NFL wants to know if fans will pay $25 to attend the Combine

Posted by Michael David Smith on March 4, 2013, 10:10 AM EDT
AP

The NFL allowed about 300 fans to attend Scouting Combine workouts for free this year. But that may not be the case for long.

Peter King of Sports Illustrated reports that fans who attended the Scouting Combine last weekend were emailed a survey that included the following question: “If in future years the NFL instituted a charge of $25 to attend the NFL Scouting Combine for one day, how likely would you be to buy tickets?”

Obviously, that question is being asked because the NFL is looking for one more way to generate revenue from its rabid fan base. And if enough fans answered that they would be willing to pay $25, then the NFL will surely start charging $25.

And given the incredible popularity of the NFL, there are probably thousands of NFL fans who would pay $25 to attend. So it’s probably just a matter of time before free access to the Combine is a thing of the past.

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115 responses to “NFL wants to know if fans will pay $25 to attend the Combine”

  5. Eventually this is going to blow up in their faces. The lame rule changes, over priced game tickets and concessions. Keep squeeing that turnip, NFL. I promise, you will get bit in the ass eventually.

  7. Maybe if there’s autograph time or something? or free hotdogs? I wouldn’t pay $25 to be bored out of my mind (I would go to baseball games if I wanted to do that)

  8. Would I pay to attend the Combine once for something like $25? Sure.

    Now you’d have to pay me to ever go to a city like Indianapolis (outside of hosting a Superbowl).

    If the NFL wants to charge for the Combine, they should rotate where it’s held.

  9. I have a twist for this……

    The NFL should pay every fan $25.00 for them wearing an NFL player jersey to any event excluding the actual game itself.

    WE , the fans, are the ones promoting this “game” and we should receive some compensation for “advertising” this organization.

    Agree ot Disagree?

  10. How many people even watch the combine? One of the worst things to watch. I like football. If I wanted to see people run and jump I would watch track and field.

  11. Um no, at least not me. But sure, some will. Just like some pay that crazy stupid prices to see pre-season or any other game. Along with insane prices for a drink and a hotdog.
    I watch and listen to games. Other than that, I no longer pay the NFL or any other league a dime.

  12. If you’re running a business and someone will pay to see an event that’s happening anyway, you might as well sell tickets. Can’t blame them, anyone with any business sense would do the same thing.

  13. This fan won’t pay one cent to see a bunch of grown men running around in their underwear.

  14. I would not pay and if I were a GM or Jeff Foster I would not allow fans to attend the combine. I think the workouts should be closed to the media and teams only, with media only allowed for an hour or two for one day and to write a story about a player like they have done in the past. This will only blow up in their faces because someone is going to do something stupid or say something stupid and be escorted out. This is a slippery slope and as a fan I think this is a bad idea.

    If the combine wants to make money they could make it by selling part of their information they sell to teams available for media or fans to buy. I don’t mean player contact info but perhaps sell an excel spreadsheet with the grades of the players that they give them in the fall or spring. I think they could make a killing selling certain information to the draft media. It might actually make the media more accurate, too, which is valuable to the media and the fans!

  15. Hey, as much as I despise the prices of what leagues charge for things, the sad fact of it all is enough people have been willing to pay.

    Look at baseball and PSL’s. There are those out there that will pay tens of thousands of dollars for seats each year. Whether they can really afford it or not.

    I always said, capitalism is good. We indeed have the power to send a message but it has to be collective. If some people are willing to pay, and enough of them, that is all that matters. Just like movie theater ticket prices, enough people are willing to waste their money on it.

  16. Pretty soon they’ll charge us to watch Tv, oh, wait they have the NFL Network! Stop hurting us! We love you!

    *NFL laughs and brushes past us in arm-less flannel shirt and heads to bar*

    *We sit and sob hoping we didn’t upset NFL*

  18. Of course I would pay $25 to go. It’s a no brainer. I spend more going to the movies.

    Why wouldn’t they charge admission for it if there is demand for it?

  19. Who wants to go to Indy with crappy winter weather and pay $25 to see players run the 40 and do dumb drills.

  20. IF the league flew me out to Indianapolis and put me up for the night in a 5 star hotel, gave me $500 allowance for food, rented me a car, and paid me $100 I might go to the combine.

  21. I wouldn’t go if they paid ME $25. I really don’t care about this or the draft, certainly not enough to pay for them. But, people out there I’m sure will gladly throw the money at this stuff- someone out there is paying the full ticket price for preseason games, after all.

  23. No way. It’s getting out of hand. 10 bucks for the day, maybe. And free for season ticket holders. And free parking.

    The league will no doubt make a nice chunk of change with souvenir sales, beer, food etc.

    The NFL brand will benefit enough from allowing fans in cheap in the long term and so will the reservoir of good will.

    The NFL is slowly chasing the best fans from the stadiums financially. Corporations can afford the incredibly high prices however so the prices will continue to rise.

    Pretty soon, most regular season NFL games will be as quiet as a Super Bowl full of ‘fans’ who just want to be seen.

  25. I find it amusing that guys (that don’t work for an NFL franchise) would WANT to watch other men running and jumping around in their underwear on TV.

    I would find it HILARIOUS if they actually paid to do it.

  26. Sure…but DO NOT look into PPV for games that don’t sell out. That would be too reasonable…

  27. honkeyt says:
    Mar 4, 2013 10:19 AM
    Eventually this is going to blow up in their faces. The lame rule changes, over priced game tickets and concessions. Keep squeeing that turnip, NFL. I promise, you will get bit in the ass eventually.

    people always say things like parking, concessions blah blah are gonna drive people away… but somehow fan viewership keeps going up and up!

  29. Can’t blame the NFL. If people are willing to pay, why not charge. Things are only worth as much as people are willing to spend to have them.

  30. Good grief. The NFL will charge for anything. People are starting to stay home and watch the games on great TV sets. The league knows this and also knows eventually stadiums will get less revenue. Get ready for pay-for-view NFL games. When the current broadcast network deals expire the NFL will get into that business. They already have their own NFL Network cable channel. They won’t need the networks. They’ll just sell their own TV ads. All NFL games will be pay-for-view in the near future. Roger is an evil genius.

  32. did Goodell come from the airline industry? Is the bathroom charging CEO from RyanAir on the board of directors?

    seriously though, at some point the nfl is going to realize they are breaking their fans backs. consultants keep telling them it is “value added” or ok to “skim” or whatever buzz word. message to Goodell, yeah I will pay $25 for a spot at the combine, but that is $25 out of the nfl portion of my vacation budget which of course will be $25 less to spend on beer (3 if i’m lucky) at a game. I may just buy a sweater (keep making minor changes to sell them every year) and STAY AT HOME. Maybe you should ask another consulting company to do a study on why attendance is down.

  33. Charging is dumb. The NFL would come out way further ahead if entry were free (or a nominal sum like $5 to a charity) and then they just made up for it with concessions, souvenirs, etc.

    And saying there are “thousands” of fans who’d pay $25 is missing the point, since all those thousands won’t be living where the combine is at. Those fans would need to be willing to pay $25 plus the cost of travel and likely lodging, which is far less likely.

  35. Why don’t they just install pay toilets in all their stadiums ?
    I’m Sure real fans would gladly pay

  37. Greed, greed greed and more greed. They have ran most people out of the stadiums, direct Tv is getting out of sight and now more money to watch a bunch of players run and jump. Sooner or later it will cost you to play fantasy fooball only under anNFL sanctioned site.

  39. they couldn’t pay me $25 to go, why on earth would i pay them? i got better things to do than watch dudes prance around in their panties.

  42. Some day in the not so distant future, they’ll probably start treating each game as a PPV event. You already have to pay to watch MNF, and Thursday Night Football on the NFL Network.

    Maybe they start by only allowing you to watch your local team and SNF for free. Oh, you want to watch that matchup between New England and San Francisco at 4:15, but live in NYC? Guess you’ll have to upgrade to Sunday Ticket.

  46. Wow it might be the first time outside of the Olympics that someone pays to watch track and field.

    The only way I would ever even consider paying for access to the Combine would be if they allowed ‘listen in’ access to the team interviews. After all, the GM’s have already stated that the most important part of the Combine is the interviews and the medical check ups so why would we only pay for access to the least important part of the process?

  47. I feel about this, the same way I feel about going to a game. Why do it when I can watch it on my TV, not pay for overpriced beer and food, and not hit traffic on the way in or out.

    Used to love going to games but it’s just not worth it anymore. The combine is no different except I don’t really care to watch athletes jump and run.

    Draft em and i’ll watch them in uniform if they are worth my attention.

  50. Tell me why I would buy tickets when I can watch it for free in my house and fast forward through all the boring parts AND have Leon Sandcastle, Mike Mayock & Rich Eisen? The same way that I will never pay for another pro game – My 55″ Samsung 3DTV with Onkyo 7.1 surround trumps what they offer.

    Honestly, I am a football fan, but I hardly even watched 30% of the combine this year. I wouldn’t pay $25 to see it.

  51. Not only is Goodell going start charging for the combine, he’s going make it 18 days and going to start fining players dress code violations. The gingerhammer is going to squeeze out every last dime he can!

  53. I was there this year. You get a huge breakfast buffet, meet & greet with Colts players who signed autographs (Reggie Wayne & Antoine Bethea on sat, Anthony Castonzo & Bethea sunday), Jevon Kearse & Fred Taylore came and sat with the fans and signed autographs, Marshall Faulk speaking directly to the fans from the field thru the little ear radio we received, and then a huge lunch buffet at noon!!
    Plus they gave away door prizes during the lunch (autographed helmets, jerseys, hats etc).

    Its not like they’re just charging for the fans to sit and watch combine drills. It was a hell of an event, much more than I expected

    That being said…i dont want to pay $25 for it! Even though its definitely worth it

  54. I have known for quite some time now the NFL( like the cable companies,cell phone providers,power companies )are NEVER going to make enough money.I am convinced they all will be fighting when we are dead to dig up our bodies hoping to get our gold fillings

  55. A ridiculously bad idea. Assuming that there are one thousand people with the time, money and inclination to waste there time and money attending this non-spectacle, how much extra revenue does the league make? Divided among the teams, that’s not enough money to cover the salary of a backup punter and certainly not worth the PR beating.

  56. Hell yeah! I’ll pay just as long as it covers the entire combine..most of us will have to pay hotel and fly to get there, $25 would be great, even though I think this idea would really take off.

  57. If the NFL really wants to make money, they need to ditch the exclusive contract with DirecTV. Basically, the only reason DTV has any subscribers at all is 1) people who live outside the reach of cable, and 2) the fact they have exclusive rights to Sunday Ticket means DTV gets to coerce people into paying $1200 a year or more for TV service just to get the games they want.

    Lose the DTV exclusive, and sell games direct to the fans over the internet. Cut out the middleman – they are only getting in the way of delivering your product to your customers. If people want to keep the traditional network/cable setup, fine, but if they want live access to a specific team, the NFL should be selling that directly, not handing control over to the extortionists at DirecThieVes.

    I’d get Sunday Ticket, or, in the least, a subscription to games played by my team of choice, in a heartbeat if it meant I didn’t have to make a $1200 yearly contribution to DirecTV. Why should I subsidize satellite TV, or even a cable provider? I already have the internet, the NFL has the content….sell it to me directly.

  59. you also get to listen to the NFL Network broadcast thru the earphones if you’re there, so the argument about staying home to listen to Eisen and Mayock is mute!

  60. I’m not surprised the greedy NFL has taken this route to squeeze more blood. This is the league that is run by multibillionaires in a league worth tens of billions. Yet, they cry poor and demand/ threaten cities if they dont gift them a brand new stadium every 10 years.

  62. I would pay the $25 to go again.
    I was lucky enough to get picked this year and last year. It was alot of fun. The people at 1iota did a great job. I got to talk with and get autographs from Anthony Castonzo,Antoine Bethea,Fred Taylor and Jevon Kearse..

    My suggestion to those who are opposed

    A. Dont go.
    B. Dont watch it on TV

    There were thousands of people that wanted to go but didnt get to.

    While there I did not hear anyone say wow I hate watching the combine.

    The NFL also let fans into media day at the superbowl for the first time last year for $25..
    I did not see an uproar for that..

  63. I would not go to Indy or any where else in the north for free in Febuary…

    It should rotate in indoor stadiums like New Orleans, Dallas, and Arizona where the weather is better that time of year.

  64. It would save the league a lot of time and effort if the fans would stop being so selfish and simply sign their paychecks over to the NFL in the name of the greater good.

  65. They could charge $100 and the place would be full of retards. The NFL has ingeniously locked up the brains of rednecks and morons everywhere. I mean, people go to the draft for chrissake. Why in the hell would you go to the draft? So you can boo Goodell? He could buy your entire family with one of his paychecks. Losers.

  68. Wow the NFL just trying to make another quick 10-20 grand. This is ridiculous, its never enough $ for them.

  69. i hope fans do pay $25. and i hope it sells out. but i would never pay for that, seeing as how i don’t even watch it.

  70. The proceeds from the combine should go to the “help build us a new stadium” fund so the owners don’t ask from public money.

  71. No. I can watch it on TV at no extra cost. Just like I can watch every game, every Sunday for the cost of attending 1 game a year. Only time the NFL will make a boatload of money off of me is if the Vikings make the Super Bowl in my lifetime.

  72. I would be happy to do it if I could participate in a fans only workouts or even if I could work out with the players. I just think that would be fun.

  74. They can stick this overrated glorified gym workout where the sun don’t shine.

    Won’t pay a dime to see or watch it…so charge all you want, and as much as you want.

  77. I’d like to know if the NFL would pay me $5 a game to sit through 90 minutes of advertising, 20 minutes of referees reviewing game action,and the Fox Gameday Crew for an hour of actual football?

  85. If I wanted to see kids running around trying to be athletic in their underwear, I’d pay more attention to my son in the mornings. For free.

  86. As a browns season ticket holder, and taking a look at the product I have watched on the field since 1999 why would I pay? I haven’t got near my moneys worth yet, and probably never will. Stories like this make me want to tell Roger too stick it all up his hindend and I’ll just stay home where it’s better anyway.

  87. You must be addressing this question to the residents of Indianapolis? Because I would sure as hell im not going to book a flight across the country, book a hotel, get a rental car, pay $25 to see how high a QB can jump and s 300 pound linemen can run a 40yd dash, meanwhile eating and drinking my $100 hotdog & coke with a smile. Anything you guys can think of to sqeeze another dime from the fans who feed you. Since Goofhell took over as comiss. this game is turning into a reflection of his personality, its like watching paint dry! Does that answer your stupid question. The fans have spoken!

  90. Here’s a better question that should have been on the survey. Would you pay $25 dollars to see these same players play 4 fairly meaningless exhibition games instead of being jammed full price of a regular season game?

  91. rhamrhoddy says:
    Mar 4, 2013 10:34 AM
    No way. It’s getting out of hand. 10 bucks for the day, maybe. And free for season ticket holders. And free parking.

    The league will no doubt make a nice chunk of change with souvenir sales, beer, food etc.

    The NFL brand will benefit enough from allowing fans in cheap in the long term and so will the reservoir of good will.

    The NFL is slowly chasing the best fans from the stadiums financially. Corporations can afford the incredibly high prices however so the prices will continue to rise.

    Pretty soon, most regular season NFL games will be as quiet as a Super Bowl full of ‘fans’ who just want to be seen.
    ————————————————————
    I was at the combine( I was one of the 300) There was not beer, there were no souveiners being sold. We were given FREE parking, breakfast, lunch and a gift. I would pay 25.00 if it went to charity.

    Why should season ticket holders get the tickets? ( in Indy, they sell their tickets in a heart beat). Tickets were offered up to any fan who replied.

  92. warhammer420 says:
    Mar 4, 2013 1:31 PM
    Only if that $25 includes all the beer I can drink.

    ————————————————————-

    There was no beer offered at all. If you can not watch a event with out beer. They do not want you.

  95. As is? Hell no, they’re lucky I watch it while I’m at work. But, if you were say include free food and drink, and some time to meet people, it would be worth taking a day off AND paying for it. I personally would love to shake hands with my coach…Well, I mean I would now that Gailey is gone.

  98. So much for the love of the game…. How about a little goodwill & give back to the fan base NFL leadership?

    Marketing the combine as a free event to unlimited spectators would be a simple way to accomplish that!

  99. why would i want to pay 25 bucks to see college guys run the 40,do on field drills etc. when i can watch it on NFL Network for free? Doesnt the NFL make enough money off the fans as it is? If you have this Combine every year,and are gonna have fans watch it,at least let them watch for free.Is that too much to ask?…also let them bring their own food and drink.Why should the NFL profit on something like this?

  102. Ya figure 300 fans show up for free. If they charge $25,they will likely let’s say lose 1/3 of ppl bc of the $25. 200 x $25= $5,000. Haha really NFL? $5k????

  103. Of course they will. Fans pay for cable now to watch NFLN’s live coverage of prospects running around in shorts. It’s all crazy.

    I hope they don’t create a circus environment at the combine. But for the sake of grabbing a few more dollars, it is prbably on the way.

  105. Perhaps I would pay if the NFL was to match, and then donate all the money made from the combine to researching head traumas. Otherwise, Hell No!

  107. I already pay a cable bill and have the best seat in the house. I get a whole pack of Hebrew nationals for less than the cost of a dog. And i wont get stabbed or beat down, unless my dog wants to bring it.

  109. to all the ppl who say nfl will jsut switch to ppv.. i will never watch the nfl again lol im not payin obsured amounts of money to watch athletes who dont care about the fans a bit every sunday are u serious.. i love the nfl.. but if they switch 2 ppv and im not at buffalo wild wings ill just catch the action in the paper the next day..

    im slowly losing nfl interest and id NEVER thought id say that

  110. The NFL is crack and the fans are the addicts. Owners are the dealers and cable TV the tafficers. Goodell? Oh he is that law officer that acts like he is fighting drugs while getting paid under the table.

    You can’t handle the truth!

  111. sounds fair to me, if people don’t buy them the price goes down, but you know people will and the price will end up rising. I would do the same thing

  112. I stopped spending money on anything NFL related when it became known they were paying $10M plus for egomaniacal power hungry a$$ to be commissioner.

  113. I’ll go the 25.00 as long as there is free beer, free hotdogs and cheerleaders otherwise I’ll use the 25.00 to help pay for the Red Zone next year.

    Watch it NFL this could be your Jump The Shark moment.

  114. Of course I wouldn’t pay for it. I don’t even pay to go to games. Plus you would have to pay for traveling. However, there will be 300+ fans that will.
    The NFL is a business. All businesses look for ways to make money.

  115. Would I pay $25 to attend the combine?

    That depends on your answer to the following question…

    Am I allowed to sit in the seats on the 40 yard line amongst the coaches and personnel men with their stop-watches and pepper them with obnoxious questions about who they like and why?

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