Giving Up My Boise State Football Tickets

By now just about every Bronco Nation Season Ticket holder has voiced their collective opinion about the recent season ticket increase and the added BAA Membership fees for sections 5, 25, 26, 105, 111, 125 & 126. The increase for a season ticket in my section is $105.00 after shipping and handling, a 36.46% increase. It should be noted that the increase is really a 13.58% as last year there were only 5 games instead of the 6 this year.

On top of the increase in ticket price, the section I am currently located in will be charged a $140 Priority Fee for 2 seats. The end result is a 23.70% increase for one ticket in the Priority Section. One simply needs to ask themselves if the price is worth the quality of product being provided to Bronco Nation.

A great deal of Bronco Fans would say the price is not an issue for the privilege to watch the Broncos Play on the Blue. After all the Boise State Broncos are with out a doubt one of the best tickets in town, in Idaho and in the West. Mainly due to the supply, I would say it is one of the toughest tickets to secure. I am sure getting a ticket to a Boise State game rivals that of gaining access to Oregon Ducks, Utah Utes, BYU Cougars and USC Trojans games.

On the other side I am sure there are Bronco Fans that think prices continue to rise and the best opponents the Broncos have seen in the last 7 years are the Oregon State Beavers and in 2009 the Oregon Ducks. Each year we are treated to FCS division push over and a non-BCS mid-tier team. Then of course their is the WAC, which the Broncos have dominated since becoming members of the Conference.

With that said I should pause and let you know that I am giving up my season tickets this year, not because I can no longer afford them, but for a whole host of reasons.

• The first simply boils down to the quality of opponent. This is all on Gene Bleymaier. Over the past few years the highest quality of opponent the Broncos have faced are the Georgia Bulldogs and that was a road game disaster. The best oponent on the blue, the 2009 game versus the Oregon Ducks.  I am not suggesting that Gene needs to get BCS teams into Bronco Stadium, but I am suggesting that UC Davis is not the quality of opponent that Bronco Fans wish to spend time watching.
• Next is the stadium sky box is a great addition, Boise State needs to add more seats to the stadium. Going back to my first point, BCS teams have enough to worry about financially, let alone having worry about whether BSU can deliver the amount of money they can get when playing an FCS team at home. With expansion comes more revenue. Getting $70 a head for 50,000 seats is much better than 32,000 a game, a $1.26 million better.
• With expansion comes a little more leg room. As one comment I read,
  

  “My wife is literally sitting on my lap during the game as there not enough room for the seats that are sold.”

  I have two words for you, Bronco Cushions. These seats are taking up way too much room. I have witnessed, on several occasions, people bringing in wrenches to move the seats. On top of that people who want to save a buck or two bring their own seats in and they typically take up more space then the Bronco Cushions.

• Speaking of space, what is the deal with parking? Could they have put in a parking garage next to Bronco Stadium by now? Parking has gotten so bad that most lots are charging $10 a spot and those spots are usually 6 to 7 blocks from the stadium. Oh and the prices people pay to park in the stadium parking lot is beyond reasonable, but more power to those who do.
• Setting expansion aside for a moment Bronco Stadium is in major need of a rehab.  If your on the east side you know exactly what I am talking about.  Also could we get a sound system people can actually hear and understand.  Just a piece of advice, the greater number of fans are east and west, not north and south.  Anybody who has been to a concert know that the sound quality much better if your in line with the speakers, not to the side of the speakers.  Finally could we replace the light bulbs on the west side score board?
• Finally, the “bandwagon” and uneducated fan has been more than I can handle. During the last game I was grabbed by another fan as I walked down to get a jump on the getting on the field to celebrate the WAC Championship. This fan had the nerve to say I wasn’t a “real fan”. Assuming I was just leaving, this person took it upon herself to call me a few choice words, dig her finger nails into my arm and at the same time draw attention from other fans, who thought they should yell at me as well.  Security of course would not do anything about it, as they did not witness the altercation.

The increase of ticket prices, though not a the main reason, has becoming the tipping point for me giving up my season tickets. I will continue to support the Broncos both as a fan, a podcaster, and monetarily, however Boise State Athletics has a long way to go in my opinion to keep fans coming back for more. There is no argument the football team is producing results and it is a top product. It goes without saying that Bronco Stadium and its amenities are still lacking. Looking past the sky box, Bronco Stadium is lacking all the things the big time programs have.  I feel that until these changes are made, I don’t care how much the price is, I am not buying as well as saving myself from the physical and verbal attacks.