Coyle says U has to get very creative & innovative to get season ticket sales up

Donate To GopherHole

FredCoxRocks said:
• 30 stories would make it about half the height of the IDS building.

• Side note...On Google Maps street view you can stand on Washington and look at Sally's, and then "travel" to the west a bit and still see the Big Ten. Weird that in a major US city with a huge campus they're that far behind. But, I'm guessing the Subaru just ran out of gas.

• As far as ticket sales...
- Lower the ticket prices (because amazingly a lot of people are unaware of websites like StubHub, etc.)
- Lower the extra charges for season ticket holders
- Just win.
(There, I tried to stay on-topic with the thread)
Click to expand...

Found this...27 stories.

http://www.citypages.com/restaurant...-to-close-stadium-village-restaurants-8188136
 


Goldmember said:
Maybe they should just avoid fervently eradicating any signs of organic life that emerge on gamedays. The Sally’s Walnut street gameday block party being shut-down is a great example of that policy in action.
Click to expand...

This is so true. We park at East Side Flats; tailgate there sometimes and walk to the bars sometimes. No matter when we walk down Washington Avenue toward the stadium, it's impossible to tell there's a game until you get to Oak Street, two blocks from the stadium. The U should work with the city to help businesses in the area provide tailgating and make it festive. But the won't, because they think it will take money out of their pockets.
 

PMWinSTP said:
Think it was Sterbs that got in trouble.
Click to expand...

Sterbs may have gotten into trouble, I don't know. But as the father of an underage student at the U, I can say with some certainty that Sally's is the only place on campus they can expect to get in with a fake ID. About twice a year they must get in trouble for it because they get really strict for about a week ... then go back to letting them in.
 


Hates Monikers said:
But the won't, because they think it will take money out of their pockets.
Click to expand...

That and they're paranoid about underage drinking.

Also, Washington may not be the best indicator or the best place to setup shop, because the light rail constantly coming through there. Probably don't want lots of drunk football tailgaters around with trains coming and going.
 
Last edited:


Gophers_4life said:
That and they're paranoid about underage drinking.

Also, Washington may not be the best indicator or the best place to setup shop, because the light rail constantly coming through there. Probably don't want lots of drunk football tailgaters around with trains coming and going.
Click to expand...

There were several private lots allowing tailgating on Washington Avenue during the first half of the season when the stadium opened. Then the city cracked down on them, no doubt nudged by the U. The light rail didn't stop people from drinking at Sally's beer garden before that was lost to new construction.

The hotel down the block from Sallys (The Graduate?) tried to have people come up and party for a while early on. Nobody was there and it didn't look like there was any beer, so we never stopped. But maybe they should try that again.
 

Hates Monikers said:
Sterbs may have gotten into trouble, I don't know. But as the father of an underage student at the U, I can say with some certainty that Sally's is the only place on campus they can expect to get in with a fake ID. About twice a year they must get in trouble for it because they get really strict for about a week ... then go back to letting them in.
Click to expand...

If they got in trouble, they would be carding all the time because the city randomly checks over a long period of time those with citation. Fastest wat to lose a liquor license.
 




Hates Monikers said:
This is so true. We park at East Side Flats; tailgate there sometimes and walk to the bars sometimes. No matter when we walk down Washington Avenue toward the stadium, it's impossible to tell there's a game until you get to Oak Street, two blocks from the stadium. The U should work with the city to help businesses in the area provide tailgating and make it festive. But the won't, because they think it will take money out of their pockets.
Click to expand...

Gameday atmosphere has been an issue for this program for a long time. I think with all the years at the dome they forgot how to have gameday on campus and have been unwilling to loosen up now that the team is back on campus. It is a real shame because when you to anywhere else in the conference it is easy to tell when it is gameday. Not so at the U of M.
 

Hates Monikers said:
This is so true. We park at East Side Flats; tailgate there sometimes and walk to the bars sometimes. No matter when we walk down Washington Avenue toward the stadium, it's impossible to tell there's a game until you get to Oak Street, two blocks from the stadium. The U should work with the city to help businesses in the area provide tailgating and make it festive. But the won't, because they think it will take money out of their pockets.
Click to expand...

I get there religiously 1 1/2 - 2 hours before game time and weather permitting there's always a good amount of fans milling around at Oak and Wash. Sally's usually has a line, Sterbs is full inside and starting to fill outside, Macnamara is getting full, BWW is full inside and filling outside, Tailgate lots by stadium train stop are in full swing, band tailgate groups are making their rounds...
 

PMWinSTP said:
I get there religiously 1 1/2 - 2 hours before game time and weather permitting there's always a good amount of fans milling around at Oak and Wash. Sally's usually has a line, Sterbs is full inside and starting to fill outside, Macnamara is getting full, BWW is full inside and filling outside, Tailgate lots by stadium train stop are in full swing, band tailgate groups are making their rounds...
Click to expand...

Yes, pretty much what I said.
 



tato2001 said:
Yep. Residential 'stories' are significantly shorter than office 'stories' as found in the IDS. They are roughly 14 feet tall in the IDS, and generally about 10 feet in residential buildings. So while about half the floors, this building is well under half the height of the IDS.
Click to expand...

The Hub (600 Washington) is 284 feet, the IDS is 792 feet.
 

tato2001 said:
Yep. Residential 'stories' are significantly shorter than office 'stories' as found in the IDS. They are roughly 14 feet tall in the IDS, and generally about 10 feet in residential buildings. So while about half the floors, this building is well under half the height of the IDS.
Click to expand...

This is getting more and more off topic, but curiosity got the better of me.

Here's the full details of the project. Finished height at the time of the proposal was projected at 284 ft. IDS is 792 feet.

http://minneapolismn.gov/www/groups/public/@cped/documents/webcontent/wcmsp-182040.pdf

Edit: Looks like Ski U Master beat me to it.
 

Too bad they can't use the area outside of the McNamara Alumni as a gameday experience lot. I know they have the farmers market in the summers, or they used to at least. They could bring in 5-10 local breweries to sell their beer, local food trucks or different vendors, large screen projectors that are playing other college football games. There is essentially no gameday experience for season ticket holders (young and old) or out of state visitors. I know a lot more of my friends would be willing to go to a Gopher game if there was some type of pre-game experience other than the tailgating lots. See the Railyard in Nebraska for an example.
 

MNGopher23 said:
Too bad they can't use the area outside of the McNamara Alumni as a gameday experience lot. I know they have the farmers market in the summers, or they used to at least. They could bring in 5-10 local breweries to sell their beer, local food trucks or different vendors, large screen projectors that are playing other college football games. There is essentially no gameday experience for season ticket holders (young and old) or out of state visitors. I know a lot more of my friends would be willing to go to a Gopher game if there was some type of pre-game experience other than the tailgating lots. See the Railyard in Nebraska for an example.
Click to expand...

It has to be things along these lines.

You’re unlikely to attract new STH “just” with viewing the game in the stadium instead of on TV. Especially with logistics hassles, less than ideal game days/times, and weather as factors.
 

I have some vague memory that local residents in the neighborhoods around the campus made a big stink about noise and hijinks during events, and as a result the school cracked down on some of the activities - frat parties, etc. Also seem to remember that city officials exerted some pressure on the U to tone down the goings-on.

the net affect was a pretty sterile game-day atmosphere. Go to a game in Iowa City, Madison or Lincoln, and the game is the biggest thing in town. For a Gopher home game, it's almost like the U (not the athletic dep't - the bigger U administration) is tip-toeing around and constantly apologizing because they don't want to disturb anyone. It's like living in an apartment with thin walls, and turning down the stereo because the jerk in the next apartment keeps complaining.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
I have some vague memory that local residents in the neighborhoods around the campus made a big stink about noise and hijinks during events, and as a result the school cracked down on some of the activities - frat parties, etc. Also seem to remember that city officials exerted some pressure on the U to tone down the goings-on.

the net affect was a pretty sterile game-day atmosphere. Go to a game in Iowa City, Madison or Lincoln, and the game is the biggest thing in town. For a Gopher home game, it's almost like the U (not the athletic dep't - the bigger U administration) is tip-toeing around and constantly apologizing because they don't want to disturb anyone. It's like living in an apartment with thin walls, and turning down the stereo because the jerk in the next apartment keeps complaining.
Click to expand...

Again, you picked three places where CFB IS the biggest thing in town...by a long shot. Been to Madison a lot for Gophs games, it is fun and the tailgating is better, but not by a lot. Also, many of the go-to bars have closed for redevelopment, just like in stadium village.

I went to Lincoln this year and was very underwhelmed by the tailgating anywhere close to the stadium. The two closest lots to the stadium allowing tailgating were half full. Most of the tailgating is by the baseball fields, which are a good 10-15 minute walk to the stadium.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
I have some vague memory that local residents in the neighborhoods around the campus made a big stink about noise and hijinks during events, and as a result the school cracked down on some of the activities - frat parties, etc. Also seem to remember that city officials exerted some pressure on the U to tone down the goings-on.

the net affect was a pretty sterile game-day atmosphere. Go to a game in Iowa City, Madison or Lincoln, and the game is the biggest thing in town. For a Gopher home game, it's almost like the U (not the athletic dep't - the bigger U administration) is tip-toeing around and constantly apologizing because they don't want to disturb anyone. It's like living in an apartment with thin walls, and turning down the stereo because the jerk in the next apartment keeps complaining.
Click to expand...

There is something to this basic idea of game-day atmosphere.

And it's not like those universities and stadiums are out in some farm field ... they may not be in major metros, but they're in cities. Madison and Lincoln especially are not small podunk towns. There are people who will complain about football and don't like football, in those cities. But they've figured something out.
 

PMWinSTP said:
Again, you picked three places where CFB IS the biggest thing in town...by a long shot. Been to Madison a lot for Gophs games, it is fun and the tailgating is better, but not by a lot. Also, many of the go-to bars have closed for redevelopment, just like in stadium village.

I went to Lincoln this year and was very underwhelmed by the tailgating anywhere close to the stadium. The two closest lots to the stadium allowing tailgating were half full. Most of the tailgating is by the baseball fields, which are a good 10-15 minute walk to the stadium.
Click to expand...

Make the big lot out by the fairgrounds a massive tailgating extravaganza. Provide constantly running shuttle buses to and from the stadium.
 

Gophers_4life said:
Make the big lot out by the fairgrounds a massive tailgating extravaganza. Provide constantly running shuttle buses to and from the stadium.
Click to expand...

And to avoid the buses getting caught in traffic they should have them use the bus-only U of M Transitway between the St. Paul campus and the Stadium!
 

MNGopher23 said:
Too bad they can't use the area outside of the McNamara Alumni as a gameday experience lot. I know they have the farmers market in the summers, or they used to at least. They could bring in 5-10 local breweries to sell their beer, local food trucks or different vendors, large screen projectors that are playing other college football games. There is essentially no gameday experience for season ticket holders (young and old) or out of state visitors. I know a lot more of my friends would be willing to go to a Gopher game if there was some type of pre-game experience other than the tailgating lots. See the Railyard in Nebraska for an example.
Click to expand...

Nebraska had a big party on the McNamara lawn before a game with the Huskers a few years ago. It was packed with red and looked like a lot of fun.
 

And they could work with metro transit to provide a similar (though probably smaller scale) network of express buses to the fairgrounds, for Gopher gameday.

Bring people to the fairgrounds to start with. Have a big walkthrough fan experience, family friendly (at least sections) too. Almost like just building off the state fair itself.

Then shuttle them to and from the stadium.



Something like that, would give people a reason to get off their couches and get down there. Once you get them there, then of course they're gonna want a ticket in.
 

Gophers_4life said:
Make the big lot out by the fairgrounds a massive tailgating extravaganza. Provide constantly running shuttle buses to and from the stadium.
Click to expand...
They sort of already have this don't they?

Sent from my RS988 using Tapatalk
 

Word said:
They sort of already have this don't they?

Sent from my RS988 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
They do. I take it frequently as it is a quick way out of Dodge.
There is some tailgating, but pretty tame. When NDSU came several years ago, it was Bison Central. This year, just like attendance, the numbers were down significantly.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 

Obviously they don’t emphasize it or try to make it anything other than just a tailgate lot.
 

Gophers_4life said:
Make the big lot out by the fairgrounds a massive tailgating extravaganza. Provide constantly running shuttle buses to and from the stadium.
Click to expand...

The lots on 5th St (37 & 33) are where that's is possible right now and very close to TCF.
 


Our group has 4 cars on a typical game and we park in lot C86 on the West Bank by the law library. It's a pretty tame lot but we always have a good time and don't mind the walk to and from the stadium except on crappy weather games. Actually after a game, by the time we get back to our cars, we can drive right out without any real traffic a majority of the time which is nice.

Last fall they were putting some solar panels on that lot so they temporarily let us park by the Surgery Center just off Huron Blvd and only about three blocks from the stadium. It was was still pretty tame and never close to full. The cold weather games were pretty much our group and four or five other hard core groups with tents and grills enjoying the party. We really liked the location. You still couldn't see the stadium and couldn't easily partake in many of the pre-game festivities but we liked the shorter walk. So when renewals came up I called and asked if that lot would be an option for us. I was told that they didn't know if it would be available, but if it is, it will require a $1000 donation to park there. For four cars, that's way too much money especially considering two of the four of us have zero-donation tickets.

It's so frustrating that the U prices groups like us out of being able to join the real action near the stadium. Oh well, we will continue to park on the West Bank and I'm sure if the lot by the surgery center does become available it will be pretty much empty on game day. What a waste.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom