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rickey939 · Sep 7, 2006, 02:55 PM

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2577728

Associated Press

LAWRENCE, Kan. -- When Kansas football fans Owen and Lisa Foust headed to the Jayhawks' season opener last Saturday, they bundled up 3-month-old daughter Kate to go along.

But when they presented their tickets at the gate, they were told they would need an additional $35 ticket for Kate.

"I just thought it was pretty tacky," Owen Foust said. "It's just a grab for money."

Kansas actually began enforcing the babies-pay policy three or four years ago, said Kansas associate athletic director Jim Marchiony.

"Everybody needs a ticket regardless of age," Marchiony said. "The very small children come with backpacks and bottles and toys. ... We've received numerous complaints over the years from people who are sitting next to those people -- enough for us to know that even those sized children need the space."

And, Marchiony said, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has recommended that organizations require tickets for everyone at large events as a way to keep track of numbers.

The Fousts, both University of Kansas graduates, said they didn't mind paying something for Kate to get into the game, but they didn't think it should be a full-priced ticket.

"This is supposed to be a family-friendly environment," Owen Foust said. "I don't think that policy promotes that [environment] much."

Kate -- and any child under 3 -- would be able to get in free for a Kansas City Chiefs game.

"It's a question of the actual seat," said Chiefs spokesman Bob Moore. "If there's no one sitting in the seat, then there's no reason to sell the seat."

Moore said he believed most professional football teams have the same policy.

Fans under 2 also can get in free to see the Missouri Tigers or Kansas State Wildcats play, and those under 1 don't pay for tickets at Iowa State.

"We just felt like a 1-year-old doesn't take up that much room," said Matt Johnson, director of ticket operations at Iowa State. "We get calls all the time saying: 'Thanks for not making our 2-month-old pay."'

But Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas all charge for babies who are brought to games.

"Our stadium is sold out on a season-ticket basis with a long waiting list," said Keith Mann, spokesman at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. "Everyone has to have a ticket."

Making exceptions for babies "leads to too much decision-making at the gate," said Kenny Mossman, athletic department spokesman at Oklahoma.

Texas women's athletic director Christine Plonsky argues that safety is an issue.

"The ruler here of stadium and game management is our fire marshal," she said.

The Fousts say the policy won't dampen their Kansas spirit.

"Kate will probably go to some games," Owen Foust said. "And we certainly want Kate to be a KU graduate someday."

Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press

============================

Thoughts on this? Is this fair and should the tickets be full-priced for infants?

itai195 · Sep 7, 2006, 02:59 PM

$35 for a college football game? Shouldn't cost that much for anyone.

andi*pandi · Sep 7, 2006, 03:06 PM

that's crazy. By doing that, they will lose parents ticket sales. Parents of young children aren't going to get babysitters for every old football game out there... save that for evening dinners out.

but it sounds like they're doing all right on ticket sales. :/

Gossamer · Sep 7, 2006, 03:07 PM

Originally Posted by rickey939

[url]and those under 1 don't pay for tickets at Iowa State.

"We just felt like a 1-year-old doesn't take up that much room," said Matt Johnson, director of ticket operations at Iowa State. "We get calls all the time saying: 'Thanks for not making our 2-month-old pay."'

Woo hoo!

$35 for a college football game? Shouldn't cost that much for anyone.

Well what would you say if I told you people pay $100, $1000, even up to $100,000 for season parking passes outside the stadium?

itai195 · Sep 7, 2006, 03:09 PM

I would say those people are crazy, but then I spend plenty of money on things other people would find crazy too.

rickey939 · Sep 7, 2006, 03:14 PM

Frankly, I had no idea that people watched, or cared to attend, KU football games.

Timo · Sep 7, 2006, 03:30 PM

Originally Posted by itai195

$35 for a college football game? Shouldn't cost that much for anyone.

that was my reaction. $35?

nredman · Sep 7, 2006, 04:16 PM

i've never really understood why parents bring really young kids to games - i swear i saw a kid at a twins game a few weeks back who was like a week old - wtf

rickey939 · Sep 7, 2006, 04:21 PM

Originally Posted by nredman

i've never really understood why parents bring really young kids to games - i swear i saw a kid at a twins game a few weeks back who was like a week old - wtf

I would only do that if Rickey were playing....alas, I don't have to worry about that anymore!

Montezuma58 · Sep 7, 2006, 09:06 PM

Originally Posted by Timo

that was my reaction. $35?

That's pretty cheap. Have you shopped around lately for NBA, NFL, or other major college football tickets?

As for the tickets for infants that's a fairly common policy. Most of the time seat are assigned. You'd have to have some sort of system for issuing age dependent tickets for each seat. Then there is the hassle of enforcing age restrictions at the gate. Then there is the issue of where to draw the line between full priced and infant tickets. With few people bringing infants and excess demand for full price tickets its just not worth messing with for a big college football program.

It's a football game not Disneyland. Leave the babies with a sitter.

davesimondotcom · Sep 7, 2006, 09:30 PM

$35 isn't too bad for Division I-A. I pay around $20/game to see my Montana State Bobcats (Division I-AA.)

Of course, we went to Boulder and beat Colorado, so it'll be harder to find tix this year!!!

C.A.T.S. CEO · Sep 7, 2006, 09:39 PM

Retarded

CharlesS · Sep 7, 2006, 09:40 PM

Doesn't surprise me. KU kicks everyone, including both students and faculty members, out of any parking spots several hours before a basketball game so that they can squeeze more money out of people for game parking. If some prof needs to be on campus for some actual academic reason and has his car in the lot, they will either give him a huge fine or tow his car. They are a bunch of money grubbing $@#%s.

demograph68 · Sep 7, 2006, 10:07 PM

Parents: This is outrageous!
Non-Parents: About damn time!

Dork. · Sep 7, 2006, 10:21 PM

We were actually able to do more with our daughter when she was an infant, because she mostly just stayed in her car seat/infant carrier and slept. As long as she get fed and changed in a timely fashion, she was quite agreeable all the time. I would take a 2- or 3-month-old to places I'd never take a 14- or 15-month old, because the older kid is more likely to cause a huge ruckus.

It is possible to take an infant to an event like this and not have the diaper bag take up too much room, but I can see how this can be abused by clueless people, so I don't really blame places that force people to buy an extra ticket for their infants. It might not encourage families to attend, but if college games are anything like the last NFL game I went to (a 4PM start in Buffalo, which gave tailgaters three extra hours to get drunk on Labatts' before the game), it's not a family-friendly atmosphere to begin with.

euchomai · Sep 8, 2006, 12:14 AM

I can't believe their tickets are so cheap. I go to University of Oklahoma games and easily pay about $60 plus per ticket to go.

d4nth3m4n · Sep 8, 2006, 01:01 AM

kids are people too!

meh, the whole "babes in arms" thing is something that's so far off of my radar that i don't know where to start.

itai195 · Sep 8, 2006, 03:18 AM

Originally Posted by Montezuma58

That's pretty cheap. Have you shopped around lately for NBA, NFL, or other major college football tickets?

For $35 a ticket I'd think college athletes could at least be paid.

Montezuma58 · Sep 8, 2006, 07:03 AM

Originally Posted by itai195

For $35 a ticket I'd think college athletes could at least be paid.

I don't disagree. If you think the ticket money is big then take a look at the TV money. The NCAA "amateur" front is a farce. At least when it comes to basketball and football, the big college programs in those sports are essentially the minor leagues for the NBA or NFL. On top of that many of the schools have a waiting list for qualified students yet there are athletes that have no interest in academics or would not normally qualify scholastically taking up seats in the classroom.

As for the parents of little kids, I think there are too many of them that think the world is supposed to bend over backwards to accommodate them simply because they have kids.

mac128k-1984 · Sep 8, 2006, 07:23 AM

If they're going to pay then they should have a seat reserved too. While I can understand the logic just not the execution. As a father of twins, I cannot imagine bringing my wee ones to a game yet I see tv shots of parents that bring there <1 year old babies to games - I guess I'm just a little too conservative.

andi*pandi · Sep 8, 2006, 07:32 AM

Originally Posted by demograph68

Parents: This is outrageous!
Non-Parents: About damn time!

you are correct sir!

alligator · Sep 8, 2006, 08:35 AM

If you are a parent without a sitter, sometimes this is the only option if you want to get out of the house.

Dakar · Sep 8, 2006, 08:54 AM

Originally Posted by demograph68

Parents: This is outrageous!
Non-Parents: About damn time!

Quoted for emphasis.

Hi I'm Ben · Sep 8, 2006, 09:01 AM

This one isn't quite as good as when Southwest started charging fat people for two airline seats. In reality though if your stuff that you have to bring or the child itself is going to be taking up another seat you should have to pay for the kid. Regardless of age.

If the place gets busy should I have to sit next to little baby boo and their caravan of stuff falling over on top of me because there's no place to put it or furthermore try to find a spot somewhere else because they need a place for their kid who can't even understand why everyone is yelling and swearing? For those of you who think it's unfair to chrage the rugrats it's a good chance you've never been to some kind of sold out event or even just a very busy one.

It shouldn't be looked at like an all you can eat buffet where kids eat free because kids can't eat a lot. Everyone takes up the same amount of room.

davesimondotcom · Sep 8, 2006, 09:45 AM

Originally Posted by itai195

For $35 a ticket I'd think college athletes could at least be paid.

A free education, treated like a prince, other niceties (read: "slutty girls," at least in Boulder), guaranteed good grades, etc. are forms of payment, right?

Dakar · Sep 8, 2006, 09:46 AM

The college or university is still getting a waaaaaaay better deal.

wallinbl · Sep 8, 2006, 09:52 AM

Originally Posted by euchomai

I can't believe their tickets are so cheap. I go to University of Oklahoma games and easily pay about $60 plus per ticket to go.

Huh? If you're a student, the tickets ought to be dirt cheap. When I was at Ga Tech, they were free to students. At UF, they were $6 for students, and UF is a big time football program. Heck the non-student tickets were only $20 at UF. Of course, if you want season tickets for an alumni, you have to make a $2000 donation in order to be able to buy them, so the per game cost goes up a bit.

wallinbl · Sep 8, 2006, 09:58 AM

I don't know how many people go to a Kansas football game (it's not like they're any good...), but at a UF game, you have about 16" of butt space on the seat. They squeeze so many people into the rows that if you needed a bit of elbow room to handle your baby, you're going to be elbowing the people on either side. You'd be hard pressed to get a diaper bag into your foot space. Maybe KU is more spacious, but an infant at a UF game would cause misery for at least 3 or 4 other people (left, right, in front).

People are already bringing up the Southwest thing, but the other people at the game or on the plane paid for their tickets, too. If you're doing something (bringing a kid, being excessively fat) that starts to intrude on what the people around you paid for, then you can't argue too much when you're asked to pay up. I've been on planes where I've lost some of my seat to the person next to me, and I don't care much for it, especially since you're not given much room in the first place.

turtle777 · Sep 8, 2006, 12:03 PM

Originally Posted by itai195

$35 for a college football game? Shouldn't cost that much for anyone.

Really ?

Notre Dame tickets go for $ 1600 on eBay.

-t

Eug · Sep 8, 2006, 12:07 PM

Originally Posted by what_the_heck

Really ?

Notre Dame tickets go for $ 1600 on eBay.

-t

There's no explanation for stupidity.

turtle777 · Sep 8, 2006, 12:10 PM

Originally Posted by Eug

There's no explanation for stupidity.

Well, true. Fanboihood and stupidity are closely related.

-t

Gossamer · Sep 8, 2006, 12:19 PM

Originally Posted by davesimondotcom

A free education, treated like a prince, other niceties (read: "slutty girls," at least in Boulder), guaranteed good grades, etc. are forms of payment, right?

That's what I was going to say.

olePigeon · Sep 8, 2006, 12:30 PM

Don't forget the embryos. They're people, too.

Timo · Sep 8, 2006, 12:47 PM

Originally Posted by Montezuma58

That's pretty cheap. Have you shopped around lately for NBA, NFL, or other major college football tickets?

Nope, and I now have even less of an incentive to.

Dakar · Sep 8, 2006, 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by olePigeon

Don't forget the embryos. They're people, too.

AHAHAHA

rickey939 · Sep 8, 2006, 02:02 PM

Most airlines don't charge infants under a certain age, so long as they sit in the lap of the parent.

mac128k-1984 · 03:20 PM

Originally Posted by Hi I'm Ben

In reality though if your stuff that you have to bring or the child itself is going to be taking up another seat you should have to pay for the kid. Regardless of age.

Most airlines do require a parent to buy an additional ticket if the child is not going to sit in their lap. to put it another way, if they child is sitting in a seat they need a ticket. We're flying to florida next month and we only purchased two tickets - the kids will be in our lap.

PER3 · Sep 8, 2006, 02:57 PM

Originally Posted by Hi I'm Ben

This one isn't quite as good as when Southwest started charging fat people for two airline seats.

Which is a great thing.

I have to pay $25/Kg for excess baggage (international). I should get away with it because I'm carrying the baggage on my arse?

Please, fat people, enjoy your hamburgers, but don't forget to pay the tax.

PER3 · Sep 8, 2006, 03:01 PM

And no, while I am here—fat people are not second-rate citizens, but rather, they are second-rate passengers.

That is all.

davesimondotcom · Sep 8, 2006, 03:43 PM

Originally Posted by PER3

Please, fat people, enjoy your hamburgers, but don't forget to pay the tax.

I'm fat, but I bet I can do more miles in a half hour on an elliptical machine than you. And I can almost guarantee I can squat more than you can.

Dakar · Sep 8, 2006, 03:45 PM

Originally Posted by davesimondotcom

And I can almost guarantee I can squat more than you can.

Yeah, on a toilet.

mac128k-1984 · Sep 8, 2006, 03:53 PM

Originally Posted by davesimondotcom

I'm fat, but I bet I can do more miles in a half hour on an elliptical machine than you.

How many? I exercise daily and I'm curious to what you can do on the elliptical. This has nothing to do with your weight but rather I'm curous.

PER3 · Sep 8, 2006, 03:57 PM

Originally Posted by davesimondotcom

I'm fat, but I bet I can do more miles in a half hour on an elliptical machine than you. And I can almost guarantee I can squat more than you can.

No argument.

Maybe you are stronger than I am.

But surely you understand that while I weigh 80Kg and have to pay $25/Kg for my excess baggage, you can stow away your 125Kg arse for free and squash your fellow travellers.

Are you a complete imbecile???

davesimondotcom · Sep 8, 2006, 04:02 PM

Originally Posted by PER3

No argument.

Maybe you are stronger than I am.

But surely you understand that while I weigh 80Kg and have to pay $25/Kg for my excess baggage, you can stow away your 125Kg arse for free and squash your fellow travellers.

Are you a complete imbecile???

No, I'm not stupid. But your premise is stupid too. Should midgets fly for less? Tall people more?

I don't fly anyway.

davesimondotcom · Sep 8, 2006, 04:03 PM

Originally Posted by mac128k-1984

How many? I exercise daily and I'm curious to what you can do on the elliptical. This has nothing to do with your weight but rather I'm curous.

I average 8-9 miles per hour, so in 30 minutes, around 4.3-4.4 miles.

itai195 · Sep 8, 2006, 05:19 PM

Originally Posted by davesimondotcom

A free education, treated like a prince, other niceties (read: "slutty girls," at least in Boulder), guaranteed good grades, etc. are forms of payment, right?

Still need food

No really, they should be paid. They may be getting a free education in theory, but in reality the education isn't what they're there for and it shows.

davesimondotcom · Sep 8, 2006, 05:41 PM

Originally Posted by itai195

Still need food

No really, they should be paid. They may be getting a free education in theory, but in reality the education isn't what they're there for and it shows.

Depends on the school.

Right now the coaches, TV and the major leagues (NFL & NBA mostly) are making out like bandits, using the college system like a free farm system.

RGB · Sep 8, 2006, 06:44 PM

I go to KU (will be at the game tomorrow)

As for parking - we're only kicked out of the lots immediately around the Fieldhouse. Every other lot on or over the hill remains open during basketball games.

During football games, students in the houses surrounding the stadium make some great rent / utilities / keg money by selling parking for $20 a pop on their lawns.

The child policies don't seem to be deterring too many people from buying tickets - they set a season ticket record this year, with over 29,000 sold for the roughly 50,000 seat stadium. Opening game attendence was about 44,000, the largest in 12 years. See Success drives fans to improve atmosphere at Memorial Stadium : The University Daily Kansan

Students paid $150 this year for a ticket to every football / basketball game. This comes out to roughly $10/game. More than worth it to take in the atmosphere at Allen Fieldhouse.

wallinbl · Sep 9, 2006, 07:47 AM

Originally Posted by davesimondotcom

I average 8-9 miles per hour, so in 30 minutes, around 4.3-4.4 miles.

That must vary by machine or something, because on the machines at my gym, you couldn't possibly attain that speed. I've played soccer my whole life and can outrun nearly everyone I know, and will easily outdistance anyone on the adjacent ellipticals, but can't even come close to that on those things. I can average 180 steps/min over 30 minutes at a high resistance and it will only tell me I did 2 miles or so.

PER3 · Sep 9, 2006, 02:36 PM

Originally Posted by davesimondotcom

No, I'm not stupid. But your premise is stupid too. Should midgets fly for less? Tall people more?

I don't fly anyway.

Point taken.

I'm looking at the matter as a frequent flier with his own prejudices. No doubt the airlines have given many more hours considering the matter than I.

Still, if a person does not fit into just one seat, wouldn't it be logical that he paid for two?

A baby on the lap flies for free. A very tall person is usually given consideration. A 'cello player has to buy two seats as the cargo hold is dangerous for their instrument.

What is the solution for big people?