Gopher Score to replace Gopher Points in March

[Stan]

I was at the game last night talking to a U official who I've gotten to know and he told me that apparently the Gopher Points program is going away and will be replaced by a Gopher Score program.

What I was told is that Gopher Score will replace Gopher Points as of March 1, 2013. This will NOT result in any more re-seating. The Gopher Points was a Phase 1 for the re-seating but Gopher Score will be the permanent program going forward.

Here are the highlights that I recall:

- All of the sports are together now. You will not have a Gopher Score for football and one for basketball and one for hockey. Everyone is together.
- You will get 10 points for every consecutive season you have season tickets for every sport. So if you have baseball season tickets for 5 years (50 points), basketball for 10 years (100 points) and football for 3 years (30 points) you would have 180 points for this portion of your Gopher Score. I think this is a nice move to reward season ticket holders of multiple sports. If you stop your season tickets in any one year, you start over for that sport.
- If you are a U letter winner you get 25 points one time only.
- You get 1 point per $100 you gave lifetime up until the point of the new program.
- You get 10 points per $100 for you give that year (this starts over each year).

I told him that I thought this last one would receive a lot negative feedback as I said they are really going to piss off some long-time donors as what you are telling them is that you value their dollar today ten-times more than you value the dollar you gave yesterday. He said that the Gopher Score program wasn't set to change, but it could if there is a lot of negative reaction so I wouldn't be surprised if this 10-to-1 ratio doesn't change before it gets officially announced.

Since this will NOT lead to re-seating, what it does is allow supporters to use this as an opportunity to improve on tickets if you were to move up at one of the Big 3, sit in the lower bowl at the BTT for hoops, better seating at football road games/bowl game, etc. I'm not sure when the formal communications will come out for this.

 

[wait!what?]

no clue on how this increases FB season ticket sales.

 

[Dr.Don]

no clue on how this increases FB season ticket sales.

wait!what? I don't have a clue on anything, except for the fact that God is Great, Beer is Good, and People are Crazy. But that is ok, I am right at home.

What they are trying to do is bull$hit a bunch of bull$hitters, all in the name of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

What we need is Sanford and Son Junkyard, or, oh, wait!what? we need Denny Sanford, U of M Alumnus, to give his entire fortune to the University of Minnesota Athletics so that he can have his wish fulfilled, and that is to die broke.

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRxTEp69K1iClvkGngsKJHzaGgUiobWjoOLMmfbHcJ5StE7pTkDAw

 

[El Amin Fan]

They are going to have to switch the 10-to-1 ratio of new vs. old donations otherwise some of the loyal donors will be irate.

 

[Bayfieldgopher]

I don't understand why there is a requirement for consecutive years being a STH. We had a break of 4 or 5 years when we did not purchase season tickets but still went to a good number of games home and away. I lost a good number of years credit being a STH but I guess the UM doesn't value my loyalty as a long time fan and the dollars I paid.

Does anyone know the rationale for this policy?

 

[Gopherprof]

I don't understand why there is a requirement for consecutive years being a STH. We had a break of 4 or 5 years when we did not purchase season tickets but still went to a good number of games home and away. I lost a good number of years credit being a STH but I guess the UM doesn't value my loyalty as a long time fan and the dollars I paid.

Does anyone know the rationale for this policy?

Yeah, they don't want you to cancel your season tickets.

 

[book]

Interesting how Gov Dayton got down the Vikings throat for wanting to charge for seat licencing! seems to me I'm being charged for the same stuff for fb and bb. Its time to quit gouging the people who actually go to the games.

 

[GoAUpher]

Interesting how Gov Dayton got down the Vikings throat for wanting to charge for seat licencing! seems to me I'm being charged for the same stuff for fb and bb. Its time to quit gouging the people who actually go to the games.

Then get seats without fees. There are plenty of them. This is the world of big time college athletics. If you want the U to keep up, this is the cost.

 

[DarrenTheGreek]

Seems silly that season tickets to a lower non-revenue sport would equate to the same "score" as a revenue sport.

 

[RailBaronYarr]

Interesting how Gov Dayton got down the Vikings throat for wanting to charge for seat licencing! seems to me I'm being charged for the same stuff for fb and bb. Its time to quit gouging the people who actually go to the games.

He was wrong to do this as the ability to do so was in the legislation as part of the funding. I think he's doing a little pandering here. While many people supporting the Vikings say that they probably won't do it anyway and were just sending out a survey, the reality is they absolutely will - it is standard practice now and they will justify doing it by saying the retractable roof required the funding from that source.

Then get seats without fees. There are plenty of them. This is the world of big time college athletics. If you want the U to keep up, this is the cost.

I know that this is true, to some extent, and it certainly helps a program like ours that happens to be in a big city where corporations buying those seats don't really care and will pay it anyway.

The question I have is.. how is it that schools in the middle of nowhere without a huge population base or swaths of Fortune 500 companies can afford to "keep up?" Particularly schools with a one-trick-pony athletic department where they are only good (or have a significant fan following) in one sport, meaning they can't funnel revenue from multiple sports of high attendance to the facility/coach/etc in need of money at any given time. I'm thinking schools like Iowa (basketball has been "meh" and so has their attendance, but for football even in down years attendance is amazing), North Dakota Hockey, Nebraska football, etc etc. Obviously tradition and large donors play a part, but doesn't it seem like having consistent attendance of actual fans who pay parking, concessions, and merchandise is better than the seat license approach that alienates (or eliminates) long-time fans and puts the 50% attendance crowd of corporations in their place (who don't buy or wear gopher gear, cheer, become donors, etc). I dunno.

 

[highwayman]

I don't understand why there is a requirement for consecutive years being a STH. We had a break of 4 or 5 years when we did not purchase season tickets but still went to a good number of games home and away. I lost a good number of years credit being a STH but I guess the UM doesn't value my loyalty as a long time fan and the dollars I paid.

Does anyone know the rationale for this policy?

Because skipping 4-5 years as season ticket holders likely questions your loyalty to the AD. I'll bet the season tickets during that period (if you're talking the 2000's) were $98. Single game tickets were $15-$25. Should have bought the season ticket. If you went to a good number of games, you should have bought the season ticket. Way cheaper. It's what happens when you give up your season tickets. Not admonishing you, just explaining how it has worked in sports for the last 25 years.

 

[mplsbadger]

Stan, does this also mean no grad credits or credits for alumni assn membership?

 

[Bayfieldgopher]

Because skipping 4-5 years as season ticket holders likely questions your loyalty to the AD. I'll bet the season tickets during that period (if you're talking the 2000's) were $98. Single game tickets were $15-$25. Should have bought the season ticket. If you went to a good number of games, you should have bought the season ticket. Way cheaper. It's what happens when you give up your season tickets. Not admonishing you, just explaining how it has worked in sports for the last 25 years.

Not really. Numerous events and changes in peoples lives take place that affect Gopher fans ability/resolve to purchase season tickets. Lay-offs, babies. moving away from the TC's, health issues, decrease in household income, _____, ______, _____, you can fill in the blanks. We basically took advantage of the 4/$44 as my family doubled in size during that time. Clearly a matter of economics, not loyalty to the program. After thinking it over, we went to just one away game/Wisky.

My point is that a season ticket is a season ticket no matter the number of consecutive years. It's money in the bank. IMO, this has been a very poorly thought out decision on the part of the UM.

 

[Gopherprof]

My point is that a season ticket is a season ticket no matter the number of consecutive years. It's money in the bank. IMO, this has been a very poorly thought out decision on the part of the UM.

Because it adversely affects you?

The goal of the AD is to make money. That's it. You, by your own admission, made a decision so that you could save money (and thus give them less).They want to discourage you from doing this. I don't understand what is tough here.

 

[RailBaronYarr]

Because it adversely affects you?

The goal of the AD is to make money. That's it. You, by your own admission, made a decision so that you could save money (and thus give them less).They want to discourage you from doing this. I don't understand what is tough here.

I don't necessarily agree with this. The AD's job is to make money BY building a loyal fan base (reaching out to new fans/the state/high schools, etc, rewarding current fans, making a great gameday atmosphere, and many other things) and putting a competitive team on the field. You don't do the middle part (building a loyal fan base) by screwing your long-time fans out of points (or charging seat fees for people who have been ticket holders for 40 years) because they took a year or 2 off. For example, last year I got married in October (taking up 2 weekends for the event and family time that overlapped with football games) and was purchasing a new home. I knew this would be the case in April so I opted to not pay for season tickets because the burden of that much money (even though the events are worth it to me) wasn't worth it. However, I ended up buying tickets to 2 NC games and 3 Big Ten games through the university (and myGopher login), 2 of those I bought extra seats to bring friends and family. Should I be punished?

I know they are trying to "reward" season ticket holders, and those who don't leave the yearly purchase schedule by awarding consecutive year points. But they have to recognize the difference between leaving entirely and doing so because reasons exist that made buying a full package not possible.

 

[Gopherprof]

I know they are trying to "reward" season ticket holders, and those who don't leave the yearly purchase schedule by awarding consecutive year points. But they have to recognize the difference between leaving entirely and doing so because reasons exist that made buying a full package not possible.

No, they clearly don't.

A good number of people will grumble, a few might even sit out from buying tickets for a few years, but most of them will come back when the teams start winning again. They know that, and you probably do too.

Bear in mind, I'm not endorsing this viewpoint, but I don't understand where the misunderstanding of what they are doing comes from. It's a business. Do people think the athletic department gives a damn about them on a personal level? Businesses find crafty ways to squeeze money out of their customers all the time. If you don't want to lose your spot in line, don't stop giving them money.

 

[Go4Broke]

The policy that awards points to season ticket holders is not to PENALIZE Gopher fans who have a gap in their ticket buying history. It is to REWARD fans who have stuck with the team through good times and bad and no matter what was going on in their personal lives and with their financial situations. Who is going to argue that those fans don't deserve recognition from the U for that kind of loyalty? Not me.

 

[Parski1]

If the Gophers start winning more the donations for the better seats will definitely go up...and the sections with seat backs that don't require donations now...just wait.

 

[Bayfieldgopher]

The point is that the Gophers are not in a position to be picky or turn off/away certain fans. There are empty seats to be had at the Barn and TCF. In spite of the policy, I have stayed with my tickets the past 9 or 10 years and am not interested in premium seating. However, I was not happy when I found out that I was way down the list for selecting seating when TCF opened and they opted to totally ignore my season ticket support in the past .

Minnesota is not a Nebraska, OSU or Wisconsin and needs to hustle and fight for every available dollar. IMO, they need to focus on all possible avenues to gain a stronger season ticket base.

I own a small business and would never think of penalizing or ignoring a client who has elected not to patronize our product and services for a period of time. In todays economy, that is plain stupid.

 

[Bayfieldgopher]

If the Gophers start winning more the donations for the better seats will definitely go up...and the sections with seat backs that don't require donations now...just wait.

And how long have Gopher fans been waiting for us to start winning? You may be right. Maybe it will happen next year, or the next, or in five years, or.............

This is an immediate problem that requires a proactive and aggressive approach. The UM understand that and, as a result, hired a marketing firm to assist in ticket sales. However, they fail to realize that they are not in a position to alienate or turn away a certain fan base(s).

 

[CWCWCW]

Points schmoints. I've had season tickets for over 15 years. The primary reason I renew is because I like my seat locations. I don't pay a premium, but am in a sweet spot in the lower section. One of my buddies gives me grief about season tickets. Over the years, he has gone to many Gopher games, both home and away. This year, the only game he has missed was New Hampshire. He always makes sure he tells me what he paid for the tickets outside TCF stadium. He didn't mention to me what he paid for Michigan, but I know that he got two tickets for the Northwestern game for a total of $15.00. He has said that he has never paid more than face value for a ticket.
I don't think he's too concerned about points. Is he less of a Gopher fan? Supply vs. Demand.

 

[RailBaronYarr]

No, they clearly don't.

A good number of people will grumble, a few might even sit out from buying tickets for a few years, but most of them will come back when the teams start winning again. They know that, and you probably do too.

Bear in mind, I'm not endorsing this viewpoint, but I don't understand where the misunderstanding of what they are doing comes from. It's a business. Do people think the athletic department gives a damn about them on a personal level? Businesses find crafty ways to squeeze money out of their customers all the time. If you don't want to lose your spot in line, don't stop giving them money.

The University of Minnesota is a not for profit, state funded and run university. They damn well better care about their taxpayers and loyal supporters (of which there are maybe 25-30,000). I understand the need to make money but one of the reasons I so strongly support the U (and the idea of collegiate athletics in general) is that they AREN'T big-time business squeezing every last penny out of anyone and everyone they can. I let some things slide because I recognize the need to make money to keep things going and not become the University of Chicago, but don't tell me they NEED to do anything or even that it's acceptable. The fact that you don't endorse this viewpoint but defend their actions in doing it is an example of how we all allow them to get away with pushing the envelope more than we believe they should. So they do.

The U already walks a (unfairly) fine line with the general public as far as perception goes. The media plays a part in this but people are conditioned to think badly of the U first, be proven wrong second (or never). Doing things like this does not help that perception and relying on winning to get people to come back isn't the right thing to do or the best way to go about it.

 

[Gopherprof]

The University of Minnesota is a not for profit, state funded and run university. They damn well better care about their taxpayers and loyal supporters (of which there are maybe 25-30,000). I understand the need to make money but one of the reasons I so strongly support the U (and the idea of collegiate athletics in general) is that they AREN'T big-time business squeezing every last penny out of anyone and everyone they can.

Welcome to college athletics in the 21st century.

but don't tell me they NEED to do anything or even that it's acceptable. The fact that you don't endorse this viewpoint but defend their actions in doing it is an example of how we all allow them to get away with pushing the envelope more than we believe they should.

I didn't endorse their actions; I explained them. You asked why they would do this. It's because they don't want you to drop your season tickets because they want your money. They don't want you to occasionally drop your season tickets for financial reasons because that is money out of their pocket. They are rewarding people who don't do that because they benefit the U's bottom line more than you do. If you think there is anything else they care about than money in this equation, I'd be open to hear it.

 

[GoAUpher]

Guys, they make more money on basketball right now despite having fewer season ticket holders than last year thanks to the seat fees. When that happens, they aren't going to change course very easily. That's just how it is.

 

[RailBaronYarr]

Welcome to college athletics in the 21st century.

You don't have to be rude. I'm not naive and don't need to be lectured.

I didn't endorse their actions; I explained them. You asked why they would do this. It's because they don't want you to drop your season tickets because they want your money. They don't want you to occasionally drop your season tickets for financial reasons because that is money out of their pocket. They are rewarding people who don't do that because they benefit the U's bottom line more than you do. If you think there is anything else they care about than money in this equation, I'd be open to hear it.

What good are these points if you never drop your season tickets in the first place? I'll further that question since they will invariably ADD the number of seats in a stadium that require donation and INCREASE the required donation level. Meaning my ranking of points means absolutely nothing to me if I cannot afford the upgrade to better seats each year (assuming I never drop season tickets). You're right, they're "rewarding" ticket holders with an illusion of prestige and ranking within the University when the reality is that most people with that level of points won't be able to do anything with it anyway.

Last year I benefitted the U's bottom line more as a person who attended individual games paying for the pick your pack and individual ticket prices than I did the previous year as a season ticket holder. I paid more total and per game than the combined package. This year could have been a different story as the U has run many promotions and deep discounts on ticket prices to encourage attendance. So explain how being a STH benefits their bottom line better as a general, all-inclusive statement?

Guys, they make more money on basketball right now despite having fewer season ticket holders than last year thanks to the seat fees. When that happens, they aren't going to change course very easily. That's just how it is.

I understand that. I never disputed the tactic works to make money. My problem is they choose to do this route - alienating fans, taking advantage of people who already support the U through taxes, rewarding corporations who can afford the fees and give tickets out to non fans and people who don't show - instead of choosing a different path that could ALSO make more money AND build a better fan base that buy STs year in and out. And if it's a little harder, SO BE IT. I trust that the Vikings will screw people out of every penny they have at the path of least resistance to them. That's what makes them a business and not a non-profit organization. I would trust the U to take the slightly harder route that gets them better, more passionate fans (compare the passion of any successful collegiate football/basketball fan to ANY pro sport and college programs win in loyalty, donation, etc every time).

 

[Maximus]

When the Gophers are obligated to play their games at 11 because of TV, when you have to give the U money for the right to purchase tickets, when Kansas and Missouri end a football rivalry that was 121 years old, when San Diego State is in the same division in the same conference as Temple, there is zero difference between pro and college.