Orange Bowl Team Looks To Tackle Sliding Ticket Sales

By Scott E. Pacheco
Orange Bowl officials are to spend much of the next year expanding the local ticket base and strengthening corporate connections after this year’s bowl game crowd came in under capacity for the first time in a decade.

New Orange Bowl Committee President Tony Argiz, who last week took over the year-long post replacing Phillis Oeters, already has formed a committee to come up with ways to build local support.

The newly-formed task force is to tackle questions like "how do we enhance the connection between the Orange Bowl and the community, how do we expand our local ticket sales, how do we improve our corporate support," Mr. Argiz said. "In maintaining a healthy and vibrant organization, what are the areas of membership that we need to be concerned with?"

The Jan. 5 football game drew about 67,000 to Dolphin Stadium, well below listed capacity of about 75,000. Orange Bowl Committee CEO Eric Poms said the economy and the fact that the game was played outside of the traditional two-week holiday break on a work and school night were impediments.

"First of all it was a tremendously successful Orange Bowl in a very difficult time," he said. "Having two out-of-state teams, we probably had 40,000-plus visitors.… We felt great about that."

Looking forward, both Mr. Poms and Mr. Argiz cited the importance of preserving the Orange Bowl’s 76-year history.

"We need to engage the community at-large but also the corporate community at-large to make sure we maintain this tradition," Mr. Poms said.

Mr. Argiz said he wants his grandchildren to be able to experience and enjoy the Orange Bowl like he has. But to do that, the local community must step up.

"We’ve got to get a better buy in from the community on the corporate support and on the enhancement of ticket sales." Advertisement