The Gophers' allotment for the Meineke Bowl would be 12,000 tickets, which would need to be purchased through the U of M ticket office in order for the school to be given credit for the sale. Somehow, Northwestern was able to sell out their 12,000 tickets for that bowl last year.
I'm fairly certain the Big Ten absorbs the unsold tickets for bowl games, just like the payouts go into a pool and are allocated to all 12 teams. But still, buying through the U of M is the only way to help our reputation for future seasons.