tech. He doesn’t even know Georgia State exist because we don’t have a football team. (something I’d like to change one day) However that is not the point of my post.

I grew up a Tech Fan. In my household we knew three teams, Clemson, South Carolina, & Tech. My dad’s family is from South Carolina & we had family members at both schools. My dad went to school at a Christian college in Greenville S.C. but he was a Clemson Fan. I really don’t know how I became a tech fan but I remember being able to identify Tech’s helmet and colors at the age of 5 before I could I.D. any other school, Including the S.C. schools. I guess because I lived in Georgia all of my life and thought of myself as a Georgian not a South Carolinian.

Most of my life I have endured “flack” to but it nicely from “Bulldog Fans” who never attended the University (if you can call it that) In Athens. These people are the most avid Bulldog fans in the world yet most of them could not get admitted to the afore mentioned “University”. I have always said that was the reason I “hated” UGA so much. Because of all of these people thumping their chest claiming something that wasn’t their own. Now I have become what I hated about most dawg fans. I have no real claim to Tech, I didn’t go to school there, yet I have always loved the yellojackets. So much so that this love has been installed in my 5 year old son, who loves everything Tech. He was so excited the other day when he told me that Tech was playing GSU in baseball. When I told him that since I actually attended and graduated from Georgia State, I would have to pull for the “Panthers”. I though he was going to cry.

I guess I posting to say two things. Please don’t turn your back on “Non-Tech Grads”. We need some counterbalance to the “REDS” over in Athens. Second is I don’t understand why anyone who graduated from a school does not support it. I think some priority needs to be given to Tech Grads, but don’t forget those of us who love the yellowjackets even if we did not go to school there.
 
GSU, it is always fashionable to follow the crowd. Many people want to belong, so they claim they are Bulldog fans while they could care less about football at either school.

I have family and friends who could not tell you if UGA won or lost on Saturday, but claim to be Bulldog fans. The only time they ever mention it to me, is when UGA beats us in the last game of the year.

It is obvious they want to belong, and since UGA holds the upper hand at present, they want to identify with UGA.

Everybody loves a winner and wants to identify with a winner rather than a loser, so those who really don't care choose UGA. We are not losers at GT, but we don't hold the upper hand at this time.

I remember the years we beat them eight straight games. There were no Bulldogs around anywhere. Few wanted to identify with the Dawgs at that time.

However, that does not mean UGA has less avid fans than Tech, because more students have attended UGA, they naturally have a bigger base to draw from.

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Techrod, sorry to hear the baby is having problems. I will add my prayer to that of others on the board for the well-being of your child and strength for you and your wife.

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Techrod, my prayers are with you and your family. Sorry that such a joyous time should be so marred, I hope everyone comes around for the best!!
 
GT Pilot, your post #235 totally infuriates me and is totally off base in its entirety!!!! It is a statement of total inaccuracy and insulting!!
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<font size="2" face="Arial, Verdana, Sans-Serif">What???? Am I missing something here?
 
Originally posted by techrod:
Thanks GT, now I'm on my way. Please say a prayer!
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<font size="2" face="Arial, Verdana, Sans-Serif">Techrod: PRAYERS HAVE BEEN SAID!!!
 
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