High school football tickets $9 is it getting out of hand

[LICKING COUNTY FAN]

How high is too high?

Will nine bucks a pop for playoff tickets keep average fans with no ties to schools away from the games?

5 bucks for Regular season games
9 Bucks for playoff games

Throw in parking and I say yes it is getting out of hand.

Did the price of the ticket hurt attendance at the game you took in tonight?

[ACCBiggz]

I didn't get a chance to go to a game, but $9 would not deter me from attending. In comparison to other forms of entertainment it's still a bargain. I'll pay that for the playoffs each week.

[93Bulldog]

Trimble/Colonel Crawford was packed ... no charge for parking (and there shouldn't be, IMO)

I don't have a problem with $9.00 as long as it goes back to the school ... they keep wanting me to pass levy's (and I always vote for them) - where my money just goes somewhere with nothing (that I can see first hand) in return ... at least with a football game I get a few hour of great entertainment.

And in all honestly, I would rather pay $9.00 to see a high school playoff game than pay $80-$100 to see the Buckeyes play ... I"ve always thought that way.

[FarAwayFalcon]

You can go to Ohio University and watch Division I football for less than $9. So yes, it is out of hand.

Also a crock is the schools don't get anything from the $9 tickets if I'm correct. They only get a cut of the presale $7 tickets.

[mattash]

Ironton had a lot of empty seats tonight

[Inked Parrothead]

$9 sounds a little much but I don't see it changing anytime soon... even regional volleyball is $8.

[CharlieHustle]

I would hate to see a playoff game at Jackson. It'd be $9 for the ticket plus the stupid parking fee they have!

[caglewis]

What other entertainment event costs less than $10.00 with mostly free/minimal parking??

[zebra77]

schools only get a dollar of the presale tickets, OHSAA has to pay all those people in C-bus with DR. behind their name, which is a crock.

[Pol pot]

schools only get a dollar of the presale tickets, OHSAA has to pay all those people in C-bus with DR. behind their name, which is a crock.

Actually the DR, would go in front of the name, and if you place the title behind the name you would use Ph.D.



Actually though there are tons of considerations here, however many of you will dismiss me and remain short sided, but believe it or not, Football and Basketball are not the end all be all for sports and the OHSAA must fund Championships in all sports and provide qualitity opportunities to as many student athletes as they can. Two, cost of things continue to rise, and what was sustainable to support on the proceeds from a $5.00 ticket are simply no longer sustainable. Just look at how many schools have went pay to play due to spiraling out of control cost to run a high school sports program, now administer over 800 schools in over 16 sports. Factor in legal fees, insurance for student athletes, travel, communication, and basic office supplies to operate on a daily basis, it's expensive.

The OHSAA releases their finances, you can gladly check them out.

The higher cost of tickets is hurting attendance in some areas, just like high gas prices effect attendance in road games and far away tournaments.

[A-Town Big Dog]

You can look on the OHSAA site, it has attendance records over the past decade or so and you can clearly see a drop off in attendance most years. I can see where a family of five would hate it, $45 to get in plus another $30 or so at the concession stand suddenly becomes not such cheap entertainment. The attendance at the Trimble game was good but I have seen more people at a N-Y vs Trimble regular season game and to be honest I expected to see more people from around the county/area there, Athens and N-Y had a fair number of fans supporting a fellow county team but I don't recall seeing any Alexander, Fed, Miller, etc. fans (I'm sure there were a few) there and ticket prices may have been a factor in that. I personally have no problem paying $7/$9 for a ticket and don't mind paying a couple dollars to park at playoff games because I consider them special events but I know some people will not or can not do it.

[ManitouDan]

7 bucks would be plenty

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

i'll tell ya , i was gonna comment, but i actually agree with every comment here.
ticket prices are too high.
i have no problem, if the school would get a bigger cut of it
gas prices are totally out of hand , even with gas like 3.49.
ironton's stands were no where near as full , as in recent playoff history.
bloom carroll did not travel as well either, and the band didn't even get their till halftime.
and actually i don't care to pay 2 bucks to park, but anything more than that is just oulandish, in my opinion.
but all in all, like a poster mentioned here. to see a high school game for under 10 bucks.
in comparison to a buckeye game,
it's a great deal, and good wholesome fun as well.
i think the state should reward the school's with more than 1 buck on presale tickets, at least 3/4 bucks.
these school's have extreme operating expenses as well.
and it is going to get worse going to 7 divisions, they are really milking it , and watering it down,
all for the almighty buck.next year trust me, you'll see teams with losing records making the playoffs throughout the state.
just how much water can you put in a drink, before it's all water, i ask.

[Pol pot]

Schools do get a bigger part of it!

$4.00 per mile for the team bus

$2-3.00 a mile for the band and cheerleader

$15-18 a player for cheerleaders and players

$200 for incidentals

And a few other allowable expenses.

Then a percentage of all pre-sale tickets, many schools will take home checks of a few thousand dollars a game. It can cost upto 5-10k to run a single play-off game. And towards the higher end when you get past the home play-off sites.

[Pol pot]

i'll tell ya , i was gonna comment, but i actually agree with every comment here.
ticket prices are too high.
i have no problem, if the school would get a bigger cut of it
gas prices are totally out of hand , even with gas like 3.49.
ironton's stands were no where near as full , as in recent playoff history.
bloom carroll did not travel as well either, and the band didn't even get their till halftime.
and actually i don't care to pay 2 bucks to park, but anything more than that is just oulandish, in my opinion.
but all in all, like a poster mentioned here. to see a high school game for under 10 bucks.
in comparison to a buckeye game,
it's a great deal, and good wholesome fun as well.
i think the state should reward the school's with more than 1 buck on presale tickets, at least 3/4 bucks.
these school's have extreme operating expenses as well.
and it is going to get worse going to 7 divisions, they are really milking it , and watering it down,
all for the almighty buck.next year trust me, you'll see teams with losing records making the playoffs throughout the state.
just how much water can you put in a drink, before it's all water, i ask.

These expenses are covered, and are given at a maximum level with a per-diem basis with no receipts required unless you are staying the night, which is covered by the OHSAA

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

that's great news pol pot, i wasn't sure of the dollar amounts awarded per diem,but that helps ease the pain at the pumps as well.
now if they could just get this equal distance for travel thingie down pat , we gotta good system.

[Pol pot]

that's great news pol pot, i wasn't sure of the dollar amounts awarded per diem,but that helps ease the pain at the pumps as well.
now if they could just get this equal distance for travel thingie down pat , we gotta good system.

Funny you say that, as I know school administrators who see dollar signs when they fire that bus up for a long trip. Because more fans buy pre-sale (the non-pre sale buyers absolutely kill their home schools,), and that mileage really racks up at $4.00 a mile. Factor in that many times school boosters are feeding the kids that meal money many times goes right into the budget, and that adds up quickly. It's not perfect, but schools are getting more than some think, and the cost to run individual games are higher than many would believe, from rental fees, officials + mileage, security, port-a-potties, on-site medical care (sites must provide, even though many schools travel a trainer and or Doctor), program sales and production, rental fees, clean-up (not right for a host facility to pay for clean-up when they are not getting a gate), these things add up fast, especially in places that have contractual obligations to use City police instead of aux. deputies and such.

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

it truley must be astronomical to concieve all that goes into this, all that stuff typical fans like us don't even consider.it surely is a costly production to put on, and they should be rewarded, and well compensated for it.