Getting New Gopher Fans To Games

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gophergrad

gophergrad

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Like the rest of everyone here, there is a litany of things that irk me. Lack of students in the stands, tailgating options, winning...

Sadly I can't do much to change any of those things. But I can bring a few new people to gopher games as my guests. My plan is to buy a ticket or 2 off stub hub for each game and bring some friends that haven't been to a game at the bank yet. Tickets are going for about 10 bucks on stub hub right now, and I know if I throw in a few beers no one will turn me down.

I'm not expecting these friends of mine to become die hard fans, but a few beers in the morning, and enjoying a (hopefully) good football game, and then a few more beers after the game, and maybe I'll hook a few new fans.

Personally I'm tired of b*tching about the administration, and the students not showing up this is what I can do to change a few people's minds, put a few more people in the stands, and maybe get a few more Gopher football fans.

I'll get off my soap box now, but I just thought I'd share my idea.
 

Ha. I guess my post bar rant last night went over like a lead balloon.
 

gophergrad said:
Like the rest of everyone here, there is a litany of things that irk me. Lack of students in the stands, tailgating options, winning...

Sadly I can't do much to change any of those things. But I can bring a few new people to gopher games as my guests. My plan is to buy a ticket or 2 off stub hub for each game and bring some friends that haven't been to a game at the bank yet. Tickets are going for about 10 bucks on stub hub right now, and I know if I throw in a few beers no one will turn me down.

I'm not expecting these friends of mine to become die hard fans, but a few beers in the morning, and enjoying a (hopefully) good football game, and then a few more beers after the game, and maybe I'll hook a few new fans.

Personally I'm tired of b*tching about the administration, and the students not showing up this is what I can do to change a few people's minds, put a few more people in the stands, and maybe get a few more Gopher football fans.

I'll get off my soap box now, but I just thought I'd share my idea.
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Great plan. We need more people with this kind of attitude. I'm always asking people that I know to come to games and take in a full day of Golden Gopher Football. The people that take me up on that offer always have a good time and some have even bought season tickets. I realize that tailgating is usually the highlight of the day for the causal fan but at least they are there. I also invite fellow fans that I meet to come tailgate with us so they can get the full game day experience. We all need to be ambassadors for the football program.
 

gophergrad said:
Ha. I guess my post bar rant last night went over like a lead balloon.
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It is a good post.

The Tim Brewster/ New stadium hype has officially subsided. The bandwagoners are gone. No tickets are being sold to Hawkeys, Huskers, Badgers or Bison this year. Attendance is nearly back to where it was at the Metrodome. This is ground-zero for building a fan base that is about the team and the gameday experience.

I have attended games at TCF with 16 different people. All of them want to go again. I've decided the key is to bring people who like to have fun (not everyone does). Avoid people who need to see a hometeam win to think that the experience was worthwhile. Avoid the wet-blanket, sarcastic types. Avoid people who already have a negative opinion on Gopher football that they are not going to let-go of.

The cheap tickets offer a great opportunity for some of us to bring a huge group of people to a game and do it the way we want to.
 

I buy two extra season tickets each year. I then give those tickets to different friends for every game. Because of this tactic, our group has gone from about 6 to about 15 in the last few years. I always say, if you come, you have to tailgate with us before the game, and go out with us after the game. It is amazing how quickly people become hooked.
 


DLguy said:
I buy two extra season tickets each year. I then give those tickets to different friends for every game. Because of this tactic, our group has gone from about 6 to about 15 in the last few years. I always say, if you come, you have to tailgate with us before the game, and go out with us after the game. It is amazing how quickly people become hooked.
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I'm not expecting my friends to become the complete and utter Gopher rube I am, but it seems hard to not have fun on a nice fall Saturday.

While some of the games have been excruciating I can think of at least some part of every home game for the last three years has been fun. Whether it's tailgating before the game, eating, making fun of Iowa sneaking booze into the game, making fun of some Iowa, drinking after the game, making fun of Iowa (see a theme emerging..) it's a fun experience not enough people have been exposed to.
 

Nice post and thanks for your efforts. I wished I could do more to aid in this cause but I live 350 miles away from TCF so once a year I attend a home game and recruit family members and friends to attend the game with me, usually between 7-12 of us. This year we are going to the Syracuse game and I have 7 committed so far and am trying for more.
 

We never sell my extra tickets. We give them to friends and family. Never to someone we don't know. Invite them to tailgate with us. Free food, free tickets, free experience. One of my beneficiaries is taking his family to Vegas for the game. Getting there.
 

I try to bring one "newbie" to the 3-4 games my wife doesn't attend each year. Like it says in one of the above posts, it is much easier to attend with someone who "likes to have fun." I brought a co-worker to the Nebraska game last year who complained about everything. Then he had the gall to ask if he could have my Illinois tickets for Thanksgiving weekend because his Illinois-graduate brother-in-law was in town and wanted to go to the game.
 



My brother and i picked up two more season tickets this year bringing our total to seven. Because of this i already have four people who have already committed to come to games this fall. Hopefully it becomes tradition. It really does come down to us diehards doing what we can to introduce new people to gopher football!
 

CP Gopher said:
I try to bring one "newbie" to the 3-4 games my wife doesn't attend each year. Like it says in one of the above posts, it is much easier to attend with someone who "likes to have fun." I brought a co-worker to the Nebraska game last year who complained about everything. Then he had the gall to ask if he could have my Illinois tickets for Thanksgiving weekend because his Illinois-graduate brother-in-law was in town and wanted to go to the game.
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Did you give them to him?
 

People who go to the games thinking "the gophers gotta win this, or else it sucks" are the worst types of people to go with.
 

All of you who are building the Gopher Football fan base (especially when you are recruiting the right people) are Gopher heroes and the rest are indebted to you whether they know it, appreciate it or not. The Gophers will be a good team soon. Perhaps this year already.

All the fans who read these blogs, follow the team, and go to the games are the backbone and deserve a pat on the back. The problems lie with other folks. Don't let them get you down. You are winners. When TCF becomes the hot item in fall (it will) you will know you have done your part. People need to get their tickets now!

Go Gophers!
 




CP Gopher said:
I try to bring one "newbie" to the 3-4 games my wife doesn't attend each year. Like it says in one of the above posts, it is much easier to attend with someone who "likes to have fun." I brought a co-worker to the Nebraska game last year who complained about everything. Then he had the gall to ask if he could have my Illinois tickets for Thanksgiving weekend because his Illinois-graduate brother-in-law was in town and wanted to go to the game.
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FAIL! guy sounds like a bit of a jerk. hope you told him to go "pound sand" when he asked.
 

As a graduate student I wish they would allow two student tickets at $91 instead of the guest pass for $290. I think it would get more people into the student section who want to be there. Also, why not open the student tickets up to any college student in the state. I went to undergrad at St. Cloud and went to 2-3 games a year with my U friends and would of gladly bought a student ticket.
 

Another customer for tickets

After the U students have purchased their tickets, open up the sale not only to other Mn college students but also for High School students.
I remember when in High School (160 miles from the U), a group of us would come to a game or two. That experience caused me to be a U student and I was hooked for life as a Gopher football fan.
 

Rog said:
After the U students have purchased their tickets, open up the sale not only to other Mn college students but also for High School students.
I remember when in High School (160 miles from the U), a group of us would come to a game or two. That experience caused me to be a U student and I was hooked for life as a Gopher football fan.
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We brought out HS team from SW Minnesota to one Gopher game a year in the 70's. I think the tickets were $1.00
 

Rog said:
After the U students have purchased their tickets, open up the sale not only to other Mn college students but also for High School students.
I remember when in High School (160 miles from the U), a group of us would come to a game or two. That experience caused me to be a U student and I was hooked for life as a Gopher football fan.
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You guys might be on to something there. Obviously it would have to be after the U students had their chance.

I didn't go to the U but I grew up a big Gopher fan(in outstate mn) and have been ever since. Get those young fans in there.
 

I seem to remember that the Gophs used to have a deal at the Dome where HS FB teams got some kind of a break on ticket prices if they attended as a group and wore their uniform tops. I remember sitting out in front of the Dome before a game and seeing a bunch of kids wearing jerseys walking by. I remember because I asked one kid where they were from, and we talked about the game they had played on Friday night. (I also remember seeing Pat Reusse walking by. I tried to talk to him, and he walked by without saying a word.......)

Another promotion they used to have at Memorial Stadium was "Band Day." HS bands from all over the state got to get in for a reduced rate, sat in one end zone, and played along with the Gopher band for a couple of numbers at halftime.
 

I ponied up for the guest pass, now it just time to get some buddies to pay to go.
 

I've never understood why they don't promote a couple of "reduced admission for high school players and coaches" games early in the season. What a great way to hook some future fans!
 

CP Gopher said:
I've never understood why they don't promote a couple of "reduced admission for high school players and coaches" games early in the season. What a great way to hook some future fans!
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Have the high schools enter a lottery where they can buy tiks for 5-$10 and how many they will buy. 5-10 days before the game take the unsold tiks and have a drawing. Fill the seats.

As the regular demand for tickets increases, the promotion goes away on its own.
 

gophergrad said:
Like the rest of everyone here, there is a litany of things that irk me. Lack of students in the stands, tailgating options, winning...

Sadly I can't do much to change any of those things. But I can bring a few new people to gopher games as my guests. My plan is to buy a ticket or 2 off stub hub for each game and bring some friends that haven't been to a game at the bank yet. Tickets are going for about 10 bucks on stub hub right now, and I know if I throw in a few beers no one will turn me down.

I'm not expecting these friends of mine to become die hard fans, but a few beers in the morning, and enjoying a (hopefully) good football game, and then a few more beers after the game, and maybe I'll hook a few new fans.

Personally I'm tired of b*tching about the administration, and the students not showing up this is what I can do to change a few people's minds, put a few more people in the stands, and maybe get a few more Gopher football fans.

I'll get off my soap box now, but I just thought I'd share my idea.
Click to expand...

Great idea, and I'm doing something of the same. Got a couple buddies who grew up in other states coming to a couple games with me this year. They way I talk about Saturdays, they can't wait to become Gopher fans!
 

supadupafly said:
FAIL! guy sounds like a bit of a jerk. hope you told him to go "pound sand" when he asked.
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Ok Meatsauce.
 

Hey, I bring a toddler to a stadium that bans strollers, baby carriers, and cancelled the west bank shuttle. That is a new fan in the making. Actually , I just want to point out that the Twins have a stroller check, because they seem to think that is a way to bring young people to a game. And they sell that evil beer product in the stands.
 

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