I have posted this several times and I think this is worth some discussion. I believe that Covid has changed fan behavior, at least in the short term. When you can stay home and watch the game on an 84" TV and save money then ticket sales are going to suffer. We have not been able to sell out Sanford Stadium for the lesser games in years. Opposing teams have the same issue and are returning tickets in their allotment.
The emphasis on coach's salaries, very expensive facilities, loss of tax deductibility of donations, and now paying players has fundamentally changed the sport into semi-pro ball. The NFL is probably the only pro sport without a farm system, which is outsourced to the colleges.
We will not know for sure until Covid is over, but a lot of the people I talk to are in this camp. Fan appreciation by UGAA is almost non-existent. As an example, the family in front of us had been sitting in their seats for over 30 years. When the father died the children wanted to keep the seats. UGAA said no problem so long as they paid $1 million for the donation side of the equation. I thought this was just a tale until I heard a similar story from another long time ticket holder. As a friend told me "You can treat the fans any way you want to when things are good, but they will remember it when things go bad!"
I am giving my tickets up after 50+ years and don't think I am alone.
The emphasis on coach's salaries, very expensive facilities, loss of tax deductibility of donations, and now paying players has fundamentally changed the sport into semi-pro ball. The NFL is probably the only pro sport without a farm system, which is outsourced to the colleges.
We will not know for sure until Covid is over, but a lot of the people I talk to are in this camp. Fan appreciation by UGAA is almost non-existent. As an example, the family in front of us had been sitting in their seats for over 30 years. When the father died the children wanted to keep the seats. UGAA said no problem so long as they paid $1 million for the donation side of the equation. I thought this was just a tale until I heard a similar story from another long time ticket holder. As a friend told me "You can treat the fans any way you want to when things are good, but they will remember it when things go bad!"
I am giving my tickets up after 50+ years and don't think I am alone.
