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Price hike is UH’s
million dollar baby

IS there really enough money just floating around out there that the Hawaii athletic department can grab $1 million more out of the air simply by raising prices?

Well, it seems we're about to find out.

It's a funny thing. On one hand, UH is asking a lot more for "premium" seats, and on the other, it's slashing ticket prices like Crazy Used Car Larry.

(I've said before that all these discounts and promotions are a great idea. And they are a great idea. UH needs to get people in the building -- in the stadium -- any way it can. Balloons. Anything. Put out a giant jumpy house, for crying out loud. All of this "Take me back to the Ballgame" and "UH Kids Club" and "buy a Bracket Buster, get baseball for free" is what Hawaii needs to do. Get bodies in the seats, just get them there, and then the product can sell itself.)

Here is what I would do, if I were a UH fan. I would buy the walk-up ticket. If there's a deal, I take it.

It's the same game. And in venues like the Stan Sheriff Center, Murakami Stadium and Aloha Stadium, every seat is a good one.

(And let me go to the parentheses again. It's become a cliché to knock Aloha Stadium recently, but give me a break. Every stadium in America has traffic congestion on game day. Every stadium in America has at least one usher who gives stink eye. Every stadium in America wants to sell you its concession stand food and $20 water rather than letting you bring in your own. Oh, wait. Aloha Stadium is the rare stadium without the traffic problem, these days, because with 28,000 in the house there is no traffic problem. OK. Pau rant.)

But back to the point, given the choice, I would buy the cheap ticket. But that is just me.

As Ahahui Koa Anuenue's own survey read, season-ticket holders tend to be another breed of cat. They look at their price of admission as a true donation to the program, as an investment in Hawaii's success. So they -- although the rising prices will surely cut down their number somewhat -- are willing to pay more even if they could just as soon get basically the same thing (minus a few cool perks) for far less.

It blows my mind that there's apparently a million dollars in disposable income still out there.

It blows my mind that people would spend it -- out of the goodness of their hearts -- when the rest of us might be riding the discount express.

These are interesting times for tickets and seats.

And that's not even getting into pay-per-view.