Ticket prices for state high school tournament games

Depending on the venues, in Massachusetts the adult prices can range anywhere from $7-12.50. Student prices vary between $5 and 7.50. At the sectional basketball finals I covered today (taking place in a 6,000-seat minor league hockey arena) adult tickets were $12.
From time to time, I've seen columns talking about how the ticket prices seem excessive and how it's asking too much for a family of four to pay as much as $40 to see a high school game (the typical how greedy/arrogant the state association is column that doesn't really look into why tickets cost what they cost). The state association has apparently taken enough heat about this that it felt the need to post a "why we charge admission at tournament games" poster that is on display at each venue.
In other states, how much do tickets to basketball/football/hockey tournament games cost?

 

$5 here, I think.

It's reasonable. So is $7.50. $12 is insane.

Smalltaters, do you ever have any problems getting in free? It was always an unpredictable exercise for me.

 

For basketball, which is held at Michigan State's Breslin Center, tickets are $8 for finals, $7 for semis. At district, regional and quarterfinal sites, tickets are $5.

Other sports are pretty similar in price structure.


BYH, here, the state association issues laminated press cards, good for the entire year. Each paper submits a list of names at the beginning of the school year. There are also some issued that just say reporter or photographer.

So there's usually never an issue getting in, as long as you have that. The credentials say only good for state semifinal and final use, but district/regional managers let you in with that too.

 

No, as long as I have my company ID and sign in, I'm OK.

 

I usually just hover over them and tell them to let me in if they hesitate. They generally do as they're told. They're worried I'll eat them.

 

I never had a press pass. Papers were too cheap.

Usually a phone call ahead would work. If that didn't work, a clip would work. If that didn't work, a resigned "Look buddy do you think I'd be here on a Friday night if I wasn't covering it?" would work.

One time nothing worked, even though I had a season-long press pass to the university hosting the games. Finally got the SID from the university, who was there as support, to let me in. Saw the douchebag security guard who gave me a hard time and said "Hey thanks I got in!" He glared at me and started saying something about how he wouldn't let me in to the next game. Whatever. Demonstrably.

 

The only problem with the laminated MHSAA credentials is that (unless you call ahead and specifically register by name), they're no good at the state wrestling and basketball finals -- that is, the only finals at which you really really need a reserved seat. They also say, in bold type on the front of the credential, "Not valid for regular-season, district or regional events," and I've had dick-monkey gatekeepers start throwing their weight around, "oh no you don't, you're not getting in free HERE," etc etc.

If they aren't, in fact, good for guaranteed admission to the state finals (ALL state finals), and if they also aren't good for any officially-sanctioned MHSAA varsity event, why the hell bother sending them out??


A long, long time ago, I had an old-crone gate lady tell me, "How do I know you're not just some guy carrying a reporter's notebook and a tape recorder?"

I said, "Lookit. How many people in your life have you ever seen walking around with reporter's notebooks and tape recorders, who AREN'T reporters?"

She said, "Uhhhh.... yeah. OK."

 

I've never really had a problem with getting into events with my press pass until a few months ago. Three games in a row I got hassled by the person working out front, so now I put my press pass out, give them about five seconds and keep walking. I don't even make eye contact. Sure, I feel like a jerk doing it, but I just got tired of explaining myself to people. Like BYH, I'm not going to high school games for "fun."

 

Considering what I received from the MIAA today, as in no services what so ever, they should have just let people in. Though the general public needs to understand, it's just like everything else, as the stakes get higher the costs go up, typical regular season game costs $4-5, sectional finals like today I think were $10. Supposed to be pretty good basketball for your buck.

 

Last year, I heard one MIAA official rationalize the ticket costs by pointing out that is costs $10 to see a movie. Of course, when you pay $10 to see a movie, you're paying to see Gene Hackman, Robert DiNiro, Angelina Jolie, etc. and when you pay $10 to see a high school tournament game, you're paying to see the neighbor's kid.
It's easy to write a column complaining about how absurd it seems that people should have to pay so much to watch a high school game, but I'd much rather see a column that compares the ticket prices and venues to those in other states (and for the high-end venues like the TD Bank North Garden, do they pay the full rent, get a break on the rent or are the facilities donated), looks at what the association says are the expenses that need to be covered and if the writer can find different numbers or expenses that aren't necessary, call bullshit on them.

 

Oh you're right. There's no way any high school game should cost $10 to get in, even for the finals.

I don't think I have ever paid to go see a high school game on my own time. It's always been just working the game.

As far as rent at big venues, I'm not sure how much, but I'm sure the associations do pay something. For the football championships at Ford Field, the MHSAA does pay.

 

We have really shitty basketball teams up here, so I have no idea what the championship cost.

I believe it costs $10 to get into the football state championship.