12-05-2011, 11:01 AM
I share the same opinions and experiences of other posters.
I bought three tickets last year to the Orange Bowl through Stanford. I did this for three reasons: 1) inexperience, 2) a loyalty to my alma mater (to help take care of their required allotment), and 3) an expectation that we were in the running for the choicest seat. The AD assigns seats on a value system listed below:
Alumnus/a
Former student athlete
Years of season ticket buyer for football, men's and women's basketball, and baseball
Athletics volunteer service (including University Trustee and SAA Board)
Athletics lifetime giving
Current fiscal year Buck Cardinal giving
University lifetime giving
Bequest intention to Athletics
We were told we might be bumped up to the choicest seat (near the 50) given our longevity as a STH, but ended up on the 10 yard line - it wasn't bad, but could have been better (I did read the horror stories of some longstanding STH in the lowest row in the end zone).  I did read, after I had committed to the order, about how the Va Tech people were not buying through their AD - because they were familiar with the Orange Bowl and knew to buy from the secondary market. I did check eBay and Craigslist about a week before the game, and I saw two seats on eBay, on the 40 upper deck, starting at $50 - and they did not sell!
There is a difference with the Fiesta Bowl - it is closer to both schools, and this is indeed an attractive matchup - it is #3 vs. #4, it's not a rerun of a show we saw just a month ago, and the score will NOT be 9-6. So I think it will be somewhat of a gamble as to what tickets will sell for on the secondary market. I can say this - they won't be as low as what was seen with the Orange Bowl. I can also say - the advantage will be, you'll know exactly where your seat will be.
There is the one benefit from buying from the Stanford AD. You'll be guaranteed to be sitting amongst Stanford fans, whereas you won't be sure who your neighbors will be via StubHub or other sellers.
(I will say this, having spent 11 days one summer with my son during a traveling baseball tournament: Oklahoma people are nice and friendly. And the OU fans at the Sun Bowl were pleasant. Contrast this with my experience with Georgia fans when I went to the Bluebonnet Bowl decades ago - talk about bitter rooters.)
I bought three tickets last year to the Orange Bowl through Stanford. I did this for three reasons: 1) inexperience, 2) a loyalty to my alma mater (to help take care of their required allotment), and 3) an expectation that we were in the running for the choicest seat. The AD assigns seats on a value system listed below:
Alumnus/a
Former student athlete
Years of season ticket buyer for football, men's and women's basketball, and baseball
Athletics volunteer service (including University Trustee and SAA Board)
Athletics lifetime giving
Current fiscal year Buck Cardinal giving
University lifetime giving
Bequest intention to Athletics
We were told we might be bumped up to the choicest seat (near the 50) given our longevity as a STH, but ended up on the 10 yard line - it wasn't bad, but could have been better (I did read the horror stories of some longstanding STH in the lowest row in the end zone).  I did read, after I had committed to the order, about how the Va Tech people were not buying through their AD - because they were familiar with the Orange Bowl and knew to buy from the secondary market. I did check eBay and Craigslist about a week before the game, and I saw two seats on eBay, on the 40 upper deck, starting at $50 - and they did not sell!
There is a difference with the Fiesta Bowl - it is closer to both schools, and this is indeed an attractive matchup - it is #3 vs. #4, it's not a rerun of a show we saw just a month ago, and the score will NOT be 9-6. So I think it will be somewhat of a gamble as to what tickets will sell for on the secondary market. I can say this - they won't be as low as what was seen with the Orange Bowl. I can also say - the advantage will be, you'll know exactly where your seat will be.
There is the one benefit from buying from the Stanford AD. You'll be guaranteed to be sitting amongst Stanford fans, whereas you won't be sure who your neighbors will be via StubHub or other sellers.
(I will say this, having spent 11 days one summer with my son during a traveling baseball tournament: Oklahoma people are nice and friendly. And the OU fans at the Sun Bowl were pleasant. Contrast this with my experience with Georgia fans when I went to the Bluebonnet Bowl decades ago - talk about bitter rooters.)