Stub Hub vs Season Tickets: Illinois

Earlier this season, we began our new home-game feature, StubHub vs. Season Tickets in which we compare the cost of getting seats to each and every Michigan game in The Big House on StubHub vs buying season tickets, "seat donations" and all.  As we mentioned in that first post, not only will we keep a weekly tally, we'll add it all up at the end of the season to see what the difference is.

Our hypothesis for this ultra-scientific MZone study is as follows:

Even when paying over face value for the handful of big games in which supply and demand cause StubHub ticket prices to rise, it will still be cheaper - and probably substantially so - to buy one's tickets each week via StubHub

And just to recap the parameters of our study and what different seats in The Big House cost:

We're assuming two tickets to each game (together) and looking at different seat locations, all of which now require a "preferred seat donations" (aka PSDs).  For those not familiar with PSDs, Michigan's website describes them as follows:

The Victors Club Preferred Seat Donation is a part of University of Michigan Athletics overall annual giving program. Currently, three sports have some portion of the season tickets requiring a Preferred Seat Donation -- Football, Men's Basketball Courtside Seats, and Ice Hockey Club Seats. (Note: Courtside and Hockey Club Seats are sold out. You may contact the Victors Club Office to learn more about future availability.)

The color-coded diagram indicates the football preferred seating areas of Michigan Stadium. There are four different annual donation requirements -- Victors ($500 per seat), Valiant ($375 per seat), Maize ($250 per seat) and Blue ($125 per seat). The End Zone donation requirement ($50 per seat) applies to any new season tickets holders in 2005 and beyond.

Cost to Purchase U-M Season Tickets in 2012

Michigan only has 6 homes games this season due to the opener in Dallas against Alabama.  And of those six games, all of them have a face value of $75 each - except the MSU game which is $95 per ticket.  Thus, one's "face value" ticket cost would be $470 per ticket.  But...

The Athletic Department cuts one a break and charges only $390 for season tickets, which works out to $65 per ticket (it's impossible to know how/if they charge differently for the "big" games so we'll have to make it an even $65 each).

Now tack on your "donation" of $50-$500 per seat and your actual cost of one season ticket is $440 in the endzone, $515 in the "Blue" section, $640 in the "Maize" section, $765 in the "Valiant" section and $890 in the "Victors" section.  Now double that for a pair of tickets.

Illinois

This week's home game against 2-4 Illinois also happens to be homecoming.  What will that to ticket prices on StubHub?  Let's find out.

Season Ticket Price - Endzone Seats:

You, dear season ticket holder, have two seats in the endzone which cost $130 plus $100 for your PSD divided by 6 ($16.67) for a grand total of $146.67.

StubHub Price - Endzone Seats:

As of Tuesday night, StubHub had two seats in Section 10, Row 77 for $50 each, a total of $100.  But while there is no PSD on StubHub, there is an electronic delivery charge of $4.95 and a service charge of $10.00.  Yes, two tacky tacked on fees.  Totally bullshit but, at a total of $11.95, still less than your more bullshitty $16.67 PSD.

Endzone Total:

Season Ticket Endzone Guy - $146.67
StubHub Dude - $114.95

Winner: StubHub Dude by $31.72.

Now suppose you have/want better seats.  Okay...

Season Ticket Price - Maize Section:

Two tickets in sideline sections 3, 4, 20, 21, 42 or 44 cost you the same $130 as Endzone Guy.  But you also had to shell out $500 divided by 6 ($83.33) for a grand total of $213.33 for your chance to watch this year's homecoming game.

StubHub Maize Price:

Found two for in Section 4 for $75 each.  Same $4.95 "electronic delivery charge" (aka email) and a service fee of $15 for a total of $169.95.

Maize Section Total:

Season Ticket Maize Guy - $213.33
StubHub Dude - $169.95

Winner: StubHub Dude by $43.38

Now let's live large...

Season Ticket Price - Victors Section

Two tickets in Section 1, right on the 50, only cost you $65 each as part of your season tix.  But $1,000 divided by 6 tacks on another $166.67 (yikes!).

StubHub Victors Price: 

Found two tix in Section 1, Row 87 for $88 each (plus $4.95, plus $17.60).

Victors Section Total:

Season Ticket Victors Guy - $296.67
StubHub Dude - $198.55

Winner (by TKO): StubHub Dude by $98.12.

Season Totals

Endzone Seats on StubHub:

UMass - Saved $64.72
Illinois - Saved $31.72

Total Endzone StubHub Savings So Far - $96.44

Maize Seats on StubHub:

UMass - Saved $87.38
Illinois - Saved $43.38

Total Maize Section Savings So Far - $130.76

Victors Seats on StubHub:

UMass - Saved $165.24
Illinois - Saved $98.12

Total Victors Section Savings So Far - $263.36

NOTE: I didn't start this series until after the Air Force game and thus don't have exact figures, but a cursory check before the game as I was thinking about a post topic like this revealed something between the UMass and Illinois numbers.  We'll factor those in at the end of the season.

Michigan State

The only "hot" ticket on the U-M home schedule this year is the Michigan State game on October 20th (sorry, Northwestern).  When I did the UMass post for this series, I could get two in the endzone for $220 each, or in Section 1 for $450 each.  Today, on Tuesday night as I finish this post, here is the MSU ticket sitch on StubHub:

Endzone - $147 each
Section 1 - $285 each