Nero now confirmed he has nearly completed the task of ramping up the
business end of the UMaine program to the levels of the other larger schools
he is most familiar with.  It is, however, the "shock of the new" for many
Maine fans.  Welcome to the big time.

Rest assured, the $$ link forged between alumni giving and ticket preference
in a school's signature sport is NOT unique to Maine.  The "official" sports
website story where this link is most obvious for Frozen Final tickets is
just a very blunt explanation to perhaps a large group of naieve Maine
followers who perhaps never realized that it could, indeed, happen here.
It's the sports fan's version of learning there IS no Santa Claus.

Any of you fortunate to snag Frozen Final tix, talk to other teams'
supporters you see on the FleeCenter concourses.  Ask about ticketing
preferences in the other big hockey schools and about their other programs
that might have things like Personal Seat licenses for basketball, or
football ticket practices at schools like Ohio State, Michigan, etc.

One wonders, though, how the magical $ 10K figure we will all no doubt talk
about was calculated by Nero for Maine.

Gang, I'm not a cynic (some think I am), but a realist.  I can be a fan, yet
look at the business side of hockey at the same time.  Fascinating, really.

Weekend game analysis and such coming...I just want to read more before
commenting - would rather not go over well-trodded grounds, but add some new
ideas if they hadn't already been explored.

One hint -- my concern, after reading Albany faceoff stats, is growing larger.

Dan

Matt Dewkett wrote:

>I think that it is great to increase
>revenue and donations to the athletic department, but
>come on Nero!!!  This "if you want to get tickets,
>there is still time to open your check book" is
>absurd.  I love the use of words like "increase the
>probability" you hear no guarantee from the
>University.  I am completely supportive of the efforts
>to build the Shawn Walsh Hockey Center, however isn't
>this a form of scalping?  Per the release, the
>University has harsh penatlies for scalpers...  I mean
>seriously, if myself, Deron, and Acheson met Patrick
>Nero with our checkbooks outside of the Fleet and he
>gave a set of tix to the largest donor to the
>University it is the exact same thing as scalping!
>The tickets have a face value of what $45? You need to
>donate AT LEAST 10K to have a chance at them.  That is
>a fantastic markup!!  I can buy tickets online on eBay
>for less that a 10K donation to the University.
>Anyone else soured by this?
>
>P.S. Does anyone know if tuition dollars count towards
>donations?
>
>
>--- Deron Treadwell <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>> Donors to the athletic department at or above
>> $10,000 annually
>
>
>> If fans would like to increase their chances at
>> tickets for this year’s
>> Frozen Four the Black Bear Club and Shawn Walsh
>> Hockey Center will be
>> accepting gifts, which are non-refundable, and will
>> increase the
>> probability of securing tickets for the Tournament.
>>
>>
>
>=====
>------------------
>Matthew R. Dewkett
>[log in to unmask]
>
>__________________________________
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