Cytown Update

[Challenger06]

Quite frankly parking shouldn't be free for Basketball. In a time of needing to generate additional revenue streams, free parking is just leaving money on the table.

Amen. Same for free admission for softball, soccer, etc. Even high schools charge admission for those.

 

[hoosman]

Would this venue be considered for a pre-conference MBB tournament? Hoiberg, Creighton, EIU, UNI, Missouri, Drake, Saint Louis.

 

[1TwistedCyclone]

Would this venue be considered for a pre-conference MBB tournament? Hoiberg, Creighton, EIU, UNI, Missouri, Drake, Saint Louis.

Agreed, this is a great idea, just no invite to the Hawkeyes. Minnesota would be worth a call.

 

[NetflixAndClone]

Hate they went cheap and ugly with the cladding. The orange brick looks dated and tacky. That's the first building anyone is going to see.

Its been a while since i walked by it but I don't think that is orange brick. I think it is a plywood.

 

[BCClone]

I can't imagine that it's very much. Fans for State basketball are in and out, very few people stay. I think the IHSAA's moving of the tournament had more to do with scheduling conflicts at the Casey's Center than anything. There was starting to be significant backlash from the Wild and Wolves because they were giving up the arena for 3 weeks out of a 4 week window.

A lot of the people will grab something to eat either before or after. Especially if they are further that a 15-20 minute drive.

 

[Erik4Cy]

I never have understood how either one of those teams make any money. The wolves attendance always looks dismal to me when you see game clips.

I have no idea what their balance sheets look like, but the Iowa Wild have a pretty good fan following (especially considering the last time they had a legit contender in the AHL was during Covid.) Their games are fun.

Last time I went to a Wolves game (that didn't have a former Cyclone or Hawkeye in the lineup) was pretty poor attendance wise, but it's been a few years.

 

[1SEIACLONE]

You start charging admission to some of these sports like soccer and softball, the only people showing up will be the parents of the players and a few hardcore fans. Charging admission is not going to be in money worth talking about, in these sports.

 

[Challenger06]

You start charging admission to some of these sports like soccer and softball, the only people showing up will be the parents of the players and a few hardcore fans. Charging admission is not going to be in money worth talking about, in these sports.

That’s a bad look for Iowa State fans then.
It never fails at softball games: visiting fans arrive and look around for a ticket booth to pay admission and then get informed “no this is Iowa State, it’s free here. Come on in.”
Even at high schools you have to buy a ticket…

 

[cyclone4L]

Expecting an announcement that this project is delayed. 2027 is a pipe dream

Absolute Pipe Dream. The Clinic may open in late 2027, but the rest won't open until 2029 at the earliest.

 

[4cy16]

That’s a bad look for Iowa State fans then.
It never fails at softball games: visiting fans arrive and look around for a ticket booth to pay admission and then get informed “no this is Iowa State, it’s free here. Come on in.”
Even at high schools you have to buy a ticket…

My nephews middle school charges for football and basketball and they don't take cash.

 

[Urbandale2013]

That’s a bad look for Iowa State fans then.
It never fails at softball games: visiting fans arrive and look around for a ticket booth to pay admission and then get informed “no this is Iowa State, it’s free here. Come on in.”
Even at high schools you have to buy a ticket…

Didn’t they use to charge but it just wasn’t worth staffing for the revenue it brought in?

I feel like we paid for a soccer game in the last 10 years.

 

[MustardTiger]

Didn’t they use to charge but it just wasn’t worth staffing for the revenue it brought in?

I feel like we paid for a soccer game in the last 10 years.

I was going to say. What would it cost to get someone to be out there in below freezing weather to check parking passes at night haha

 

[BCClone]

That’s a bad look for Iowa State fans then.
It never fails at softball games: visiting fans arrive and look around for a ticket booth to pay admission and then get informed “no this is Iowa State, it’s free here. Come on in.”
Even at high schools you have to buy a ticket…

Not all. Been to several where they don’t charge.

 

[1SEIACLONE]

That’s a bad look for Iowa State fans then.
It never fails at softball games: visiting fans arrive and look around for a ticket booth to pay admission and then get informed “no this is Iowa State, it’s free here. Come on in.”
Even at high schools you have to buy a ticket…

It's a bad look because ISU does not charge for some minor sports? I really doubt visiting fans are leaving Ames after coming up for a softball game saying to themselves "never going there again because it was FREE to get in."
Hell we give away volleyball tickets to anyone that attends a football game, only have to show them your ticket an you can sit in the balcony for free. To sit down lower I think it's $8 dollars a person.

 

[Challenger06]

Not all. Been to several where they don’t charge.

Didn’t say all. Anecdotally there may be some who don’t.
Would like to know though if there’s a single P4 college school like ISU that doesn’t…

 

[t.m.]

Not all. Been to several where they don’t charge.

100%

Just my experience, but my daughters played 4 years of high school softball in Chicago area (mostly large schools). I attended almost every game in those 4 years, and not once did I have to pay admission for regular season. Only exception was playoffs, and that was because the state association requires admission fees.

 

[Challenger06]

It's a bad look because ISU does not charge for some minor sports? I really doubt visiting fans are leaving Ames after coming up for a softball game saying to themselves "never going there again because it was FREE to get in."
Hell we give away volleyball tickets to anyone that attends a football game, only have to show them your ticket an you can sit in the balcony for free. To sit down lower I think it's $8 dollars a person.

My post was in response to the one about Iowa State leaving money on the table.
Ex: I was at the softball game here against Iowa last year. Big game, big crowd. Lots of Hawk fans too. All in free. They had to park cars on the grass rec field by Towers. That was all free too.

 

[BCClone]

100%

Just my experience, but my daughters played 4 years of high school softball in Chicago area (mostly large schools). I attended almost every game in those 4 years, and not once did I have to pay admission for regular season. Only exception was playoffs, and that was because the state association requires admission fees.

Many of the local schools in the conference never charged until the last few years when a Catholic school joined the conference and basically forced everybody else to charge so they could

 

[1SEIACLONE]

My post was in response to the one about Iowa State leaving money on the table.
Ex: I was at the softball game here against Iowa last year. Big game, big crowd. Lots of Hawk fans too. All in free. They had to park cars on the grass rec field by Towers. That was all free too.

Great, ISU vs Iowa in anything is going to draw a good crowd, now tell us about the crowd for a game with Colorado or KSU? If they were charging $5 bucks a head to get in and parking what are they missing? A couple thousand bucks in a department with a budget over over $125 million. You want to bring in extra money, they could make more by selling alcohol at these events than charing admissions.

 

[1SEIACLONE]

The vast majority of HS schools are charging for all athletic events, many you have to purchase the ticket online as they do not allow walk up payments. For many small schools hosting a game means losing money, what they bring in does not pay for the umps or refs to work the game. Most schools these days are charging at least $6 dollars for adults, some are up to $7 to $8, kids get in cheaper as well as senior citizens. It's not cheap following your kids around to watch them play sports, very easy to blow $75 to $100 a night between getting in, gas and food.