STrib: Ski-U-Meh: U ticket sales sag

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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Student season-ticket sales have steadily dropped from 10,000 in the first year at the 50,800-seat TCF Bank Stadium, to 7,800 the second year to less than 6,000 last year. Now, with the team's first home game on Sept. 8 less than a month away, roughly 2,000 student season tickets have been sold for the $288 million on-campus stadium that was seen as a key to rekindling passion and attendance after almost three decades in the Metrodome.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/166352516.html

Go Gophers!!
 

This is what losing consistently gets us. Not surprised, nor am I mad.

Winning cures everything.
 

Formo said:
This is what losing consistently gets us. Not surprised, nor am I mad.

Winning cures everything.
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This. We go 6-6, tickets sales will rebound. Students would rather get drunk in their apartments or front porches than go to see a losing product.
 

Gopher07 said:
This. We go 6-6, tickets sales will rebound. Students would rather get drunk in their apartments or front porches than go to see a losing product.
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It depends with the 6 wins are, but to be honest, I don't see a dramatic rebound after a six win season. That won't excite the students, the casual fan that dropped tickets because we are rebuilding (again, or as always) isn't going to get excited, etc. We'll likely get a natural rebound next year due to the Nebraska/UW/Iowa trio back on the schedule, but a 6-6 season won't excite many beyond most of us die-hards.

We have to win, win big and do it consistently. 6-6 is a stepping stone to 8-4, but until we at least get the latter a few seasons in a row will we see some material lasting change.

Go Gophers!!
 

Freshman will snatch up some tickets when they get to campus. I'm guessing there will be about the same amount as last year around 6000 when the season starts.
 


When I was an undergrad, many many years ago...I bought season tickets for my team. We were losers, and I got drunk and never made the games. But at least I bought the tickets.
 

Dr.Don said:
When I was an undergrad, many many years ago...I bought season tickets for my team. We were losers, and I got drunk and never made the games. But at least I bought the tickets.
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This.

Here is this year's t-shirt. I like it alot.
378320_10151104460007943_1928086565_n.jpg
 


The question is; what was the student season ticket count last year at this time, before the students got to campus, etc.
 



Norwood has got to start ruffling some feathers & create a better gameday atmosphere

Norwood Teague is starting to see the side effects of the Maturi Syndrome. Lack of marketing and catering to the younger core audience who could eventually grow into the more prosperous, full-paying season ticket holder down the road.

For lack of sounding crass and immature you gotta give the students what they want.... sex, drugs (alcohol) and Rock & Roll. Give them a lot / open space / block to call their own, raise hell and look forward to gathering at every home football weekend. Yea, yea.... land-locked, urban campus does not have the space. BS.... there are unused, university owned surface lots on the East Bank with tumbleweeds blowing through them on fall Saturdays.

I think a 24 year recent undergrad now on his own would be more willing to dole out some sheckels when he remembers his halcyon days when he was getting his dry-hump on with some enbriated female freshman from Minnetonka while tailgating within eyeshot with hundreds / thousands of fellow U of M students prior to football games. These students quoted in the article are not creating memories associated a great pregame college football atmosphere. These memories create a link to the University that hopefully down the road make people give a damn what happens on Saturdays in the fall.

I'd be interested in what is going on in Indiana. They sure seem to get 12,315 students to congregate in the beautiful park across the road from the stadium on Saturday but there is no way in hell that they get anywhere close to that many into the stadium.

No doubt winning would help. Start being competitive every game, pull the occasional upset and they'll start coming back. But they'll come back faster with beer, IMO.
 

This is debated on and on and on, but yes, the simple answer is "just win", but I think that's sort of an easy cop-out. Don't get me wrong, it certainly helps, but I'm wondering if there are other things the U should look at that they're doing or not doing to enhance the experience of going to the games. And another easy answer is to lower the cost of tickets students, which I normally wouldn't support because it only devalues the product further, but if we are getting down to 2000 student season ticket holders, maybe we need to get creative. As a friend suggested, maybe give student season ticket buyers two tickets for the price of one to encourage them to bring someone, or split the cost with another? Temporary free admission for students (until we get rolling)? What are student tickets selling for $100 a pop? At 2000 students, that's $20k - big deal. Is there greater value in getting people in the door? Perhaps they can institute a loyalty plan and scan student ids to reward for attendance over the course of the student's enrollment (my wife's cousin attended every CU hoops game since his freshman year and this past year, as a junior, he and the other 50 or so who had also done so were surprised to be awarded with free trips to the NCAA hoops tournament - travel and game tickets - to support the Buffs, both the men and the women)? Maybe offer some sort of incentive to fraternities and sororities for attendance/enthusiasm? Does the U have greek competitions between the frats/sororities as some other campuses do? Perhaps provided added weight to game attendance.

Of course the lack of sales is a reflection of what the product on the field has been, but I wonder again if there are other things the U can do to make the game-day experience more appealing. Free admission would seem to provide greater flexibility on what they could do.
 


Norwood Teague will figure out what to do. It may take a year or two, but he will.
 



Dr.Don said:
Norwood Teague will figure out what to do. It may take a year or two, but he will.
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I agree. His invaluable experience marketing the VCU football program and increasing attendance will pay huge dividends here at Minnesota.
 

$100 * 2,000 = $200 k, not $20 k. I believe the student tickets are $89, which with the 5,000-6,000 we should end up at puts us at or over a half-million dollars. They're selling their souls for a couple million in alcohol sales, so I don't think they'll forego a half-million in ticket revenue.
 

dpodoll68 said:
$100 * 2,000 = $200 k, not $20 k. I believe the student tickets are $89, which with the 5,000-6,000 we should end up at puts us at or over a half-million dollars. They're selling their souls for a couple million in alcohol sales, so I don't think they'll forego a half-million in ticket revenue.
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$20K vs. $200k - what's the difference? :) (I fulfilled my math requirement at a fine local lib arts college by taking elementary logic - don't ask me how or why that course was deemed sufficient for doing so)

If we do end up with 6000 student season ticket holders and $500K in revenue, then no, we probably shouldn't walk away from that.
 

1. This article was lazy. Only interviewed students who don't want to purchase tickets and didn't ask student ticket holders their thoughts.

2. Why not go into further detail about the difficulties of sales at the U besides winning, and investigate why student support was actually better at the Metrodome under Mason (though that could just be that we were marginally winning.)

3. It could have investigated the Indiana University situation closer. OH GOLLY GEE! Students got priority for basketball tix for their possibly #1 team if they purchased football tickets. They'll all be drinking in the field across the street for the entire game, bank on that. P.s., why don't we do this for hockey?

4. Jason LaFrenz would fit in GREAT at the StarTribune. I wonder if he helped them come up with their clever headline with his marketing experience.
 

I guess the jokes on me for making sure I purchased my student tickets immediately after they went on sale. This is just sad though.

This losing culture runs deep. Real deep.
 

NateDawgUM said:
Jason LaFrenz would fit in GREAT at the StarTribune. I wonder if he helped them come up with their clever headline with his marketing experience.
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Don't hack on Jason. I've known him since his first day with the Timberwolves, and he's a very solid guy. There's only so much you can do when the sandbox you play in is poorly designed. I'm hoping against hope that Norwood builds a better sandbox.
 

I am not sure the student ticket sales are a big deal yet as it would be helpful to know how many tickets were sold at this time last year.

I found this quote from the President of the Goal Line club interesting: "This whole generation of students now at the University of Minnesota, they didn't grow up with that college [on-campus] football experience," he said. "We lost a lot with the Metrodome."

I would argue that this generation of students didn't grow up with winning football which has more of an effect on whether or not someone buys season tickets than the location of the games. If the Gophers played the same football they have for the past 30 years, but done it on campus, I think the same lack of interest would exist.
 

GopherVotary said:
Better shelve those plans to expand to 80,000.
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i knew this putz would post something stupid and sarcastic. seems you only ever post to make dumb comments regarding tickets sales and the like. you are a weird dude.
 

I can recall talking to a student at one of the last games at the Metrodome. He was pissed because the city had
shutdown their tailgate lot. I remember those lots were packed with students. Where do those kids go before
the games now?
 

A lot of kids buy their season tickets either when the arrive on campus for school or when the first game is a day away. I wouldn't be surprised to see the number jump to 5,000 by september 8th. Also I think that the big rush of bought tickets happens when they first come out in May. I don't think they have to many student tickets bought while everyone is on vacation. I at least know that all of my friends have either bought them or are planning on buying their tickets when they get on campus. And like everyone says, if the Gophers start off with a UNLV win and a string of non conference wins, that number will grow overnight.
 

Sorry but this topic always pisses me off. I always went to games (and plenty bad ones) in the crap Dome and supported my fellow student athletes. The students of today have an incredible stadium right on campus and they can't even get their sorry asses over to TCF to support their school. Yes, winning will change that but we need their help now...this year....not wait and see bandwagon next year.
 

I'm just too lazy to make the phone call and too confused on how to do it online!

I will say though that most of my friends at the U that had tickets last year aren't getting them this year. Obviously the main reason is because we have been really bad lately, but a lot of them say that they'd rather just enjoy the tailgating experience for the whole game (aka: drinking) while also being able to watch other games around the country. The only way we can really make it more interesting for other students to buy season tickets again though is winning.

I'm going into my second year at the U, btw. Didn't miss a minute of any of the games last year except for that Thanksgiving game against Illinois!
 

GoldenGopher2015 said:
A lot of kids buy their season tickets either when the arrive on campus for school or when the first game is a day away. I wouldn't be surprised to see the number jump to 5,000 by september 8th. Also I think that the big rush of bought tickets happens when they first come out in May. I don't think they have to many student tickets bought while everyone is on vacation. I at least know that all of my friends have either bought them or are planning on buying their tickets when they get on campus. And like everyone says, if the Gophers start off with a UNLV win and a string of non conference wins, that number will grow overnight.
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well, now including some of these facts in this stupid, poorly sourced story by mike kaszuba and the star tribune just wouldn't have given it the same anti-U of M effect that they usually go after. including facts such as yours would have in essence "buried" their childish, smarmy and stupidly sarcastic headline. and they just can't have that over at the red star.
 

Okie said:
I'm just too lazy to make the phone call and too confused on how to do it online!

I will say though that most of my friends at the U that had tickets last year aren't getting them this year. Obviously the main reason is because we have been really bad lately, but a lot of them say that they'd rather just enjoy the tailgating experience for the whole game (aka: drinking) while also being able to watch other games around the country. The only way we can really make it more interesting for other students to buy season tickets again though is winning.

I'm going into my second year at the U, btw. Didn't miss a minute of any of the games last year except for that Thanksgiving game against Illinois!
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well, i will say that you are a far better man and will be a far better U of M alum than most of your friends. now tell them to get their sh!t together and buy their season tickets before the season starts. :)

that said, i frankly am tired of the lame excuses we seem to get from some U of M students who post here and elsewhere. show some damn pride in your school.
 

norman dale said:
Norwood Teague is starting to see the side effects of the Maturi Syndrome. Lack of marketing and catering to the younger core audience who could eventually grow into the more prosperous, full-paying season ticket holder down the road.

For lack of sounding crass and immature you gotta give the students what they want.... sex, drugs (alcohol) and Rock & Roll. Give them a lot / open space / block to call their own, raise hell and look forward to gathering at every home football weekend. Yea, yea.... land-locked, urban campus does not have the space. BS.... there are unused, university owned surface lots on the East Bank with tumbleweeds blowing through them on fall Saturdays.

I think a 24 year recent undergrad now on his own would be more willing to dole out some sheckels when he remembers his halcyon days when he was getting his dry-hump on with some enbriated female freshman from Minnetonka while tailgating within eyeshot with hundreds / thousands of fellow U of M students prior to football games. These students quoted in the article are not creating memories associated a great pregame college football atmosphere. These memories create a link to the University that hopefully down the road make people give a damn what happens on Saturdays in the fall.

I'd be interested in what is going on in Indiana. They sure seem to get 12,315 students to congregate in the beautiful park across the road from the stadium on Saturday but there is no way in hell that they get anywhere close to that many into the stadium.

No doubt winning would help. Start being competitive every game, pull the occasional upset and they'll start coming back. But they'll come back faster with beer, IMO.
Click to expand...

this. Sorry all you poindexters but this would really do dividends to enhance the student experience.TCF is really REALLY boring and lame compared to other venues. I have been to madison and michigan and everyone turns a blind eye on saturdays to students drinking. Because lets be honest, everyone needs that little liquid encouragement to act silly and support your team raucously.

The stupid "lets pretend the frats are not drinking by making them put all their beverages in a red cup" is asinine. Let the kids have fun. Open up the flood gates. Like Kill said, (sic) it should be the place to be on saturdays.
 

My son, a junior, and his housemates have not bought their tickets yet because there is no hurry. With gen admin seating the priority is to get to the game when you can get the standing room you want. People bitch about the fact that the upper deck is empty of students, but who wants to stand ther when the fun is I squeezing into the lower bowl. At most big ten home games, student section aisles are nonexistent. With bleacher seating, no one has an accurate count on attendance other than tickets used. Not that the lower bowl is filled and the upper bowl is empty.
Would I like more students at games? Obviously yes. Will sales increase as students get to campus? Most likely. Students want to tailgate and make the day an experience. Unfortunately for students, most do not have the $1000 to fork out for a spot in 37 or wherever.
 

IMO,My bet is the student ticket sales will be equal to last year by 9/8. This is as dumb as writing that deer hunting licenses are down 80% as of today over last year's total. Consistent winning will put more students in the seats. Most undergrads are under 21 and drinking is not the priority it once was back in the day. $$$ is tight for students today. My education for 4 years at Madison was $19,800 total in 1980. Today that number is $100k, 4x's the inflation rate since 1980. Here are the current per semester fees for a student:
CBS lab fee=$87.25
student service fee=$368.90
Stadium fee=$12.50
Capital enhancement fee=$75
MSA,CCB,transportation,CFANS fees=$134
Total FEES?=$677.65 per semester. Now You can pay tuition, room, board and books,pizza, ect.
Heck, just throw in a "school spirit fee" for $100 and they can choose 10 sporting events.

BTW, I was at the Illinois game last year in 40 degree weather from California. Where were all the non students who complain about the lack of students in the seats? I will also catch the UNLV and MSU game this year. If You were a no show for last year's Illinois game or this year's MSU game please spare us throwing students under the bus.
Here's another news flash for You, higher academic schools have much lower sports attendance. UCLA,Stanford,NW, ect. These kids are under extreme pressure to perform academically vs. 20 years ago. Again, winning consistently trumps all this.
 

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