From the good news Department...
Wright State University sees surge in ticket package sales
Basketball programs eye winning seasons
Dayton Business Journal - by Joe Cogliano DBJ Staff Reporter
Bob Grant has a waiting list of people seeking platinum seats for Wright State University men’s basketball games.
That puts the school’s director of athletics in an awkward position. He has to find more room for fans who want to pay $5,000 for a pair of platinum seat tickets to sit courtside.
“It’s a good problem to have,” Grant said. “That gives me hope that we’re seeing a slow turn, not only in the economy, but consumer confidence.”
Grant also sees the increased demand as a sign men’s basketball at Wright State is shaping up to be a marquee program.
While boosting the school’s notoriety is a good thing — since it typically leads to more applicants and greater alumni support — getting that success to translate into more ticket sales is also critical because men’s basketball accounts for nearly half of the athletic department’s annual revenue.
The Raiders have averaged about 5,400 fans per game the last two seasons and Grant expects a lot of offseason buzz, and a better schedule, to drive those numbers higher this season.
Wright State will play home games against Air Force and conference foe Butler, which came within a shot of winning last season’s NCAA Championship. The team will travel to Indiana University and the University of Cincinnati. UC will play at the Nutter Center in the 2011 season.
“We’ve struggled with bringing in high-profile teams to create excitement, since the big boys aren’t traveling away from home. But with some hard work, we’ve been able to upgrade our schedule,” Grant said.
More than a month before the first game tips off, the season ticket renewal rate is close to 90 percent. The school also has brought back its Pick-6 package deal, which allows fans to choose tickets to any six games for $90 per seat.
Coming off its fourth season of more than 20 wins, Grant expects the school to get national exposure from former coach Brad Brownell, who stepped into a major conference job when he took the helm at Clemson University. Every time Clemson is shown playing on television, the announcers will mention Brownell is a first-year coach from Wright State.
The Raiders also are slated for five appearances on the ESPN networks, with the potential for more. Last year, the school appeared on national television four times during the regular season.
Corporate sponsorships, another sign of where the program is headed, are up significantly for the second consecutive year and several deals are still in the works, Grant said.
New sponsors include Wendy’s, Browner Insurance, Dayton-based law firm Pickrel, Schaeffer and Ebeling and Dayton Freight.
To plug men’s basketball, Wright State will continue its billboard ads campaign. It will also boost the emphasis on social media, including more postings on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and the Raiders own Web site.
Perhaps the biggest plus for the program is that its gaining steam just as the university is maturing.
At just more than 40 years old, Wright State grads in larger numbers are getting into positions of power and have the ability to support the school and its athletic program, Grant said. At the same time, large numbers of alumni are finally at a point in their lives where they can afford to buy tickets and support the program.
And while he is always pushing for new ticket sales, Grant hasn’t lost sight of what existing fans mean to the program. For example, the school holds a private reception and has a gift for season ticket holders.
“In this economic climate, you better cling to your current customers like gold and that’s what we try to do,” he said.
Grant expects new coach Billy Donlon to create a new wave of excitement around the program.
The outgoing Donlon, a native of the Chicago area, spent the past four years as an assistant at Wright State and previously was on Brownell’s staff for four years at UNC-Wilmington.
Seniors N’Gai Evans (6-2, G) and Vaugh Duggins (6-3, G) will lead the Raiders while junior college transfer Armond Battle (6-7, F) could make an immediate impact. The incoming freshman class includes AJ Pacher (6-9, F) from Vandalia High School and Matt Vest (6-5, G) from Chaminade-Julienne High School.
The Raiders open the season Nov. 14 at Indiana University. Its first home game is Nov. 17 against Northwood University (Michigan).
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