Iowa's Mobile Pass

Fryowa

Administrator
Anyone here done the mobile pass season ticket thing before?

Living about a far from IC as you can get and still being in Iowa, I've never gotten season tickets before. A couple games a year, sometimes just 1.

The mobile pass has been intriguing me for quite a while because of the price. It's $275 for all home games vs $415+donation for regular season tickets. The cheapest donation is $50 and obviously you guys know that goes up from there rapidly once you move in from the end zones or corners. I don't mind having different seats every week, I've sat in most sections over the years, high and low and there's really not a bad spot in my mind. $275 is a great tradeoff for me when cosindering 5 1/2 hours of travel one way. It makes the motel more affordable at that point and it's a way my kid and I can make more Hawkeye memories while he's still in the house (he's 14).

Have any of you done the mobile pass, and did you like it?
 
Does it have a guarantee you can get tickets next year? I really hate what has happened to the odd year schedule with conference realignment. The games absolutely suck. But maybe you could unload Indiana and PSU and basically get the rest for free. I just don't see a lot of compelling games to drive 5.5 hours to go see on this year's schedule. If I were in your shoes, I'd do one home game a year and then try to hit a road game in each of Minneapolis, Lincoln and Madison.
 
Does it have a guarantee you can get tickets next year? I really hate what has happened to the odd year schedule with conference realignment. The games absolutely suck. But maybe you could unload Indiana and PSU and basically get the rest for free. I just don't see a lot of compelling games to drive 5.5 hours to go see on this year's schedule. If I were in your shoes, I'd do one home game a year and then try to hit a road game in each of Minneapolis, Lincoln and Madison.
My kid is a huge fan who isn't jaded like we are, so it's mostly for the experience of hanging out and doing things together before life takes him a different direction. When I told him we were gonna hit every game he just about jumped through the ceiling. It's for him, and I'll enjoy the hell out of it even if we lose a bunch. My old man was a great guy, but we didn't do a lot together because he wasn't into much outside of golf as a hobby, and I'm meh about golf. He kicked the bucket when I was 25 and that was all she wrote. If I check out early I don't wanna go thinking I didn't try my best. I don't have a ton of money by any stretch, but I try to do a lot of cool stuff together with him.

As far as the tickets, we got 5 together with a buddy of mine so he'll mix it up with his family. If I don't like it I'll probably revert back to a few games a year. I have a hard time thinking he won't like it, so I'd bet we keep doing this till he's graduated from HS. I have no other kids and I'm single, so travel/time/etc is no concern.
 
My kid is a huge fan who isn't jaded like we are, so it's mostly for the experience of hanging out and doing things together before life takes him a different direction. When I told him we were gonna hit every game he just about jumped through the ceiling. It's for him, and I'll enjoy the hell out of it even if we lose a bunch. My old man was a great guy, but we didn't do a lot together because he wasn't into much outside of golf as a hobby, and I'm meh about golf. He kicked the bucket when I was 25 and that was all she wrote. If I check out early I don't wanna go thinking I didn't try my best. I don't have a ton of money by any stretch, but I try to do a lot of cool stuff together with him.

As far as the tickets, we got 5 together with a buddy of mine so he'll mix it up with his family. If I don't like it I'll probably revert back to a few games a year. I have a hard time thinking he won't like it, so I'd bet we keep doing this till he's graduated from HS. I have no other kids and I'm single, so travel/time/etc is no concern.
5 yrs from now 10, 20 you won't miss the money but you'll sure look back and be glad ya had fun with your son. There's a line in the sand for us all obviously but it sounds like this you can do easy enough. I wouldn't think much harder about it if I were you. Go have fun
 
hmmm, I might have to do this. If my son makes the marching band then I'll need to go to the games.
 
5 yrs from now 10, 20 you won't miss the money but you'll sure look back and be glad ya had fun with your son. There's a line in the sand for us all obviously but it sounds like this you can do easy enough. I wouldn't think much harder about it if I were you. Go have fun
For sure. For me it's way more the atmosphere of gameday than the actual game itself. I'm 40 years old and I still get giddy when I walk up.
 
Anyone here done the mobile pass season ticket thing before?

Living about a far from IC as you can get and still being in Iowa, I've never gotten season tickets before. A couple games a year, sometimes just 1.

The mobile pass has been intriguing me for quite a while because of the price. It's $275 for all home games vs $415+donation for regular season tickets. The cheapest donation is $50 and obviously you guys know that goes up from there rapidly once you move in from the end zones or corners. I don't mind having different seats every week, I've sat in most sections over the years, high and low and there's really not a bad spot in my mind. $275 is a great tradeoff for me when cosindering 5 1/2 hours of travel one way. It makes the motel more affordable at that point and it's a way my kid and I can make more Hawkeye memories while he's still in the house (he's 14).

Have any of you done the mobile pass, and did you like it?

I have a friend that does it. Gets 6 I believe, and sometimes his in-laws go with him, or cousins, etc. He said he likes sitting in different places every game, and you certainly can't argue with the price. Also, for most games, the top few rows of the student section are open and you can migrate over there pretty easily if you want. We watched the classic 2017 tOSU thrashing from up there.
 
For sure. For me it's way more the atmosphere of gameday than the actual game itself. I'm 40 years old and I still get giddy when I walk up.
Being a NW Iowa kid growing up as well I only went to 3 games. 1 per yr from 96-98. And the game in 97 wasn't even at Kinnick we went to the ISU game (closer obviously and we destroyed em) So when I moved to Dsm after HS and worked there for 10 yrs I got to go to a lot more and learn what tailgaiting was all about. It was pure awesomeness. Had a lot of fun in my early 20s. Now I'm 41 and in TN thankful the BTN is a thing and the internet keeps me in the loop.
 
Being a NW Iowa kid growing up as well I only went to 3 games. 1 per yr from 96-98. And the game in 97 wasn't even at Kinnick we went to the ISU game (closer obviously and we destroyed em) So when I moved to Dsm after HS and worked there for 10 yrs I got to go to a lot more and learn what tailgaiting was all about. It was pure awesomeness. Had a lot of fun in my early 20s. Now I'm 41 and in TN thankful the BTN is a thing and the internet keeps me in the loop.

Starting about when I was maybe 8 my old man took me to one basketball or football game per year. We went to the Iowa-ISU game every time it was in Ames and my dad made me go to an ISU-Colorado game in Ames as well because he said that Colorado was one of the best college football teams I'd ever get to see. That drive from Durty Dodge to IC back with the lower speed limits really sucked and I think 20 was still 2 lanes in parts.
 
5 yrs from now 10, 20 you won't miss the money but you'll sure look back and be glad ya had fun with your son. There's a line in the sand for us all obviously but it sounds like this you can do easy enough. I wouldn't think much harder about it if I were you. Go have fun

Been driving from Lincoln for every game since I graduated from Iowa (over 20 years) - the first 10 with my dad and then with my daughter ever since he passed and I would say that even though the money was tight many years I would not have given up those memories for anything. Hell the 5 hour drive with my daughter each way was a good excuse to just spend time chatting. Now she will be going to Iowa in the fall.
 
Starting about when I was maybe 8 my old man took me to one basketball or football game per year. We went to the Iowa-ISU game every time it was in Ames and my dad made me go to an ISU-Colorado game in Ames as well because he said that Colorado was one of the best college football teams I'd ever get to see. That drive from Durty Dodge to IC back with the lower speed limits really sucked and I think 20 was still 2 lanes in parts.
OMG Hwy 20 has been a lifetime project... Is it even done yet? I think it is west of I35 all the way to Sioux City anyway. Talk about milking a project geez.
Yeah since I went to so few games as a kid and they weren't even on tv all that much we only had bunny ears on the farm I caught the sports bug from the radio. I was always in my dads truck tractors or combine or in the barns. Jimmy Z was Iowa sports to me frankly. Without him it's hard telling if I'd have been the fan I am.
 
If my son makes the marching band I think I'll go this route. Do the mobile passes tend to sit together or they scattered, I'm guessing the later? Just wondering if I'd get the opportunity to flip off....I mean say hello to Fry. :)
 
OMG Hwy 20 has been a lifetime project... Is it even done yet? I think it is west of I35 all the way to Sioux City anyway. Talk about milking a project geez.
Yeah since I went to so few games as a kid and they weren't even on tv all that much we only had bunny ears on the farm I caught the sports bug from the radio. I was always in my dads truck tractors or combine or in the barns. Jimmy Z was Iowa sports to me frankly. Without him it's hard telling if I'd have been the fan I am.
Yep 20’s all done and it’s by far the fastest way to IC from NW Iowa now.

The only problem is there isn’t a good quick way to get to 20 from up here. It’s either L36 through Marcus to Correctionville (which is what I take), or Hwy 59 to Holstein which is kinda janky.

But yeah, once you get on 20 you don’t have to hit the brakes till you get there if you have enough gas. I cut down 35 to Des Moines for one of the directions (depending on game time) because we like to stay in Newton to break up either the drive there or drive back.
 
If my son makes the marching band I think I'll go this route. Do the mobile passes tend to sit together or they scattered, I'm guessing the later? Just wondering if I'd get the opportunity to flip off....I mean say hello to Fry. :)
The passes are scattered. You can buy up to 8 of them on one account, and however many you buy at the same time are guaranteed to be together each game.

One thing to watch is that they aren’t sellable on stubhub this year (the ticket rep told me they would be next year). If you want to sell them you’d have to do it to a friend or family member you trust with your account login. They’d use your login to download the tickets to their phone.
 
The passes are scattered. You can buy up to 8 of them on one account, and however many you buy at the same time are guaranteed to be together each game.

One thing to watch is that they aren’t sellable on stubhub this year (the ticket rep told me they would be next year). If you want to sell them you’d have to do it to a friend or family member you trust with your account login. They’d use your login to download the tickets to their phone.
I'm thinking of getting 3 for my wife, my youngest son, and myself. I'm assuming that if one couldn't go I could bring someone else with me? It's not like I have to register their names or anything right? I'm guessing the 3 tickets would be downloaded to my phone and any other 2 people with me could get in.
 
Yep 20’s all done and it’s by far the fastest way to IC from NW Iowa now.

The only problem is there isn’t a good quick way to get to 20 from up here. It’s either L36 through Marcus to Correctionville (which is what I take), or Hwy 59 to Holstein which is kinda janky.

But yeah, once you get on 20 you don’t have to hit the brakes till you get there if you have enough gas. I cut down 35 to Des Moines for one of the directions (depending on game time) because we like to stay in Newton to break up either the drive there or drive back.
Yeah it wasn't all that far for me to hop on 20 you're further north and west of where I was. It only took me 15ish mins to get from home to Holstein. 59 to there was the only way to go for me. 59 is strait as an arrow and if you're lucky to be on it when farmers aren't on it with slow equipment or cops you can make good time on it. But I was rarely north of Cherokee very often on it.
 
I'm thinking of getting 3 for my wife, my youngest son, and myself. I'm assuming that if one couldn't go I could bring someone else with me? It's not like I have to register their names or anything right? I'm guessing the 3 tickets would be downloaded to my phone and any other 2 people with me could get in.
Yep that’s how it works. I got four…..two for me and two for my buddy. In order to guarantee we sit together I had to buy all four and I’ll just download the tickets to my phone and scan all four going in.

Our plan is that one game he’s going to take his whole family of four and I’ll take my kid and a couple of his buddies to one. For the game where he takes his family and I don’t go, I just give him my login and he signs into my account and downloads them to his phone. This is what the ticket office told me to do. They said next year the tickets will be transferable and sellable on StubHub, but the software vendor they were working with last year to get that done went under due to covid.

So if you want to sell some, you need to trust the people you’re selling them to. In other words, if you sold them to some random person they’d have the ability in the future to login to your account again and use your tickets. I have enough people i trust in my circle of buddies/family that I wouldn’t have trouble getting rid of some if I needed to.
 
I'm thinking of getting 3 for my wife, my youngest son, and myself. I'm assuming that if one couldn't go I could bring someone else with me? It's not like I have to register their names or anything right? I'm guessing the 3 tickets would be downloaded to my phone and any other 2 people with me could get in.
Also, you might wanna jump on it soon. The rep told me they had availability still but they were getting close to the total allotment.

A coworker of mine does Iowa State’s mobile pass and he said they had sold out by the end of May. Those dorks must think they have a real team
 
My kid is a huge fan who isn't jaded like we are, so it's mostly for the experience of hanging out and doing things together before life takes him a different direction. When I told him we were gonna hit every game he just about jumped through the ceiling. It's for him, and I'll enjoy the hell out of it even if we lose a bunch. My old man was a great guy, but we didn't do a lot together because he wasn't into much outside of golf as a hobby, and I'm meh about golf. He kicked the bucket when I was 25 and that was all she wrote. If I check out early I don't wanna go thinking I didn't try my best. I don't have a ton of money by any stretch, but I try to do a lot of cool stuff together with him.

As far as the tickets, we got 5 together with a buddy of mine so he'll mix it up with his family. If I don't like it I'll probably revert back to a few games a year. I have a hard time thinking he won't like it, so I'd bet we keep doing this till he's graduated from HS. I have no other kids and I'm single, so travel/time/etc is no concern.

Would be fun to not be jaded again. First game as a kid was in 74 when I one tickets on WHO pickem. I knew I was close but was afraid I'd get the grand prize, which was a weekend in MSPL or a radio (already had one). The tickets were to Iowa IL where on fourth and goal from the eight-yard line Rob Fick hit Eddie Donovan on a screen pass winning score with seventeen seconds to play. Was already a Hawk fan, but that sealed it (3 wins). One of my relatives was a play by play for one of the big radio stations which also helped as I thought that was cool.
 

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