Gopher Season Ticket Costs Going Way UP?

[stocker08]

If these parts are really true, then it is bizarre to me. Yes, money and facilities will help, but do they think recruiting won't be hurt by having even less fans in the stands every Saturday? Kids love a great atmosphere, how do we expect to beat out top programs for top recruits when there is only 35,000 in the stands even if we actually sold 50,000?

I don't get that part.

As others have said previously........it will have a bigger impact on lesser games. Prior season ticket holders will simply buy single game tickets to the games they really want to see instead of going to every game. Non-con games will be more empty than ever.

 

[Iceland12]

The Person I spoke to is in the U of MN directory, I checked.

Good, thought I read a story though that they would be trying to hire present students and employees too but can't find that. Thought it would explain some of the "we don't need you" quotes.

"Twelve full-time Aspire sales reps start work June 11 in Minneapolis. They will work from the ticket office in TCF Bank Stadium, except on game days.Aspire's sales consultants will answer to an on-site supervisor and work on commission. They'll have access to the university's database of alumni and people who have bought tickets. Each consultant is expected to make 80 to 100 calls a day, talk to about 150 fans a week and build relationships with about 7,500 fans a year."
------

"Gophers athletics will implement preferred seating — a system that reseats all nonstudent fans and forces them to pay an additional donation — in men’s basketball and men’s hockey next season. LaFrenz said The Aspire Group could help with that.
“We’ll evaluate [our ticket sales] at the end to see if there’s any attrition,” LaFrenz said. “If there are any holes in the end, [The Aspire Group] will help work to fill those."

 

[e.bigelow]

More game day parking near the stadium. Season ticket holders in tier 4 are being pushed across the river rather than being in the ramps near the stadium. https://www.goldengopherfund.com/online/tickets-parking That pushes it over the edge for me. Forget about the price increase on the tickets.....they also want to use the (up until now) STH parking spaces in the nearby ramps for game day parking. Probably more profitable that way. Great..........guess I'm joining the single game/second hand ticket market.

I don't believe this is correct. According to the FAQ that I got, their is no change to the parking policy. So, having tickets in zone 4 does not equal you to being downgraded a parking pass in a lower "zone" or " tier". They are still going with the donation levels, so, hypothetically, if you were to have a donation seat and parking policy remains a constant (which is doubtful), if you had enough for $1000 contribution, you could technically purchase a tailgate lot pass if they were available.

 

[stocker08]

I don't believe this is correct. According to the FAQ that I got, their is no change to the parking policy. So, having tickets in zone 4 does not equal you to being downgraded a parking pass in a lower "zone" or " tier". They are still going with the donation levels, so, hypothetically, if you were to have a donation seat and parking policy remains a constant (which is doubtful), if you had enough for $1000 contribution, you could technically purchase a tailgate lot pass if they were available.

Parking policy...........what does that even mean?

The fact is.....I am in what they consider to be 'Zone 4'. My season parking passes were for the Oak Street ramp since the Bank has been open. According to the map on the link I've posted.......the Oak Street ramp is now exclusively for 'Zone 3' STHs and 'Game day parking'. Zone 4 has been relegated to space across the river.

Please let me know if you have some sort of information that I may be missing. Because this looks a lot like the U is pushing STHs out of the ramp in order to sell parking space at higher costs.

 

[Iceland12]

Parking policy...........what does that even mean?

The fact is.....I am in what they consider to be 'Zone 4'. My season parking passes were for the Oak Street ramp since the Bank has been open. According to the map on the link I've posted.......the Oak Street ramp is now exclusively for 'Zone 3' STHs and 'Game day parking'. Zone 4 has been relegated to space across the river.

Please let me know if you have some sort of information that I may be missing. Because this looks a lot like the U is pushing STHs out of the ramp in order to sell parking space at higher costs.

Mr.Bigelow is right. They say no changes will be made. If your reading of the map is correct stocker, that's seems to be a direct contradiction.

Q: Will football season parking prices or the donation level associated with each parking area be adjusted?
A: We currently have no plans to adjust the price of football season parking or the donation levels associated with
each parking area

 

[e.bigelow]

Parking policy...........what does that even mean? The fact is.....I am in what they consider to be 'Zone 4'. My season parking passes were for the Oak Street ramp since the Bank has been open. According to the map on the link I've posted.......the Oak Street ramp is now exclusively for 'Zone 3' STHs and 'Game day parking'. Zone 4 has been relegated to space across the river. Please let me know if you have some sort of information that I may be missing. Because this looks a lot like the U is pushing STHs out of the ramp in order to sell parking space at higher costs.

That map is identical to the one last year, & the year before that and has no bearing on what "zone" your tickets are in. It is completely based off of your donation level/gopher score level on when and where you get your pass. I don't think the tickets and parking zones go hand in hand. If that were the case, what happens to people in Zone 5 & 6? Are they unable to purchase passes? I highly doubt that is the case.

Like I said, from what I have read, the parking practice remains unchanged. Meaning, if you donate at least $1,000 above ticket price, you are eligible to purchase in zone 2, or for the number illiterate, the blue spaces. If you donate below that amount or not at all, you can buy into any other spot, zone 3 & 4 (the orange/red and pink), so long as there are spaces available. Again, that all comes down to your Gopher Score level, just like in years previous.

 

[5$BitsOfBrokenChair]

You are reading it way wrong. Assume 100 people responded. 24 weren't STH's and don't care. 9 weren't STH's but apparently wanted to be but won't be now. 35 are STH's and will remain so. 15 are STH's and will reduce, 11 are STH's and will drop because they can't afford, 6 will drop because they are mad.

So... of the 100, 76 are currently STH's or are presumably interested in ST. Of those 32 will change their behavior because of this. 41/76 = 54%. Of actual season ticket holders its 32/70 = 46%. Of STH's, 17/70 = 24% say they will outright drop. That's pretty significant. Granted this isn't a scientific poll, so I don't give it much weight. But it certainly doesn't support the idea of a happy STH base...

I get what you are saying and will concede that the poll is at best poorly worded. That said the way you explain it assumes that there are ZERO people who currently do not have season tickets but have plans to purchase season tickets. The poll question is "What will the donation increases mean for you as a season ticket holder"? To me that would mean that the first 4 answers assume current season ticket holder status...

Anyways it's splitting hairs I know but I do think the success of this year will lead to a fair amount of new season ticket purchases regardless of the price increase.

 

[Johnny Olson]

The U will allow Season Ticket holders to keep their seats while they are paying the price increase for three years. It would not surprise me that
in year four, their seats will be taken away as the University can make even more money by resetting the seats.
I would not bet against this.

 

[stocker08]

Mr.Bigelow is right. They say no changes will be made. If your reading of the map is correct stocker, that's seems to be a direct contradiction.

Q: Will football season parking prices or the donation level associated with each parking area be adjusted?
A: We currently have no plans to adjust the price of football season parking or the donation levels associated with
each parking area

That map is identical to the one last year, & the year before that and has no bearing on what "zone" your tickets are in. It is completely based off of your donation level/gopher score level on when and where you get your pass. I don't think the tickets and parking zones go hand in hand. If that were the case, what happens to people in Zone 5 & 6? Are they unable to purchase passes? I highly doubt that is the case.

Like I said, from what I have read, the parking practice remains unchanged. Meaning, if you donate at least $1,000 above ticket price, you are eligible to purchase in zone 2, or for the number illiterate, the blue spaces. If you donate below that amount or not at all, you can buy into any other spot, zone 3 & 4 (the orange/red and pink), so long as there are spaces available. Again, that all comes down to your Gopher Score level, just like in years previous.

Is there anyway to check how the gopher score level coincides with the parking spaces? I have not personally seen this map before. However.....now that it is pasted on the site along with the ticket price increases.....it sure looks like the Oak Street ramp is no longer where I'll be. Maybe the map is simply vague on details.....as I don't see any mention of gopher score having an impact on ramp inclusion.

 

[Iceland12]

Is there anyway to check how the gopher score level coincides with the parking spaces? I have not personally seen this map before. However.....now that it is pasted on the site along with the ticket price increases.....it sure looks like the Oak Street ramp is no longer where I'll be. Maybe the map is simply vague on details.....as I don't see any mention of gopher score having an impact on ramp inclusion.

You're probably gonna have to call the ticket office stocker.

 

[e.bigelow]

Is there anyway to check how the gopher score level coincides with the parking spaces? I have not personally seen this map before. However.....now that it is pasted on the site along with the ticket price increases.....it sure looks like the Oak Street ramp is no longer where I'll be. Maybe the map is simply vague on details.....as I don't see any mention of gopher score having an impact on ramp inclusion.

Yep, it can be confusing, like Ice said, call the ticket office. They can probably explain it better than I can.

 

[MNGoldenGophers1]

The U will allow Season Ticket holders to keep their seats while they are paying the price increase for three years.
In year four, their seats will be taken away as the University can make even more money by resetting the seats.
I would not bet against this.

Maybe but here's is my prediction… in three years they're going increase the seating price by 150% each year for three years and tell us it is necessary because they haven't done it in three years. But hey, don't worry, we won't increase your scholarship donation level.

 

[GopherVotary]

The "sold out" season tickets line is 100% bull.

I always enjoyed that one.

 

[oak_street1981]

I always enjoyed that one.

Norwood fancies himself to be a marketing genius and has been getting smoke blown up his backside by these Aspire people for some time. I am sure he thinks he is a risk taking, daring master of high level strategic thinking.

The problem is that he and his consultants do not fully grasp the power of the pro teams in this marketplace (which is hard to understand with a huge, amenity packed Vikings Stadium opening in 18 months), and they certainly do not understand the stubborn, frugal, and fickle nature of the typical Minnesotan. Gopher fans of all stripes are more like this than a Vikings or MN Wild fan; those people tend to obediently pay, year after year.

Norwood has opened a wound with the fan base that will be hard to close. This is a huge betrayal on a personal level, not a business decision for many. Norwood is whistling down the hallway thinking he is selling UNC Tarheel tickets to a captive audience. good luck!

I may drop right away in March to make a point or I may eat the extra $100 next year just to see if they back down by 2016, but more likely I'll be a typical Minnesotan and dump the whole thing in March out of stubbornness. and "principle". Worst case is I buy in with even better seats after the wreckage is cleared and Norwood is long gone.

Minnesotans do not accept people easily that come from other places (Norwood), and they do not like people that talk out of both sides of their mouths (Norwood), and they really get angry when being taken for granted and treated with arrogance. This decision hits all of those hot zones.

This is going to come down the rebellion that will occur within the fan base and ultimately meddling by the legislature and Mark Dayton via the Regents. This last sentence explains whey I might preserve my seats for one more year. Aspire is going to get tossed to the curb and Norwood is going to get fired or get a AP style whuppin'.

Like many on this forum, I can afford the extra dollars, but will not pay this type of increase, in this marketplace, with this level of mid level performance.

 

[Section209]

Only 17% are saying they are dropping tickets all together. 24% of responders are not season ticket holders that say that the price increase does not affect their plans to purchase season tickets in the future. At least that's how I read it.

Oops.
Edited to delete. The point was explained well previously.

 

[stocker08]

Yep, it can be confusing, like Ice said, call the ticket office. They can probably explain it better than I can.

I will have to. Losing my parking area in favor of a distant ramp......along with a price increase (although this years bump doesn't concern me TOO much) would drive me to the single ticket market.

I'd prefer not to do that. As others have said........that takes people who'd go to every game and instead make them selective. I may not plan my weekends around an Eastern Illinois game anymore. A TV viewing would suffice.

 

[MaxyJR1]

It may be early, but Norwood has seen nothing but improvement under his watch. It hasn't been mid level performance under him.

 

[stocker08]

It may be early, but Norwood has seen nothing but improvement under his watch. It hasn't been mid level performance under him.

He can't take credit for Kill's success.

 

[MaxyJR1]

He can't take credit for Kill's success.

Really, who controls budgets and marketing? Teague seems to be his #1 supporter. It's a department effort.

 

[MNfootballfan]

Really, who controls budgets and marketing? Teague seems to be his #1 supporter. It's a department effort.

Marketing? The best marketing that has been done for the University of Minnesota football team was beating Iowa by 40 points and winning in Lincoln. The best marketing was done by 18-22 year old kids + Kill and crew on a couple of Saturday afternoons. I never in my life saw so many people wearing Gopher clothes around town as I did on Thanksgiving week. Norwood had nothing to do with that.

 

[Gopher024]

That map is identical to the one last year, & the year before that and has no bearing on what "zone" your tickets are in. It is completely based off of your donation level/gopher score level on when and where you get your pass. I don't think the tickets and parking zones go hand in hand. If that were the case, what happens to people in Zone 5 & 6? Are they unable to purchase passes? I highly doubt that is the case.

Like I said, from what I have read, the parking practice remains unchanged. Meaning, if you donate at least $1,000 above ticket price, you are eligible to purchase in zone 2, or for the number illiterate, the blue spaces. If you donate below that amount or not at all, you can buy into any other spot, zone 3 & 4 (the orange/red and pink), so long as there are spaces available. Again, that all comes down to your Gopher Score level, just like in years previous.

Here is how I interpret the parking information, using myself as an example. I have non-donation chairback seats right now. Since TCF opened, I always purchased a parking pass to the Washington Ave ramp for $110 or something like that. Under the new policy, I will be required to start making donations and as a "perk" (if you can call it that) I get a pass to a ramp/lot across the river. If I'd like, I can still spend an additional $110 for a spot in the Washington Ave ramp, but that's over what I'm already paying for as a part of my season tickets.

 

[MaxyJR1]

Marketing? The best marketing that has been done for the University of Minnesota football team was beating Iowa by 40 points and winning in Lincoln. The best marketing was done by 18-22 year old kids + Kill and crew on a couple of Saturday afternoons. I never in my life saw so many people wearing Gopher clothes around town as I did on Thanksgiving week. Norwood had nothing to do with that.

Having players, coaches, AD, and games on more popular radio stations, Facebook, Twitter, brick by brick, scheduling TCU (Kill was against) all are working. Yes winning is #1, they all factor. Kill is a power coach and Teague knows and accepts it.

 

[stocker08]

Really, who controls budgets and marketing? Teague seems to be his #1 supporter. It's a department effort.

I keep forgetting that Teague hired Kill.

 

[MNfootballfan]

Having players, coaches, AD, and games on more popular radio stations, Facebook, Twitter, brick by brick, scheduling TCU (Kill was against) all are working. Yes winning is #1, they all factor. Kill is a power coach and Teague knows and accepts it.

Not totally sure on the TCU deal. I thought Kill wanted to play TCU because him and Patterson are long time friends and were in each other's weddings? I am going on memory and my memory is not very good! I'll take your word on the TCU deal, because honestly I don't remember if he was for or against playing them.

As far as radio goes, the Gophers switched to KFAN in 2011, Teague was hired in 2012.

 

[DarrenTheGreek]

If someone else brought this up I apologize caused I missed it...but some speculation I have is this. Does anyone remember when Denny Sanford gave all that money to build the HOF and he was rewarded with the unused club seats? If the University really had 80m in donations lined up for facilities then I could easily see them promising Land O Lakes and others all their high level donation seats that remain unsold. That way they suck a ton of donation money by assuming most will move to the lesser expensive sections and many who weren't paying before will now be paying 150-250, thus clearing out the middle sections of 500-1000 for the corporate fat cats. Thus I don't necessarily think the ticket office is bluffing when they say they know they can fill them. They probably already have.

 

[saintpaulguy]

I have Twins partial season tickets - 1st few rows of upper deck near 3rd base. The tickets are about $21 each. Beer at Target Field is the same price or cheaper than TCF (Twins season ticket holders get 10% off concessions too). Twins also allow you to bring in all the outside food you want.

I also just asked the Gopher ticket office to not even ask me to renew my seats that I've had for 7 years. I am only getting more furious about the ticket price increases the more I have time to think about it.

I support this message. Yes, that is what my tickets cost. Yes , I get a discount on beer and food. And yes, if I want to,bring in some cheezits for my kid, some wanna be cop won't dump them ceremoniously in front of me and claim to have prevented the boston bombing.

 

[saintpaulguy]

I honestly thought the oddest part of the conversation was his telling me that the empty seats I saw were paid for. I am not challenging that, I am just saying it revealed a preference for an absentee sale over an invested attendee.

 

[Iceland12]

I honestly thought the oddest part of the conversation was his telling me that the empty seats I saw were paid for. I am not challenging that, I am just saying it revealed a preference for an absentee sale over an invested attendee.

saintpaulguy? If they were Aspire employees, they get paid for every Season Ticket they sell. They don't give a damn if anybody ever sits in them.

 

[saintpaulguy]

Seems great for revenue, bad for atmosphere. And he really was a u employee. I want to make that clear, out of fairness. What I still do not know is where that market data comes from,which he claims to have, that places me out of my seat. B.H. Correct me if I have misunderstood you.

 

[Iceland12]

Seems great for revenue, bad for atmosphere. And he really was a u employee. I want to make that clear, out of fairness. What I still do not know is where that market data comes from,which he claims to have, that places me out of my seat. B.H. Correct me if I have misunderstood you.

You didn't. I'll go and put this in there to clear things up.