Shama: The Gophers have sold 253 new season tickets since Fleck was hired

[Bayfieldgopher]

I think folks here greatly overestimate the impact of PJ and ticket sales.

I'm sure folks are interested, but committing to season tickets is no small matter for most folks.

I think there is a potential for developing a much larger season ticket holding fans.... but only Wins will really tap that.

Fleck did not do much for WMU's attendance until 2016. Not saying it won't help at UM. Win big and win often is what it will take. Capacity at their stadium is 30,2000.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldo_Stadium#Attendance

2009 3 2 20,330[14]
2010 3 3 14,678[15]
2011 5 0 19,985[16]
2012 3 3 14,579[17]
2013 0 5 17,347[18]
2014 3 2 15,625[19]
2015 4 2 19,441[20]
2016 6 0 23,838

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

Fleck did not do much for WMU's attendance until 2016. Not saying it won't help at UM. Win big and win often is what it will take. Capacity at their stadium is 30,2000.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldo_Stadium#Attendance

2009 3 2 20,330[14]
2010 3 3 14,678[15]
2011 5 0 19,985[16]
2012 3 3 14,579[17]
2013 0 5 17,347[18]
2014 3 2 15,625[19]
2015 4 2 19,441[20]
2016 6 0 23,838

Typically attendance lags the wins a bit. Also that's WMU, they've always had mild attendance, not a lot to draw from. I think we have more attendance potental upside here.

See 2015 for us.... sadly then 2015 became what it was

 

[fmlizard]

There really needs to be a peak here in football. For a decent program, Gophers have had remarkably few big moments to get people excited and build new fans. There were a couple big shockers under Mason and Wacker but it's been years since the Gophers sprung a monster win. They generally win the ones they are supposed to, and lose when supposed to. It's only a matter of how close it comes. We've had a shocking lack of top draft picks from here for the records that have been put up in the 20 years of being OK.

At the seasonal level, we're fairly unique in the lack of top seasons among the non-hopeless. Heck, even Kansas, Wake, Illinois, and other really weak teams went to BCS games. Rutgers and BC were both #2 for a spell. Purdue, Northwestern, and Washington St have been to the Rose Bowl. At Minnesota, it's a steady drumbeat of B- football. I think even the drama of oscillating between 10-2 and 4-8 makes for a more interesting story, which people show up for.

 

[joshvanklomp]

Fleck did not do much for WMU's attendance until 2016. Not saying it won't help at UM. Win big and win often is what it will take. Capacity at their stadium is 30,2000.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldo_Stadium#Attendance

2009 3 2 20,330[14]
2010 3 3 14,678[15]
2011 5 0 19,985[16]
2012 3 3 14,579[17]
2013 0 5 17,347[18]
2014 3 2 15,625[19]
2015 4 2 19,441[20]
2016 6 0 23,838

He increased the attendance by almost 3,000 in a year where the program went 1-11. I'd consider that pretty impressive.

Once again remember, Western Michigan is located within close distance from Michigan (100 miles), Michigan State (80 miles) and Notre Dame (75 miles). Those are extremely tough fan bases to turn folks from to get them to go to a WMU game.

 

[fan of Ray Williams]

Fleck did not do much for WMU's attendance until 2016. Not saying it won't help at UM. Win big and win often is what it will take. Capacity at their stadium is 30,2000.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldo_Stadium#Attendance

2009 3 2 20,330[14]
2010 3 3 14,678[15]
2011 5 0 19,985[16]
2012 3 3 14,579[17]
2013 0 5 17,347[18]
2014 3 2 15,625[19]
2015 4 2 19,441[20]
2016 6 0 23,838

He increased the attendance by almost 3,000 in a year where the program went 1-11. I'd consider that pretty impressive.

Once again remember, Western Michigan is located within close distance from Michigan (100 miles), Michigan State (80 miles) and Notre Dame (75 miles). Those are extremely tough fan bases to turn folks from to get them to go to a WMU game.

I have to agree with Josh on this one. I looked up all the attendance records as you did and Josh pointed this out to me. If you are to look at the attendance figures for the other MAC schools, they do well.

 

[Bayfieldgopher]

IMO, the ball is in Coyle's court. What he should do, if anything, is to welcome back the ST holders who bailed and lower the donation levels. But that may not be best for the UM revenues.

The atmosphere around TCF has to improve. Tailgating improvements would be a good start. It's not fair to compare to the Vikings but the atmosphere at their plaza is fun and interesting. Counted at least four bands the one game I went to. Not the answer, but it all helps though.

 

[joshvanklomp]

The atmosphere around TCF has to improve. Tailgating improvements would be a good start.

The way PJ has talked about the gameday experience and with what he built at WMU, I feel pretty confident that this will be addressed. It's another part of the culture change, in my opinion.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

The atmosphere around TCF has to improve. Tailgating improvements would be a good start. It's not fair to compare to the Vikings but the atmosphere at their plaza is fun and interesting. Counted at least four bands the one game I went to. Not the answer, but it all helps though.

I feel like there is a chicken and the egg thing going on there... also need more people, there.

 

[beatles]

Plus our football coach is physically attractive now. That always helps.

An understanding that being a head college football coach entails more roles than just actual coaching will help.

 

[Halsey Hall]

Only the University of Minnesota. . .

Hire a young, energetic coach who was hired, at least partially, to bring some energy and excitement to the program with National Signing Day right around the corner and you decide it's not a good time for an aggressive ticket push.

Welcome aboard PJ, the biggest culture you have to change is with the school administrators.

GREAT point

 

[iowa]

2 were me and wife! If I count since I'll only be here when iowa is not at kinnick or madison. But someone will be in the seats I paid for!

 

[Winasota Gopher]

Fleck did not do much for WMU's attendance until 2016. Not saying it won't help at UM. Win big and win often is what it will take. Capacity at their stadium is 30,2000.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldo_Stadium#Attendance

2009 3 2 20,330[14]
2010 3 3 14,678[15]
2011 5 0 19,985[16]
2012 3 3 14,579[17]
2013 0 5 17,347[18]
2014 3 2 15,625[19]
2015 4 2 19,441[20]
2016 6 0 23,838

Fleck got there in 2012?

So attendance increased, during his tenure, 9,259 bodies or 63.5%...

If he does the same here we'll have 70,000 people.

I'd be ok with 70,000 people.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

Fleck got there in 2012?

So attendance increased, during his tenure, 9,259 bodies or 63.5%...

If he does the same here we'll have 70,000 people.

I'd be ok with 70,000 people.

We're gonna need to fire up that stadium expansion talk again.

I don't know where the horse even is anymore....

 

[Hates Monikers]

There really needs to be a peak here in football. For a decent program, Gophers have had remarkably few big moments to get people excited and build new fans. There were a couple big shockers under Mason and Wacker but it's been years since the Gophers sprung a monster win. They generally win the ones they are supposed to, and lose when supposed to. It's only a matter of how close it comes. We've had a shocking lack of top draft picks from here for the records that have been put up in the 20 years of being OK.

At the seasonal level, we're fairly unique in the lack of top seasons among the non-hopeless. Heck, even Kansas, Wake, Illinois, and other really weak teams went to BCS games. Rutgers and BC were both #2 for a spell. Purdue, Northwestern, and Washington St have been to the Rose Bowl. At Minnesota, it's a steady drumbeat of B- football. I think even the drama of oscillating between 10-2 and 4-8 makes for a more interesting story, which people show up for.

I don't completely disagree. However, we beat Nebraska two years in a row, and we beat Michigan two years ago (almost beat them last year). Even though Michigan was down, people still notice. There was never a time in the past 40 years when I would've expected us to beat Nebraska and Michigan in the same year. The stadium was pretty much sold out for most games in 2015.

 

[joshvanklomp]

Fleck got there in 2012?

So attendance increased, during his tenure, 9,259 bodies or 63.5%...

If he does the same here we'll have 70,000 people.

I'd be ok with 70,000 people.

First year was '13, but that means he's still responsible for increasing from the 2012 number.

 

[GopherVotary]

Good thing TCF is expandable.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

As has been discussed, part of the whole "game day atmosphere" issue is the U of M not wanting to upset the City of Mpls and the neighborhood groups, leading to various restrictions on tailgating, parties, etc. Kaler and Coyle have hitched their wagon to Fleck. Will they be willing to go to city and neighborhood officials and lobby for changes to improve the game-day atmosphere? God forbid that the students might have too much fun........