In Reply to: Another important factor posted by Dr.Bruin on October 25, 2026 at 17:39:59
I tend to look at problems as something to solve, not something to accept as inevitable.
I've never had season tickets, mostly because my kids had games every weekend. I usually make it to a game or two a year. Now that my kids are older, I've seriously considered buying season tickets. I have friends who used to be season ticket holders but walked away after prices were raised dramatically. I've even tried convincing them to go in with me again, but it's been a hard sell. They still feel burned by the price hikes.
I've seen that same sentiment expressed here and elsewhere. Call me crazy, but maybe you've simply overpriced the product.
I own rental properties, and I once had an apartment sitting vacant for a few months despite what I thought was a reasonable asking price. I was showing it almost every week, but nobody pulled the trigger. Eventually, I had to accept that I could either keep watching it sit empty or lower the rent. Guess what? I dropped the price by a few hundred dollars, and it rented almost immediately.
I'm not sure why UCLA and the Rose Bowl seem to think those empty seats are somehow more profitable than selling tickets at a lower price. At some point, you have to recognize when your asking price is driving customers away.
Call it bad marketing, bad business, or whatever you want, but I just don't believe this is being managed correctly.
I think the same argument can be made for Pauley. I know we have a solid season ticket base, but there are plenty of people who only show up for the big games, and good seats aren't cheap. I almost always go to the exhibition games. Last week, I sat right behind the players' bench for about $80. I loved the experience, but it's not a seat I'd normally be willing to spend that kind of money on for a regular-season game.
Maybe that's part of the problem. Price matters to people, even those who love UCLA and want to attend more games. Maybe I'm just cheap, and I'm willing to admit that's a possibility. But I can't help wondering how many more people would show up if the prices were more reasonable.