Tailgating Discussion

[Cajun Monkee]

https://www.tailgaterconcierge.com/south-alabama/

A better way to compare is finding schools with off campus stadiums like ours. That's more apples to apples than schools with stadiums in the middle of campus.

I notice three things (just looking at USA, Southern Miss, Rice, Ole Miss and Moo State - I realized the last two are outside of our peer group):

1) We don't offer single game rentals; looks like most others do.

2) We don't offer add-ons (tents, tables, chairs, and then TVs, generators.

3) Our prices seem to be at least competitive, and (from what I'm seeing) cheaper.

Am I missing something?

[CajunEXPRESS]

We have one of the largest parking lots surrounding the stadium in the country. Additionally it was even larger before the Cajun Dome was built. I’m sure they never intended for it to be a revenue stream when built, but a conduit to building a fan base. We’ve totally reversed that concept and the results are more than obvious.

[RedTails]

I had another long post queued up but I just don't care anymore. I'm with what BWK said in another thread now, why do I as a fan have to worry about these things when people are paid to. Apathy is creeping in when it concerns tailgating and gameday experience. I'm just going to show up and support when I can.

[KajunKrazy]

Let me start with pricing.

Maybe we could have a premium area, a pay by the game area, and a free area. Maybe some area inside the fence far from the stadium could be designated "first come, first serve" and the premium spots (by the Oak, along Reinhardt where they have Cajunwalk, etc.) should be premium.

Here is our current pricing for tailgating. It appears the cheapest you can get started in tailgating is a $925 investment: $500 RCAF donation + $425 (TG4 or TG5). This is just to be let on the property, no tailgating equipment included.

Is their any other G5 school requiring this type of investment? ...or even a P5?

That's the investment for that area. I saw volleyball fans tailgating in the lot across from Cajun field all weekend long when I passed by there. I am sure it cost them nothing. Football could do the same if they want to tailgate for free. The University could look at changing the price structure inside the gates of CF but I wouldn't give anything for free there. The program has to make money. Full disclosure I do get a spot in TG1 every year since 1996.

IMO they should open the grass area around fraternity row and Bourgeois hall for first come first serve free tailgating. It gives you a little more of an on campus feel that the open field.

[GreatestStory]

I'm tired of hearing about our tailgating being some crazy unique issue for us because the stadium is not on campus.

Every game we literally have HUNDREDS of unused tailgating spots at our stadium. Is that because our stadium is off campus?

I'm going to need someone to explain why tailgating spots are free when your stadium is on campus, but $500 (+donation) if your stadium is off campus.

...and it's not because of "limited space". There are a lot of tailgating spaces around Cajun Field that are currently not being used. There is no waiting list for tailgating. Available supply seems high, so I assume demand is not.

I'm not saying make it free... maybe revisit the pricing and try to get the empty spots sold.

[KajunKrazy]

Florida State has free first come first serve tailgating on their intramural fields located less than 800 yards from the football stadium.

I know CajunT has said in the past that the athletic department needs to make money somehow (which is valid), but it's obvious now that tailgating pricing was done wrong...to the detriment of attendance and gameday experience.

1. Pricing needs to be adjusted to fill spots farther away
2. Single game spots should be able to be purchased (see SLU's FestMaps implementation of reserving a spot)
3. Reduce or eliminate RCAF donation for spot (if we don't care about the small fish anyway)

There was single game TG spot availabilities at the beginning of the year. They just didn't advertise them well.

[zeppelincajun]

I notice three things (just looking at USA, Southern Miss, Rice, Ole Miss and Moo State - I realized the last two are outside of our peer group):

1) We don't offer single game rentals; looks like most others do.

2) We don't offer add-ons (tents, tables, chairs, and then TVs, generators.

3) Our prices seem to be at least competitive, and (from what I'm seeing) cheaper.

Am I missing something?

3) knowing how much something costs somewhere else without knowing also how well it sells somewhere else tells you nothing. Rice for example: they charge $200 per game for their cheapest spots. UL fans outnumbered Rice fans 2 or 3 to 1 in Houston and tailgating was next to nonexistent. For our admin to say, “we aren’t overcharging. Look. Rice charges more” would be beyond inept when their parking lot is empty. These schools can charge these prices all they want. It doesn’t mean the spots sell. We should be looking for the price point that WILL sell in Lafayette, LA and the reasons why our old tailgaters or donors have stopped.

Again this goes back to my theory that this admin doesn’t really care to know why things have dwindled because this would require 1. Effort and 2. Self reflection if those answers involved our practices. We refuse to do the work. There are two former tailgate spot holders and/or RCAF members in this thread alone. These people hold the answers we should be seeking. Do we care enough to pick up the damn phone?

[CajunRage]

That's the investment for that area. I saw volleyball fans tailgating in the lot across from Cajun field all weekend long when I passed by there. I am sure it cost them nothing. Football could do the same if they want to tailgate for free. The University could look at changing the price structure inside the gates of CF but I wouldn't give anything for free there. The program has to make money. Full disclosure I do get a spot in TG1 every year since 1996.

IMO they should open the grass area around fraternity row and Bourgeois hall for first come first serve free tailgating. It gives you a little more of an on campus feel that the open field.

Question, what makes more money? Selling all of the tailgating spots and getting 12k in the stands OR getting 30k+ in the stands? I'm not necessarily advocating for giving away for free but the "the program has to make money" mindset is incredibly flawed. Is it a blocker to growing attendance? We don't know. Is it an enabler to growing attendance? Absolutely not.

Edit: I don't remember if I did the math or someone else posted it here, but the added ticket sales needed to break even on the tailgating revenue wouldn't even get close to 30k in attendance. 30k+ every home game would make exponentially more money and then you're going to grow RCAF in the process.

[KajunKrazy]

That's the investment for that area. I saw volleyball fans tailgating in the lot across from Cajun field all weekend long when I passed by there. I am sure it cost them nothing. Football could do the same if they want to tailgate for free. The University could look at changing the price structure inside the gates of CF but I wouldn't give anything for free there. The program has to make money. Full disclosure I do get a spot in TG1 every year since 1996.

IMO they should open the grass area around fraternity row and Bourgeois hall for first come first serve free tailgating. It gives you a little more of an on campus feel that the open field.

Because when you are on campus tailgate spots aren't squared, lined and numbered as we have. You just go find any ground in which to throw your tent that isn't already taken.

[KajunKrazy]

Question, what makes more money? Selling all of the tailgating spots and getting 12k in the stands OR getting 30k+ in the stands? I'm not necessarily advocating for giving away for free but the "the program has to make money" mindset is incredibly flawed. Is it a blocker to growing attendance? We don't know. Is it an enabler to growing attendance? Absolutely not.

What makes you think giving away TG spots would generate that kind of crowd? The apathy for this program in this community has nothing to do with the price of TG spots. If you give them away you will have the same amount of people there but now you are making 0 on them.

[CharlieK]

Probably nobody will agree with me here, but I'm right :-)

There should be an online auction for spots every year. For spots that were rented the previous year, the current "owner" has the right to match the high bid and keep his spot.

This would maximize how much we get for each spot, given whatever the current actual demand is, and would identify the true value of each of the spots.

[GreatestStory]

I can guarantee there is a direct correlation between the amount of people tailgating before the game and the amount of people who go in the stadium.

I don't ever recall seeing a ghost town in the tailgating area and then 30K in the stands.

All of our largest crowds had a huge turnout for tailgating.