Stanford Football Season Ticket Sales Show 50 Percent Increase Over 2005 Season

New Stanford Stadium Continues to Take Shape

Stanford, CA – June 7, 2006 – Stanford Athletics today announced that early season ticket sales results show a 50 percent increase in total seats sold compared to the 2005 season. Since launching season ticket sales on January 29, more than half of the 50,000-seat stadium is accounted for with season ticket sales, particularly seats located between the 15-yard lines.

Demand for seating on the stadium’s west (shady) side has increased significantly, and the new Alumni and Faculty/Staff sections located on the east (shady) side of stadium have been overwhelmingly popular. The Family Plan section located in the north end zone is by far the most popular in terms of cost savings (only $160 for two adults and two youth), and is anticipated to sell out by the season opener on September 16.

“We’re working toward sell-outs and it appears that we are well on our way to reaching our goal,” said Bill Walsh, The Jaquish and Kenninger Director of Athletics.  “Our ticket sales efforts have been focused on our current season ticket holders. Now that they’ve been seated, our efforts will shift aggressively toward selling to the general public.” 

Stadium Construction Update

Construction of the new Stanford Stadium, which opens September 16, remains on schedule and is swiftly taking shape. The Skybox steel framework is in place and the Stanford ‘S’ façade was completed in May. Seat installation in the Upper Bowl is nearly complete and formation of the Lower Bowl seating started in early May.  Lower concourse concessions and restrooms are currently in progress and are anticipated to be complete in June, and field installation will start in July.

Sightlines in the new Stanford Stadium will improve significantly, cutting the average distance from the seats to the field of action in half. Prior to construction, the first useable seat was 115 feet away, whereas front row fans are now only 45 feet away.

  Season Ticket Holders Receive Seat Assignments

Stanford Athletics recently notified season ticket holders by mail about their new seat assignments in the state-of-the-art Stanford Stadium. One of the challenges of opening a new stadium is the process of selling seats while undergoing construction. 

To keep season ticket holders abreast of the seating process, Stanford Athletics coordinated Informational Meetings throughout the Bay Area, of which more than 1,400 fans attended. Utilizing its web site,www.stanfordstadium.com as the primary communications channel, Stanford Athletics also launched several tools to assist buyers with seat selection, including a 3-D Virtual Stanford Stadium tour, Web cams, photos and video diaries chronicling the construction process.

On average, Stanford Stadium’s web site receives approximately six million (6m) hits per month. Intended as a general guide in seat selection, the 3-D Virtual Stanford Stadium tour has been a tremendous sales and marketing tool, providing fans an opportunity to “virtually” test out prospective seats and field views.

“Generally, people do better when they understand the process,” said Marty Smith, former Stanford football player and 26-year season ticket holder.  “It seems to me that Stanford Athletics has put a lot of thought into how seats would be allocated in the new stadium, as well as how they were going to present the program to the public. It’s been pretty straightforward, and overall my experience with the seating process has been very good.”

About the New Stanford Stadium
Home to Stanford Football since 1921, Stanford Stadium will undergo major construction to transform the venue into a state-of-the-art college football facility. The single most important capital project in the history of Stanford Athletics, the New Stanford Stadium will mark the beginning of a new era for Stanford Football. With support from fans, the University, and the Department of Athletics, the new stadium is poised to become a recognized Bay Area destination offering players and spectators an intimate and electrifying game experience with modernized amenities and enhanced features. The $90 million stadium project, funded by the Department of Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation Investment Fund (DAPER), as well as from alumni and friends of Stanford University, will open its doors September 2006. For more information on the New Stanford Stadium, call (650) 725.STADIUM, visit our website www.stanfordstadium.com or email stadiumrenovation@stanford.edu.