“Take me out to the ball game”: what’s a good price for Rutgers Baseball?

How much would you pay to watch Rutgers play baseball? Unfair question? Would you pay anything?

We mentioned at the close of a softball post a little while back that a Purdue fan at the RU-Boilermaker baseball game liked the price of the tickets, which, of course, are free. Which led to this comment:

Baseball prices

....About ticket prices, since I live in the area, I noticed TCU charges $15 for baseball games. Maybe the OTB staff can write an article about average baseball and softball ticket prices for division 1? Just throwing an idea out there.

World's most modest man

Posted by beowulf7 on Apr 19, 2017

Aside from the fact that beowulf7 and I would have to duke it out over who is more modest, I decided it wasn’t a bad idea to explore. After all, we have talked enough about revenue and expenses. And when you don’t charge anything, it’s all expense.

So, what do schools charge for baseball?

Fun Fact #1: Not everyone who is “good” charges for tickets

Our former Big East foe from Queens is currently ranked No. 18. St. John’s allows you into Jack Kaiser Stadium gratis. And of particular interest, so does Louisville. The Cardinals have so much money, there are only two special event dates when they charge for baseball; all other games are free.

Fun Fact #2: Oregon State thinks their baseball program is worth a lot

Nobody charges as much for baseball as the current No. 1 team in the country. The two-time National Champions (2006, 2007) are the only school to charge more than $20 for a reserved seat.

Fun Fact #3: Even “good” teams don’t think it’s a good idea to rake customers over the coals

Aside from the free games, a few of the top 20 schools charge less than $10 for a game. Look at UNC, Virginia, Wake Forest, and Houston. Nothing more than $10, some as little as $5. And in many cases that’s for a reserved, chair-back seat.

Fun Fact #4: Amazingly, Rutgers is not the only B1G school to have free admission

Illinois does not charge for baseball; it’s all free. And Michigan State doesn’t charge during weekdays (Monday-Thursday). Even a Thursday conference game against Michigan was a freebie. Very fair.

Fun Fact #5: Maryland thinks conference games are a bigger deal than non-con

The Twerps charge a higher price for Big Ten games. And I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing.

Fun Fact #6: Rutgers isn’t the only school without lights.

Rocky and Berenice Miller Park, the recently opened redesigned field at Northwestern is a day time only facility.

Fun Fact #7: Rutgers isn’t the smallest baseball facility in the conference

That honor, at least according to the team’s website, belongs to the Wildcats at the aforementioned Rocky and Berenice Miller Park. At a capacity of just 600, it is an intimate setting.

Fun Fact #8: There are two minor league parks that serve Big Ten teams

Both Penn State and Nebraska play in stadiums that also serve a minor league franchise. The State College Spikes of the New York-Penn League are secondary tenants at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. In Lincoln, Hawks Field at Haymarket Park is also host to the Lincoln Saltdogs, an independent minor league team.

Fun Fact #8: Multi-sport season passes exist

There were several schools (e.g. Maryland with its Pride Pass and Washington with its Husky Gold Pass) that sell a pass good for any number of sports where tickets are not otherwise sold. It gets revenue and lets fans choose what sports they want to attend. Not a bad idea.

You are now all a bit smarter. And we think you should offer your thoughts to the powers that be at Rutgers about this vital topic. So check out the poll and vote.