May 12, 2008
Purchase 2008 Season Tickets Starting at $99
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt athletic officials say season ticket sales for the 2008 Vanderbilt home football schedule, which topped the 10,000-mark last week, are well ahead of projections.
Vanderbilt Athletics Marketing Manager Eric Nichols was upbeat about the current pace of ticket sales. He said 10,238 season tickets have been sold through Sunday, May 11, a 17.6% increase on total sales of 8,703 through the same date last year.
“This early ticket success speaks volumes to how positive fans across Middle Tennessee feel about the direction Coach (Bobby) Johnson has our program pointed,” Nichols said. “We’re definitely seeing positive energy in our football sales, just as we are in other sports such as baseball and both basketball programs.”
Athletic officials view the current comparison of ticket sales to last year with optimism, noting that the final tally of season tickets sold last year, 15,037, was the most Vanderbilt season tickets sold by the team since 1996 when the schedule included a highly anticipated season opener versus Notre Dame and finale against Tennessee.
“Football season ticket sales are really keeping us busy,” Commodore Ticket Manager Eric Jones said. “We didn’t project to top the 10,000 mark until July, so without question, we’re pleased with current sales and looking forward to an excellent summer campaign.”
Ticket orders for the six-game Vanderbilt home schedule, starting at just $99, are available on the web at www.vucommodores.com, at the athletic box office in McGugin Center on campus, or by phoning (615) 322-GOLD.
After opening the season at Miami (Ohio) on Thursday, Aug. 28, the Commodores will host Steve Spurrier and the South Carolina Gamecocks in the home opener on Thursday, Sept. 4. Other teams scheduled to visit Vanderbilt Stadium this season are Rice, Sept. 13; Auburn, Oct. 4; Duke, Oct. 25; Florida, Nov. 8; and Tennessee, Nov. 22.
Nichols and Jones said the current rate of sales opens the possibility that limited availabilities of single-game tickets for the four SEC games, particularly encounters against Auburn and Tennessee. Last year, season ticket increases left few single-game tickets for the Alabama, Georgia and Kentucky games, all of which eventually sold out.
“Our season ticket sales certainly are looking to take us in that direction this year, especially when you take into account that people just aren’t thinking about football right now,” Jones said. “We could get in a situation where we only have enough single game tickets to sell to our season ticket holders and donors. It’s not far-fetched because we had a similar situation last year, particularly with the Alabama game. The (single) tickets we did have for Alabama were sold in 32 minutes.”
Nichols cites several reasons for the increased popularity in Commodore season tickets. Close attempts at six-win seasons in 2005 and 2007, and the recent development of such players as 2005 SEC Offensive Player of the Year Jay Cutler, SEC all-time receptions record holder Earl Bennett, and 2008 NFL first-round draft pick Chris Williams, have shown Commodore followers that Johnson and his staff have improved the team’s overall competitiveness and talent.
At the same time, Nichols says more emphasis has been placed on creating an improved Vanderbilt game-day experience. Recent innovations such as Vandyville have fostered positive word-of-mouth in the community.
“We’re definitely putting more energy and more resources into our game day. Everything we’ve introduced has been intended to create Vanderbilt football as a fun outing for families. Hopefully, we are growing our fan base on the strength of what Coach Johnson is building on the field,” Nichols said.