Jan. 03--CHAMPAIGN -- At most Illinois basketball games, Ben Rapp is watching with friends in some of the worst seats in the house.
"Near the very top," said Rapp, 34, of Princeton, Ill.
But for Saturday's game against Kennesaw State, he was sitting directly behind Illini coach John Groce.
Rapp bid $540 for a rare "behind-the-scenes" experience that included watching the pregame warmup from courtside, a photo with Groce and being within earshot of the instructions Groce yelled during the game. Rapp used the tickets as a special Christmas gift for his dad.
"Just sitting right there behind the bench, seeing all the things they did and what they said during timeouts, seeing how the guys talk and joke around on the bench, it gives you a different look at things," Rapp said.
Teams long have auctioned off memorabilia, but now more and more college programs are selling fan experiences, offering glimpses behind the figurative -- and sometimes literal -- locker room doors.
"Part of my job is to try to create magic moments," Illinois' marketing director Brad Swanson said. "It's not just people showing up going to a game and going home."
The other part of the job is to create more cash.
Illinois, like other schools, is obligated contractually with its website provider, CBS Sports, to auction off a set amount of items to generate revenue and offset the cash cost to Illinois. The athletic program, of course, also makes money off the auctions.
About 86 items and experiences were auctioned last year. In the last three years, the auctions have generated about $25,000 to $30,000 per year.
Last season, a fan's bid of $2,660 won two seats behind the basketball team's bench to watch the Illini play Ohio State. Another honorary coach experience against Indiana-Purdue-Fort-Wayne was auctioned for $610. Four packages to attend a Flyin' Illini reunion sold for between $900 and $1,010. A football VIP experience against Washington last season sold for $510.
The highest bid, however, went to owning a piece of memorabilia rather than an experience. A 1989 Final Four banner sold for $3,310.
While schools such as Northwestern, DePaul, UIC, Michigan and Indiana are not yet selling fan experiences, Illinois isn't alone.
Wisconsin, which runs fan experience sales and ticket upgrades through its gameday app on iTunes, gets particularly creative.
A photo on the field with mascot Bucky Badger sells for $150. A chance to stand in front of the student section at a football game during the traditional Jump Around song also sold for $150. High-fiving the basketball team as they run onto the court sold for $300. Hockey fans could follow the team from the locker room to the ice for $150.
Notre Dame sells Friday night locker room tours before home football games for $70 to $100, limiting the number to about 30 fans to keep the experience enjoyable and intimate.
Ohio State auctioned what it called the "Ultimate Spring Football Game Experience" and the winning bidder for $4,000 watched the game from the sideline, joined the team in the locker room during halftime and after the game and listened via headset during the game to the coaches communicating.
Ticket upgrades are particularly popular through team websites and apps. Wisconsin sold out ticket upgrades at every men's basketball game in which they have been offered this season.
Loyola has auctioned off a foursome golf outing with basketball coach Porter Moser for $1,200 but also received $1,000 from a fan who won an auction to golf with men's volleyball coach Shane Davis.
Teams bank on the hope that fans who buy the right for this type of elite access are more likely to bid again, become season ticket holders or -- best of all -- become donors.
"We may be finding new fans we have not engaged with before," said Brian Pracht, Notre Dame's assistant athletic director for marketing. "It allows us to follow up with them and see what their interests are and market to them in the future."
Of course, there are some rules winning fans must follow.
Rapp said he understands the opportunity comes with the condition to conduct himself in an appropriate manner.
"They probably don't want you yelling at the referees," he said.
Swanson said typically they operate on good faith and trust, believing that anyone plopping down big money is doing so because he or she is genuinely a fan.
If something seems fishy -- for instance a person with an Iowa address winning an experience when Illinois plays the University of Iowa -- athletic staffers will vet the person a little closer.
Many teams try to limit the amount of contact between players and coaches with fans during the experiences. Most coaches have their own charity functions, at which they reserve opportunities for meet-and-greets.
Most teams' fine print indicates the experience can end at any time at the discretion of the school.
There's also the dangerous territory of NCAA rules that must be considered.
Teams are careful to avoid sales with prospective student-athletes, which would violate recruiting rules. As a precaution, Illinois does not auction off player autographs unless it's a graduating senior or part of a team autographed item.
Then there is the tricky task of keeping donors happy.
"We have to be really careful not to alienate people," Swanson said. "We do have a whole IFund (fundraising) staff that's tailoring road trips toward people who are giving at a certain level. You don't want to undercut those. Say Person A over here is giving $1 million and that's why they're going with the team to Ohio State. Then you don't want to turn around and auction it off for $4,000 online."
Rapp said bidding on fan experiences is ideal for "die-hard fans or a kid who's really into it."
His dad, James, was certainly into it.
"He was pretty excited," Rapp said of his gift. "It's better than a tool."
sryan@tribpub.com
Twitter @sryantribune
