Who's ready to pay another $40 per ticket? (I'm lazy so I'm just gonna post my tweet with the graphic from last year and this year). $40 across the board increase in season tickets prices for #SportingKC from 2018 to 2019. That's going to sit well with some fans for a team that hasn't won or hosted a playoff game in since 2013. pic.twitter.com/1zWV0U3Big— Mike (@downthebyline) July 28, 2018
So, for 2019 MS tickets, it's $440 + $60 = $500? 17 home MLS matches (I think) makes that $29-$30 per MLS match? I'm willing to pay that.
i bailed on renewing for this year, and i have zero regrets about it this far into the season ... and seeing this, i'm even more comfortable going forward. granted, i've missed more matches so far this season than any season since 2000 (i think i've missed 4), but they've all been because of personal choice for one reason or another. the ones i've made, i've paid less than face value on almost all of them (some have been SRO, though). it wasn't all about the price increases, but it certainly played a major part. if the trend holds for the rest of the season, i'll have saved somewhere between $100-200 by not paying up front for season tickets. it's just not worth it for me anymore at those prices. obviously, your mileage may vary.
I just bailed. My girlfriend and I had a discussion about the pros and cons of keeping our tickets. We have had to miss about 5 games this year due to travel, and with our situation, it just doesn't make sense to get the full commitment anymore. Plus, with no waiting list anymore, it doesn't feel like we have to hold onto the tickets just to be able to attend. Pro: Get to see SKC Not worrying about getting tickets to a must-see game STM Scarf Con: Prices keep going up We can grab tickets to our section cheaper on game day via SeatGeek, or decent prices through the Cauldron membership Season Ticket prices keep going up Fewer games for the Season Ticket now STM rewards for Early Birds are ok, but at one point they were phenomenal. This is kind of a lame con because its a gated giveaway, but victory suite ticket for a random game vs. the landing or mazuma mesh isn't on the same level. The season ticket mailing we get at the beginning of the year was never robust but it's basically a crappy advertisement with a voucher and a book of parking passes which we don't use, because... Parking has trended worse and worse for STM's for several years. The pay lots, moving farther back, the walk. We park in general by CAB now because we can get in a bit later and grab the shuttle over. Food and Drink - This is my opinion but the food has been trending downward. Also, I was in the cauldron till last year, and the members club or whatever it is called feels less and less local, more out of touch. No Boulevard, I get it, but it is lame. The food upstairs isn't anything to write home about. The design teams efforts have gone downhill for some of the merch. However, the STM Scarves the last two years have been better than the couple prior to that. STM Reps - We had some superb reps from 2010-2014, or at least my dealings with them were pretty solid. I feel like the personal touches have dwindled and while I like my rep, it seems like the leeway afforded the previous reps have been suppressed organizationally. Getting to the play on the field, having glaring weaknesses in positions that the state of MLS is requiring clubs to invest heavily in really feels like the clubs ambition isn't aligning with the fan expectations (which are partially set by some of the clubs FO tweets and goals). I love watching SKC and have since I was 7 during the inaugural season. I still watch every game, pore over stats, Audi number, replays, news, match threads, rumors, and here. But I don't feel like being an STM is really my thing for now. Maybe if some of the magic of 2011-13 comes back, or some of the fun mid-late 2000's schtick resurfaces, or even some of my admittedly self-serving gripes are addressed, I'd love to shell out the 1600+ bucks for tickets. For now, though, the value is gone.
Did the paid-in-full renewal less than 90 minutes after it opened. The bud light landing, mazuma thing and the field club rewards were no longer available.
Yeah, this is annoying. Not really giving me much of an incentive to pay in full when the perks are so incredibly limited. I ended up doing the free payment plan because of it. Thanks for the interest free loan, SKC.
The no Boulevard part sucks, but I definitely disagree on the food. I remember throwing away most of a sandwich several years ago because it was basically inedible. In my experience, all the food has gotten significantly better over the last 2-3 years.
I've seen much more negative chatter about renewals this year than any year before. This is both in the Cauldron and South Stand groups. Lots of complaining about the limited benefits vs giving SKC your money upfront. We were STMs from 2009-2015, then stopped due to kids and their numerous soccer conflicts. I can get tickets to any game, even day of. Ticket prices aren't much more day of then they are as an STM. Only real benefit I can see to being a STM is getting first chance at a playoff game......but we all know how that's gone.
I did it over my lunch break and was frustrated enough. After reading your experience, I'm even more annoyed. Why offer a reward that only a handful of people can even claim? The first year I renewed, I got an all-inclusive experience in the Victory Suite for me and a guest (without needing to button mash a refresh button to claim it). But that was also back when we had decent parking, better beer and a general sense that the ownership was courting us. The honeymoon officially ended about three seasons ago.