It is essential for Georgia State to bring in football fans to the AutoNation Cure Bowl in Orlando, Florida on Dec. 19, if they want more bowl invitations in the future, according to Aaron Bessey, Georgia State director of marketing.
“The bottom line is, when you show a history of travelling and consistent ticket sales, if all things are equal and a bowl is making a decision, they will choose the school that will bring more people,” Bessey said.
The Georgia State Panthers football team will be participating in its first ever bowl game following their 34-7 victory over Georgia Southern, according to The Signal.
Although Nate Blythe, Orlando Sports Foundation spokesperson, said each team is expected to sell out, Mike Holmes, Georgia State associate athletic director, said the university has only sold 2,200 tickets so far. This could be a challenge for the Panthers who are scrounging for ticket sales.
The Georgia State marketing team has devised a plan to increase the student fan base, said Bessey.
“[We are] discounting the tickets and [sponsoring] a deeply discounted bus trip on the day of the game, along with digital signage and fliers all over campus,” Bessey said.
Bessey said other strategies to raise awareness for tickets include robo calls to previous Georgia State ticket buyers, radio station Cure Bowl promotions and a presentation at halftime during the Dec.12 basketball game.
Georgia State Football Head Coach Trent Miles and his wife, and Basketball Coach Ron Hunter and his pro basketball player son R.J. Hunter have purchased a total of 200 tickets to giveaway to students, according to Holmes.
All 200 tickets were given away for free during the Dec.12 men’s basketball game against Old Dominion, according to Georgia State Sports.
“I think many students will look to get a free ticket before purchasing,” Holmes said.
Tickets for the game range from $22-$170, but have been reduced to $15 for students by the Georgia State Athletic department, according to Holmes.
Georgia State Athletics is also offering students a ticket and a bus ride to the bowl for $30 with only 40 spots remaining, along with free parking in the G-Deck, according to a Georgia State email broadcast.
Miles said attendance at football games will improve in time with more victories. He also said the Panthers’ team cannot be compared to older, more experienced football clubs.
“You can’t compare Georgia State to teams like Notre Dame, Washington, Stanford or Oklahoma. We’re just starting, and our attendance will continue to get better and better with more wins,” he said.
Holmes also said as the Panthers continue to grow, more sponsorships are likely to come their way.
“Panther Athletic Club donations will rise because of the team making the bowl game. New sponsorships may come on board,” Holmes said.
As for unsold tickets, Blythe said neither team will incur any penalties.
“[Orlando Sports Foundation] will donate the unsold tickets to organizations,” Blythe said.
The stadium seats over 65,000, according to Orlando Citrus Bowl. But Blythe said only 45,000 seats will be ‘open and available’ to Cure Bowl fans. The upper decks will be closed until the Citrus Bowl.
“First level tickets will be sold out first, then plaza level will be sold out. The lower levels alone seat 45,000,” he said.
Nicholus Long, Georgia State Panthers football strong-side defensive end, said he hopes the Cure Bowl will have a good turnout, especially due to the promotions he’s seen. He also said he hopes for more bowl invitations for the team in the future.
“They’ve been promoting this Bowl game left and and right,” he said, “you go to the sports arena and you see cars with Cure Bowl symbols on them. I hope we have a good turnout so we can get invited to more bowl games like this.”
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