My Challenge to Everyone

[akgopher]

I personally know one influential member on the higher education committee at the legislature and a former influential legislator who served on the higher ed committee, as well as a past regent. There is a very good chance I will run into all three during the next year and I when I do, I will ask all three about the football program. I will specifically ask if in their roles they put as much emphasis on the commitment to building a winning football program when compared to their peers in Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, etc.

If anyone else knows a past/present regent, higher ed committee member, U administrator, or even governor ask them the same question. I think we will find out a lot about the situation and if the problems are bigger than Maturi and coaching.

 

[imthewalrus]

Ever since those pin heads got the approval to build TCF BANK STADIUM, their committment to football became INSURED. IF those suckers let the football program fall so far that attendance falls way off and the anticipated revenues from the stadium don't mateialize and the contributions from those forced to make contributions in addition to purchasing tickets dries up and large shortfalls are incurred, they are in BAD bonding issue trouble. There is state bonding involved in the building of that stadium. The University of Minnesota has to go with their hand out looking for a contribution from the state legislators every other year when they are setting the U of M budget.

IF they blow the mission totally with the football program...it is going to come back to bite those pinhead administrators at the U of m. They used up a lot of good will and exhausted a lot of fund-raising good will when they were stupid enough to build the stadium. When they were in the damn dome, they had NO liability for any finances. Well, that stadium cost darn near $300 million.

I'm telling you akgopher: prexy k would be in a real jam if there started to be big shortfalls in revenue generated by TCF BANK STADIUM. The administrators at the U of M can NOT ignore the need to put an acceptable and competetive Big Ten Football Program on the field. There can be no EXTENDED periods of time in the Big Ten basement IF it affects season ticket sales and contributions to the scholarship funds.

We long time season ticket holders FINALLY mean something to the administrators because WE can help them pay off their debts IF we continue to renew our season ticket orders and make contributions along with those season ticket orders. IF we decide to throw our ticket orders away and don't renew...we can HURT the U of M athletic department's cash flow and make them scramble to find a way to fund their bonding issues.

; 0 )

 

[GopherOhana]

don't know if we'll see a drop in ticket sales
thnking opposing teams and their fans will find TCF delightful

 

[imthewalrus]

The thing is: single game ticket sales to fans from other schools in the conference..

will not provide that "forced" $200.00 or $500.00 dollar contribution for the right to buy a season ticket. So, badger joel macturi can sell seats that don't require a contribution to wisky or iowa or Nebraska fans and receive just the face value of the price of the tickets.

However, if seson ticket sales decreased and a large number of those season tickets were in the preferred seating areas, the loss of the contribution amount would be felt.

If too many of the preferred seating options are left empty, that would be a real blow to the revenue generation potential of the stadium. Too many seasons of last place/totally non-competetive seasons in Big Ten play could destroy the concept of and the ability of the U of M athletic department to demand contributions for the right to purchase preferred seating options.

badger joel macturi can not afford to have that happen on a large scale. Maybe it never will get that bad. I certainly hope it doesn't. However, too many non-competetive seasons will kill the season ticket base and THAT would be a huge negative for the cash flow situation.

 

[glovedgopher]

don't know if we'll see a drop in ticket sales
thnking opposing teams and their fans will find TCF delightful

Iowa, Nebraska, NDSU and Wisconsin don't come here every year. Next year we get Northwestern, Purdue, Michigan, MSU, Western Michigan, Syracuse and New Hampshire. Combine that schedule with this losing season and it is easy to see selling tickets will be very hard next year.