Mona says students at U of M don't go to games because...

[minngg]

Name one team that hasn't even won their conference in 40 years and is a good draw? Now name one with pro franchises in the same city with 40 years of not winning a conference title and is drawing?

 

[josh087]

You're right - the state of Ohio does have the Browns and Bengals - yet we all know the popularity of Ohio State football.

Here's the problem though - we don't have the built-in legacy and winning tradition (since most of us have been alive) that the OSU program has. Because of this it's not the main attraction in town. If the Gophers won 10 games every year, yeah - no problem, we'd get fans.

Look at a team like Rutgers, for example. In 2007 when things were rolling and they were in the top 5 they got sellouts. Then they build an addition and can't sell tickets. Why? People in that area have always rooted for the Giants first. But guess what? Rutgers in 2007 was the top story in the news only because they were winning. Now - they don't lead the sports news. For the casual fan, there is no interest out there for them. And it hurts them because they're not the automatic top draw. If the Giants were winless this year they would still be the lead sports story.

It may not make a difference to you and I, but we're unique. To change the culture the casual fan has to be changed as well. And it is a little bit easier to do that with the Vikes gone. Not the only thing that needs to be fixed, but it would make a difference.

 

[go4gopher]

I know what you mean; however, Jersey is not fly-over country like we are. During my backpack trip in the Czech Republic, the proprietor of an apartment at which I stayed asked me where I was from? He never heard of Minnesota or Minneapolis; only knew where Chicago was located.

Anyways, Rutgers is not alone; you can throw Cincinatti, Colorado, California, Washington, Arizona State, Georgia Tech, and Maryland (USF maybe?) in that pool of public schools with an NFL franchise located in the MSA. Is West Lafayette, IN (Purdue) technically the Indianapolis MSA? Unlike all of these other states, we are the only FBS team in the state to boot.

 

[gopheraschells]

i think its pretty simple..students that like football go to the games. it is the ones who really arent that big of footbal fans that arent showing up. To keep these students in the stands you have to make it a good time in the stadium. having a good team usually makes for a fun expereince. the gophers do not have that and they dont have any fun tradition/things to entertain the students. If anything the Administration has made it less fun at tcf then it was at the metrodome

 

[Goldmember]

If the Gophers were better, there would be fewer 11 am games, more 2:30.....more student attendance

No. You're wrong and spreading mis-information. Look how many 2:30 television slots the Big Ten has access to. And what media market you are in matters as much as youre wining percentage.

Minnesota would play the same number of 11:00 AM games if they were #1 in the conference.

 

[Goldmember]

Looks like some people don't know the difference between reasons and excuses.

In the places he mentions the University completely dominates the region. There is nothing of significnce in these places except that which is University-related. Minnesota students can go to school and, if they chose, never have the slightest involvement in anything University-related outside of their classes. And until about 10-15 years ago, very few did.

Imagine these places without their University, and consider wheather or not anyone age 18-23 would still live there.

 

[FarmGopher]

Ok....Everyone, please, deep breathe.

Yes, the student section was not packed for every game. I know everyone here wants to have a rockin' stadium packed with students for every game, and hopefully we will get there, but you have to understand that the U has not been a great "football" school for awhile. When they built TCF, they didn't flick a switch and the whole student body suddenly realized "wow, gopher football is awesome! I need to be there for every game!" It's going to take a little while to create great student atmosphere/tradition, especially when the product on the field hasn't been exactly riveting.

For example, your options are to get up and watch a 5-5 football team play a D1-AA school at 11:00am in the endzone of the stadium, or sleep. Is it really that hard to picture some students picking sleep? If the gophers were 8-4 or better, it would help build a student fanbase. The last thing you want is to fall into an attitude of "these students don't deserve the right to watch a mediocre football team!, let's take away seats!" That's not how you build a student fanbase.

Everyone keeps complaining how the U can't fill 10,000 student football seats with 50,000 students. Where were you during men's basketball games before Tubby? We never even filled a 2,000 seat student section. The problem? The basketball team was mediocre. How about men's hockey this year? There are seats available for the student section there too. Again, following a year of mediocrity, the students wan in support. Tubby's turning the basketball team around (and beating rivals), and the students are showing up. The football program could try to follow suit.

 

[UpnorthGo4]

Exactly, it is a cop out to sat that the students don't come because of the vikings or the other things to do in town. Is there more to do here than Iowa City, Lincoln, Madison, sure. However, I don't know many college students that could regularly afford NFL tickets. I also don't know many college students that take advantage of these additional entertainment options such as the theater or symphony available here but not in these college towns.

Since Bud Grant took over the Vikings and coached them to four Super Bowls there has only been one football team in the state that anyone talks about, or cares about. I went to the Hump on Saturday night with my neighbor to watch Cretin play Brainerd. His kid plays for Cretin. The only people in attendance were students of the the two schools, parents, and friends of the players. The Hump was ridiculously empty for a large school semi-final football game. What do you suppose the attendance is in Ohio, Florida, Texas, or California for a state semi-final game?

The Vikings dominate media coverage of football in Minnesota. Do the Browns and Bengals dominate football coverage in Ohio? If anything, I would bet that Ohio State gets more coverage than those two teams put together.

Unless you are a diehard supporter of the team nobody cares about the Gophers in Minnesota. Most of my friends make jokes about them and make fun of me for going to the games. My own son who is a junior in IT at the U couldn't care less about the Gophers. Although he goes to most of the home games, it really doesn't matter to him whether they win or lose. And he will never watch any of the Gopher away games on TV. But he will NEVER miss even one minute of a Vikings game on TV. My son loves the Vikings - and the Gophers matter very little to him even though the U is his school. I have to believe there are many U of M students just like him.



GO VIKES GO - PLEASE JUST LEAVE
CITIZENS OPPOSED TO STADIUM TAXES

 

[gopherluv]

Since Bud Grant took over the Vikings and coached them to four Super Bowls there has only been one football team in the state that anyone talks about, or cares about. I went to the Hump on Saturday night with my neighbor to watch Cretin play Brainerd. His kid plays for Cretin. The only people in attendance were students of the the two schools, parents, and friends of the players. The Hump was ridiculously empty for a large school semi-final football game.

I take it you've never been to a state semi-final before

 

[GO4FAN65]

So Mona is biased for the Gophers. Well good! There sure are a lot of journalists and announcers in this dump of a city that are biased against them Why not bitch about them.

 

[at the bar]

Anyone who doesn't think that allowing beer at TCF would increase student attendance by at least 2,000-3,000 per game can't remember what it is like to be a college student. MN students have been allowed beer at home games for years and now they can't buy beer at games. Spend some time in the student section and you'll notice how much alcohol was snuck into TCF and how many students show up drunk. Many more students don't go to games because they decide to drink at home or a bar instead.

 

[GophersInIowa]

Anyone who doesn't think that allowing beer at TCF would increase student attendance by at least 2,000-3,000 per game can't remember what it is like to be a college student. MN students have been allowed beer at home games for years and now they can't buy beer at games. Spend some time in the student section and you'll notice how much alcohol was snuck into TCF and how many students show up drunk. Many more students don't go to games because they decide to drink at home or a bar instead.

That's why it's going to take a few years to get that attitude out of here. Most students who have season tickets now went to games at the dome where they could buy beer. Once many of these kids graduate, it won't be as big of a deal.

 

[josh087]

Minnesota would play the same number of 11:00 AM games if they were #1 in the conference.

This is absolutely, without a doubt, without question, simply not even close to being true.

 

[dpodoll68]

Name one team that hasn't even won their conference in 40 years and is a good draw?

I can name five for you -

Notre Dame
Mississippi State
Ole Miss
South Carolina
Missouri

Now name one with pro franchises in the same city with 40 years of not winning a conference title and is drawing?

None that I can think of within the same city, but Missouri is 120 miles from both St. Louis and Kansas City, and Notre Dame is 90 miles from Chicago.

I think you guys all need a new excuse computer. The Vikings have nothing at all to do with either: 1) Minnesota's inability to win a Big Ten title in 42 years; or 2) Minnesota's inability to get students to come to the games. Winning will take care of both ills, and there is no one to blame for this except the University itself.

 

[Brew_recruit]

lol Notre Dame, the idiot doesn't even realize they are not in a conference.

 

[mplsbadger]

they have other things to do in the Twin Cities. He stuck his foot further in his mouth by saying in Iowa or Nebraska, there is nothing else to do, thus they go to games. Sid added there is nothing to do in Madison either, thus students go. What a stupid comment from both. There is plenty to do at any college town, and students in many major cities attend their college games.

Why don't they go in Evanston?

 

[mplsbadger]

I suggest that they offer 1/3 of the student tickets to recent grads on a non-renewable basis. They can earn gopher points but are not guaranteed continued access. This would allow them to expand the student section again later if interest merits it (no sense penalizing the students of tomorrow for the actions of the students of today).

 

[dpodoll68]

lol Notre Dame, the idiot doesn't even realize they are not in a conference.

You're right, I didn't realize they are not in a conference.

You're a g*ddamned fool.

Let's all bow down to this numbnuts and his illustrious 31-post history.

But, tell me this, smart guy -

Has Notre Dame won a conference title in 40 years?

Are they a good draw?

Do they or do they not meet the criteria of the question?

 

[Brew_recruit]

HOW CAN YOU COMPARE NOTRE DAME AND THE GOPHERS FOOTBALL PROGRAMS???? I can be a homer, but I would never be that stupid. Notre Dame Football is everything to that campus, just like research is everything to the U.

 

[BradDad]

"No alcohol is driving down attendance ...."

I don't think the U should worry too much about "fans" who won't show up if they can't drink beer.

Florida draws 90,000 per game without serving alcohol. Win and they will come - booze or no booze.

 

[akgopher]

How many students are willing to play $6.50 for a 3.2 Miller Light?

 

[dpodoll68]

HOW CAN YOU COMPARE NOTRE DAME AND THE GOPHERS FOOTBALL PROGRAMS???? I can be a homer, but I would never be that stupid. Notre Dame Football is everything to that campus, just like research is everything to the U.

PLEASE SHOW ME WHERE ANYONE COMPARED NOTRE DAME AND THE GOPHERS FOOTBALL PROGRAMS!!!! THANKS IN ADVANCE!!!!

Someone asked the question, and I answered it. Nothing more, nothing less. I don't know how on God's green earth you got a comparative evaluation out of that.