No more free admission to basketball, volleyball games

Those looking to catch a basketball or volleyball game in Burridge Gymnasium this year could be in for a shock as they try to walk through the doors.

For the past three years, McMaster students who wore maroon and presented their student card were given free admittance to basketball or volleyball games. The no-cost event was part of the Athletics and Recreation department’s Colour Your Passion campaign.

But as the department puts down the crayons and launches The McMaster Way initiative, the free admittance is falling to the wayside and students will now be charged $5. Parrish Offer, manager of Athletic and Recreation’s marketing, says that this fee is about much more than trying to bolster revenue figures.

“The thought process behind this is that we had devalued our tickets. For our students, the value of our tickets was zero and it didn’t feel like we were putting on a valuable show,” said Offer.

The athletic director, Jeff Giles, associate director, Mark Alfano, and Offer collectively made the decision over the summer. The free admittance did not drastically impact attendance figures, as the three years saw virtually no increase, according to the athletic department.

But as tuition costs rise and students are more reluctant to drop dollars, the $5 ticket has the potential to be the tipping point for someone who is undecided on whether to attend a game or not. However, the head of marketing does not see it that way.

“There’s a perception out there that students are poor – that they don’t have money. I don’t think that’s necessarily true, I think they are on budgets and they will spend for good value,” said Offer.

The opportunity to free admittance has not completely disappeared, however. The department launched the McMaster Marauders Mobile App towards the end of August, which rewards students for checking in at places either on campus or the surrounding area.

Every check-in is worth one Maroon Point, and it takes ten Maroon Points to receive free entry to a basketball or volleyball game for free.

While the opportunity for free entry is a good alternative, the impact on attendance numbers will be an interesting story to follow. The casual Marauder fan is getting the short end of the stick here, with the die-hard being rewarded for their dedication.

The change has the potential to chase away fans from the brand, but the department has addressed this by adding more vendor rewards in their app than just athletics.
“The app has TwelvEighty, the Campus Store, the Phoenix, who are all on campus and you can get points. Then you can go off campus to places like the Snooty Fox and Pita Pit to earn rewards there,” said Offer.

Currently, football has a $5 cost for students and the fee has not deterred students from going to games. The athletic department says it is optimistic that on-court success mixed with stronger brand affinity from students will bolster attendance figures in the coming years.