Vote with your feet

Donate To GopherHole
S

Some guy

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 1, 2014
Messages
22,595
Reaction score
11,835
Points
113
While I still will attend football games next fall...my season ticket group is going from 9 down to 4 next year based on what my members have told me in the last 24 hours.
 

Is this about the head coach situation?

Well... I'll be there.

I mean if the AD wants to start responding to knee jerk 1 year fan spazzes we're not likely to ever find someone good enough to build up the program... or if we do we'll fire them if they have one bad year. That seems like a bad long term move even if fans are upset.
 

Some guy said:
While I still will attend football games next fall...my season ticket group is going from 9 down to 4 next year based on what my members have told me in the last 24 hours.
Click to expand...

They should be really proud of their support of the program. Starving an entity of money and interest is how you help it to get better.
 

dpodoll68 said:
They should be really proud of their support of the program. Starving an entity of money and interest is how you help it to get better.
Click to expand...
Well I am not sure if they care about the product anymore. Hence them dropping the tickets.
My group has fluctuated between 4-up to 14 at the high water year. A few dropped out due to moving over the years. The five that dropped had already told me they had been thinking of it during the season. They just happened to tell me in the last 24 hours.


People aren't going to continue buying a product they don't like for the money though
 

Some guy said:
Well I am not sure if they care about the product anymore.
Click to expand...

This is an interesting point. I think it comes down to how you define the product. For me, it's about meeting friends hours before the game and tailgating, watching the students go crazy before the 4th quarter, the marching band and cheerleaders, Goldy's antics, high fiving strangers when the Gophers score a touchdown and hopefully seeing the team win (which they did in all but one home game this year).

With my definition of the product, it was a very enjoyable season. And for me, it is money well spent to keep my season tickets.

If you define the product strictly as whether the team won the games you expected them to win in the manner you expected based on some pre-season, concept of how the Gophers stack up against every team on their schedule, I can see where this year was disappointing at times.

I've been a Gopher fan too long to be angry over a season where the football team went 8-4 and will be playing in a decent bowl game. Let alone angry enough to drop my tickets.
 



What's fun in watching your team go 6-1 at home for the 2nd time in 3 years?
 

HopHead said:
This is an interesting point. I think it comes down to how you define the product. For me, it's about meeting friends hours before the game and tailgating, watching the students go crazy before the 4th quarter, the marching band and cheerleaders, Goldy's antics, high fiving strangers when the Gophers score a touchdown and hopefully seeing the team win (which they did in all but one home game this year).

With my definition of the product, it was a very enjoyable season. And for me, it is money well spent to keep my season tickets.

If you define the product strictly as whether the team won the games you expected them to win in the manner you expected based on some pre-season, concept of how the Gophers stack up against every team on their schedule, I can see where this year was disappointing at times.

I've been a Gopher fan too long to be angry over a season where the football team went 8-4 and will be playing in a decent bowl game. Let alone angry enough to drop my tickets.
Click to expand...

Spot on - great post HopHead. Of course we'd all love to see the Gophers win more games and I am confident the "good ol' days" are ahead of us, but its more than the score at the end of the game for me. It's about being with my friends. IAM4Goldy and I have season tickets together and I know the home Saturday's (and one road game a year as well), he and I will be together, often with our kids. It's time that we have together, making memories, etc. If we dropped the tickets, I know I'd see him much less, in spite of our best intentions.

I love taking my kids to games, as my Dad took me. I love even more taking them to road games because it's an awesome concentrated amount of time together that we'll never forget.

When I look back at my life with my Dad (who passed away a year ago), after the times that matter in life (weddings, new babies, graduations, etc.) the best memories I have with him are at sporting events (most often Gopher games) and I hope my kids have those same memories with me.

Go Gophers!!
 

These are great individual posts and stories and no one can disagree with any one person's reasons for continuing to attend Gopher football games. I hope everyone that has the financial means and time to dedicate to the games buys tickets.

However, the administration must be concerned with the macro as well as the micro; the macro would say our ticket base - season and non - is in danger of declining, perhaps substantially.

The causes are probably too numerous to mention them all, but could include a lack of rivalry wins, a lack of "signature" wins (however we define that), the price increases, the longer-term trend of declining national attendance (due to better viewing options at home/elsewhere), and even, potentially, the marketability of the head coach (which was a big chip during Kill's time - he himself was marketed to an extreme level). I know the administration is hard at work on figuring it all out because they can't afford to let the biggest moneymaker decline too much without a substantial hit to the other programs as well. I hope they get the right mix, and soon.
 



As with any purchase, you weigh the value of the purchase versus the cost. And that decision will be different for every person, based on the value they assign to the product, and the impact on their budget.

One person perceives Gopher Football as having a lot of value, and determines the cost is reasonable and justifiable within their personal budget.

Another person may very well perceive Gopher Football as diminishing in value, and determines they cannot justify the cost based on their budget priorities.

Neither choice is "wrong." It is a personal choice.

The Gopher Men's basketball team is playing in Sioux Falls this Saturday - about 90 miles from where I live. I thought about going - but the tickets are $52 - and I decided I cannot justify spending that money, when I have other needs (food, medicine, health insurance, etc.)
Some may say that makes me a bad fan. If they want to spend the money for tickets, more power to them. But for me and my budget, I said no.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
As with any purchase, you weigh the value of the purchase versus the cost. And that decision will be different for every person, based on the value they assign to the product, and the impact on their budget.

One person perceives Gopher Football as having a lot of value, and determines the cost is reasonable and justifiable within their personal budget.

Another person may very well perceive Gopher Football as diminishing in value, and determines they cannot justify the cost based on their budget priorities.

Neither choice is "wrong." It is a personal choice.

The Gopher Men's basketball team is playing in Sioux Falls this Saturday - about 90 miles from where I live. I thought about going - but the tickets are $52 - and I decided I cannot justify spending that money, when I have other needs (food, medicine, health insurance, etc.)
Some may say that makes me a bad fan. If they want to spend the money for tickets, more power to them. But for me and my budget, I said no.
Click to expand...

$52 ... in Sioux Falls?

Wow....
 

HopHead said:
This is an interesting point. I think it comes down to how you define the product. For me, it's about meeting friends hours before the game and tailgating, watching the students go crazy before the 4th quarter, the marching band and cheerleaders, Goldy's antics, high fiving strangers when the Gophers score a touchdown and hopefully seeing the team win (which they did in all but one home game this year).

With my definition of the product, it was a very enjoyable season. And for me, it is money well spent to keep my season tickets.

If you define the product strictly as whether the team won the games you expected them to win in the manner you expected based on some pre-season, concept of how the Gophers stack up against every team on their schedule, I can see where this year was disappointing at times.

I've been a Gopher fan too long to be angry over a season where the football team went 8-4 and will be playing in a decent bowl game. Let alone angry enough to drop my tickets.
Click to expand...

It's great that you're getting so much satisfaction for reasons other than just the product on the field. However, the empty seats, which there plenty these days, are more concerned with wins and the price for said product. I'm pretty sure the on field product and price where there are a lot of empty seats is more indicative of what is really going on here and in otherwise places like Rutgers, Kansas, and Oregon State. Sure, people like the same things as you including fans at Ohio State, Alabama, and even Wisconsin. But more than that, people like a winner or to at least pay a fair price for the product they are getting. The empty seats are always right.
 

I thought empty seats were due to the price increases.... or the color of the logo on the field.... now it is Tracy.
 



Gopher07 said:
These are great individual posts and stories and no one can disagree with any one person's reasons for continuing to attend Gopher football games. I hope everyone that has the financial means and time to dedicate to the games buys tickets.

However, the administration must be concerned with the macro as well as the micro; the macro would say our ticket base - season and non - is in danger of declining, perhaps substantially.

The causes are probably too numerous to mention them all, but could include a lack of rivalry wins, a lack of "signature" wins (however we define that), the price increases, the longer-term trend of declining national attendance (due to better viewing options at home/elsewhere), and even, potentially, the marketability of the head coach (which was a big chip during Kill's time - he himself was marketed to an extreme level). I know the administration is hard at work on figuring it all out because they can't afford to let the biggest moneymaker decline too much without a substantial hit to the other programs as well. I hope they get the right mix, and soon.
Click to expand...

Good post and I agree 100% with you. I don't pretend to think my approach to season tickets is even close to being the majority of fans.

And I agree that we are in danger of a substantial decline.

Go Gophers!!
 

Regardless of any anecdotal evidence posted here, attendance will be up by a few thousand next year.
It's just a more compelling slate of home games.
 

dpodoll68 said:
They should be really proud of their support of the program. Starving an entity of money and interest is how you help it to get better.
Click to expand...

No, it's how a consumer can effect change. It's done in the political world all the time.
 


The evidence is there and has been for many years. We have over 40,000+ consistent fans who pay for tickets every game. When we have quality teams in town, we sell more tickets and the school takes advantage of pricing for those games. In a down year for opponent, we will still have over 40,000+ buy tickets to every game. The U knows this and sets budgets based on it.

Win the bowl game, get a JC QB, and be 5-0 when MSU comes to town. Be 7-0 when you head into final five games. Be 8-0 going to Michigan and you can afford to lose because Nebraska and Wisconsin tickets will already be sold.
 

A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
I thought empty seats were due to the price increases.... or the color of the logo on the field.... now it is Tracy.
Click to expand...

Premise is correct. You can't offer too many reasons to move away from investing in a product. I plan on renewing. Ticket holder back to Mason years. Unfortunately, I know others as well who have told me they are not renewing for a multitude of reasons. Coyle has his work cut out for him. If ever there was a time when the U needed a competent AD it is now considering the attendance and fan base issues of the big three sports.
 

A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
Other way around. You have to buy to get influence in the political world.
Click to expand...

Untrue. How many boycotts of companies have caused them to change their view on things like fair hiring practices, sweat shops or equal rights? It happens all the time. I've been saying it for the last 2 weeks. Until we get a team that inspires me, I won't be spending big bucks to see the team. I'm a Minnesota fan, always will be. I want us to win, but I also want a team to be proud of.
 

I think there is a knock-on Viking effect. When the Gophers win early - no one cares because it is against poor competition and we aren't ranked until we are 7-0 or 8-0. If the Vikes are decent during this early period, they get all the press and eyeballs. After they begin their collapse - fans are souring on football in general and turn back to the Gophers - where they then witness the annual 'limp to the finish' as we always finish out losing to WI and losing in general the back half of the season.

Of course, this does not apply to the hardcore fans - but it 100% applies to the casual fans here.

Unless we can get an annual slate of Illinois, Purdue, and Rutgers for our final 3 games - it means we need to beat WI to keep some credibility with these fans. We realistically have incoming freshman to the U born and raised as Gophers that cannot remember the last time we beat WI because they were 5.
 

Sparlimb;1289037I'm a Minnesota fan said:
I have not lived in Minnesota for 18 years and have not lived in the US in 5+ so attending home Gopher games in person has never been a strong suit for me - however, always attended when they traveled to the West coast. So, I measure my support in terms of merchandise purchased and time spent watching the game despite the 12 hour time shift (I know, no financial gain for the U). I watch every game that has a broadcast option and will continue to do so - I tend to buy a lot of Gopher gear but my patterns don't change regardless of w/l record. The only way I can show my satisfaction/dissatisfaction with the programs is my annual giving - which is to the U. But even there, I don't hold back because I am upset about the team's w/l record. So, the only fans that really matter in terms of the admin caring what we think is those attending games or choosing not to attend games. So, I thank these people for being the spokesmen for those of us that don't have a voice otherwise.
Click to expand...
 

That dufus Mega-Tongue did a lot of damage to the fan base jerking around with season ticket holders.

Put a winning team consistently that play exciting brand of football, and the crowd will follow.
 

Goldmember said:
Regardless of any anecdotal evidence posted here, attendance will be up by a few thousand next year.
It's just a more compelling slate of home games.
Click to expand...

That should be true.


Will be interested between the season tickets vs total tickets. I would guess the people who drop will end up going to a game or two.
 

BleedGopher said:
Spot on - great post HopHead. Of course we'd all love to see the Gophers win more games and I am confident the "good ol' days" are ahead of us, but its more than the score at the end of the game for me. It's about being with my friends. IAM4Goldy and I have season tickets together and I know the home Saturday's (and one road game a year as well), he and I will be together, often with our kids. It's time that we have together, making memories, etc. If we dropped the tickets, I know I'd see him much less, in spite of our best intentions.

I love taking my kids to games, as my Dad took me. I love even more taking them to road games because it's an awesome concentrated amount of time together that we'll never forget.

When I look back at my life with my Dad (who passed away a year ago), after the times that matter in life (weddings, new babies, graduations, etc.) the best memories I have with him are at sporting events (most often Gopher games) and I hope my kids have those same memories with me.

Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...

Heartwarming, inter-generational stories of gopher fans. That's great. There's probably 500 diehard fans that have those stories and memories to fall back on. But I didn't grow up in Minnesota. I became in fan in 1995 when I started attending graduate school at the U of M. And my loyalty for the gophers ever since then has trumped my loyalty for the other D-1 schools from whom I have degrees. But after 20+ years watching this under-achieving crap in football and basketball, I've had enough. I'm glad for some of you that you have those stories from your dad or grandfather about the '61 Rosebowl. But I'd like us to go to the Rosebowl in my lifetime. I'd like to beat Wisconin 50% of the time (those pricks!). With the extension of the Kill/Claeys era, it's clear that the U is too cheap and short-sighted to be serious B1G contenders. And I'm sorry, but I'm not alone.
 


Sparlimb said:
Untrue. How many boycotts of companies have caused them to change their view on things like fair hiring practices, sweat shops or equal rights? It happens all the time. I've been saying it for the last 2 weeks. Until we get a team that inspires me, I won't be spending big bucks to see the team. I'm a Minnesota fan, always will be. I want us to win, but I also want a team to be proud of.
Click to expand...

That's not "political world".
 


I look at it from this point of view---I like to see the opposing teams...I know what we have on our side, but love watching Nebby, Sconny OSU come in here...much more so than a grand valley state or even western MI. If, and I know it is a big if, if the B1G could get ND, they most likely they would be in the east, I would love to transition over to the east...I know it won't happen of course, and given our current state of affairs, we can kiss bowl games good bye with that type of schedule, but can you imagine having ND, OSU, MICHY, MSU all coming into your stadium every other year...now that would be cool, practically a bowl game every week at home. Much more satisfying than Purdue, and Rutgers coming to town.
 

the.chucker said:
I look at it from this point of view---I like to see the opposing teams...I know what we have on our side, but love watching Nebby, Sconny OSU come in here...much more so than a grand valley state or even western MI. If, and I know it is a big if, if the B1G could get ND, they most likely they would be in the east, I would love to transition over to the east...I know it won't happen of course, and given our current state of affairs, we can kiss bowl games good bye with that type of schedule, but can you imagine having ND, OSU, MICHY, MSU all coming into your stadium every other year...now that would be cool, practically a bowl game every week at home. Much more satisfying than Purdue, and Rutgers coming to town.
Click to expand...

That again brings up the age-old question: Would you rather go to TCF to see the Gophers win (most likely against a lesser opponent), or go to see good teams (who will most likely beat us)? I would rather see a win. Therefore seeing Illinois, Rutgers, Purdue at TCF doesn't bother me.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom