Single-game tickets for two Northwestern Univ. football games this fall will "be sold using the school's 'purple pricing' system," according to Danny Ecker of CRAIN'S CHICAGO BUSINESS. The concept, "similar to the Orbitz price guarantee model," will apply to "just less than 5,000 tickets each" for NU's Oct. 5 Big Ten home opener against Ohio State and Nov. 16 against Michigan. Tickets along the sideline "will go on sale Aug. 1 for a price the school sets." They will start on the "higher end of what NU thinks fans might pay -- and buying a ticket will give you the right to choose whatever seat you want in a given section." As gamedays approach, the school will "lower the price of the seats based on demand and what they are selling for on the secondary market." The tickets can "only come down in price." Once all tickets in a given section are "sold out or the game days arrive, everybody who bought a ticket pays the lowest price paid." Ecker: "In other words, if you bought a ticket for $250 and someone else bought the cheapest similar ticket for $200, the school sends you a $50 rebate." NU Deputy AD/External Affairs Mike Polisky said that football tickets have been "hot sellers heading into a highly anticipated season, with the school on track to reach its highest number of season ticket holders ever." NU also may "try to leverage the high-demand games into more season-ticket holders" (CHICAGOBUSINESS.com, 7/29).
