Jamie Pollard "State of the Union" Address for Dept.

[nrg4isu]

A little high????

Are you being sarcastic or funny?

You can't be serious??

I'm guessing he is serious. To some (many) people $100 is a lot of discretionary spending. I think Jamie has been very thoughtful in how he's gone about raising prices. One of the things that makes our fanbase great is the low cost of entry. Raise that entry cost and you lose numbers, pretty much automatically.

I think the revenue problem lies not in the bottom bracket entry costs, but more with the mid-tier and above.

Edit: Also with marketing in general. As others have said, have a century club have some sort of participation in a fundraising goal, etc. Not just a generic "send us money" plea - get creative.

 

[Dr.bannedman]

it happened. i just can't muster up any care for isu sports anymore.

 

[SCarolinaCy]

A lot of schools do require a donation to become a season ticket holder (or to be on the waiting list if games are always sold out), but that seems to be something that can only occur once every ticket is sold to every game for several years.

It has been consistently the policy of this athletic department to be able to offer tickets/season tickets to people of all ages and incomes. I personally wish the hillsides would go away, but as many have mentioned on this board, that area has been a gateway for many families to become long-term season ticket holders and donors.

My guess is that shortly (if FB continues to be successful), there will be higher donor expectations for certain sections of JTS.

Pretty hard to go to a sit down and order restaurant with a wife and with a tip spend at minimum $50. Considering people that attend college games have disposable incomes that are discretionary, a required minimum donation of $100 in order to purchase season tickets should be a no-brainer. Just take your wife to a fast food drive thru a couple of times instead!

Somewhere on this post I saw the comment that "if you can.."(afford it..) then donate. LOL.

Anyone that is an alum or reading this forum HAS the money. The pastor knows people have money in their wallets. He just has to have people OPEN their wallets.

There ARE reasons that people are reluctant to donate, however.

 

[StPaulCyclone]

I'm guessing he is serious. To some (many) people $100 is a lot of discretionary spending. I think Jamie has been very thoughtful in how he's gone about raising prices. One of the things that makes our fanbase great is the low cost of entry. Raise that entry cost and you lose numbers, pretty much automatically.

I think the revenue problem lies not in the bottom bracket entry costs, but more with the mid-tier and above.

Edit: Also with marketing in general. As others have said, have a century club have some sort of participation in a fundraising goal, etc. Not just a generic "send us money" plea - get creative.

I am not sure how the low cost of entry makes our fan base great. That reflects more on the AD, I would think. I think the diehards sticking through the lean years made the fan base great, but it’s time for the base to take the next step with the AD. Again, the AD has a balancing act to maintain current, it needs new donors.

The revenue problem exists at all levels, however, it is just getting fans to donate is harder than keeping them as donors. In most cases this starts at the lowest levels. It literally takes all sizes.

I agree that the AD needs to get more creative, especially on the heels of the NY6 win.

ISU has a loyal and strong fan base, but they are outpaced in giving versus every other base in the league. Athletic results can’t be the excuse anymore, more people need to help the AD. Doing more with less can’t be sustained.

 

[carvers4math]

A minimum donation to the athletic department just irks me I suppose because there seems to be a total disconnect between university support and athletics support.

Four of five kids are getting ISU degrees, as well as me. One spent an extra year to get an MBA. One year, we had three kids at ISU. So 21 years of tuition and living expenses. And the kids all are in engineering so they get a nasty tuition bump a couple of years for that. We have been more or less splitting the cost with the kids after scholarships, they all have worked during school. So while it is a drop in the bucket compared to the slew of Ubills, I just can’t do $100 more in my head until I am no longer paying Ubills (which of course include fees that go to athletics).

 

[Urbandale2013]

A little high????

Are you being sarcastic or funny?

You can't be serious??

I do similar fundraising work for a volunteer organization and yes I’m serious.

For me I can easily afford a $100 donation. I’m working on replacing my parents donation once my sister graduates at $500. I also make significantly over the average income for the state.

The biggest inertia point for a donor is the point of $0 to $0.01. That is the hardest point to get someone over. Once you can get them donating it is easier to get them to increase their donation. I’d much rather get 20,000 people donating $25 a year than 1,000 people donating $100. The way that the donation levels are set up now Iowa State discourages people from donating less than $100. That’s a lot of money being left out there.

If we start selling out season tickets regularly then I would be on board with that but we aren’t. Nationwide we are seeing decreased attendance. We don’t want to hurt our growth.

 

[Mr.G.Spot]

I am not sure how the low cost of entry makes our fan base great. That reflects more on the AD, I would think. I think the diehards sticking through the lean years made the fan base great, but it’s time for the base to take the next step with the AD. Again, the AD has a balancing act to maintain current, it needs new donors.

The revenue problem exists at all levels, however, it is just getting fans to donate is harder than keeping them as donors. In most cases this starts at the lowest levels. It literally takes all sizes.

I agree that the AD needs to get more creative, especially on the heels of the NY6 win.

ISU has a loyal and strong fan base, but they are outpaced in giving versus every other base in the league. Athletic results can’t be the excuse anymore, more people need to help the AD. Doing more with less can’t be sustained.

Absolutely correct.

 

[Mr.G.Spot]

I do similar fundraising work for a volunteer organization and yes I’m serious.

For me I can easily afford a $100 donation. I’m working on replacing my parents donation once my sister graduates at $500. I also make significantly over the average income for the state.

The biggest inertia point for a donor is the point of $0 to $0.01. That is the hardest point to get someone over. Once you can get them donating it is easier to get them to increase their donation. I’d much rather get 20,000 people donating $25 a year than 1,000 people donating $100. The way that the donation levels are set up now Iowa State discourages people from donating less than $100. That’s a lot of money being left out there.

If we start selling out season tickets regularly then I would be on board with that but we aren’t. Nationwide we are seeing decreased attendance. We don’t want to hurt our growth.

Our attendance has not matched nation patterns.

Why are our numbers different from other schools in similar situations? That is the issue. Whether a minimum donation is $.01 or $100 is not the issue. We have sewed what we have reaped for too long. Time to do something different.

 

[VeloClone]

$202/semester tuition (I don't remember R&B cost).

That was at Wazzu in 1973, though.

Actual colorized photo of KC taking her spearfishing class...

 

[Urbandale2013]

Our attendance has not matched nation patterns.

Why are our numbers different from other schools in similar situations? That is the issue. Whether a minimum donation is $.01 or $100 is not the issue. We have sewed what we have reaped for too long. Time to do something different.

I guess I’m not sure what your point is. I think we need to rework our cyclone club levels and what they give. I think we need to encourage small donors below $100 and actually break out the different giving levels better.

 

[Die4Cy]

The ISU fan base needs to mature at the place of our athletics programs, that is all. Students who were at ISU when I was there had the expectation that they could walk in to any game at half time for free because the athletics adminstration had no argument for expecting them to pay for what they were watching. That has changed and fans of every type need to come along with that or we do not sustain things here. What I am saying is one cannot expect Power 5 programs with a G5 donor base.

 

[theshadow]

I guess I’m not sure what your point is. I think we need to rework our cyclone club levels and what they give. I think we need to encourage small donors below $100 and actually break out the different giving levels better.

The expectation of tangible benefits becomes an issue. People want something for their money, and things like parking spots, seating preference, and ticket access are finite resources.

At $100, the only "benefit" is the ability to purchase football season tickets one section closer to the middle than non-donors. Everything else is subject to availability.

What "benefit" can be offered to a $25 or $50 donor that doesn't result in a net loss?

 

[RonBurgundy]

Let's face it, it's time to sell the beer, baby.

I was pleasantly surprised KU had alcohol sales at our game this year.

 

[carvers4math]

Let's face it, it's time to sell the beer, baby.

I was pleasantly surprised KU had alcohol sales at our game this year.

Would need beer to get through KU football on a regular basis

 

[Urbandale2013]

The expectation of tangible benefits becomes an issue. People want something for their money, and things like parking spots, seating preference, and ticket access are finite resources.

At $100, the only "benefit" is the ability to purchase football season tickets one section closer to the middle than non-donors. Everything else is subject to availability.

What "benefit" can be offered to a $25 or $50 donor that doesn't result in a net loss?

I think setting up a setting up another level for seats could work now.
Make the light brown the you have to donate level. I think you can do the same for Hilton. Make the corners a you have to donate level. I can come up with more but that’s what the ADs job is.

 

[Pat]

I have no doubt that Pollard/AD’s office have done plenty of research and analysis to determine the best path to the most money. If/when the market supports it, they’ll require a donation for season ticket purchases, but not if it’s going to push down attendance. Success can turn on a dime, though, so it’s best not to be hasty (see: all the re-seating talk around basketball 5-7 years ago).

Also, can we all pause to appreciate the absurdity of “donating” to athletic departments that are swimming in so much TV money that they have nicer facilities and higher coaching salaries than some pro teams? Top-level college athletics is fundamentally broken. (Says the guy who went to watch a Covid-depleted basketball team play in a blizzard last night).

 

[BCClone]

Pollard won’t require donations for all levels. He understands that sometimes the cheap tickets will draw people in. Why we have the Jr cyclone club. Also why there were three game packs for awhile. Once the stadium starts to fill then either donation requirements will increase or seats added.

 

[Yellow Snow]

The expectation of tangible benefits becomes an issue. People want something for their money, and things like parking spots, seating preference, and ticket access are finite resources.

At $100, the only "benefit" is the ability to purchase football season tickets one section closer to the middle than non-donors. Everything else is subject to availability.

What "benefit" can be offered to a $25 or $50 donor that doesn't result in a net loss?

I absolutely agree with Urbandale2013. My question to you is... what is the HARM? Offer donation levels lower than 100 bucks with no benefits. WHY NOT?

Anything we get is a bonus. It wouldn't be a windfall, but as he says... we just need to get more people willing to donate. Period. Totally agree with that.

If the lower level donation isn't even an option, by definition you will get nothing.

 

[Tornado man]

I absolutely agree with Urbandale2013. My question to you is... what is the HARM? Offer donation levels lower than 100 bucks with no benefits. WHY NOT?

Anything we get is a bonus. It wouldn't be a windfall, but as he says... we just need to get more people willing to donate. Period. Totally agree with that.

If the lower level donation isn't even an option, by definition you will get nothing.

Amen.. I betcha many people would donate $50 just for a glossy "Cyclone Club Member" sticker to put in their rear window.

 

[Die4Cy]

Would you pay $50 a year for a Cyclone Club membership and access to apparel and gear specifically branded for them? I floated the idea earlier that the Trice patch should be associated with Cyclone Club members. The higher quality gear the coaches and players wear on the sideline could also only be available to those with a ISUCC membership. A grass lot parking voucher once a year, free refills in the stadium, online access to the media guide? You have to give people something beyond a window cling.