SMU ANNOUNCES NEW PRIORITY SEATING & PARKING PLANS

[MrMustang1965]

DALLAS (SMU) - SMU Athletics today announced new Priority Seating & Parking Plans for Ford Stadium, plans which are on par with conference and peer schools and reward loyalty and support. The seating plan is based on the original plan for Ford Stadium, which was introduced in 1999 just prior to the opening of the on-campus facility, and contains only slight modifications based on current data and peer institution research.

"We're planning for the future of SMU Athletics," said SMU Director of Athletics Steve Orsini. "We believe that it is a future full of championship seasons, exciting bowl games and high national rankings. We want to get back to a place where SMU Football is respected not only in our conference, but on the national stage as well.

"To do so, we must be on par with our conference and peer schools, and after a careful review, we felt we needed to reinstitute a priority seating plan. All of our fans will have the opportunity to keep their current seats and we will keep season ticket prices at the same level as last season - levels that are actually lower than they were when the stadium opened! I have long said that we have the most loyal, steadfast fan base and we wanted to reward the loyalty of those who have made the journey. We believe this plan does just that."

As Orsini said, season ticket prices will remain the same and everyone who wants to keep his/her current seating arrangements will have a chance to do so. Many fans already contribute at the minimum levels required to sit in his/her current seats and everyone will have the opportunity to make the additional commitments necessary to retain seating.

Current year annual donations to the Mustang Club will determine eligibility. For the 2010 football season, paid donations to the Mustang Club for the 2010-2011 benefit year will be the basis for Priority Seating and Priority Parking eligibility. Morgan Campaign Annual Fund Drive letters will arrive in mailboxes next week with information on donating to the Mustang Club.

Another major component of this plan will be the Priority Point System that was introduced last year. While donor level will determine eligibility to purchase tickets in a given section (based on availability), the Priority Point ranking will determine a donor's "place in line," so to speak, for seating requests and upgrades. The Point System rewards loyalty and support in various areas, including the Lettermen's Association and overall lifetime university giving. A full explanation of priority points, as well as examples and a worksheet, are in the brochure linked below.

Football season ticket renewal letters will be mailed the week of February 15th, and, as in years past, the deadline for renewing season tickets is May 1st. New seating requests and upgrades will be reviewed using the Priority Point System after the season ticket renewal deadline.

Donors will soon receive a letter which will contain his/her current Priority Points total and ranking relative to other donors. Donors are invited to review point totals and contact the Mustang Club with any questions. Mustang Club staff can be contacted at 214-768-2582 and SMU Ticket Sales representatives are available to help as well at 214-768-4263.

[SMU89]

Link to Info on Point System....


http://smumustangs.cstv.com/tickets/fb- ... ating.html

[k pony]

Looks like typical Orsini BS. Bad economy and raising donation level. See you all in the end zone.

[mrydel]

Sucks for me. I would not mind paying the double my normal Mustang Club, but I have no need for 4 season tickets when I come to the game alone. I will let someone else have my 104 seats and let them get used to all the kids that move into the area after the game starts. More power to them but I do not see this as a loyalty reward in any way.

[Wuba]

Sucks for me. I would not mind paying the double my normal Mustang Club, but I have no need for 4 season tickets when I come to the game alone. I will let someone else have my 104 seats and let them get used to all the kids that move into the area after the game starts. More power to them but I do not see this as a loyalty reward in any way.

Where does it say you have to buy 4 season tickets? I can't find that.

[ponywhupp9202]

I just received this message too and have not looked at it too closely yet. I have had either 3 or 4 season tickets in sec 106 since Ford opened, so 10 years I think, and have made sporadic and relatively small contributions (none recently however) to the Mustang Club along the way. If I am reading this correctly, I will now need to make a $250 contribution to the Mustang CLub for the right to purchase the same seats I have always had. Is that right? That's not too terribly bad in my case, but the folks in 103, 104, and 105 get zinged pretty good; bummer for those people (I know a lot of you are on this board).

[SMU89]

It doesn't; however, the examples they give of John, Mike and Debbie, imply the Minimum Donation is good for up to 4 tickets -- not prorated if you buy less than that amount.

So if "John" was buying 2 Stadium Club seats and had been paying the required $1,000 ($500 each seat donation) for the last 6 years (5 of which were terrible football), his new "loyalty" plan requires a $2,500 donation or an additional $1,500 for those two seats.

If John decides to go with the new plan, he can look forward to additional "loyalty" coming his way once / if the team has a season where they get ranked.

The cost of progress. Bottom line, we need the money if we want to compete.


Get ready to see more ticket scalping.

[couch 'em]

So I have to pay $150 for the right to buy my two seats out past the 20 yard line.....

I know many people who have had tickets in the green/yellow sections for 5+ seasons who will not be able to drop $1000/$500 on top of ticket prices to keep them. I hope Orsini knows what he is doing.

[ponydawg]

" we wanted to reward the loyalty of those who have made the journey."

So we are going to make you pay more this year to keep your seats then next
year we will make you pay more for the actual tickets themselves.


Sounds like if we ever get REALLY good my loyalty will get repaid with
some nice endzone seats. Oh well, beats 1-11 seasons.

pony up.....seriously.

Although, it is a fraction of the cost of the big state schools.

[JasonB]

I think this has been in the plan for a while. I always give at the 250 mark. They used to put me in section 206, but the last two season I have been in 204 and 205. And they let me get in on church parking. I think, however, that now they will bump me back to 206 and probably get me to buy other paking as well. Luckily, my priority points are in good shape, so I won't fall out of 206 and will have a chance to renew parking in a different lot. It was nice to have the good seats and parking for a couple of years, but I think that was the plan all along - get people used to the good life and then try and get them to donate more to keep the good spots once the team gets good.

Then again, my perspective is a little decent because I know what the seating was like before JJ. I can see how if someone bought during JJ and is getting pushed back they might not understand.

Pretty standard stuff if you ask me. I would think about bumping to 500 if it got me the church parking. But I'll probably stay at 250 as long as it gets me parking somewhere and I get somewhat decent seats. Section 205 sure has good seats, though. I'll have to think about it... and yes, I like to sit in the upper section because I can see the whole field better.

[George S. Patton]

I'm in 105 and knew we were going to get socked one way or the other. So I'm not shocked or disappointed. Hey, you need the dinero to make the revenue sport big-time. I get that and have no problem with it because this is the way it is with all of the other big-time programs. The fans have to make a sizable donation to keep the premium seats. At the very least, it's a tax deduction so you get a better bing there.

The question is whether I feel like I can handle it or if I want to move. I think the complaining stems from the fact that this is new territory for all of us. Well, if you want to be successful on the field, this is the price that comes with it. We have been in this conditional thinking mode that with crappy football comes cheaper prices. Now, that the pendulum has changed, we're kinda not fired up about that.

So we saddle up, do what we think is right and support this program in the best way we know how and we can.

All of us have until May 1 to make this decision. Just think through this carefully before shooting from the hip -- and this is coming from someone who has shot from the hip far too much.

[JasonB]

I forgot about the good chance that they bump ticket prices up next season. That means I probably won't shell out the bigger donation this season so that next season I can easily handle the upped cost of ticket prices.

[George S. Patton]

FYI -- Ticket prices are the same for 2010. It's the size of the donation that's gone up if you want to keep your seats.

[DiamondM75]

WOW!!!! 333%

I can understand making a larger contribution the the Mustang Club to keep your premium seats but to bump people 333% in one year.

[Mestengo]

I would love to pay double for the privilege to sit in section 104 again.
With out being forward I would recommend to the Mustang Club that they monitor this section next year and check tickets exactly the way they do at basketball games in the blue seats.

I never complain, I just show and cheer. But this would be the only thing I would ask for in return.