Football-friendly ticket policy angers some U students

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Let's not forget that the Hockey Forum is visited by very few fans compared to football and basketball boards.
 

Those that want both nights for hockey had to purchase two football tickets, then? That's the biggest issue/weird quirk I see there.

Gopher hockey isn't the only thing that matters, but it's the only one of the big sports where the captain can say the following and people don't question it, “I hope we make it to the last game and win it. That’s about the best goal that there can be, and that should be the only goal here at this program.”
 


When I was in grad school about 12 years ago, I bought student football tix. The U would sell them to anyone with the Jack. One year I tried to also buy hockey tix. I found that they wouldn't sell them to me cuz I was only a part time student (less than 6 credits that semester).

I can understand the policy. It all comes down to supply and demand. Even the chimps in the U's marketing dept could sell out Mariucci. But if a policy helps to increase attendance at the bank, then go for it
 

bonin21 said:
Those that want both nights for hockey had to purchase two football tickets, then? That's the biggest issue/weird quirk I see there.

Gopher hockey isn't the only thing that matters, but it's the only one of the big sports where the captain can say the following and people don't question it, “I hope we make it to the last game and win it. That’s about the best goal that there can be, and that should be the only goal here at this program.”
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I see it as trying to allow more kids to attend hockey games rather than the die hards scooping up tickets for both nights. There is a reason they sell them separately.
 




For hockey, you can only buy Friday or Saturday so that more kids get a chance at season tickets. So no, this kid would not have been able to get season tickets for both nights either way.
 

Correct my if I'm wrong but nobody is forcing them to buy Football tickets. Can't they buy a Basketball-Hockey bundle too?
 



dpodoll68 said:
What a bunch of BS. College is supposed to teach you lessons that prepare you for real life. Young Mr. Kroll has learned two life lessons:

1. People who are willing to pay more for a limited resource get first chance at procuring that resource.

2. Prioritize your expenses. If hockey tickets are that important to you, stay home from drinking with your buddies for a couple weekends. If you're 23 years old and can't scrounge up $175, you're either lying or the worst money manager in the history of the universe.
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Man, I couldn't agree more with any of this Dpo! I was always able to find the funds for my Gopher Football & Basketball season tickets during college. You are right, it is all about what your priorities are. Welcome to the REAL WORLD. Like the rest of us, we all have to make sacrifices for certain things. It sucks, get used to it.

I just find it a little ridiculous that "cost" is pretty much the main gripe with all of this. In retrospect to other B1G Ten programs, our tickets for students are fairly reasonably priced, IMO.
 

Here's a thought kids. Quit updating your f--king I-phones/Samsung every 6 months. There's your payment right there. I'm amazed walking around campus before the games and seeing the kids with the latest phone innovations. I have a Galaxy 3. With that phone I have the capability of blowing up the Middle East, or see who Doctor Don is having sex with. How many updates do you need !!!
 

afurry91 said:
Only in Minnesota do people care about hockey more than Football.
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Hyperbole and not an accurate statement, imo. I know far more people who follow and care about Gopher football than Gopher hockey. And Viking football more than Wild hockey. These whining rubes just happen to be getting a megaphone to bitch into at the moment.
 

BleedGopher said:
STrib's take: U students fight bundling of athletics season passes

Anthony Nixon is a die-hard hockey fan. During the Gophers season, the University of Minnesota senior and his friends attend both nights of every home series.

“We care more about hockey than we do football,” he said.

But this year, to get season tickets, he had to buy a season of football tickets, too. That meant forking over nearly $400.

It “kind of put a bad taste in my mouth,” he said.

“I was fortunate that I was able to budget for it, but not everyone was probably in that same situation.”

On Thursday, the U’s Student Senate unanimously passed a resolution opposing the new system as students rally against a ticket-bundling tactic many call unfair and overpriced.

http://www.startribune.com/local/277974031.html?page=all&prepage=1&c=y#continue

Go Gophers!!
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This is completely false. You didn't have to buy football tickets to get hockey tickets. The bundled packages went on sale earlier than single packages. And they sold out. I bought both Football and Hockey tickets the year after my Marching Band career was done. I would have loved to get a bundled ticket package at a discount.

The football games are a blast and the hockey team is always in the hunt for a national title. Of course that bundle is going to sell out. That is smart business by the U.
 



I am a hockey fan first and foremost. Having said that, I think the bundling like this is a great idea. I have always felt like the U misses on opportunities to cross-sell between its sports and partner with the pro teams in town. If there is a way they can get more students at football games without reducing the student section at hockey games, they should absolutely be doing it. I want all of our sports teams to be as successful as possible.

Also agree with everyone on money management. I have very little sympathy for the argument that undergraduates can't afford $175 for a ticket bundle they want when I see how many of them are living in nicer, newer apartments than I am with a more expensive phone than I have (and I am not destitute or anything like that).
 

A couple of questions:

Was the entire hockey student section sold out after the bundle sales closed?

Why aren't we hearing the same complaints from the basketball side?
 

ruppertflywheel said:
Here's a thought kids. Quit updating your f--king I-phones/Samsung every 6 months. There's your payment right there. I'm amazed walking around campus before the games and seeing the kids with the latest phone innovations. I have a Galaxy 3. With that phone I have the capability of blowing up the Middle East, or see who Doctor Don is having sex with. How many updates do you need !!!
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Double post.
 

ruppertflywheel said:
Here's a thought kids. Quit updating your f--king I-phones/Samsung every 6 months. There's your payment right there. I'm amazed walking around campus before the games and seeing the kids with the latest phone innovations. I have a Galaxy 3. With that phone I have the capability of blowing up the Middle East, or see who Doctor Don is having sex with. How many updates do you need !!!
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They aren't updating them every 6 months. They're updating them every 2 years. The phones are cheap. Parents are likely paying for the plan, and the $450 subsidy on the device makes the phone basically free if you sell the old one. A smart kid will buy his phone on release date, so his contract ends right before the new one comes out two years later.

They will someday realize that it costs $90 a month to get that cheap phone, but they have no idea/don't care if mom and dad are footing the bill.
 

DLguy said:
For hockey, you can only buy Friday or Saturday so that more kids get a chance at season tickets. So no, this kid would not have been able to get season tickets for both nights either way.
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This is how it was my first few years, but then it changed so you could buy both. It changed back?
afurry91 said:
Correct my if I'm wrong but nobody is forcing them to buy Football tickets. Can't they buy a Basketball-Hockey bundle too?
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From what I'm seeing that was not an option.
Ski U Mah Gopher said:
A couple of questions:

Was the entire hockey student section sold out after the bundle sales closed?

Why aren't we hearing the same complaints from the basketball side?
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1. I thought so, but hard to remember if they ever made it to single sport availability. 95% sure they sold out in bundle stage.
2. Less demand
 

supadupafly said:
Hyperbole and not an accurate statement, imo. I know far more people who follow and care about Gopher football than Gopher hockey. And Viking football more than Wild hockey. These whining rubes just happen to be getting a megaphone to bitch into at the moment.
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Correction: Only in Minnesota does the media give hoot what these goons have to say.
 

Are the MN "hockey only" fans our equivalent of Michigan or OSU football fans?

Based on my limited experience with Michigan traveling football fans and accounts of experiences this past weekend, my two most common thoughts were that they sounded like pompous pricks and that they reminded me of Gopher Hockey fans. I am a hockey fan BTW
 

supadupafly said:
Hyperbole and not an accurate statement, imo. I know far more people who follow and care about Gopher football than Gopher hockey. And Viking football more than Wild hockey. These whining rubes just happen to be getting a megaphone to bitch into at the moment.
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Numbers favor football, passion/intensity favors hockey.
 

My daughter is a sophomore at the "U" and when she announced her desire for the football and hockey package (as a freshman and this year), I was thrilled to buy these for her... Under $200.... She is involved and engaged socially and having a ball. This is an entertainment BARGAIN and will lead to lifelong memories and appreaciation for U of M athletics.
 

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Nowhere in the article are two critical facts. What was the price of student hockey tickets this year before discount. We are taking what he paid last year, we need the 2014-2015 season. Second, what is the cost of student football tickets for this season. Its hard to calculate the cost and savings using last years hockey and this years bundle. But for the sake of what we have he says he paid $99 for hockey tickets. Do we know if this was a Friday/Saturday Package. Or one night? What did the $99 actually provide. Now the bundle season football games and your choice basketball, hockey, or baseball?
Going to gophersports.com the season tickets for football were are $90 and the basketball tickets for students are still available for $99. So I would assume his $99 for hockey is correct, and this year it only covers 1 night. Now the bundle for football at $90 and Basketball or Hockey at $99 is/was $15.00 off or $174. If he doesn't want to go to the games, can't sell them, or trade them. His only other choice is to see his hockey tickets for Friday cost him $174. Now if you are a loyal hockey fan, and only on Friday I think is 9 maybe 10 games. Lets say 10. He is getting his Gopher hockey for $17.40 a game, what he thought he could do was buy those tickets for $99 or $9.90 per game.
 

Ok. Can we just cut the student section down to 5,000? And put a tarp on the upper deck student area?
 

The answer is instead of getting rid of bundling, limit the amount of total bundles (all 3 sports) to 20% of the smallest student section, & 2-sport bundles to enough tickets to get the hockey or basketball sales to 2/3 of the student section of those sports. That leave 1/3 of the section to be sold as single sport season tickets.
 

Why? At the end of the day, the student section is sold out to..........STUDENTS!!!!!!!
 


First off, Gov Dayton is a rich, spoiled out of touch dbag and the state doesn't fund the Athletics department so they can pound sand for all I care.
That said, I appreciate the frustration if you don't want to buy football tickets and then got locked out of hockey tickets, but guess what...thats the way it is. People are pissed because they have to make donations to get the best seats, but thats the way it is. We want to compete in all our sports...we must raise revenue. If bundling raises revenue by selling more football tickets then bully for the U! If you can't afford it or don't want it, then bully for you, dont buy it. But the idea that this practice is somehow unfair is idiotic...but the solution is simple. Next year, don't bundle hockey tickets with football, just triple the price of hockey tickets and cut the cost of football tickets in half. Supply and demand will balance it all out. Bully for econ 101!
 

Ski U Mah Gopher said:
A couple of questions:

Was the entire hockey student section sold out after the bundle sales closed?

Why aren't we hearing the same complaints from the basketball side?
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Because the idiotic, self-serving U of M law grad student who wrote up this stupid student senate resolution also happens to conveniently sit on the student senate. And is a Gopher hockey fan only it appears from his quotes. Not a basketball fan. Thus this resolution is really just a self-serving, pet-project of his to get back at the U for making him set budgeting priorities if he wanted to attend U of M sporting events. My guess is also that most Gopher basketball fans are as not as big of whiners as some of the corporate hockey-only fans and many more also enjoy Gopher football too. You know football and basketball......sports the rest of the country actually cares about and watches and are actually relevant.
 

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