BleedGopher
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per GopherSports:
In May 2016, newly hired Athletics Director Mark Coyle promised that Gopher Athletics would do more to invest in its fans. During the 15 months since making that promise, the athletics department has collected more feedback from fans, particularly its season ticket holders, than ever before. From surveys, to events, to social media, and a new Fan Advisory Board, Gopher fans have never had more platforms to share their thoughts.
Fans said that they wanted more value for season tickets, more entertainment options, and more choices when it came to the in-stadium menu. Gopher Athletics listened to this feedback and has planned a series of improvements to the football game day experience for Gopher fans.
Changes to Gopher game day start hours prior to kickoff, just as fans are piling into Dinkytown.
The new Ski-U-March is taking the place of the Victory Walk. The best elements of the Victory Walk aren’t changing. Head Coach P.J. Fleck and the team will still greet fans and enter the stadium along with the spirit squad and the band prior to the game. Ski-U-March will be held at the same time as the Victory Walk, 2.5 hours prior to kickoff, but the route will now bring the team into TCF Bank Stadium through the Lake of the Woods entrance on the east (closed bowl) end of the stadium, off 23rd Ave. SE near the Gold and Gopher Lots and the student entrance at Gate C.
Over on Oak Street, the front plaza and lawn of 3M Arena at Mariucci will be hosting a pre-game celebration before every game, the Gopher Garden Pre-Game Fan Fest. The venue will open three hours prior to kickoff and feature entertainment for all ages. Food trucks will line up outside the front doors, with beverages available for sale inside the arena lobby (some purchases will require valid proof of 21-plus age), and a family-friendly street festival atmosphere will sprawl across the lawn and into Oak Street, which will remain closed off to vehicle traffic before Gopher football games. The Gopher Garden will also host the Gopher Tailgate Radio Show, presented by Cub Foods and Mills Fleet Farm, which is broadcast live on KFAN and the Gopher Radio Network and streamed worldwide via the iHeartMedia app. Live guests each week include iHeartMedia personalities, former Gopher greats and athletics leadership.
Once inside the TCF Bank Stadium gates, Gopher fans will continue to notice changes they recommended.
The West Plaza will become the centerpiece of new food and beverage options, as well as an improved common space for all fans.
After hosting temporary seating for two seasons, the West Plaza once again opened up last year and regained its old identity as the largest and most popular gathering place inside TCF Bank Stadium. New food choices from four Minnesota-based partners and additional gathering spaces will only further cement its place within the Gopher game day experience.
Four new food vendors will operate out of storefront shells in the West Plaza: Ike’s Restaurant, Pimento Jamaican Kitchen, Curds & Cakes, and Jax Café. These new vendors will add dozens of new food items to the existing TCF Bank Stadium menu. The West Plaza will also be serving a greater variety of soft drinks, beer and wine than ever before. Additional high-top tables and a drink rail overlooking the field will provide fans with new ways to enjoy the game from the plaza.
A newly formed regiment of ushers, named Gold Coats, will be stationed along vertical aisles in the facility. Gold Coats are part-time athletics department staff with consistent assignments, meaning fans will mostly see the same friendly face near their seats at each game. This consistency will help ensure each usher’s familiarity with stadium services and how to locate them from those particular seats, as well as answering general questions fans may have. The Gold Coats are a very visible piece of a new overarching customer service initiative designed to provide fans with improved access to information and guest services through Gopher game day venues, the GOLD Standard.
Fans are also encouraged to text GOLD to 78247 at any time during the game to ask questions or report issues. The fan text line has been an effective tool for addressing fans concerns from anywhere in the stadium, and there will be continued investment in providing outstanding service to those who text GOLD.
Fans entering the stadium will once again be asked to comply with TCF Bank Stadium’s clear bag policy (click here to view policy). Enforcement of this policy, implemented during the final weeks of the 2015 season, was a point of frustration last year. The process became much smoother as the season progressed but, in an effort to make it as easy as possible to enter the stadium with their personal items, Gopher Athletics provided every season ticket holder with a plastic tote bag meeting all clear bag policy guidelines earlier this summer. If fans have concerns about bags they would like to bring to the stadium, they should email their questions to [email protected]. Fans are always encouraged to arrive early for the quickest entrance into TCF Bank Stadium.
Fans helped transform parts of the game day experience with their feedback. They also physically transformed a large swath of tunnel wall between the Gophers’ locker room and their entrance to the field. Fleck called on Gopher fans to bring oars that helped share their story to Minnesota’s spring game, a call answered with more than 175 oars. These oars have been mounted as part of a display inside TCF Bank Stadium, one that promises to grow in the years to come when Gopher Athletics invites fans to bring oars to future events. The athletics department will not be collecting oars at regular season games this season, unless otherwise noted.
Even before making their first trip to campus for the 2017 football season, season ticket holders saw added value for their purchase through the Gopher Loyalty Program. Like most other athletics department in the country, Gopher Athletics previously offered a one-size-fits-all benefits program that was only available to donors. The Gopher Loyalty Program is a new initiative that provides both fans and donors customized experiences that they build themselves by selecting benefits that are most important to them. This is an innovative approach to investing in fans - it's the first of its kind among NCAA institutions. Benefit selection began in early August, with more than 13,000 Gopher fans building their own benefits packages.
http://www.gophersports.com/genrel/081717aaa.html
Go Gophers!!
In May 2016, newly hired Athletics Director Mark Coyle promised that Gopher Athletics would do more to invest in its fans. During the 15 months since making that promise, the athletics department has collected more feedback from fans, particularly its season ticket holders, than ever before. From surveys, to events, to social media, and a new Fan Advisory Board, Gopher fans have never had more platforms to share their thoughts.
Fans said that they wanted more value for season tickets, more entertainment options, and more choices when it came to the in-stadium menu. Gopher Athletics listened to this feedback and has planned a series of improvements to the football game day experience for Gopher fans.
Changes to Gopher game day start hours prior to kickoff, just as fans are piling into Dinkytown.
The new Ski-U-March is taking the place of the Victory Walk. The best elements of the Victory Walk aren’t changing. Head Coach P.J. Fleck and the team will still greet fans and enter the stadium along with the spirit squad and the band prior to the game. Ski-U-March will be held at the same time as the Victory Walk, 2.5 hours prior to kickoff, but the route will now bring the team into TCF Bank Stadium through the Lake of the Woods entrance on the east (closed bowl) end of the stadium, off 23rd Ave. SE near the Gold and Gopher Lots and the student entrance at Gate C.
Over on Oak Street, the front plaza and lawn of 3M Arena at Mariucci will be hosting a pre-game celebration before every game, the Gopher Garden Pre-Game Fan Fest. The venue will open three hours prior to kickoff and feature entertainment for all ages. Food trucks will line up outside the front doors, with beverages available for sale inside the arena lobby (some purchases will require valid proof of 21-plus age), and a family-friendly street festival atmosphere will sprawl across the lawn and into Oak Street, which will remain closed off to vehicle traffic before Gopher football games. The Gopher Garden will also host the Gopher Tailgate Radio Show, presented by Cub Foods and Mills Fleet Farm, which is broadcast live on KFAN and the Gopher Radio Network and streamed worldwide via the iHeartMedia app. Live guests each week include iHeartMedia personalities, former Gopher greats and athletics leadership.
Once inside the TCF Bank Stadium gates, Gopher fans will continue to notice changes they recommended.
The West Plaza will become the centerpiece of new food and beverage options, as well as an improved common space for all fans.
After hosting temporary seating for two seasons, the West Plaza once again opened up last year and regained its old identity as the largest and most popular gathering place inside TCF Bank Stadium. New food choices from four Minnesota-based partners and additional gathering spaces will only further cement its place within the Gopher game day experience.
Four new food vendors will operate out of storefront shells in the West Plaza: Ike’s Restaurant, Pimento Jamaican Kitchen, Curds & Cakes, and Jax Café. These new vendors will add dozens of new food items to the existing TCF Bank Stadium menu. The West Plaza will also be serving a greater variety of soft drinks, beer and wine than ever before. Additional high-top tables and a drink rail overlooking the field will provide fans with new ways to enjoy the game from the plaza.
A newly formed regiment of ushers, named Gold Coats, will be stationed along vertical aisles in the facility. Gold Coats are part-time athletics department staff with consistent assignments, meaning fans will mostly see the same friendly face near their seats at each game. This consistency will help ensure each usher’s familiarity with stadium services and how to locate them from those particular seats, as well as answering general questions fans may have. The Gold Coats are a very visible piece of a new overarching customer service initiative designed to provide fans with improved access to information and guest services through Gopher game day venues, the GOLD Standard.
Fans are also encouraged to text GOLD to 78247 at any time during the game to ask questions or report issues. The fan text line has been an effective tool for addressing fans concerns from anywhere in the stadium, and there will be continued investment in providing outstanding service to those who text GOLD.
Fans entering the stadium will once again be asked to comply with TCF Bank Stadium’s clear bag policy (click here to view policy). Enforcement of this policy, implemented during the final weeks of the 2015 season, was a point of frustration last year. The process became much smoother as the season progressed but, in an effort to make it as easy as possible to enter the stadium with their personal items, Gopher Athletics provided every season ticket holder with a plastic tote bag meeting all clear bag policy guidelines earlier this summer. If fans have concerns about bags they would like to bring to the stadium, they should email their questions to [email protected]. Fans are always encouraged to arrive early for the quickest entrance into TCF Bank Stadium.
Fans helped transform parts of the game day experience with their feedback. They also physically transformed a large swath of tunnel wall between the Gophers’ locker room and their entrance to the field. Fleck called on Gopher fans to bring oars that helped share their story to Minnesota’s spring game, a call answered with more than 175 oars. These oars have been mounted as part of a display inside TCF Bank Stadium, one that promises to grow in the years to come when Gopher Athletics invites fans to bring oars to future events. The athletics department will not be collecting oars at regular season games this season, unless otherwise noted.
Even before making their first trip to campus for the 2017 football season, season ticket holders saw added value for their purchase through the Gopher Loyalty Program. Like most other athletics department in the country, Gopher Athletics previously offered a one-size-fits-all benefits program that was only available to donors. The Gopher Loyalty Program is a new initiative that provides both fans and donors customized experiences that they build themselves by selecting benefits that are most important to them. This is an innovative approach to investing in fans - it's the first of its kind among NCAA institutions. Benefit selection began in early August, with more than 13,000 Gopher fans building their own benefits packages.
http://www.gophersports.com/genrel/081717aaa.html
Go Gophers!!