In the wake of dwindling attendance and a steady decline in the number of season ticket holders, University of Maine administrators have decided to reduce ticket prices and offer some other perks designed to increase attendance at men’s hockey games.
Ticket prices are going up for football games, but UMaine has eliminated parking and tailgating fees to help offset the hike.
The UMaine men’s hockey team had 2,384 season ticket holders in 2010-11 and that has decreased to 1,684 last season, according to John Diamond, the assistant athletic director for community engagement and marketing.
That’s a decline of 29.4 percent from 2010-11 to last season and a loss in revenue of about $225,000 during that time span.
Hockey season tickets have been slashed from $325 and $295 down to $255 in an attempt to bring fans back to Alfond Arena in Orono. That will include 15 regular season games and exhibitions against St. Francis Xavier from Antigonish, Nova Scotia, and the United States National Development Program’s Under-18 team.
The hockey program’s demise has certainly been at the root of its attendance woes.
After winning two NCAA championships, appearing in 11 Frozen Fours and compiling an impressive string of nine consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, the Black Bears have missed the NCAA Tournament eight of the past nine years and have had just four winning seasons during that time.
UMaine has gone 22-46-9 the past two seasons and is just 14-21-5 at Alfond Arena.
The Black Bears averaged 3,923 fans per game last season, which represents the lowest total since the 1991-92 team drew 4,024 per game.
“Whether it’s us or anybody else, you can always count on success being the driving force behind ticket sales,” said former UMaine football coach Jack Cosgrove, who stepped down after 23 years last fall to become the school’s senior associate director of athletics. “Anyone who is putting a plan together like this one is counting on the team doing well so the fans are encouraged to support the team.
“There’s a great feeling within the ranks here that our teams are ready to compete and put their best efforts out there. Hopefully, they’ll have the kind of success that will bring the fans out in arms,” he added.
Hockey season tickets used to be a hot commodity at UMaine. In 2003, newly-named UMaine athletic director Patrick Nero approved a plan making 300 more season tickets available in addition to the 2,900 UMaine already had to appease a long waiting list for season tickets.
Diamond said the decline in the number of season ticket holders is not just a trend at UMaine, it is prevalent across the country.
“We’ve had a drop in the economy, and other things are competing for people’s time and money,” he said.
Cosgrove said when administrators began lengthy discussions about ticket sales in March, one of the goals was to keep everything simple for the fans.
“Fans like to know how much they’re paying and what they’re getting for it,” said Cosgrove. “They don’t want to have to keep reaching into their wallets.
“One price fits all. It makes a lot of sense. Maine people appreciate simplicity,” he added.
“We are putting an emphasis on doing everything we can to to provide the best fan experience that we can both in pricing and benefits we can offer,” said Diamond.
A $10 parking fee for hockey and football games has been eliminated for several parking areas near the Alfond facilities.
Diamond said about 75 percent of the preferred seats at Alfond Arena that used to require a $500 donation will no longer require the donation. The donation ensures a VIP parking pass, which is 80 percent tax deductible. The money goes to student-athlete scholarships.
There also will be half-season ticket packages that will include nine games. They haven’t gone on sale as yet, he said.
Those will be ideal for people who can attend one weekend night but not the other.
And season ticket holders who can’t attend a game will be able to receive tickets to another game as long as they let ticket office personnel know at least 24 hours before a game. For example, if two season ticket holders can’t attend a game, they can get two extra tickets free for a game later in the season. So they could bring a couple of friends or family members with them.
“That way their tickets won’t go to waste,” said Diamond, meaning they could sell those tickets to somebody else for the game they can’t attend.
In addition, all UMaine hockey season ticket holders will receive a fleece blanket and will be able to get into the game 15 minutes earlier than non-season ticket holders. There also is a three-month payment plan and a discount for Hockey East playoff tickets.
UMaine will still offer $50 single game tickets for hockey in desirable areas at center ice, but many of those have been dropped to $35 and $20 depending on the section, according to Diamond.
Increased season ticket prices for UMaine football will be negated by the elimination of the $20 tailgating fee and the $10 parking fees.
Season tickets, now called season memberships, have gone from $40 to $55, $75 and $100 depending upon where the seats are. Single game pricing is $12, $15 and $25. Fans also can get four-ticket packages ranging from $40 to $90.
“We had the lowest prices in the [Colonial Athletic Association], and we hadn’t changed our season ticket prices in over 10 years,” said Diamond. “But by bringing up the price a little, we’re able to eliminate the price of parking and tailgating.”
“It’s still going to be the cheapest ticket in the conference,” Cosgrove said. “I’ve had people tell me in the past they couldn’t believe how cheap our season tickets were.”
UMaine will play five home games this fall.
There are about 450 season ticket holders for football.
“It has been pretty consistent over the years between 400 and 500,” said Diamond.
Diamond said that the change in terminology from season ticket holders to season ticket members reflects that the fans are “getting more than just a ticket. They get the added benefits and feel more like part of whatever team they are following.”
The hockey team will play three games in Portland including Hockey East games against Boston College and Notre Dame. The other game will be against Brown University. Fans can purchase three-game packages for the Portland games for $75 or $30 per game.
The Cross Insurance Arena, formerly known as the Cumberland County Civic Center, has been a profitable venue for the Black Bears as they have averaged 4,955 per game over the past eight games there.