What Would Be An Appropriate Ticket Price for an OHHSFB Playoff Game?

How Much Should OHSAA Charge For Playoff Tix?

  • 2 for $5

    Votes: 2 3.1%
  • $4.00

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • $5.00

    Votes: 11 17.2%
  • $7.00

    Votes: 8 12.5%
  • $8.00

    Votes: 18 28.1%
  • $10.00

    Votes: 24 37.5%
  • Bring A Canned Good

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Proof of Residence from School Attending

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Other

    Votes: 1 1.6%

  • Total voters
    64
So $1,250 to the schools but $750 in membership dues?
I know Lol

Grandma: Russ i'll give you a quarter to rub the Bunions on my feet later

Russ: Oh Gee Grandma a whole quarter

Heck we used to make $500 - $600 selling Krispy Creme Donuts after the game to the crowds filing out of the game for the wrestling program in less than a hour. Couple thousand for 4-5 games easy.
 
I know the ticket price comes up quite a bit on here. One thing that I have noticed is the knowledgeable fan with limited connection to the team has diminished considerably in my community.

I've had conversations at games where the majority are only there for their kid. Nothing wrong with that. Those people come and then go over the years. Glad to have them watching the games. An observation of these parents though is that the knowledge of the sport has decreased over the years. These parents love watching their kids but it is obvious that some of them didn't play nor follow HS football.

The next group of people hasn't changed much, these are the parents of the cheerleaders and band. They are there for their kids too but the game is secondary.

The last group that has dropped significantly over the last couple of decades are the knowledgeable fans that are going to show up year after year and have a deep knowledge of the game. They were at one time a large group of fans that were well-known at the games. Maybe these people have just gotten older and now meet at McDonald's for coffee in the mornings and have lost touch with the program. Unfortunately, there aren't many younger fans replacing them.

I always cringe when I hear people yell out during games without the slightest idea that they don't know the rules. That group is getting larger now and those with in-depth knowledge are no longer scattered in the crowd to let them know what the real rule is. Fortunately, there are a number on here that know these rules thanks to our "Ask a Ref" thread!!! It should be required reading for any parent whose son in entering his Freshmen year.
 
No, but I have kids that are students. Not sure how that makes a difference anyways.
Just wanted clarity on why them not having student tickets influenced your decisions. Sounded like you went by yourself and did not like that they did not have student tickets.
 
Not compared to every other state
A quick google search of ticket prices for other state championship games shows the following:

Indiana - $15 per day, covers 3-game session per day.
Kentucky - $15 per game, $75 for 6-game pass.
Michigan - $20 per day, covers 4-game session per day.
Pennsylvania - $8 per game (2022), single game admission only. (Games at Cumberland Valley HS)
Alabama - $15 per game, single game admission only.
Louisiana - $25 in advance, $30 day of game. Unclear if muti- or single-game admission.
Texas - $20 per day, parking $20.
Georgia - State Finals $18 per game, single game admission.
Florida - $17 in advance, $20 day of game, single game admission.
Maryland - $10 per game.
North Carolina - $10 per game, single game admission.
South Carolina - $15 per game, single game admission.

Some are all-electronic tickets, some are not.
Seems like Ohio's $15/game and $90 for all 7 games is in the mid-range. Some lower, some higher.
I picked surrounding states and states with relatively comparable HS football reputations to Ohio's.

I understand why those that want to watch every championship game would prefer the Indiana/Michigan pricing, but for the bulk of those in attendance at state championship games, they are parents/families/classmates who are attending one game and one game only.
I don't think OHSAA makes a bunch of money on people who attend multiple games - that ship has sailed.
***Pennsylvania's finals are played at Cumberland Valley High School - nice HS facility, but for a fee of $2600 for the entire weekend.
I don't know what the fee is for Benson, but I would guess significantly higher than $2600.

I didn't see much info as to student tickets in other states - most no reference at all.
I would think that should be considered for future - but cutting the price does not necessarily mean an offsetting number of additional attendees.
The Demand/Supply curve is just that - a curve, not necessarily a straight line that results in the same gross revenue regardless of price.
 
This is one of the better threads on Yappi as well as nauseating, hypocritical, and embarrassing. A lot of varying thoughts and true reasoning being reported regarding supposed observed drops in attendance at Ohio high school football games. Enough have said that ticket/admission price is not the primary driver for drops in attendance. I am undoubtedly and resolutely there as well.

There is NO WAY that $10.00 is going to keep anyone on this forum from attending a football game for a school system and program they are passionate about. While OHSAA is indeed a vile organization, the whiners on here are folks that pay $150+ for family cell phone service and $200/mo. for cable as well as the myriad additional “steaming” services they subscribe to which likely adds another $30 to $40 monthly fee. So you can afford OR you are willing to pay $250/mo. for Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Showtime, TNT, and FX, but you cannot afford $10.00 for a high school playoff game?

If your reasoning to not attend is the game proceeds are not all going to the school, well okay, but that is obvious independent of ticket price. But insincere whining that high school football is unaffordable is embarrassing for your family and the state. I’ve lived in both Georgia and Texas (not by choice) over the past decade, including this year and ticket prices were never a discussion topic. Folks camping out Thursday afternoon in Georgia for high school tickets could care less about ticket price. Playoff ticket sales in Texas could always go through the school but we’re notably pricier than Ohio. I flew in to every Steubenville playoff game for four years, obviously cost not a deterrent.

I am not buying for one second that ticket price for a playoff game is the primary driver for decreased attendance. Several other convincing trends discussed herein are far more believable.
 
I don't know what the fee is for Benson, but I would guess significantly higher than $2600
Benson's fee is the admission or ticket tax which I believe is 5%. So the city gets 5% on top of the ticket price for each one sold. They wrote their tax code specifically so OHSAA games would not be exempt.
 
The last group that has dropped significantly over the last couple of decades are the knowledgeable fans that are going to show up year after year and have a deep knowledge of the game. They were at one time a large group of fans that were well-known at the games. Maybe these people have just gotten older and now meet at McDonald's for coffee in the mornings and have lost touch with the program. Unfortunately, there aren't many younger fans replacing them.
This right here. Ticket prices, quality of the product on the field, concessions etc.. are not stopping younger fans, they just have other priorities. I bet you won’t find many people under 55 that attend the local schools sporting events on a regular basis that don’t have a relative involved.
 
A quick google search of ticket prices for other state championship games shows the following:

Indiana - $15 per day, covers 3-game session per day.
Kentucky - $15 per game, $75 for 6-game pass.
Michigan - $20 per day, covers 4-game session per day.
Pennsylvania - $8 per game (2022), single game admission only. (Games at Cumberland Valley HS)
Alabama - $15 per game, single game admission only.
Louisiana - $25 in advance, $30 day of game. Unclear if muti- or single-game admission.
Texas - $20 per day, parking $20.
Georgia - State Finals $18 per game, single game admission.
Florida - $17 in advance, $20 day of game, single game admission.
Maryland - $10 per game.
North Carolina - $10 per game, single game admission.
South Carolina - $15 per game, single game admission.

Only these states play all (or vast majority) of their titles at the same site:

Utah (small schools play at UVU usually, while big ones at Rice-Eccles), Nevada (most will be at Allegiant, at least one will be in northern NV), Wyoming (all at U of Wyo), Colorado (most now at CSU-Pueblo, big schools in Denver or Aurora), North Dakota (all 4 at NDSU Fargodome), South Dakota (all 7 at USD Dakota Dome), Nebraska (all non-6man games at U of Nebraska on Monday and Tuesday before Thanksgiving, 6 games, 2 days), Texas (UIL plays all 12 at AT&T Stadium, 4 days 3 games a day), Louisiana (3 days of games, usually on two separate weekends for public and private at Superdome), Arkansas (War Memorial Stadium over two weekends), Missouri (moved around, either at Mizzou or SW Missouri State usually), Iowa (all at UNI-Dome), Minnesota (all at US Bank Stadium), Wisconsin (all 11-man at U of Wisconsin), Illinois (all 8 at NIU or ISU now, used to rotate with U of I), Indiana (all at Lucas Oil Stadium, 2 days), Michigan (all 8 11-man at Ford Field, two days), Kentucky (all games now at UK, formerly at WKU and before that at U of L), Tennessee (moves around a lot, now at UTC in Chattanooga, formerly at Tenn Tech in Cookeville, 3 days of 3 games per day), Mississippi (rotates around, all games at MSU, Ole Miss, or Southern Miss), Alabama (rotates now between UAB, Bama, and Auburn, all games over 3 days, starting on Wednesday), Georgia (all 8 boys games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, three days, plus the girls flag games included), South Carolina (big school games at USC, small school games at Benedict College nearby, don't overlap, one day at one, one at the other). North Carolina (had 8 games before, at three different sites, now 4 games split between two sites, spanning two days at UNC and NC State now, so not really counted), Maryland (at Naval Academy now for 5 classes), Delaware (both games at U of Delaware in Newark, same day), New Jersey (depends on matchups, but two weekends, and either at Rutgers or MetLife, depending on availability), New York (5 games at Syracuse JMA Wireless Dome formerly Carrier Dome, 2 days, Friday and Sunday usually to not compete with U of Syracuse), Vermont (all games at Rutland HS on one day), New Hampshire (at UNH over multiple weekends and days), Massachusetts (most at Gillette Stadium in one day), Rhode Island (usually at Cranston Stadium in Cranston, 4 games though there's been some changes), Maine (Most games at Portland, one game is usually at U of Maine instead)
Some are all-electronic tickets, some are not.
Seems like Ohio's $15/game and $90 for all 7 games is in the mid-range. Some lower, some higher.
I picked surrounding states and states with relatively comparable HS football reputations to Ohio's.

I understand why those that want to watch every championship game would prefer the Indiana/Michigan pricing, but for the bulk of those in attendance at state championship games, they are parents/families/classmates who are attending one game and one game only.
I don't think OHSAA makes a bunch of money on people who attend multiple games - that ship has sailed.
***Pennsylvania's finals are played at Cumberland Valley High School - nice HS facility, but for a fee of $2600 for the entire weekend.
I don't know what the fee is for Benson, but I would guess significantly higher than $2600.

I didn't see much info as to student tickets in other states - most no reference at all.
I would think that should be considered for future - but cutting the price does not necessarily mean an offsetting number of additional attendees.
The Demand/Supply curve is just that - a curve, not necessarily a straight line that results in the same gross revenue regardless of price.

Of those stadiums listed, MOST are one-ticket for the whole day when there's multiple games at one site. Some are just doubleheader, some are multiple games.

Nebraska charges per game. $9.40 ($8 + fee) for adults, $7.30 ($6 + fee) for students. Children 5 and under are free. Games are spaced out sufficiently. Parking is a huge issue at UNL because class is still going, and games are on school days. But you can park as long as you like once you're in the football lot. Stadium is downtown, so easy to walk to placed between games, which is what I did.

Arkansas is doubleheaders only. Two weekends of games at War Memorial. An early game and a night game with separate tickets for each day, total. I paid $10 I think a couple years ago.

Mississippi just added a 7th class. So, not sure exactly what they're doing with tickets. In the past, one ticket was good all day. Now they're doing a doubleheader on Thursday and Friday and 3 on Saturday. This year at USM. Looks like it will be one ticket for both or all three games.

Alabama splits tickets for each game. They play Wednesday 1 game, 3 on Thursday and 3 on Friday. They do NOT play on Saturday as that is the Iron Bowl.

Kentucky split tickets when they moved to UK. Also made it three days on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The reason they moved from WKU was that WKU kept hosting or almost hosting the conference title game and moved KHSAA games to Sunday. Now at UK they have a Sunday game every year automatically.

Pennsylvania as noted is one ticket per game. In the past you could use your stub from earlier to get into the night game. They stopped that several years ago.

NC is individual tickets unless they schedule two back-to-back. It looks like this year they're doing one game on Friday and one on Saturday at two venues. So, no doubleheaders.

WV (which I forgot to add) is 3 games in two days at Wheeling Island. $23 for the three pack, or $9 per game. Games at 7:30 Friday, 12 Saturday and 7pm Saturday. And you're in the parking lot of a casino to kill time between games.

South Dakota is one ticket per game. Because of the small stadium and schedule, they're concerned about too many general admission tickets than seats (though they've expanded recently, one of the tickets is a doubleheader, which is the problem). Ticket is $15/each, however the games are aired on SDPB throughout the state for free.

As far as I'm aware, the rest are one-ticket for the day. Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Tennessee, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Wyoming, and Nevada all have one-day tickets for whatever games are taking place that day.
 
$10 is more than fair. There are so few places you can go right now for "entertainment" where you park free, GA admission for $10, a hot dog is $2, a program is $5, a coke is $2, and a box of popcorn is $1.50...you could even buy a box of donuts for cheap or a string of 50/50 raffle tickets...Less than $20 gets you pure amateur sports, the crowd, the whistles, the bands, and the student sections chanting back and forth...Friday Night Lights...man, NOTHING beats it!! I really can't believe how many people complain about any of it. You'll never be able to convince me otherwise. Friday Night Lights is as pure as it gets.
 
This is one of the better threads on Yappi as well as nauseating, hypocritical, and embarrassing. A lot of varying thoughts and true reasoning being reported regarding supposed observed drops in attendance at Ohio high school football games. Enough have said that ticket/admission price is not the primary driver for drops in attendance. I am undoubtedly and resolutely there as well.

There is NO WAY that $10.00 is going to keep anyone on this forum from attending a football game for a school system and program they are passionate about. While OHSAA is indeed a vile organization, the whiners on here are folks that pay $150+ for family cell phone service and $200/mo. for cable as well as the myriad additional “steaming” services they subscribe to which likely adds another $30 to $40 monthly fee. So you can afford OR you are willing to pay $250/mo. for Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Showtime, TNT, and FX, but you cannot afford $10.00 for a high school playoff game?

If your reasoning to not attend is the game proceeds are not all going to the school, well okay, but that is obvious independent of ticket price. But insincere whining that high school football is unaffordable is embarrassing for your family and the state. I’ve lived in both Georgia and Texas (not by choice) over the past decade, including this year and ticket prices were never a discussion topic. Folks camping out Thursday afternoon in Georgia for high school tickets could care less about ticket price. Playoff ticket sales in Texas could always go through the school but we’re notably pricier than Ohio. I flew in to every Steubenville playoff game for four years, obviously cost not a deterrent.

I am not buying for one second that ticket price for a playoff game is the primary driver for decreased attendance. Several other convincing trends discussed herein are far more believable.
Fan of the team you are correct But the common Joe who used to attend playoff games every week--it definitely hurts. I am one of them-used to go every Fri/Sat night but now -nope Unless it is my local hs
 
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