STEP Central

The new STEP program kicked off for general seating last week.  The event was not without its technical difficulties, and some folks have been delayed in picking.  The process seemed to work well for the people with dislocated seats in January--I should know since I went through it--but apparently someone decided to change things and some new bugs arose.  I think they are worked out, but I am not choosing new seats at this time, so I can't say for sure.

But I did sign in and took a look around.  Here are the seat availabilities by section as of 9PM tonight (3/28/11.)

SECTION	Seats Available	Donation
WB	341	$400
WC	156	$400
WD	246	600-2000
WE	14	600-2000
WF	249	600-2000
WG	134	$400
WH	313	$400
WJ	43	$100
NA	46	$100
NB	66	$100
NC	43	$100
ND	55	$100
NE	75	$100
NF	94	$100
NG	41	$100
NH	54	$100
NJ	55	$100
NK	45	$100
NL	48	$100
EJ	127	$100
EH	552	$400
EG	235	$400
EF	248	600-2000
EE	3	600-2000
ED	1044	600-2000
EC	1099	$400
EB	72	$400
WBU	28	$100
WCU	413	$400
WDU	691	$600
WEU	353	$600
WFU	617	$600
WGU	343	$400
WHU	61	$100
WJU	28	$100
NAU	18	100-400
NBU	29	$100
NCU	44	100-400
NDU	26	100-400
NEU	54	100-400
NFU	34	100-400
NGU	22	100-400
NHU	15	100-400
NJU	23	100-400
NKU	3	$100
NLU	20	100-400
EJU	78	$100
EHU	96	$100
EGU	750	$400
EFU	819	$600
EEU	694	$600
EDU	1486	$600
ECU	1458	$400
EBU	8	$100
SAU	19	$100
SBU	31	$100
SCU	26	$100
SDU	40	$100
SEU	32	$100
SFU	16	$100
SGU	11	$100
SHU	15	$100
SJU	26	$100
SKU	22	$100
SLU	28	$100
TOTAL	13975	13%
100	1645	12%
400	5866	42%
600+	6464	46%

The percentages at the bottom are calculated as follows:

TOTAL -- this is the number of available seats on the site divided by the listed capacity of Beaver Stadium from the Beaver Stadium Pictorial (107,282.)  Basically, of the 107,282 seats in the stadium, 13% are currently unassigned to anybody.  When was the last time you can remember that many available seats in a single season?  The number of non-renewers is at an all-time high methinks.  And it appears that a large proportion of them were in higher end seats.

The second set of percentages is NOT based on total seat capactiy, but on total available seats.  So at the $100 level, 1645 is 12% of 13,975.  12% of the available seats are at the $100 level.

A number of people already selected before I could log on.  The total number of seats though is probably about the same, as they would have given up seats to get the new ones, although I suppose you could add seats to your account at this time as well.  I'm not sure about that.  If so, the total number of available seats could have been a little higher.

The results are slightly skewed toward the higher end seats because the majority of open seats were in the relocated student section (EB-ED.)  Most of these are $400-600 seats, and the lone $100 section, EB and EBU only have 80 seats between them left, compared to thousands of $400-600 seats.  In other words, of the available seats from the student section moving, most of the $100 seats are gone.  Most of the higher priced seats remain.

I am not surprised by this.  The vast majority of fans have gravitated to the lower end seats ($100.)  Of course, as the process continues, there will presumably be more lower end seats open up as people upgrade along the way.  I just don't see the numbers shifting that dramatically, though.  There is probably a portion of the people left to pick--probably at the end with lower NLC point totals, who will downgrade if they can. 

I do wonder what the University is going to do with a large chunk of higher end seats that could go untaken at the end of the process.  Anyone who is on a "waiting list" from other years is on that list because they failed to donate enough money to get off that list.  Are they really going to pony up $600-2000 per seat per year to now finally get seats?

We shall see.

I would be interested in seeing some responses from people who have gone through this process, will be going through it, or have chosen not to renew.  Let's hear from you!