https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2018/11/15/Colleges/Georgia.aspx
Interesting, this says they sell every ticket, but they have a lot of no shows for pastry games, which makes sense. Folks might show up for tail gating and simply not go to the game. Then when they have a marquis opponent like ND the secondary markets light up.
https://georgiadogs.com/news/2018/8/7/2018-football-ticket-priority-requirements.aspx
Then you have to make a large donation to get partial season tickets, it's cheaper to buy the games you want on a secondary market versus paying $25 K for a "donation" to qualify. With the advent of incredible TVs versus the cost of parking and food and getting to the game and traffic, a lot of "us" are prone to staying home.
Don't take this as me picking on Georgia because it isn't just them, I don't trust any of the schools with their claims to have sold all of the tickets to each game. The B1G claims to sell all the tickets to their CG but a surprising number of those fans appear to come each year dressed as empty seats. The ACC is even worse about this.
It probably isn't terribly unlikely that schools like Georgia and Ohio State are still managing to sell all the tickets even for the pastry games, but I think it is getting tougher.
My own example: For many years my dad was able to buy season tickets from a guy who graduated from Ohio State in the 1950's. Thus, my dad, brother, and I basically shared two tickets to each game for many years. We basically rotated with brother and dad, dad and I, brother and I, brother and his wife, gf (this was before I was married) and I getting the two tickets. A few years ago that came to an end.
Years ago I had always planned to start paying the donation ($1,500/yr last time I checked) to buy my own season tickets once that ended. When it ended, I didn't even think about it. For Ohio State, they charge somewhere close to $70 per ticket for the crappy games and more for major games. When you add in the $1,500 annual donation to even be eligible to buy the tickets it is >$2,500/yr for two tickets each to (usually) seven home games. That is 14 tickets for (at least) $2,500 which is >$180/ticket. Looking at this years' home schedule:
- Florida Atlantic: Seriously, $180 for a ticket to this game?
- Cincinnati: Maybe and they are NOW ranked but it was a 42-0 rout, $180 for a ticket to this game?
- Miami, OH: Seriously, $180 for a ticket to this game?
- Michigan State: Ok, maybe . . .
- Wisconsin: I actually bought these but it wasn't $180ea. That might be reasonable for this.
- Maryland: Seriously, $180 for a ticket to this game?
- Penn State: That is reasonable or even cheap for this game. Right now on the secondary market tickets for this game start at $159 and decent seats are WAY more.
Of the seven games, $180/ticket is reasonable for two of them (PSU and UW) and not completely outlandish for one more (MSU) while it is flat out ridiculous for the other four (FAU, UC, Mia, UMD).
The other thing is that I've been to a LOT of games. I do enjoy it, but early in the season when the Buckeyes play four home games in six weeks from August 31-October 5 it becomes a grind. It is nearly impossible to get anything done on a gameday if I am going to the game. It is a ~2 hour drive each way plus a ~4 hour game so it takes an absolute minimum of eight hours.
I've simply come to the conclusion that, for me, if I want to go to a big game I'll get on the secondary market sites and pay the going rate. I do end up paying more sometimes for THAT game, but I don't end up feeling like I *HAVE* to spend eight (more realistically 10-12) hours dealing with traffic and whatnot to go watch Ohio State beat the snot out of FAU and Miami, OH. I prefer to go to the one premium game a year that I can buy as a member of the Alumni Association and save the rest of my money toward bowl trips or road game trips or whatever.