Kill looking at Student atmosphere-Marcus Fuller Blog

[MaxyJR1]

Gophers coach Jerry Kill said he spoke to athletics director Joel Maturi about closing Oak Street before Saturday’s game in order to give students a place to tailgate. He said he came up with the idea after watching how the streets were closed during the school’s spring bash festivities.

“It was just one big hoopla party and everybody was having a good time,” Kill said. “I said, ‘why don’t they do that on game day?’ I don’t understand that. If that was my deal, I would shut it all down. That’s what your supposed to do. That’s what everybody else around the country does. They shut it down. Let’s get it on. It should be the biggest party in the state. That’s what it’s supposed to be. I’m not going to apologize for saying that.”

 

[Ole]

Sweet God please let this happen.
The gameday atmosphere is SO stale sometimes.
Get those kids down there to party and make it a damn event.

If the administration/Maturi can't/won't make this happen it's proof of they're serious lack of commitment to the cause of a successful football program, and possibly of an outright opposition to a successful program here at the U.

MAKE IT HAPPEN!

 

[Schnauzer]

What comes first... chicken or the egg? Do they need students to appear, so they can party... or do they need a party so the students appear?

Also, what does this say about the "U" and the city and Maturi if it takes a new football coach to "notice" this stuff. Many people here on the Gopherhole have commented now disfunctional and uptight the "powers that be" are at the "U" to get anything fun (tailgating, etc.) going around the stadium. I would think the football coach would have enough on his plate than have to attempt to babysit the gameday atmosphere too. Hats off to Kill. Once again he is proving to be very aware of the big picture.

He must feel like Kevin Bacon coming into the goofy town in Footloose.

 

[CrocShots]

I love it so much, but they are so concerned with their image. Party patrols and the student code of conduct just destroy this thought process.

Rage, rage, rage.

 

[Ole]

As far as the chicken or egg question.

I've been fortunate enough to have a tailgate pass the past 2 years. We throw a party, invite freinds that are not Gopher fans, make it an event.

Out of the 4 we started with in our group we're up to around 20 or so regular freinds that come for a few games, probably over 30 that will come for at least one game, and have hooked 8 formerly non-gopher football followers to season ticket holders with increasing levels of enthusiam for the program.

It's really not that hard to understand, get people to a beautiful location(TCF Bank Stadium), give them a handful of beers, music, food, freinds, and a football game to scream about, watch as they enjoy themselves on a beautiful fall afternoon, rinse, repeat.

It'll be even easier for students to get behind because they have nothing better to do on a Sat morning.

 

[Gopher07]

“It was just one big hoopla party and everybody was having a good time,” Kill said. “I said, ‘why don’t they do that on game day?’ I don’t understand that. If that was my deal, I would shut it all down. That’s what your supposed to do. That’s what everybody else around the country does. They shut it down. Let’s get it on. It should be the biggest party in the state. That’s what it’s supposed to be. I’m not going to apologize for saying that.”

I. Love. This.

 

[station19]

As far as the chicken or egg question.

I've been fortunate enough to have a tailgate pass the past 2 years. We throw a party, invite freinds that are not Gopher fans, make it an event.

Out of the 4 we started with in our group we're up to around 20 or so regular freinds that come for a few games, probably over 30 that will come for at least one game, and have hooked 8 formerly non-gopher football followers to season ticket holders with increasing levels of enthusiam for the program.
It's really not that hard to understand, get people to a beautiful location(TCF Bank Stadium), give them a handful of beers, music, food, freinds, and a football game to scream about, watch as they enjoy themselves on a beautiful fall afternoon, rinse, repeat.

It'll be even easier for students to get behind because they have nothing better to do on a Sat morning.

The grass roots approach. Love it.

 

[Thorviking]

I don't think alot of this is the Administration's fault. It's either t he neighborhood or the city's doing. I know we're renting the parking lot of Valu Liquors, right by the stadiumfor tailgating, and I was stunned by all the regulations. We have to have it fenced and only so many people are allowed in and once that number is reached no one else can enter until another person leaves. It's tailgating outside and we have to hire someone to monitor us and make sure we don't violate the fire codes. Most of us are in our forties and early fifties and I feel like I'm back in grade school and we'll end up having fire drills.

 

[Bayfieldgopher]

This is what is happening.
*********************************
TAILGATING FOR ALL: "BLOCK G" SETS UP OUTSIDE TCF BANK STADIUM
You asked for it, and we've delivered - a tailgating area that's accessible to the masses. "Block G" will debut Saturday on Oak Street between TCF Bank Stadium and Mariucci Arena. The festivities run from 11:30 a.m. to game time (2:30) and will feature:

- Gopher Victory Walk at 12:15
- Live music from Sawtooth Bluegrass beginning at 12:15
- The U of M Marching Band's Plaza show at 1:10
- Food and beverages, interactive games, free facepainting and more!

*****************************
RALLYING THE (STUDENT) BODY
School is finally in session at the U, which means its time for Gophers across campus to come out to TCF Bank Stadium and show their school pride.

The Maroon and Gold will be on display outside Coffman Memorial Union from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., where students can pick up some free goodies and play games. Friday, the man himself, Coach Jerry Kill, will be jetting around campus to meet students and get the word out about his new team. He'll be on the Northrop Plaza at 11 a.m. with Goldy and the Gopher cheerleading squad, along with free pizza for students.

Friday night, those who stick on campus can hear the U of M Alumni Band tour Stadium Village when they travel between Sally's, Stub and Herbs and finally Campus Pizza between 8 and 9 p.m. Campus Pizza (825 Washington Ave.) will also be the host of a special Gopher Pep Rally Friday from 7-9 p.m. with lots in store, including:

- Free appetizers
- Gopher trivia with great prizes
- Appearance by Goldy Gopher (7-8 p.m.)
- 2-4-1 student drink specials and much more!

 

[retrogoldy]

This is from the U....

TAILGATING FOR ALL: "BLOCK G" SETS UP OUTSIDE TCF BANK STADIUM
You asked for it, and we've delivered - a tailgating area that's accessible to the masses. "Block G" will debut Saturday on Oak Street between TCF Bank Stadium and Mariucci Arena. The festivities run from 11:30 a.m. to game time (2:30) and will feature:

- Gopher Victory Walk at 12:15
- Live music from Sawtooth Bluegrass beginning at 12:15
- The U of M Marching Band's Plaza show at 1:10
- Food and beverages, interactive games, free facepainting and more!

Sounds like they are trying to start something.

 

[Gopher07]

Any word what the "food and beverages" are? Like that they'll have the bluegrass playing.

 

[popeyoung5]

I love coach Kill's attitude. Can do, gotta change things up and get amped!

 

[Ole]

I don't think alot of this is the Administration's fault. It's either t he neighborhood or the city's doing. I know we're renting the parking lot of Valu Liquors, right by the stadiumfor tailgating, and I was stunned by all the regulations. We have to have it fenced and only so many people are allowed in and once that number is reached no one else can enter until another person leaves. It's tailgating outside and we have to hire someone to monitor us and make sure we don't violate the fire codes. Most of us are in our forties and early fifties and I feel like I'm back in grade school and we'll end up having fire drills.

The U is a powerful entity though, it would take a small amount of effort to run a media blitz/legal maneuver for Oak Street, but what about the U's private property? There are literally hundreds of places to hold a large gathering of student revelers on campus.
It's a university, they are set up for large gatherings, there are better ways to do this than what has been done in the past which is nothing.

I'm very proud of my "grassroots" efforts to encourage new gopher football fans, but if I could triple our groups' season ticket numbers in 2 years among busy 26-31 working adults with one parking spot in one lot, what could the U do with a whole lot, or 2 whole lots of young, eager, and wild college students?

EDIT:
Good start with the G taligate situation, hopefully it's not just aimed at the bluegrass music/kids facepainting crowd.

 

[gophergrad]

Let’s get it on.

Coach Kill, my chili is hot.

 

[AuEGO4]

Those of you that went to the USC game last week now have a great idea of what tailgating could be. I was amazed that it didn't even need to involve a car or parking lot. If there was a plot of land at USC, someone was sitting on it with a cooler and a chair. It was THE place to be on a Saturday morning. I had images of the Mall area packed with 10x10 gopher tents and just a huge party atmosphere or the middle of Super Block getting something together for the students followed by a student victory march to the stadium. Or once the train gets finished having people just take the train with their roller cooler and folding chair and come onto campus to have a good time.
I am very excited to see what Coach Kill can do and how hard he fights to get the atmosphere jumping on campus. It is easier to ask for forgiveness than ask for permission sometimes.

 

[DLguy]

This is a great step, something I am sure Joel tried to fight. Send emails to him letting him know we need more of this, and that it is a great step forward. Anyone tailgating this Saturday, take a stroll over there and check it out. The more people in there, the more the U will view it as a success. You can bring your own booze in, so dont worry about finishing your beer.

 

[Bayfieldgopher]

This is a great step, something I am sure Joel tried to fight. Send emails to him letting him know we need more of this, and that it is a great step forward. Anyone tailgating this Saturday, take a stroll over there and check it out. The more people in there, the more the U will view it as a success. You can bring your own booze in, so dont worry about finishing your beer.

My take is that the UM is so focused on telling us what can't be done rather than what can be done.

Joel Maturi does not have the same vision of gameday that the majority of the fans have. The Oak Street thing is focused on the students and that is fine. But I can't imagine there will be a mob lined up to get their face painted though. The music is a start and so is having that area blocked off. We will see how successful it is with the students but I am a skeptic at this point.

Try buying a beer from the McNamara Center and see if you can get by security. Some people, like myself, would rather enjoy a pre-game beer just roaming around. So I throw a couple in my car and bring my own rather than being locked in.

A lot of fans would appreciate a beer/brat garden other than Sally's.

 

[Schnauzer]

The U is a powerful entity though, it would take a small amount of effort to run a media blitz/legal maneuver for Oak Street, but what about the U's private property? There are literally hundreds of places to hold a large gathering of student revelers on campus.
It's a university, they are set up for large gatherings, there are better ways to do this than what has been done in the past which is nothing.

I'm very proud of my "grassroots" efforts to encourage new gopher football fans, but if I could triple our groups' season ticket numbers in 2 years among busy 26-31 working adults with one parking spot in one lot, what could the U do with a whole lot, or 2 whole lots of young, eager, and wild college students?

EDIT:
Good start with the G taligate situation, hopefully it's not just aimed at the bluegrass music/kids facepainting crowd.

Ole you should be proud of what you have accomplished with ONE PARKING SPOT. I too wonder what a less restrictive atmosphere would do to jump start the gameday atmosphere around the stadium. I have a parking pass in the Oak Street Ramp. Last year I traded my parking pass for one in a tailgate lot (along with some cash) and had a bunch of adults for a real tailgate. Just that ONE DAY in a tailgate spot was enough to sell two season tickets for Gopher Football. As you say, just imagine if it was easier to get a tailgate spot, easier to party around the stadium, etc.

The situation at TCF is up against more than just the restrictive University and city rules. It is also up against 25 years of "dome culture". This dome culture stripped fans of everything but the game. It stunted everything that has grown organically during the same time period in other places like Madison. So, many people that attend games are stuck in the "get there at kick off and beat the traffic" mentality. Situations such as your tailgate and my one-and-only tailgate have shook some people out of their dome slumber. It would be so much fun to see the school and city remove the barriers to "reach" many more people with a REAL gameday atmosphere.

I would love a tailgate spot, or the ability to pull in to a restaurant lot or whatever to start up a tailgate. I'd do it for every game that I could... at least half of them. I don't have donation seats so the prices to donate in the large amounts that are required to get the few tailgate spots are just out of whack for me, especially considering I have kids in youth football and don't always have the ability to arrive early enough to tailgate.

 

[CrocShots]

GophersNow PiPress Gophers Now
Sorry for buzz kill but fans won't be allowed to drink alcohol at tailgating event on Oak St. Have to go back to the parking lots for that.


BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

[Schnauzer]

GophersNow PiPress Gophers Now
Sorry for buzz kill but fans won't be allowed to drink alcohol at tailgating event on Oak St. Have to go back to the parking lots for that.


BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

So typical. In other words, they might as well leave the street open. This will be used as evidence that there is no need to close down a street because nobody attends it anyway. See, the decision makers were right all along. What was Kill thinking? Meh...

 

[highwayman]

GophersNow PiPress Gophers Now
Sorry for buzz kill but fans won't be allowed to drink alcohol at tailgating event on Oak St. Have to go back to the parking lots for that.


BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

see below.

 

[RailBaronYarr]

GophersNow PiPress Gophers Now
Sorry for buzz kill but fans won't be allowed to drink alcohol at tailgating event on Oak St. Have to go back to the parking lots for that.


BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Once again the U shows what it thinks a "tailgate" is and how it misses the mark. Blocking off Oak Street was a good try but seriously, kid face painting and bluegrass music won't energize or excite more than 5% of the student/young crowd. No booze? Seriously? Nothing against bluegrass (seriously) but it is not the music of choice for 18-28 year olds. The U needs to step up and allow people to put out a table, some chairs, and some beers anywhere on campus. Or designate some areas that are allowed. If they can do it with their parking lots then why not on any other area of campus???

 

[highwayman]

GophersNow PiPress Gophers Now
Sorry for buzz kill but fans won't be allowed to drink alcohol at tailgating event on Oak St. Have to go back to the parking lots for that.


BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

And yet, it is still illegal in the City of Minneapolis (and the U lots) to do so!!!

Apparently, the U submitted their tailgating plans (including alcohol consumption), to the City a week before the Air Force game, and it has NOT YET BEEN APPROVED. But the City is treading lightly, as the U had not "expanded" their request.

By ordinance, it is illegal (in Mpls) to consume alcohol in a parking lot that charges a fee, except in the zone on Washington Ave. by the Metrodome. That is right in the ordinance.

The U has told the City to butt out, but it is going to come to a head if the U tries to expand tailgating.

So, hoist a drink (as I will in Lot 37) on Saturday at toat the Mayor and City Council of the "City Where No Fun Is Allowed Because Someone Might Get Offended".

 

[RailBaronYarr]

And it is still illegal in Minneapolis to do so. So far the, U has told the City to butt out, and the City has treaded lightly.

I guess the U submitted their tailgate plan to the City the week before the Air Force game and the City has yet to approve it, mostly because of the alcohol in the parking lot issues.

So hoist your illegal drink, as I will in Lot 37, and toast the City Council and Mayor of the "City Where No Fun is Allowed, As Someone Might be Offended".

I'm sorry but isn't the plaza in front of the Metrodome also a normally operated city street - Chicago Ave? I'm dead positive that during Vikings pregames they manage to have tons of things going on - games, portable bars, food stands, it's like a mini county fair but all Vikings themed. Loud music playing, people walking around drinking beers, not to mention if you walk up from the big tailgate lot between 3rd and 4th St you can just walk in with a beer. I have seen it happen.

Tell me why a closed down street directly in front of TCF Bank Stadium should be ANY different???

 

[Ole]

Cowards. Possibly even traitors.
That's all that can be said about the U administration at this point.
Where's our fearful leader Maturi? Any AD with nuts would be able to bully the administration into helping out with this stuff. Yes, that includes bullying U to bully the city of Minneapolis via the legislature into helping out with this stuff.
A few backroom deals with a handful of vocal legislators threatening funding cuts for transportation projects specific to Minneapolis would grease the wheels a bit.

Get it done, good lord. A 18 year old freshman could figure out a better gameday experience than we have now.

 

[MaxyJR1]

Before we get too worked up over the Alcohol thing again, how many other Universities sell beer or sponsored tailgate functions? I've been to away games and the parties have all been by private parties/bars. I don't think the U is doing any different than most other Universities.

 

[GoAUpher]

I don't think alot of this is the Administration's fault. It's either t he neighborhood or the city's doing. I know we're renting the parking lot of Valu Liquors, right by the stadiumfor tailgating, and I was stunned by all the regulations. We have to have it fenced and only so many people are allowed in and once that number is reached no one else can enter until another person leaves. It's tailgating outside and we have to hire someone to monitor us and make sure we don't violate the fire codes. Most of us are in our forties and early fifties and I feel like I'm back in grade school and we'll end up having fire drills.

It's a little bit of both. The City and the Neighborhood Associations are making it hard, no doubt. But as Ole and others have already noted, there is a lot that could be done with the greenspace that the U controls that has not been attempted yet.

 

[GoAUpher]

Before we get too worked up over the Alcohol thing again, how many other Universities sell beer or sponsored tailgate functions? I've been to away games and the parties have all been by private parties/bars. I don't think the U is doing any different than most other Universities.

Yea, to be honest this doesn't actually surprise me. As soon as I heard the words "face paint" get used a few weeks ago I was pretty sure this tailgate would be dry. That doesn't it make it less disappointing or any less tentative of a step, but I'm not upset by it b/c I didn't expect any different.

 

[GoAUpher]

Those of you that went to the USC game last week now have a great idea of what tailgating could be. I was amazed that it didn't even need to involve a car or parking lot. If there was a plot of land at USC, someone was sitting on it with a cooler and a chair. It was THE place to be on a Saturday morning. I had images of the Mall area packed with 10x10 gopher tents and just a huge party atmosphere or the middle of Super Block getting something together for the students followed by a student victory march to the stadium. Or once the train gets finished having people just take the train with their roller cooler and folding chair and come onto campus to have a good time.
I am very excited to see what Coach Kill can do and how hard he fights to get the atmosphere jumping on campus. It is easier to ask for forgiveness than ask for permission sometimes.

I was blown away too! Just awesome. Park your car in a ramp and roll your stuff to a sidewalk, quad, or other greenspace. I'd certainly consider switching to this style of tailgate if I got to party every week on Northrup Mall.

Heck, the U could make more money through something like this. Set up a section where the U provides the food, beer, tents, chairs, etc and does all the setup and teardown for you. Charge for the space (that's the profit) and for the food/labor (that covers costs). Some people would likely take them up on it. Vanderbilt actually does something just like this (it's where I got the idea).

 

[Schnauzer]

The facepaint McNamara fun kept getting smaller and smaller (does it even still exist?) and it DID serve beer and wine. So, now they are moving a block down without booze? The definition of insanity pops into my mind but that involves doing the SAME THING and expecting different results. This is doing something worse, and expecting different results.