Shooter: Gophers football attendance has decreased for a second straight season, averaging 46,519

[GringaGopher]

And their product is a$$. Don't understand the love for them.

My Dad took my brother and I to Gopher FB on Saturday n the Vikings games on Sunday. I think many Vikings fans have a family connection as to why they became fans. Having a salary cap gives the NFL more parity than many sports. I think the Vikes sell Hope every year.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

46 (claimed I get it) of 50 or so seems pretty good.

 

[BigTenGuy]

Actual attendance I assume was below 40,000 on average, but have yet to see the scanned ticket count. In 2023, the scanned average was 38,321, and the sold/distributed average (including free tickets to students for game 1) was 48,452.

 

[corcorangopher]

Complete crime to play NW State.

 

[gophmeister]

They should have added Cal and Stanford then broken the conference into 3 regions 6-7-7 that play each other every year and just put Michigan in the center group making it the best balance for ‘traditional’ powers.

 

[Some guy]

They should have added Cal and Stanford then broken the conference into 3 regions 6-7-7 that play each other every year and just put Michigan in the center group making it the best balance for ‘traditional’ powers.

If the problem with the conference is that it’s too big why would you make it even bigger?

You could do that now and I like the idea:
Division A
Oregon
Washington
UCLA
USC
Nebraska
Iowa

Division B
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Northwestern
Illinois
Michigan
Michigan state

Division C
Indiana
Purdue
Ohio State
Penn state
Maryland
Rutgers


All teams play 5 in their division.
2 crosses vs each of the other two divisions.

Locked crosses:
Ohio State - Michigan
Iowa - Minnesota

Play 5 (or 6 for those 4) every year.
Play the rest home and home every 6 years (except for those four….those four it takes a little longer to cycle through.

Top 2 two championship game.


Minnesota sample schedule:
Michigan
Michigan state
Wisconsin
Northwestern
Illinois
A - Iowa
A - one of west coast or Nebraska
C - one of division C at random
C - one of division C at random

Minnesota (plays home and home with west coast division every 10 years)
Iowa (plays home and home with B every 10 years)
Michigan (plays home and home with C every 10 years)
Ohio state (plays home and home with B every 10 years)

Everyone else is home and home every 6 or fewer

I think the only team that would/should hate the setup is Iowa

 

[Spaulding!No!]

Local media delivering the sadness for 60 years. Meanwhile, Wisconsin State Journal - all good at camp Randy.

 

[Gopherchase]

We had 2 games this year that were fun to watch start to finish. “Just win baby” is a fine motto and seems applicable, but the entertainment factor generally of PJ ball is extremely low.

 

[gopherbadgerman]

Local media delivering the sadness for 60 years. Meanwhile, Wisconsin State Journal - all good at camp Randy.

Well they did average about 20K more per game the the gophs...

 

[Ope3]

Early season is so important. The Cal loss hurt, the first B1G loss hurts.

ESPN Attendance

• Buffalo 47,774 on Thursday of Labor Day
• Northwestern State, HS Band and Family Day 42,447 (Not sure all the HS are part of that number and ticketed)
• Rutgers 46,234 coming off loss to CAL and bye
• Purdue 49,254 Homecoming after blowout to tOSU
• Nebraska 48,549 #25 Rival and MEA Friday game
• MSU 45,339 Off Iowa drubbing
• Wisconsin 46,038 Off back to back losses and Thanksgiving weekend.

Average 46,519
Conference Games: 47,082 93% of Capacity
FBS Games: 47,198

50,805 Capacity. 92% Total Capacity for 7 games

Every Big 10 game sold more than 45,000. That's pretty solid.

 

[Ope3]

It has been shocking how few Badger, Husker and Hawkeye fans there have been at the Bank after 2020. An obvious huge drop-off.

I was actually surprised at how many Badger fans showed up this year, given their current plight this season. There was a ton of Red in the NW corner of the stadium.

The last 2 Husker games have been on Thursday and Friday nights. I suspect that makes it a more difficult road trip.

Iowa, honestly I can't quite recall their turnout the past 2 visits. I do know for the 2022 game temps hovered in the single digits. Tough to figure out rooting interests all bundled up like that.

 

[Vegwards]

Per Shooter:

>> Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck told a Dunkers club gathering before the season that this would be his best team in his nine seasons at Minnesota. The Gophers finished the regular season 7-5.

Meanwhile, Gophers football attendance has decreased for a second straight season, averaging 46,519 for its seven games this year in 50,085-capacity Huntington Bank Stadium.

The Gophers’ highest attendance average in history was 62,954 in 1957 at Memorial Stadium. The Metrodome years topped out at 60,985 in 1985; and the Huntington Bank Stadium high is 52,355 in 2015.

During Fleck’s nine seasons at Minnesota, home attendance — excluding the abbreviated COVID 2020 season — has averaged 45,257.

Charley Walters: Who will absorb blame for Vikings’ nose dive?

Most likely general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, who signed a four-year contract extension in May.

www.twincities.com

Go Gophers!!

Those two pasty games to start the season could have had something to do with that.

 

[BronkosGhost]

This year was the first time in almost 30 years I didn't attend a game.
Not impressed with Fleck and his coaching style. I understand the challenges he faces with the advent of NIL and the lack of money available to him. That being said until Coyle and the U figure out a way to tap into a revenue stream to level that playing field we can just get used to 7 win seasons.

 

[Ope3]

This year was the first time in almost 30 years I didn't attend a game.
Not impressed with Fleck and his coaching style. I understand the challenges he faces with the advent of NIL and the lack of money available to him. That being said until Coyle and the U figure out a way to tap into a revenue stream to level that playing field we can just get used to 7 win seasons.

Too bad, if you had chosen to attend a game at the Bank there was 100% chance you would have seen a Gopher victory in their 7 win season, in hindsight.

Good times.

 

[FredCoxRocks]

I'd bet Shooter still uses a typewriter.

 

[Slim Tubby]

I'd bet Shooter still uses a typewriter.

 

[spermophilus]

Those two pasty games to start the season could have had something to do with that.

Was at the Notre Dame/Miami game for week #1, was at the NW State game but was “on the plaza” after Q1. Somehow missed the promo/themes you referenced for those two (no pun intended).

 

[spermophilus]

Complete crime to play NW State.

You’ll be disappointed then for at least the next 3 years. Also . . . Please don’t look at Iowa and Bucky’s non-con schedule either, to avoid FCS crime scenes.

 

[Some guy]

We had 2 games this year that were fun to watch start to finish. “Just win baby” is a fine motto and seems applicable, but the entertainment factor generally of PJ ball is extremely low.

It’s pretty odd that you have no fun but continue to follow to the point of posting

Sorry you have no fun.

 

[Swaggerson]

Yes but with Wisconsin being bad and the weather, it wasn't a great draw this time.

Sure felt like it was close to a sellout. Go Students!

 

[Swaggerson]

I was actually surprised at how many Badger fans showed up this year, given their current plight this season. There was a ton of Red in the NW corner of the stadium.

The last 2 Husker games have been on Thursday and Friday nights. I suspect that makes it a more difficult road trip.

Iowa, honestly I can't quite recall their turnout the past 2 visits. I do know for the 2022 game temps hovered in the single digits. Tough to figure out rooting interests all bundled up like that.

Thursday night definitely impacted the attendance from Lincoln.

 

[Ope3]

Thursday night definitely impacted the attendance from Lincoln.

Yeah, at minimum for most folks it would require 2 vacation days, on what already is a busy Labor Day weekend.

Probably some premium hotel rates too with the Fair going on in addition to the holiday.

 

[Ope3]

Sure felt like it was close to a sellout. Go Students!

That could have been just the bulkier coats, ski pants and storm wear everyone had on to defend against the cold/snow.

Felt like everyone was taking up space for at least another half of a human.

I modeled my attire as a Maroon & Gold version of brother Randy from A Christmas Story.

 

[1983]

Complete crime to play NW State.

Correct. Next year is no better despite playing a bottom feeder SEC team. This plus a national trend for all sporting events will continue to slowly erode attendance everywhere. There are few exceptions. Here, there are a lot of choices for entertainment here. I am impressed with what we get.

 

[gopherbadgerman]

Correct. Next year is no better despite playing a bottom feeder SEC team. This plus a national trend for all sporting events will continue to slowly erode attendance everywhere. There are few exceptions. Here, there are a lot of choices for entertainment here. I am impressed with what we get.

Mississippi State is better than you think

 

[Breakin' The Plane]

Mississippi State is better than you think

They were in the Reliaquest Bowl (Outback) in 2018 and 2022. Of course that was Leach, but their new coach is in year 3. Things have changed at lot, but it used to be Year 3 was the year when teams that changed coaches made big jumps. It's not a gimmie.