Question on ticket policy

[BCinDC]

I plan on attending Saturday's game with my 4-month old daughter. A quick look on the ticket webpage states "Everyone, regardless of age, must have a ticket for entry into Alumni Stadium."

Really?

Have any of you been able to get your kids in for free?

[commavegarage]

I plan on attending Saturday's game with my 4-month old daughter. A quick look on the ticket webpage states "Everyone, regardless of age, must have a ticket for entry into Alumni Stadium."

Really?

Have any of you been able to get your kids in for free?

I assume given your handle that you are coming up from DC to see the game- If that is indeed the case I would call the ticket office. I feel like you'd been fine but it's worth asking just in case (If you do call and they say yes, get the name of the guy you were talking too so if there are any issues you can reference the guy you talked to.)

[DavidGordonsFoot]

I don't have kids but people have complained about this policy on the boards recently before. I think they're firm on it.

[HJS]

I plan on attending Saturday's game with my 4-month old daughter. A quick look on the ticket webpage states "Everyone, regardless of age, must have a ticket for entry into Alumni Stadium."

Really?

Have any of you been able to get your kids in for free?

100%... yes... really. It is a Gene rule to give him stats that allow him to pretend he is a good AD.

A few years ago, we ran into this policy. It was towards the end of the second quarter (kids had finally awoken from naps)... my wife and her friend... were trying to get into the game carrying their respective infants (both around 5 months old). It was a game against someone like Ball State and the stadium was empty. The ticket taker suddenly took on the persona of a Statie clearing Shea Field. Wouldn't let them in... told it was policy... when explained that they've brought the kids in previous games with no problem, he threatened to charge them for those games... as they turned and left with crying babies in tow, he said if he saw them inside he would call security. They went down to the next gate and the female ticket-taker let them in only commenting how adorable the kids were.

This is the gameday experience that Gene hates on the fans for not wanting to attend.

[BCinDC]

Thanks. I called the ticket office and spoke to a gentleman who told me that "yes, unfortunately that is the policy." When I asked if there was at least a reduced price he told me, "Between you and me, you can probably just walk in with her and no one will say anything." Of course, since this advice was off the record he wasn't going to give me his name.

The sad part was when he said, "If worse comes to worst you can just buy a ticket at the gate. It's not like we're going to sell out or anything..."

[hansen]

Thanks. I called the ticket office and spoke to a gentleman who told me that "yes, unfortunately that is the policy." When I asked if there was at least a reduced price he told me, "Between you and me, you can probably just walk in with her and no one will say anything." Of course, since this advice was off the record he wasn't going to give me his name.

The sad part was when he said, "If worse comes to worst you can just buy a ticket at the gate. It's not like we're going to sell out or anything..."

that's classic.
not even the ticket office believes we can sell out the stadium.

[claver2010]

Ladies & Gentlemen the award winning BC ticket office!

[AdamBC]

Not only that ... but parent's weekend against the first non-I-AA team in a while is still not likely to sell out.

I hate our fans and athletic department. (Both are to blame.)

[DavidGordonsFoot]

I don't usually worry about attendance, but if we can't sell out Parent's Weekend anymore, it's time to start worrying. FORCED RETIREMENT FOR COACH FLIP.

[apbc12]

Since BC is a Catholic school, does that mean pregnant chicks need two tickets?

[HJS]

Parents weekend ALWAYS sellsout. Seriously. We used to schedule Temple back in the day... and the place would be packed. Not selling out after two consecutive ACCCGs would be another nail in the coffin of the AD at any other program. However, since Fr. Leahy hates sports, GDF is our POS until he gets his well-deserved dirtnap.

[BCDF22]

I don't usually worry about attendance, but if we can't sell out Parent's Weekend anymore, it's time to start worrying. FORCED RETIREMENT FOR COACH FLIP.

Our attendance issues are downright scary right now. We're going to average about 34k for the year, and that's assuming we battle our way to a 6-6. 5-7 type season. If we fall of the map are 2-5, 2-7 or whatever, those last few games are going to be ugly attendance wise. Gene and the exorbitant prices he charges for tickets and tailgating and DBS, and the crap game day experience at BC are KILLING the fanbase. No other way to spin it.

[unblinkingeye]

BC's ticket policy is pretty much the standard policy for most venues. You can't pin this one on Gene.

[HJS]

Is our tailgating policy pretty much the standard policy for most venues?

[commavegarage]

Is our tailgating policy pretty much the standard policy for most venues?

Look, I hate our tailgating rules as much as the next whalepants wearer, but the reality is most schools that can tailgate for hours upon hours are in the middle of nowhere. I'd rather have bad tailgating for 7 days a year and be in our location than be able to tailgate for hours and live in bumblefxck.

[talon]

Is our tailgating policy pretty much the standard policy for most venues?

Look, I hate our tailgating rules as much as the next whalepants wearer, but the reality is most schools that can tailgate for hours upon hours are in the middle of nowhere. I'd rather have bad tailgating for 7 days a year and be in our location than be able to tailgate for hours and live in bumblefxck.

Why give up one to get the other? Tailgating and location aren't necessarily mutually exclusive.

[BCDF22]

And if tailgating issues are truly incorrectable and out of the hands of BC, then stop trying to charge a bajillion dollars for it. I wouldn't mind crappy tailgating if it didn't cost much.

[HJS]

Look, I hate our tailgating rules as much as the next whalepants wearer, but the reality is most schools that can tailgate for hours upon hours are in the middle of nowhere. I'd rather have bad tailgating for 7 days a year and be in our location than be able to tailgate for hours and live in bumblefxck.

Last I checked, three fellow conference schools (Maryland, Miami and GTech) have similar suburban/urban campuses. A number of similarly situated schools nationally include, USC, UCLA, UDub, Northwestern and Rutgers. That is 8 BCS-conference schools located in or around cities bigger than are the same size as Boston. You can expand the list further if you include slightly smaller cities... ASU, Berkeley, Stanford, NCS, Cincy, Louisville, Texas, FSU, Pittsburgh, UConn, Michigan and Vandy. Realize the comparisons further mushroom if you include non-BCS programs like Memphis, Houston, SMU, etc.

I challenge anyone to find a program that has our tailgating restrictions.

[HJS]

Boxty... is everything that is NOT in "dense, toney suburban neighborhoods with million dollar homes immediately surrounding the stadium" deemed to be located in "bumblefxck"???

[WilpertsRevenge]

Look, I hate our tailgating rules as much as the next whalepants wearer, but the reality is most schools that can tailgate for hours upon hours are in the middle of nowhere. I'd rather have bad tailgating for 7 days a year and be in our location than be able to tailgate for hours and live in bumblefxck.

Last I checked, three fellow conference schools (Maryland, Miami and GTech) have similar suburban/urban campuses. A number of similarly situated schools nationally include, USC, UCLA, UDub, Northwestern and Rutgers. That is 8 BCS-conference schools located in or around cities bigger than are the same size as Boston. You can expand the list further if you include slightly smaller cities... ASU, Berkeley, Stanford, NCS, Cincy, Louisville, Texas, FSU, Pittsburgh, UConn, Michigan and Vandy. Realize the comparisons further mushroom if you include non-BCS programs like Memphis, Houston, SMU, etc.

I challenge anyone to find a program that has our tailgating restrictions.

Those schools are all in dense, toney suburban neighborhoods with million dollar homes immediately surrounding the stadium? I didn't know that.

HJS c'mon none of those schools are sitauted like BC is and like Boston in general. They may be urban but then Cleveland is urban and it is more spread out than the state of RI

[HJS]

The only difference between how those schools are situated and how BC is situated is the people who live in the area immediately surrounding the respective campuses.

[unblinkingeye]

First it was Gene's fault and now you're blaming the neighbors. Brilliant.

[Endless Mike]

First it was Gene's fault and now you're blaming the neighbors. Brilliant.

It's your fault. Jerk.

[AdamBC]

Also, how many of those 'suburban' school you named have on-campus football stadiums?

To that extent - I consider GT to have a similar set-up to BC. How is their tailgating? Is it indistinguishable from UGA tailgating?

[WilpertsRevenge]

The only difference between how those schools are situated and how BC is situated is the people who live in the area immediately surrounding the respective campuses.

I consider Tallahassee both bumblefxck and didn't see many private residences not inhabited by frats or WT near campus

[HJS]

Great... one you disagree with. What about Vandy (which is located in a wealthy section of Nashville) or UDub or Northwestern??? All have on-campus facilities outside too. Point is that there is no justification for our High School tailgating rules... NONE!!!

[ZBC2001]

Great... one you disagree with. What about Vandy (which is located in a wealthy section of Nashville) or UDub or Northwestern??? All have on-campus facilities outside too. Point is that there is no justification for our High School tailgating rules... NONE!!!

Do those schools need to get an entertainment license from their city? Isn't that where the limit on tailgating comes from?

The tailgating situation is something that has always struck me as being a problem that is not BC created, but one in which BC is doing the best it can given the state of Mass politics, lack of parking space, and the proximity of houses to the stadium.

That all being said...tailgating at BC is like .

[HJS]

Do those schools need to get an entertainment license from their city? Isn't that where the limit on tailgating comes from?

The tailgating situation is something that has always struck me as being a problem that is not BC created, but one in which BC is doing the best it can given the state of Mass politics, lack of parking space, and the proximity of houses to the stadium.

That certainly would be what Gene would lead you to believe. I find it surprising that we can successfully win a war where we are allowed to expand student dorms adjacent to those same neighbors... yet, we can't get a couple of extra HOURS to drive past their homes (and soon-to-be-dorms) on 7 Saturdays a year (a day when many of them are supposed to be walking anyway). Yes... BC has to get a license... but they don't put up any really battle when the town says "BTW, you got 2 hours before and after... OK?" If the donations and ticket sales fall off the GDF created cliff, I can pretty much assure you that you will see a different hourly tailgating window to woo season ticketholders back into the fold. This could be the single achievement of the Spaz error... being so effing bad that Gene actually has to allow people to tailgate.

[WilpertsRevenge]

Great... one you disagree with. What about Vandy (which is located in a wealthy section of Nashville) or UDub or Northwestern??? All have on-campus facilities outside too. Point is that there is no justification for our High School tailgating rules... NONE!!!

I would give you vandy or maybe Cal as being close but not the others. Much more space than BC's footprint. I am also not convinced that the tailgating is that much better. UNC seems like it would have nice tailgting but it was worse and more spread out than ours. The majority of fans were from NC state

[ATLeagle]

Also, how many of those 'suburban' school you named have on-campus football stadiums?

To that extent - I consider GT to have a similar set-up to BC. How is their tailgating? Is it indistinguishable from UGA tailgating?

GT and UGA are not great examples. GT has pretty friendly tailgating policies but has many of the same parking issues BC has. If you park in a garage you cannot have a fire.

UGA used to have world class tailgating. But the faculty and President have really pushed to curb things. There is now "family friendly" sections where you cannot drink alcohol. And the tree hugging professors are trying to crack down on the hours because it ruins the grass and create mounds of garbage.