MNF Ticket Policy

Donate To GopherHole
R

RodentInHawkHell

New member
Joined
Oct 22, 2010
Messages
29
Reaction score
0
Points
1
From the Vikes website:


Eden Prairie, MN (December 16, 2010) The Minnesota Vikings have announced the ticket policy and game logistics for the upcoming Monday night Vikings-Bears game at TCF Bank Stadium.

All ticket holders will use their Vikings-Bears game tickets for Mall of America Field at the Metrodome to enter TCF Bank Stadium and seating will be general admission by lower and upper levels.

Mall of America Field at the Metrodome Lower-Level Ticket Holders (100 level)
Ticket holders with lower-level tickets (100 level) will get lower-level seating access at TCF Bank Stadium (general admission) UNTIL SEATING IS AT CAPACITY. Gates will open at 5:00 p.m. for those 100 level ticket holders with line queues starting at 4:00 p.m. The value of all lower-level tickets will be considered to be $77. If the face value of the original 100-level season ticket is greater than $77, a credit for the difference will be applied to the Season Ticket Owners account toward 2011 season tickets. For single-game purchasers, a credit will be applied via Ticketmaster.

Mall of America Field at the Metrodome Upper-Level Ticket Holders (200 level)
Ticket holders with upper-level tickets (200 level) will only have upper level seating access at TCF Bank Stadium (general admission). Gates will open at 5:30 p.m. for those 200 level ticket holders. The value of all upper-level tickets will be considered to be $29. If the face value of the original 200-level season ticket is greater than $29, a credit for the difference will be applied to the Season Ticket Owners account toward 2011 season tickets. For single-game purchasers, a credit will be applied via Ticketmaster.

Unused Season Tickets for Mall of America Field at the Metrodome
Season Ticket Owners that do not use their tickets will receive full credit on their account if the ticket goes unused AND is mailed to the Vikings Ticket Office (425 Chicago Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55415) POST-MARKED by Saturday, December 18.

IMPORTANT: This is a first-come, first-served event. The Vikings anticipate this game to be well-attended and having a valid ticket does not guarantee admittance into TCF Bank Stadium. In the event that some ticket holders are turned away on game night due to capacity, only the original ticket account owners will receive a full refund.

Game Logistics
The Vikings and the University of Minnesota have agreed no alcoholic beverages will be served. No outside food or beverages will be allowed into the stadium. Game parking details will be announced in the coming days.

This is a difficult situation with no easy solution, so we greatly appreciate our fans patience in this process, said Steve LaCroix, Vikings Vice President of Sales and Marketing and Chief Marketing Officer. We are making every effort to accommodate as many Vikings fans as possible and play a home game here in Minnesota. We're excited about celebrating the 50th season with a return to outdoor football.

Steve LaCroix will be available for interviews today beginning at 4:00 p.m. from the Vikings Ticket Office; to arrange, please contact Vikings Assistant Director of Public Affairs Jeff Anderson at 612.247.4482.
 

Sounds fair. About what I expected.
 

Not if you are one of the unlucky few who doesn't actually get in--then you're screwed twice. You don't get to see the game and you don't get a refund because you didn't make the December 18 post mark deadline.

Still. It will be cool to see the Vikes in The Bank.
 

RodentInHawkHell said:
Not if you are one of the unlucky few who doesn't actually get in--then you're screwed twice. You don't get to see the game and you don't get a refund because you didn't make the December 18 post mark deadline.
Click to expand...

It would be nice if those who didn't get in could get the refund but since tickets are scanned these days there is probably no way to do it. Unless the scanners could be programed such that those who don't get in get scanned somewhere else and can then receive their refund?

Otherwise this seems pretty fair.
 

If you don't get in, you can still get a refund, but only if you are the original ticket owner. If you bought it from a scalper, you're out of luck.
 


Since all seating will be general admission (no "replacement" tickets), does this mean people can save seats, a la the school cafeteria?
 

So I have 2 Upper level Vikings tickets valued at $75.00 each therefore I can go to the game and still get a $92 credit?
 


RodentInHawkHell said:
Not if you are one of the unlucky few who doesn't actually get in--then you're screwed twice. You don't get to see the game and you don't get a refund because you didn't make the December 18 post mark deadline.

Still. It will be cool to see the Vikes in The Bank.
Click to expand...

There seems to be some contradiction between these 2 paragraphs:
Unused Season Tickets for Mall of America Field at the Metrodome
Season Ticket Owners that do not use their tickets will receive full credit on their account if the ticket goes unused AND is mailed to the Vikings Ticket Office (425 Chicago Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55415) POST-MARKED by Saturday, December 18.

IMPORTANT: This is a first-come, first-served event. The Vikings anticipate this game to be well-attended and having a valid ticket does not guarantee admittance into TCF Bank Stadium. In the event that some ticket holders are turned away on game night due to capacity, only the original ticket account owners will receive a full refund.
Click to expand...
 



There's not a contradiction. If you just don't show up, and don't mail your tickets by the deadline, you get no refund. However, if you do show up, and are turned away because there is no room, then you can get a refund. If you have tickets, show up early.
 

The scanners can probably tell when the section (upper and lower are full) but not which individual tickets were used. I would think the Vikings will collect the tickets of people not admitted on-site and then refund the account of the original purchaser. This prevents people from going to the game and then mailing in their ticket for refund.
 

ruralgopher said:
Two firsts: MNF in TCF, and sober viking fans??
Click to expand...

My guess is no on the 2nd one. The local establishments will be doing a brisk business starting at around noon. Have they announced anything about tailgating? I wouldn't want to be the security guards right when they stop letting people in. It'll be like that Obama rally in the Excel Center in June 2008, except not everyone there was drunk out of their minds.

I have a mental image of getting to my seat at TCF next fall and finding a fossilized piece of dessicated hotdog from the overserved Viking fan who upchucked during the game.
 

I imagine they will have ushers to pack people in. Anyone trying to save seats is going to be a total pain for everyone else.
 



Unstated: controlling access to the indoor club and loge seats. Are those general admission?
 

There will not be a problem

In my estimation there will be enough people who will send for the refund and sit at home in their warm TV room to see the game.

My concern would be, will the stadium even be filled?
 


I understand the policy and why it is in place but it sure would be nice if people would be able to bring a thermos of hot chocolate or coffe or cider or other hot beverage in with them considering the frigid conditions. I understand why they don't allow it though.
 

RodentRampage said:
There's not a contradiction. If you just don't show up, and don't mail your tickets by the deadline, you get no refund. However, if you do show up, and are turned away because there is no room, then you can get a refund. If you have tickets, show up early.
Click to expand...

Makes sense. You should have written the press release. :) To me not getting in equates to not using which is where my confusion stemmed from.
 

Navin said:
Unstated: controlling access to the indoor club and loge seats. Are those general admission?
Click to expand...

I'd expect not. Indoor club and loge boxes would seemingly be the same as suites, with the premium seatholders having full control of their leased space. But I have nothing to prove that. :) Just a hunch. I'd also think the same would be true for the outdoor club seating.
 

Really, what else could they do? This beats the alternative IMO. Last week was pathetic, at least you'll have a home crowd behind you, whether it's the full crowd or not. Considering the circumstances, people have to expect somebody could get screwed over in this whole situation, whether it's suite holders, or extra fans who just can't get in. At least they'll get their money back.
 

People who have upper deck tickets are getting a sweet deal. $29?
 

So if you go the men's room and come back, someone could be sitting in your seat?

This whole thing sounds like a rat's nest.
 

RodentRampage said:
I imagine they will have ushers to pack people in. Anyone trying to save seats is going to be a total pain for everyone else.
Click to expand...

It sounds like they're expecting a sellout (and then some). But if turnout is much lighter than expected due to:

A.weather

B.fan apathy

C.the Vikings sucking

I wonder if they're going to make people fill up the side of the stadium across from the TV cameras (north, I think) first, so that the seats look full on the broadcast. That's what they did in Ford field this past Monday
 

DarrenTheGreek said:
People who have upper deck tickets are getting a sweet deal. $29?
Click to expand...

Yeah but there are far less seats in the upper deck than lower which means the chance of getting in is less. Dome is about the same for upper and lower.
 

glovedgopher said:
Yeah but there are far less seats in the upper deck than lower which means the chance of getting in is less. Dome is about the same for upper and lower.
Click to expand...

Those who do make it will be wowed by the sightlines compared to the Dome though. :)
 

You're going to have a lot of people getting seriously intoxicated before going in with the hopes of maintaining a buzz throughout the game. Combine that with the cold weather, and there are going to be people getting hospitalized. It could be ugly.
 

I'm actually not seeing seat availability as a problem - one article I read stated there were approximately 53,000 tickets sold for the game, and someone else stated the stadium capacity as 50,000-50,500? That,s 2,500-3,000 people. Or about one in 20 to no show. Reasons for no showing: no beer, the cold, the roads, the parking, the potential to have to sit on bleachers, the potential of not getting in (why bother, not wanting to become part of any potential ugliness due to the general admission nature of the event), fan apathy, or any other host of reasons.

Where I do see a problem is what do you tell John Q. Viking Fan who "has been a season ticket holder since the franchise began, has had prime 50 yard seats the last 10 years, and is used to getting to their seat 5 minutes before kick, that their only option is high up in a corner. I wonder if some hush hush deals are being made with their loyal regulars and VIPS to get them into the indoor club areas to avoid this from happening.

I also think the prime motivator for the real short fuse to request a refund is if the request need be postmarked by Saturday, the Vikings should have most of the mail in their offices Monday morning. Assign a crew the task of opening and counting the returned tickets as fast as possible, maybe with a barcode scanner so they know who to refund. The prime motivation is that if they get enough tickets returned so the game is not oversold like it is now, that they could get on every major media outlet and tell fans "If you are holding a ticket, you WILL get into the stadium" That could prevent some road rage, fan anxiety and ugliness on the roads and parking lots around the stadium.

Assuming its the standard TicketMaster barcode system in place, I know that system can pinpoint which tickets have been used. I have been a season ticket holder at a venue that uses the Ticketmaster system, and I can get a report of my season ticket usage,as well as incentives for perfect attendance. Of course, the easier thing might be to just tear tickets for this game. Torn ticket = no hope for a refund. If the Metrodome and TCF Bank ticket scanners are incompatible, this may be the only option.
 

this will be a mess

here is what should have happened

1) - Gopher ticket office prints a set of tix for all seats and sends it to the Vikings
2) - Viking ticket office opens Friday at the Dome and fans come down to swap their tickets - ticket office remains open thru Monday or when all tix are gone
3) - On line option is available - where you surrender your vikes tix on line and are assigned TCF seats - you then print those out
4) scanners are programed to scan all bar codes set up by Gopher ticket office
5) extra tickets, if any, go on sale monday at noon for anyone who wants them

this way you know on Monday whether you have a ticket and you also have an assigned seat

Chaos will rain on people grabbing and holding seats as well as those who come late and find out they cannot get in -

Oh and make sure you sit down - no standing and cheering on 3rd down - we throw people out of the bank for that you know
 

badgergopher said:
So if you go the men's room and come back, someone could be sitting in your seat?

This whole thing sounds like a rat's nest.
Click to expand...


Just do NOT take a female Iowa fan to the men's room with you. :)
 

holereader said:
here is what should have happened

1) - Gopher ticket office prints a set of tix for all seats and sends it to the Vikings
2) - Viking ticket office opens Friday at the Dome and fans come down to swap their tickets - ticket office remains open thru Monday or when all tix are gone
3) - On line option is available - where you surrender your vikes tix on line and are assigned TCF seats - you then print those out
4) scanners are programed to scan all bar codes set up by Gopher ticket office
5) extra tickets, if any, go on sale monday at noon for anyone who wants them

this way you know on Monday whether you have a ticket and you also have an assigned seat

Chaos will rain on people grabbing and holding seats as well as those who come late and find out they cannot get in -

Oh and make sure you sit down - no standing and cheering on 3rd down - we throw people out of the bank for that you know
Click to expand...

Wouldn't work only because you know there are season ticket holders who don't live in the TC and they'd scream bloody murder if they missed out on the game b/c they couldn't get to the Cities until Monday.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom