Athletic Department Reaching Out to Ticket Partners

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – The daily routine for everybody has been affected.

Maybe it means working from home. People are most definitely not heading to dinner and a movie for date night as often. Hitting the local pub for a nightcap happens with less frequency. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the day-to-day lives of everybody, a fact which Colorado State's Athletic Department fully understands will impact football and volleyball fans in the fall.

The capacities at Canvas Stadium and Moby Arena will be limited due to safety concerns for the student-athletes and those who cheer them on, and the university has devised Customized Account Management, optimized to give fans the maximum amount of flexibility with their ticket requests and needs.

Currently, it is available for football and volleyball ticket holders.

Director of Athletics Joe Parker has not hidden behind the elephant in the room – the pandemic will hit the department financially – and some of the options presented to ticket holders provide a pathway to aid the athletic department and the student-athletes it serves.

In order to do so, Parker wanted to make sure the plans were presented with a personal touch.

"We care deeply about our patrons and fans, and certainly share their disappointment as we have been forced to modify schedules and venue capacities for the upcoming fall season," Parker said. "Our goal is to have a conversation with each season-ticket holder to ensure there is a comprehensive understanding of all the options."

Colorado State has already altered the prices for football and volleyball season-ticket plans to adjust for the loss of contests, such as season openers for both sports – the Rocky Mountain Showdown and Southern California's volleyball visit to Moby Arena.

Football season ticket prices were reduced $75, season parking by $16. Volleyball has lost four matches, so prices have been reduced for premium reserved ($87), public reserved ($73), general admission ($52) and season parking ($42). Faculty and staff, bundles and other promotional package pricing in both sports was adjusted to mirror those changes.

Colorado State's season-ticket and mini-plan holders were sent an outline of options available to them this week, but instead of hitting a button on a website, a member of the CSU Athletics Department will follow up with a phone call and personally answer any questions and guide them through a route that is beneficial for all involved. Calls, conducted by multiple branches of the athletic department, will start for football on Aug. 10, for volleyball on Aug. 28.

Taking into account social-distancing safety precautions, Colorado State Athletics continues to work with state, county and university health officials to finalize game-day protocols, which includes a need for fans to be spaced throughout the facility, pushing some season-ticket holders out of their assigned seats.

Student-athlete guests, students and season-ticket partners will be given first priority in the reseating, and face coverings will be required to enter any event on campus, as well as for the duration of a fan's stay at Canvas Stadium or Moby Arena. Specific entrance and exit plans to both facilities will be outlined, as well.

Colorado State has taken into account the desire of some fans not to attend because of health concerns.

Matt Carson, the assistant athletic director for ticket sales and operations, as well as his staff, will work to accommodate fans to the best of their ability, keeping their seating close to their general area, as well as trying to accommodate groups of fans who like to attend games together.

This process will become tougher at Moby Arena as the university maintains a safe bubble away from court and players. The first 10 rows in Moby Arena will not be available for seating due to health recommendations.

"We feel the personal touch is important, to both explain what Canvas Stadium and Moby Arena are going to look like, as well as where their new locations are going to be with the mandated social distancing," Carson said. "We can also explain their options for what they want to do with their credit regarding the Rocky Mountain Showdown and all the volleyball matches.

"There are going to be questions, and we want to make sure everybody feels comfortable and understands every option, which is why we're reaching out individually and personally."

Some of the options allow fans to make full and partial tax-deductible donations in lieu of their scheduled attendance, or simply push their tickets to future seasons while keeping their priority order in good standing.

For fans who keep intend to keep their full support by keeping their season-ticket orders and donations in place, they will be given a discount on ticket orders for the 2021-22 season.

Senior associate athletic director for development David Crum is hopeful those fans who can keep their support in place without an impact to them financially will do so, which helps aid the scholarships and aid to the student-athletes.

"Our alumni, our season-ticket holders and donors have always been the backbone of Rams athletics, and each one makes a difference, as does each dollar invested into our student-athletes' experience," Crum said. "Our student-athletes' experiences are enhanced by their investment. We're excited to visit with all of our season-ticket holders in the next three weeks and talk about their continued support at whatever level they are comfortable with."

Noting support is critical at this time, Colorado State's Athletic Department will award Ram Credit, with season-ticket holders who retain their 2020 tickets or reallocate their 2020 payments with a 10 percent discount on tickets for the 2021-22 seasons. In addition, the Rams Club will award a one-time Ram Point bonus based on the option chosen.

The Customized Account Management Plan spells out the changes which will affect season-ticket partners and the options from which they can choose to continue their support of CSU Athletics.

Customized Account Management Options

Partial Tax Deductible Donation Option – If seat locations change and/or customer chooses to decrease the number of season tickets they purchase, season ticket partner pays for tickets and parking they will use – the difference in donation amount or value of unused seats is reallocated to a tax deductible donation fund of customer's choice (if original tickets are in a $500 per seat priority section and they are moved to a $300 per seat priority section, the difference of $200 per seat gets reallocated).

Apply To Other Sport Tickets - If seat locations change and/or customer chooses to decrease the number of season tickets they purchase, season ticket partner pays for tickets and parking they will use – the difference in donation amount or value of unused seats is applied to tickets/parking of another ticketed sport (Volleyball, Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball). If original tickets are in a $500 per seat priority section and they are moved to a $300 per seat priority section, the difference of $200 per seat gets applied to another ticketed sport.

Apply to 2021-22 Season Tickets/Parking Account - If seat locations change and/or customer chooses to decrease the number of season tickets they want, season ticket partner pays for tickets and parking they will use – the difference in donation amount or value of unused seats/parking is applied to 2021-22 season tickets, parking and required donation for the sport(s) of their choice.

Full Tax Deductible Donation Option – Season ticket partner determines they do not want to attend Football, Volleyball, Men's Basketball and/or Women's Basketball games in 2020-21 and choose to reallocate their full tickets, parking and per seat donation payments to a tax deductible donation fund of their choice.

Partial Refund - If seat locations change and/or customer chooses to decrease the number of season tickets they want, season ticket partner pays for tickets and parking they will use – the difference in donation amount or value of unused seats and parking is refunded to the customer.

Full Refund – Season ticket holder is refunded total amount of tickets, parking and donation.

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