Anybody going to the reseat discussion Dec. 11?

[2ndandlong]

The reseat is going to be a good thing. This was not a decision made lightly, and the athletic department fully appreciates the impact it will have on each of them personally. This plan has been in the works since about the time they rebuilt Moody; they didn't just think this up a couple weeks ago and start planning on a whim.

This is going to be difficult. It is not going to be perfect. As someone with floor seats, I will be hit as hard or harder than anyone else in the stadium, but I am in favor of the overall concept as it is going to do a lot for the basketball program and athletic department overall. I also recognize that Paul Loyd has a freaking building named after him but doesn't have as good of seats as I do.

We have looked at several programs across the country and are taking a relatively conservative approach to some of our peers and certainly compared to the powerhouses. Kansas does a reseat every year and allows 1 minute windows to make your decision or you begin to fall behind the next person in line.

To me, the mantra of this administration is very much to act as you want to be. If we want to be a big time program, we have to act like a big time program. Don't sit back and wait for it to come to you. We have to do what the big programs do because initiatives like this help keep them competitive.

Do I know people that have threatened to stop buying season tickets or make other similar big changes to their overall ticket packages? Of course. But I know a whole lot more people who are waiting in line.

It is not my place to disclose anything about the plan, but I will correct SMUSIC that I believe it is 197 fans that have had tickets for 5+ years.

[ebrooks11]

You can't trust smusic

[Mestengo]

The reseat is going to be a good thing. This was not a decision made lightly, and the athletic department fully appreciates the impact it will have on each of them personally. This plan has been in the works since about the time they rebuilt Moody; they didn't just think this up a couple weeks ago and start planning on a whim.

This is going to be difficult. It is not going to be perfect. As someone with floor seats, I will be hit as hard or harder than anyone else in the stadium, but I am in favor of the overall concept as it is going to do a lot for the basketball program and athletic department overall. I also recognize that Paul Loyd has a freaking building named after him but doesn't have as good of seats as I do.

We have looked at several programs across the country and are taking a relatively conservative approach to some of our peers and certainly compared to the powerhouses. Kansas does a reseat every year and allows 1 minute windows to make your decision or you begin to fall behind the next person in line.

To me, the mantra of this administration is very much to act as you want to be. If we want to be a big time program, we have to act like a big time program. Don't sit back and wait for it to come to you. We have to do what the big programs do because initiatives like this help keep them competitive.

Do I know people that have threatened to stop buying season tickets or make other similar big changes to their overall ticket packages? Of course. But I know a whole lot more people who are waiting in line.

It is not my place to disclose anything about the plan, but I will correct SMUSIC that I believe it is 197 fans that have had tickets for 5+ years.

If Paul and his wife want to sit on the floor I will go up to his suite and tip

[Mestengo]

You can't trust smusic

x2

[RGV Pony]

Mestengo is good people

[CoxMustangFan]

Mestengo is good people

Not nearly as good as OTP, though.

[RGV Pony]

True dat

[smusportspage]

"I also recognize that Paul Loyd has a freaking building named after him but doesn't have as good of seats as I do."
How did that happen?

[smusportspage]

"It is not my place to disclose anything about the plan, but I will correct SMUSIC that I believe it is 197 fans that have had tickets for 5+ years."

Great, I am one of the 197! Awesome for me, to bad about you other bloaks. Seriously, not a good way to endear your school to its populace.

[Junior]

Are they really going to get so greedy as to deteriorate the Moody atmosphere?

[PonyTime]

I don't understand why they released lower bowl tix for the next four games (including Memphis) to Fac/Staff at $10 per ticket when there is a contingent of SMU students who want those tickets. Instead, we will have more ho hum Faculty and Staff stilling in the sections that are usually students right behind the baselines.

Perhaps they are thinking that the students will not show when on break. But I sure hope that by Jan 8th (Memphis) enough students are back to make Memphis' trip to Moody Miserable.

[smumustang11]

Among other groups, the Young Alums (ones that graduated within the last 10 years) are getting put in a pretty bad position. I have been out of school for a little over 5 years, so I was a part of some of the worst years of SMU athletics as a student and then have had the fortune of seeing 4 bowl games and a NIT championship game as an alum. However, regardless of sport, our young alumni are constantly given the worst seats in the house. In one of the emptiest stadiums in college football, our young alumni section is still in endzone, squarely behind the goalposts. We once had a Young Alumni ticket price for football, that appears to be gone now. (FOR A TEAM THAT IS 0-11)

For basketball, we bought into the Larry Brown hype with a Young Alumni season ticket price for year 1. Of course, not surprisingly, our seats are in section 200 baseline, in the top section. After year 1, the young alumni ticket price again was completely eliminated. (FOR A TEAM THAT WENT TO THE NIT) I get the potential, but that's completely all it is right now. Bigtime programs look at NIT years as complete and utter failures. We are NOT a bigtime program.

How are young alums actually supposed to get energized about an alma mater that doesn't seem to care one bit about taking care of them? It's bad for me, but I'm a young professional with a job that pays me well enough to afford some luxuries in life like SMU basketball tickets. However, the same kids that we are killing on this message board to go to the games and get rowdy (The Mob), will not even come close to being able to A. Get Tickets or B. Afford Them with the path that this department is choosing once they graduate. What a letdown for the kids that are so excited (the first classes of alums that will have sports to be excited about) that they can't even support their team anymore because the University has priced them out.

Don't get me wrong, SMU basketball is still one of the hottest tickets in Dallas, but as anyone that has been to any of the home games can see, we are NOT THERE YET as a basketball team or fan base. Our game atmospheres this year have been absolutely laughable and I'm going to break some news that may offend some people or get some responses that are not positive. Spoiler alert: we are not that good this year. I've attended almost every home game, went to the IU game and saw Arky just crush us from the tip. Yes, we brought it back, but that game was over early in the 2nd half. We just don't have the offensive confidence or talent to actually win a game like that.

Our young alums are the ones that turn into the Millers, Loyds, and Fords. If we don't capitalize on the opportunity to keep them engaged with the University, we are throwing away some of our best fans and potential donors of the future. I've held season tickets since I graduated in football and for the last 3 years in basketball. Myself and others have sent plenty of emails to Rick imploring him to better serve our Young Alumni population, but to no avail thusfar. Hopefully someone attending the discussion can bring up this topic.

[2ndandlong]

Let me plead for patience. I fully understand and appreciate the idiocy of asking that on a message board, but I'll go ahead and ask.

As usual, most of the comments are misguided at best. This is not a knee-jerk reaction to one season going to the NIT. This is a long time coming plan that more happened to coincide with a good season.

No current season ticket holder will lose the right to have season tickets in the coliseum. People are going to have the ability relocate within the coliseum. Yes, this will be better for some than others. I will be on the losing end, but I have visibility to see how this will play out in favor our athletics.

The mandatory donation in football dramatically improved athletic department operational ability. So will this. Was the football donation perfect? No. Did it wreck our program? No. (June did that.) Is this plan perfect? No. Will it wreck our program? No, and Larry won't either.

Be happy about Chad. Be happy about Larry. Be patient.

[mrydel]

I am happy because there are not many seats worse than mine so I can only improve or at least stay the same. I might get priced out since I have trouble getting to many games and I am just below the "throw good money out the window"
Income range. I trust all will be handled well.

[SMU Section F]

This is not a knee-jerk reaction to one season going to the NIT. This is a long time coming plan that more happened to coincide with a good season.

I agree w/ most of what you say, but if the price increases/relocations aren't related to our recent on-the-court success why wasn't this just done when Moody re-opened? Seems like that would have been an easier sale...

That said, I've just assumed these changes were due to our good season last year (and hopefully this year).

Be patient.

Definitely agree here. Nothing is actually known yet. (Although the "warning letter" sent last week could have maybe been a little less ominous sounding?)