Ticket prices at FC for courtside lower bowl: $300 + $300 BBF donation =
$600 Similar tickets at Tiny Arena: $750+ $1000-1750 BBF donation =
$1750-2500Divide that by the 16-17 home games per year and that's $100+ per ticket per game. And don't forget: at least 7 of the expected 16 home games will still be played at FC (assuming they meet their construction target of being ready for conference play in January).
I'm roughly halfway in priority. The BBF email said there are 274 Phase 1 accounts with 1243 season tickets, and 1280 Phase 2 accounts with 3994 season tickets (5237 season tickets total). At my level, I'm around # 596 in priority with about 2700 season tickets ahead of me. So here's the ticket conundrum: what if a fair number of higher priority folks do like T-Rex and say "F#%& it, I'm trading down my seats instead of paying 3X as much"? What if the more reasonably (relatively speaking) seats sell out first and by the time they get to the lower donors the only seats left are ones that require much higher BBF donations?
Then there's the parking issue. The mayor posted on FB about the parking garage this past weekend, which is being built by the city (
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=792946195615751&set=a.107073057536405). So far it's on schedule to be "parkable" by January, with facade and finishout work to conclude next summer. So what if the arena is finished before the parking garage? Or vice versa? If there is a delay, I would imagine it would be easy, with electronic tickets, for BU to retract tickets for Tiny and reissue them for FC if needed.
Mayor says the new garage will have 455 spaces. Currently, there are 770 numbered reserved spaces at FC south of the main drive off U-P. Plus, there is a separate reserved lot for media across the main drive. Of the numbered spaces, it seems like 30-40 of them near the practice facility entrance are taken up on game days by coaches, players, staff, cheerleaders, etc. In addition to the new garage, it appears there are about 60-70 surface lot spaces at Robinson Tower. I presume those will be available on game day, and perhaps this would be media/staff parking, thus leaving the garage for season ticket holders only.
But given current numbers, up to 300 or more who currently have reserved parking at FC will lose it. Maybe they will use the new parking lot behind the new Hurd Howdy Hut for the remaining reserved parking. Anyone else who parked in the unreserved FC lots, or at the 2nd street garage, will be faced with long, long walks or an even longer shuttle ride.
And one last thing: if the new garage has 455 spaces, guess who has had parking space #456 at FC for the last 10-12 years?
This guy.