That's What Cheesehead: 37.16 - Wolves Seeing Green

[7teen]

While the season is still young, it hasn't kept the Madison Wolves front office from seeing some early green! The Wolves have played just 12 of their first 28 games at Shotz Stadium but the turnstiles have been clicking rather heavily in Madison. Attendance is up slightly from last season by about 1,500 fans per game as the Wolves are drawing just over 32,000 fans in the 35,000 capacity Shotz Stadium. Obviously winning games early has fans excited and the draw of seeing future hall of famer Elroy Hinson (.303/.373/.485, 4 HR, 10 RBI) isn't hurting either.

But what is surprising to most around the league and has Madison's front office a little giddy is how the Wolves are drawing these crowds despite the decision to raise ticket prices from $15 last season to $20 this season. The decision to do so was met with some hesitancy over the off-season and fans who bit on that hesitation were able to get tickets for the full season for the discounted $15 price. But fans walking up to the window now are being greeted by the new $20 cost and it hasn't scared fans away so far.

"We talked a lot about it with our accounting staff over the off-season and didn't make the decision quick enough" said Wolves assistant GM Bopper Kengos. "We were a little afraid of driving off early guaranteed ticket sales so we paused and it may have cost us some money over the season. We wasn't sure if our market was in enough demand for a ticket price increase so we waited. Once we had our season ticket numbers we opted for the increase and fans haven't stopped coming."

Early reports show the Wolves gaining about 40% more revenue per game compared to last season. That's an increase from just over $450,000 per game last season to close to $650,000 per game this season. If that trend held, it would generate an estimated $20 million more in total revenue over the course of the season. Something that could go a long way in potentially upgrading the Wolves' financial budget.

"It is definitely something we are going to keep a close eye on all season" said Wolves owner Mick Shrimpton Jr. "Obviously winning baseball games is the number one goal this season and we think winning games will help keep the fans in the seats in Madison. As long as the team on the field remains competitive, we think the fans will be willing to pay higher prices to see the team in this amazing ballpark."

[RonCo]

Revenue is good.