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West Fargo Gopher Fan

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First time Ive watched gopher hockey this year is tonight on tv. There is NOBODY there. Has this always been the case?
 

Have you checked out ticket prices to watch the Gophers? A person can go to a Wild game for the same price...and the quality of play at a Wild game is vastly better.
Once again, the failure to have butts in the seats is on a ticket scheme that is clueless regarding marketing and cost/benefit analysis. I am shocked by the utter ineptness of Gopher Sports marketing.
 

They would rather have a small crowd paying high prices rather than a big crowd paying low prices.
 

I brought a friend to his first ever Gophers game tonight. I had to keep apologizing to him for the lack of atmosphere and the substandard product on the ice. Even the music coming through the arena speakers is a shell of it's former self. So disappointing. And we lost, to boot.
 

The Gopher alumni during the first period break may have out numbered us.
 



I took a peak over at "Gopher Puck Live" this morning - if that's the site where Gopher die-hard puck fans go, even they must have given up hope. There were only 4 pages for the Gopher/OH State game thread. None of their game threads even make it to 10 pages. Are fans using other sites like Reddit? It seems there should be more activity on the Gopher Puck Live site.
 

You don't need to go to the game to see how much the fanbase has dwindled, just look at the lack of activity on this board. Will winning solve things? I honestly don't know, just don't think college hockey has the same popularity in the metro as it does in outstate Minnesota and now that we don't play in the same conference as those Minnesota schools, I don't know if the popularity will ever come back, it's hard to care when the other teams fanbases don't care which is the case in the B1G.
 

I have never been to a Gopher Hockey game. Don't plan on going anytime soon but I will if we get our act together. I went to one UND Sioux game when I lived in North Dakota.
 



Another stunning example of the incompetence of our athletic department. The athletics administration is awful, and our attendance issues speak for themselves.
 

Gopher hockey is dead. It will never revive. Did Gopher football revive? No, it didn't. Did Gopher bb recover? Do you honestly think hockey will ever come before fb or bb? I mean, I am just asking an honest question?
 

I'm an admitted fair weather Gopher hockey fan (hockey is just not one of my favorite sports, which is kind of a bummer living in this state). I used to be a hockey fan as a kid back in the 70's and 80's. I remember listening to both Gopher (Steve Christoff, Broten brothers, etc...) and North Stars games (loved listening to Al Shaver) on the radio! My fading interest in hockey began at the frustrating departure of the North Stars to Dallas. I'm positive my hockey interest would have rekindled more had the Wild been able to resurrect the North Stars name, logo and uniforms.

I have some questions surrounding the departure from the WCHA joining of the B1G. I saw the post from someone saying B1G Hockey is here to stay and get over it. Sadly, I'm guessing that is correct. However, I'm assuming that would be the case if the B1G and their member schools are making more money in this arrangement. Anyone know if that's the case? Here are many basic questions:

1. Are people nationwide tuning in to hockey games on BTN?

2. Was creating B1G Hockey mandated by the conference when they reached 6 teams? If yes, obviously they could rescind the requirement if they wanted to.

3. Are other B1G schools like Wisconsin, Michigan, and Michigan State suffering similar diminishing attendance and interest in their teams? If no, then disbanding B1G Hockey obviously is not going to happen.

If the B1G and their schools determined that by disbanding they'd make more money and generally put their hockey programs in better positions, I'd think it's a no brainer. This is andecdotal, but based on three friends of mine who were big Gopher hockey fans, like many others, they have just lost interest since joining the B1G. They say the same thing: return to the the WCHA and have games every Friday and Saturday night at 7:00, this would bring them back. Obviously, this would require the WCHA to allow back Minnesota and Wisconsin and boot out a couple of bottom rung teams. I'm assuming BTN could arrange a deal to broadcast WCHA and CCHA (assuming Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Penn State end up there) games.

Again, if keeping B1G Hockey alive is more money for schools, then yes, I'll understand this argument is a mute point.
 
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Yost arena looked full for the Gophers v Wolverines games this weekend.
 



#1nHkyCfbBsbDncSolarDebat said:
Gopher hockey is dead. It will never revive. Did Gopher football revive? No, it didn't. Did Gopher bb recover? Do you honestly think hockey will ever come before fb or bb? I mean, I am just asking an honest question?
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My thought on this during the "Glory days" of Gopher hockey there wasn't 4 other D1 hockey programs in the state. Also has hurt UND.

Not saying that It's the only factor but part
 

As noted, if the other big ten schools are able to fill their arenas, then the conference isn't the problem.
 

Donovan said:
I'm an admitted fair weather Gopher hockey fan (hockey is just not one of my favorite sports, which is kind of a bummer living in this state). I used to be a hockey fan as a kid back in the 70's and 80's. I remember listening to both Gopher (Steve Christoff, Broten brothers, etc...) and North Stars games (loved listening to Al Shaver) on the radio! My fading interest in hockey began at the frustrating departure of the North Stars to Dallas. I'm positive my hockey interest would have rekindled more had the Wild been able to resurrect the North Stars name, logo and uniforms.

I have some questions surrounding the departure from the WCHA joining of the B1G. I saw the post from someone saying B1G Hockey is here to stay and get over it. Sadly, I'm guessing that is correct. However, I'm assuming that would be the case if the B1G and their member schools are making more money in this arrangement. Anyone know if that's the case? Here are many basic questions:

1. Are people nationwide tuning in to hockey games on BTN?

2. Was creating B1G Hockey mandated by the conference when they reached 6 teams? If yes, obviously they could rescind the requirement if they wanted to.

3. Are other B1G schools like Wisconsin, Michigan, and Michigan State suffering similar diminishing attendance and interest in their teams? If no, then disbanding B1G Hockey obviously is not going to happen.

If the B1G and their schools determined that by disbanding they'd make more money and generally put their hockey programs in better positions, I'd think it's a no brainer. This is andecdotal, but based on three friends of mine who were big Gopher hockey fans, like many others, they have just lost interest since joining the B1G. They say the same thing: return to the the WCHA and have games every Friday and Saturday night at 7:00, this would bring them back. Obviously, this would require the WCHA to allow back Minnesota and Wisconsin and boot out a couple of bottom rung teams. I'm assuming BTN could arrange a deal to broadcast WCHA and CCHA (assuming Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Penn State end up there) games.

Again, if keeping B1G Hockey alive is more money for schools, then yes, I'll understand this argument is a mute point.
Click to expand...

1. No they are not

2. Yes it was mandated

3. College hockey nationwide is on a downswing attendance wise. As are really all sports outside of professional. Whether that’s due to TV, the new generation, price issues, is up for debate. They can’t and won’t back out of the conference due to the mandate. It’s here to stay and overall has very good teams (3/4 teams in frozen four last year were B10 teams). Also the WCHA is dead so idk what people are calling for it to come back. Would be kore likely to join the NCHC or have to make a new league entirely and load it
 

Part of the problem is that most of the other hockey schools in the state have been whipping up on the Gophers for the last how many years.

And if I remember correctly....didn't athletic department set aside a large number of tickets for corporate sponsors that largely go unused?

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
 

stocker08 said:
Part of the problem is that most of the other hockey schools in the state have been whipping up on the Gophers for the last how many years.

And if I remember correctly....didn't athletic department set aside a large number of tickets for corporate sponsors that largely go unused?

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
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Of all the things our athletic department cares about, they have made it pretty clear that game day atmosphere and full stadiums is not a priority, especially not when compared to short term revenue.
 

bleedsmaroonandgold said:
Of all the things our athletic department cares about, they have made it pretty clear that game day atmosphere and full stadiums is not a priority, especially not when compared to short term revenue.
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Well, a successful hockey program certainly isn't a priority. How can we tolerate a five game losing streak to Penn State?

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Ewert86PC said:
Well, a successful hockey program certainly isn't a priority. How can we tolerate a five game losing streak to Penn State?

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4 came at the hands of the guy that got fired finally. Bob is now 1-1 against them with the second night being the team's best effort of the season. I don't trust our pathetic athletic department leaders. But I trust Motzko to do everything he can despite them.
 

bonin21 said:
4 came at the hands of the guy that got fired finally. Bob is now 1-1 against them with the second night being the team's best effort of the season. I don't trust our pathetic athletic department leaders. But I trust Motzko to do everything he can despite them.
Click to expand...
While I agree Motzko is a step up, I don't see the program dominating the B1G Hockey Conference like it did the WCHA. Losing streaks to upstart programs are embarrassing.

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Ewert86PC said:
While I agree Motzko is a step up, I don't see the program dominating the B1G Hockey Conference like it did the WCHA. Losing streaks to upstart programs are embarrassing.

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Click to expand...

Dude, it's his first season and he only has three of his guys on the roster one of which was a last minute defenseman pickup just to have something...
 

Sellout tonight for the game against the badgers. Looking for a sweep after a 9-4 win last night. Always sweet to smoke them.

1979 Title 40th celebration tonight. Retro concession prices: $2 hot dog, $1 popcorn, .75 pop. Hoping lots of people show up and make it the best atmosphere of the year.
 

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