Empty student seats at TCF Stadium? U has a plan

[Iceland12]

I think there are much bigger reasons why attendance has declined. Three straight years of losing 96+ and a stadium that isn't really "new" to most people anymore play a substantially bigger role in the decline in attendance in my opinion.

It's probably somewhat of a factor, but not that much in my opinion.

Sure but that doesn't explain the problems at Arizona, Iowa, Michigan, Georgia, Oklahoma, Miami, Tennessee etc. Schools where not only student tickets sales are down but no-shows are way up. Hell even at Alabama 32% of student tickets went unused from 2009 t0 2012. A period when the won 3 National Titles!

Maybe unique causes but the problem certainly doesn't exist at TCF alone.

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[GraniteCityGopher]

I know this is a thread about student attendance, but the Ath Dept. is planting the seeds with the alumni as well - witness the ridiculous new parking policies at some of the lots. Turning tailgaters into parkers, attendees into viewers, causal fans into fishermen!

 

[Sports_Realist]

The 2009 and probably 2010 student season ticket totals probably should be thrown out of any comparison or analysis because they were artificially inflated by the new stadium. How do 2011-2013 totals compare to 2000-2008 (the Mason bounce) and 1987-1999 (post Holtz bounce)?

As for the non existent wifi and poor cellular data network reception, the U of M should not dismiss or even question either when considering what needs to happen in order to make the games more attractive to students both on a season and single game basis. People in the 18 to 22 range live digital lives. Cater to them. I also think it would serve the U of M well to 86 the upper deck for the students, at least partially, and use more of the lower deck for those fans, even if that means relocating some regular season ticket holders to comparable locations elsewhere on the lower tier. Students rejected the upper deck for the most part at the Dome and do at the Bank too. You can't invent a market. If the lower deck student seats are an easier sell, get more of them on sale.

 

[otisflowers]

wisconsin sold out 14,000 student tickets in less than an hour. living in twin cities, i think the bank is a great spot to watch college football. I think students are crazy to not want to take part in saturday morning/afternoon tailgating. One of the best part about being in college. The cost is irrelevent and $100 for 6 or 7 games is not a lot of money. Wisconsin is $165 for season tickets. The students need to get a clue and realize that big ten football is a tremendous part of the college experience. Just my two cents from the Badger side of things.

 

[Ski U Master]

wisconsin sold out 14,000 student tickets in less than an hour. living in twin cities, i think the bank is a great spot to watch college football. I think students are crazy to not want to take part in saturday morning/afternoon tailgating. One of the best part about being in college. The cost is irrelevent and $100 for 6 or 7 games is not a lot of money. Wisconsin is $165 for season tickets. The students need to get a clue and realize that big ten football is a tremendous part of the college experience. Just my two cents from the Badger side of things.

The Badgers are winners and Madison embraces the "college town" atmosphere. Tailgating at the U is a joke.

 

[bleedsmaroonandgold]

Is this really going to be an issue? Looking around last year, I didn't get the impression that the rest of the stadium was sold out, and there were people being denied to the opportunity to buy season tickets due to a sold out stadium while student tickets sat unused. Obviously there are a lot of factors: I think this years freshman will have been 2nd graders or something like that the last time we posted a winning B1G season and there have been 5 consecutive classes of students who never got to see us beat our primary rival. Winning isn't everything for drawing a crowd, but the U does not manage the best gameday experience, so they need to improve that if they want to see us be one of those schools that has a strong following despite a long string of unsuccessful seasons.

 

[Iceland12]

wisconsin sold out 14,000 student tickets in less than an hour. living in twin cities, i think the bank is a great spot to watch college football. I think students are crazy to not want to take part in saturday morning/afternoon tailgating. One of the best part about being in college. The cost is irrelevent and $100 for 6 or 7 games is not a lot of money. Wisconsin is $165 for season tickets. The students need to get a clue and realize that big ten football is a tremendous part of the college experience. Just my two cents from the Badger side of things.

All quite true and at least some of those 14,0000 get to see the 1st Quarter too!

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[GopherVotary]

Looking around last year, I didn't get the impression that the rest of the stadium was sold out, and there were people being denied to the opportunity to buy season tickets due to a sold out stadium while student tickets sat unused./QUOTE]

This. For instance, half the tickets in sections 210 & 211 (between the 40's) went unsold last year.

 

[otisflowers]

All quite true and at least some of those 14,0000 get to see the 1st Quarter too!

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correct and some of that has to do with their love of partying even more than college football. It affects my buddies and they are 22 years out of college.

 

[dpodoll68]

This. For instance, half the tickets in sections 210 & 211 (between the 40's) went unsold last year.

Nice quoting job.

Also, what is the relevance of $830 season tickets when we're talking about the student section?

Further "half" the tickets in 210 and 211? Where's your source? I don't believe you.

 

[bleedsmaroonandgold]

Nice quoting job.

Also, what is the relevance of $830 season tickets when we're talking about the student section?

Further "half" the tickets in 210 and 211? Where's your source? I don't believe you.

Its relevant because the article said that the student tickets would only be sold to the general public if all of the other tickets in the stadium were sold.