Jillsey118
09-09-2008, 01:56 PM
By Mike Baldwin
Staff Writer
http://newsok.com/article/3295053/
When Thunder chairman Clay Bennett announced on July 2 an NBA team was moving to Oklahoma City, one overriding question was how many season tickets would be sold. The first day of select-a-seat ended Monday night at the Ford Center. Thunder tickets are such a hot item, season-ticket sales might be capped Wednesday night or sometime Thursday.
Late-in-the-week appointments will be canceled. Those fans will be placed on a waiting list and most likely have an opportunity to purchase eight-game mini packages. "Every NBA team wishes they were in this position,” said team spokesman Dan Mahoney. "Some are. But some aren't. We're so proud of the response and excitement Oklahoma City has exhibited. We're trying to accommodate as many people as we can. But everyone must realize at some point we're going to run out of season tickets.”
Applicants with 8 a.m. Tuesday appointments will discover that most of the Ford Center's 19,200 seats are already gone.
"We were some of the first people in here,” said Scott Phipps, who purchased season tickets in the lower bowl corner. "We liked the price better. But most of the good seats have sold out anyway. I think people who come in here (Tuesday) will be devastated. We have some friends with Saturday appointments. They have no shot.” Each applicant is limited to a maximum of six season tickets. The majority of seats in the lower bowl are gone. But there will be some pockets of lower bowl seats available today.
Hundreds of seats will be available on the club level.
Brent and Melody Wilson of Arcadia purchased the maximum six season tickets for $52,000. They're on the second row. The Wilsons went in with friends to buy four $250 per game mid-court seats and two $125-a-game seats in the lower bowl corner. "We had heard from some friends earlier today that all the best seats were gone because of corporate tickets,” Brent said. "That wasn't true. We're very pleased. We're definitely happy we had Monday. But it's filling up.”
With word spreading season tickets will be capped, some fans with late-week appointments contacted people with Monday appointments to buy tickets for them. That's what happened to Bill Smith of Oklahoma City. Friend Scott Hosler of Norman asked a favor. "My original game plan was to buy four, but he has a Thursday appointment,” Smith said. "He had seats on the front row underneath the goal for the Hornets. He knew he wouldn't get those again. I was surprised it already was as full as it was when I got here (Monday afternoon). "I thought I'd pretty much have my pick of the place. When I got here, it was so white (seat covers for tickets no longer for sale). I wanted seats down close to where the players come out. They were all gone. I decided to sit up against the wall. By having Monday, at least I got good seats.”
Thunder officials said the huge demand for tickets is the reason they're committed to holding back 3,000 or more seats, at all price levels, for eight-game mini packages, group sales and individual tickets. Sections 301, 302, 303, 310, 311, 312 and 313 had huge signs that read: "This inventory is reserved for partial plans, single games or group tickets.
Additional seats also are being reserved in club level sections 204, 212, 219 and 227.
But when the first group of applicants arrived Monday, hundreds of white seat covers represented more than 2,500 seats reserved for corporate sponsors and several hundred more seats for media, league and team needs. "There was a tremendous amount of corporate interest,” Mahoney said. "That's one of the reasons we have this team, because of the great corporate sponsors. But there's still a lot of variety at all price levels. And we still have some flexibility how many seats we hold back for single games, mini packs and group sales. "We'll adjust as the week goes on. We're trying to accommodate fans who want season tickets as much as possible. But we will hold back at least 3,000 seats like we've said all along. At some point the supply can't keep up with the demand.”
Thunder officials offered thousands of affordable seats, knowing few fans can afford Hollywood courtside seats ($105,042 per season ticket). JoAnn Evans of Moore was thrilled to purchase two upper deck mid-court tickets in Section 323. She's spending $1,302 per season ticket on the second row. "I feel very lucky to get to come on Monday,” Evans said. "I love these seats.”
More demand than supply is a good problem for Thunder officials. Not every pro franchise has a waiting list. "People knew this was going to be a hot ticket,” Mahoney said. "People knew if they had an early lottery slot early in the week they were luckier than someone later in the week. Some people are hoping their slots this weekend would still have some seats available, but we don't have the supply to meet the demand. And fans will have other options.
Staff Writer
http://newsok.com/article/3295053/
When Thunder chairman Clay Bennett announced on July 2 an NBA team was moving to Oklahoma City, one overriding question was how many season tickets would be sold. The first day of select-a-seat ended Monday night at the Ford Center. Thunder tickets are such a hot item, season-ticket sales might be capped Wednesday night or sometime Thursday.
Late-in-the-week appointments will be canceled. Those fans will be placed on a waiting list and most likely have an opportunity to purchase eight-game mini packages. "Every NBA team wishes they were in this position,” said team spokesman Dan Mahoney. "Some are. But some aren't. We're so proud of the response and excitement Oklahoma City has exhibited. We're trying to accommodate as many people as we can. But everyone must realize at some point we're going to run out of season tickets.”
Applicants with 8 a.m. Tuesday appointments will discover that most of the Ford Center's 19,200 seats are already gone.
"We were some of the first people in here,” said Scott Phipps, who purchased season tickets in the lower bowl corner. "We liked the price better. But most of the good seats have sold out anyway. I think people who come in here (Tuesday) will be devastated. We have some friends with Saturday appointments. They have no shot.” Each applicant is limited to a maximum of six season tickets. The majority of seats in the lower bowl are gone. But there will be some pockets of lower bowl seats available today.
Hundreds of seats will be available on the club level.
Brent and Melody Wilson of Arcadia purchased the maximum six season tickets for $52,000. They're on the second row. The Wilsons went in with friends to buy four $250 per game mid-court seats and two $125-a-game seats in the lower bowl corner. "We had heard from some friends earlier today that all the best seats were gone because of corporate tickets,” Brent said. "That wasn't true. We're very pleased. We're definitely happy we had Monday. But it's filling up.”
With word spreading season tickets will be capped, some fans with late-week appointments contacted people with Monday appointments to buy tickets for them. That's what happened to Bill Smith of Oklahoma City. Friend Scott Hosler of Norman asked a favor. "My original game plan was to buy four, but he has a Thursday appointment,” Smith said. "He had seats on the front row underneath the goal for the Hornets. He knew he wouldn't get those again. I was surprised it already was as full as it was when I got here (Monday afternoon). "I thought I'd pretty much have my pick of the place. When I got here, it was so white (seat covers for tickets no longer for sale). I wanted seats down close to where the players come out. They were all gone. I decided to sit up against the wall. By having Monday, at least I got good seats.”
Thunder officials said the huge demand for tickets is the reason they're committed to holding back 3,000 or more seats, at all price levels, for eight-game mini packages, group sales and individual tickets. Sections 301, 302, 303, 310, 311, 312 and 313 had huge signs that read: "This inventory is reserved for partial plans, single games or group tickets.
Additional seats also are being reserved in club level sections 204, 212, 219 and 227.
But when the first group of applicants arrived Monday, hundreds of white seat covers represented more than 2,500 seats reserved for corporate sponsors and several hundred more seats for media, league and team needs. "There was a tremendous amount of corporate interest,” Mahoney said. "That's one of the reasons we have this team, because of the great corporate sponsors. But there's still a lot of variety at all price levels. And we still have some flexibility how many seats we hold back for single games, mini packs and group sales. "We'll adjust as the week goes on. We're trying to accommodate fans who want season tickets as much as possible. But we will hold back at least 3,000 seats like we've said all along. At some point the supply can't keep up with the demand.”
Thunder officials offered thousands of affordable seats, knowing few fans can afford Hollywood courtside seats ($105,042 per season ticket). JoAnn Evans of Moore was thrilled to purchase two upper deck mid-court tickets in Section 323. She's spending $1,302 per season ticket on the second row. "I feel very lucky to get to come on Monday,” Evans said. "I love these seats.”
More demand than supply is a good problem for Thunder officials. Not every pro franchise has a waiting list. "People knew this was going to be a hot ticket,” Mahoney said. "People knew if they had an early lottery slot early in the week they were luckier than someone later in the week. Some people are hoping their slots this weekend would still have some seats available, but we don't have the supply to meet the demand. And fans will have other options.