Shama: U Crowds Decline from Record 2015

[BleedGopher]

per Shama:

The Gophers sold 5,100 fewer football season tickets in 2016 than last year, according to figures provided by the University of Minnesota Athletic Department. Those are nonstudent season tickets and the decline represents about a 19 percent loss in purchases.

In 2015, the sale totaled 27,885 while this year it is 22,785.

The Gophers have played four of their seven-game home schedule so far and have no sellouts. Announced attendance for last Saturday’s rivalry game with Iowa was 49,145 and there were many seats sold but not used. That is the largest crowd of the season in 50,805 capacity TCF Bank Stadium. (Stadium capacity was reduced this year because the Vikings are no longer using the facility).

Minnesota is averaging 44,901 fans per game in announced attendance. Last year the Gophers averaged 52,355 fans per game—the best in seven seasons at TCF Bank Stadium. The 2015 schedule, with high profile football opponents like TCU and Michigan, was more attractive than this fall’s teams. Other factors impacting ticket sales and attendance this year includes price increases in season tickets, lack of excitement about the 2016 team after a disappointing 6-7 record in 2015, and the loss of popular head coach Jerry Kill who resigned last October.

http://shamasportsheadliners.com/

Go Gophers!!

 

[MaxyJR1]

One last time, we hosted TCU, Wis, Neb, and Michigan last year. We hosted Iowa this year.


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[Sparlimb]

What's sad is they'll get one more big crowd for Rutgers, only because it's homecoming. I'm going and I know I could care less which of loses the toilet bowl. Purdue and Northwestern will be half full, even though they'll have sold far more tickets.

 

[Spoofin]

I'm curious if anyone thinks the "donations" played a role in this decline? Could be good conversation.


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[Unregistered User]

I'm curious if anyone thinks the "donations" played a role in this decline? Could be good conversation.


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Hahahahahahahahahahaha

It gets funnier every time you post something like this!

What a hot, fresh line.

OMG...You should be on stage!

Oh...[holding my stomach] do the Nick Saban joke again! Or say "spiral" haha. Accepting mediocrity? CLASSIC. You on FIYA!

 

[Ski U Master]

One last time, we hosted TCU, Wis, Neb, and Michigan last year. We hosted Iowa this year.


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And were coming off an 8 win season with a coach that people generally loved.

Would love to know the scanned ticket figures. I know they are out there, Gopher Puck Live was able to get them from the Athletic Dept for hockey last year.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

And were coming off an 8 win season with a coach that people generally loved.

Would love to know the scanned ticket figures. I know they are out there, Gopher Puck Live was able to get them from the Athletic Dept for hockey last year.

Yeah big season in 2014, dissapointment in most every way 2015, lost games, lost coach, 2016 schedule is sleepy as can be. That plus the prices and I'm a bit surprised the drop hasn't been lower.

 

[scools12]

Yeah big season in 2014, dissapointment in most every way 2015, lost games, lost coach, 2016 schedule is sleepy as can be. That plus the prices and I'm a bit surprised the drop hasn't been lower.

I'd say the on field performance in 2015 has more to do with the decline in attendance than this year's schedule does.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

I'd say the on field performance in 2015 has more to do with the decline in attendance than this year's schedule does.

I think it is a big nasty combo. But yeah there were supposedly a lot of new 2015 season tickets sold if I recall and their first impression was kinda not fun

 

[Word]

Yeah big season in 2014, dissapointment in most every way 2015, lost games, lost coach, 2016 schedule is sleepy as can be. That plus the prices and I'm a bit surprised the drop hasn't been lower.

Agree. Plus there are no super cheap tickets on stub hub or living social.

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[bleedsmaroonandgold]

I think that the weak schedule is overstated. Season ticket sales are down 19%. I don't believe that 1 in 5 season ticket holders make their decision to buy/not buy season tickets by the quality of that year's home schedule. I'd be really curious if we could see a breakdown of the data on how long-time the season ticket holders who left were.

 

[Stuff]

Hahahahahahahahahahaha

It gets funnier every time you post something like this!

What a hot, fresh line.

OMG...You should be on stage!

Oh...[holding my stomach] do the Nick Saban joke again! Or say "spiral" haha. Accepting mediocrity? CLASSIC. You on FIYA!

Nice work! Probably my favorite post in the last month

 

[GopherVotary]

May be time to hire another outside marketing firm.....

 

[Spoofin]

Spirals! Mediocrity! Nick Saban (first time I've ever mentioned him, but OK)!


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[MNGoldenGophers1]

I think that the weak schedule is overstated. Season ticket sales are down 19%. I don't believe that 1 in 5 season ticket holders make their decision to buy/not buy season tickets by the quality of that year's home schedule. I'd be really curious if we could see a breakdown of the data on how long-time the season ticket holders who left were.

Agreed. I have never met anyone who bought season tickets on and off based on the the teams schedule . I have met some people who have dropped their season tickets and renewed them years later because of life circumstances. The most common being someone who moved away and then became a season ticket holder again when they moved back. I know another person who dropped their season tickets because they were busy with their own kids' sports on Saturdays only to renew them some years later. However, I have never heard of anyone dropping them because of the schedule. I'm guessing there might be a few who do it but would like to hear a first hand account. Are there any GHs who go this route?

 

[MNfootballfan]

Agreed. I have never met anyone who bought season tickets on and off based on the the teams schedule . I have met some people who have dropped their season tickets and renewed them years later because of life circumstances. The most common being someone who moved away and then became a season ticket holder again when they moved back. I know another person who dropped their season tickets because they were busy with their own kids' sports on Saturdays only to renew them some years later. However, I have never heard of anyone dropping them because of the schedule. I'm guessing there might be a few who do it but would like to hear a first hand account. Are there any GHs who go this route?

+1000

I also have never heard anyone drop/add their season tickets solely off of the schedule. I said this earlier, but when I buy my season tickets it is to watch the Gophers first and the opponent second. With that being said... Yes, I was way more excited for TCU or Michigan at 7:00 on Halloween over an 11:00 Rutgers game, but I would still get tickets for the game.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

I think that the weak schedule is overstated. Season ticket sales are down 19%. I don't believe that 1 in 5 season ticket holders make their decision to buy/not buy season tickets by the quality of that year's home schedule. I'd be really curious if we could see a breakdown of the data on how long-time the season ticket holders who left were.

Not everyone.

But we had a lot of folks pick up season tickets for the first time last year. After losing Jerry, a disappointing season.... you look at that schedule and I think that can close the door on tickets.

Particularly with a big contrast with the season before's schedule.

Having said that, we're not good enough to go out of our way to schedule extra difficult teams, so it's not like the department should be doing much there.

 

[MaxyJR1]

However I've heard of visiting fans buying season tickets when they travel here and selling the other games.


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[Ski U Mah Gopher]

However I've heard of visiting fans buying season tickets when they travel here and selling the other games.


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Nebraska fans have been known to do that.

 

[MNVCGUY]

+1000

I also have never heard anyone drop/add their season tickets solely off of the schedule. I said this earlier, but when I buy my season tickets it is to watch the Gophers first and the opponent second. With that being said... Yes, I was way more excited for TCU or Michigan at 7:00 on Halloween over an 11:00 Rutgers game, but I would still get tickets for the game.

The schedule may definitely make it a tougher sell but agree for someone who is already a season ticket holder they are unlikely to drop them based only on the schedule with the idea of buying them again the following year. That sort of mentality usually doesn't go hand in hand with season ticket purchases.

This year was kind of a perfect storm for season ticket numbers to drop, popular coach gone, poor record after a couple of solid years in a row, increased prices, very few big draw programs on the home schedule. As someone else stated I am actually a little surprised the number of lost season ticket holders wasn't even a little higher.

 

[gopherhoopsguy]

I am looking for dirt cheap tickets to Rutgers game. What is the going rate for tickets on the street? I plan on going over to the basketball scrimmage after this game.

 

[LesBolstad]

I am looking for dirt cheap tickets to Rutgers game. What is the going rate for tickets on the street? I plan on going over to the basketball scrimmage after this game.

Wouldn't pay more than $10. There will be 1000's of open seats.