Oklahoma State has sold 46,080 football season tickets ahead of its home opener this Saturday against Central Arkansas, and while that number "should still rise some," it is "not yet near the record" of 50,223 set two years ago, according to Mark Cooper of the TULSA WORLD. This season's total is "an increase over the 45,061 season tickets sold last season and is the fourth-most sold all time." OSU Associate AD/Customer Service & Sales Chris Bahl in an email wrote that August was the "slowest month" for sales. That is "a bit odd to him" because August typically "is the department's biggest month." Cooper noted there is "still reason for hope that a late push -- or even an in-season push -- can get the season-ticket number closer to 50,000" (TULSA WORLD, 9/9). Meanwhile, in Birmingham, Wesley Sinor reports tickets for Auburn's seven home football games "are sold out." It marks the "first time that season, group and single-game tickets have been sold out prior to the home opener" (BIRMINGHAM NEWS, 9/10).
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME: In Birmingham, Ty West wrote it is "easy to look" at last week's South Carolina-North Carolina and Alabama-Wisconsin games and "say fans are simply tired of traveling to neutral site contests." But the answer "is simple: television." The "bright side for fans is that supply and demand for tickets could eventually turn in their favor on the primary market." If TV and bowl revenue "sags, ticket sales will become even more important." Neutral site games, which are "often made-for-TV matchups like Alabama vs. Wisconsin, could become less profitable." That could "eventually lead to more on-campus home games and lower-priced tickets in an effort to boost revenue" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 9/8).
