Stadium Parking Question

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I know that there have been multiple parking threads on here but I have a question for ya.

Last year we shared a couple of spots in the Northstar Lot just across the street from the stadium. My cousin works for the U and the stadium so he got 2 spots for free. We would drop off our tailgating gear and then park about 2 miles away and walk back to the lot to party it up. It was a blast but parking elsewhere and having to deal with all of that sucked balls. I noticed that the spots are going for about $400 plus an annual donation of $1,000 for each spot. This lot was 1/2 full all year but was a good time.

I called the U to ask about the Ski-U-Mah Lot and they said it is the same thing. We would like to get a spot near there but I can't afford $1,400 a year plus my tickets.

With the economy we are in, is it too much to ask the U to drop the fees a little on these spots? Even drop the donation to $500 and possibly fill up the lots instead of having them 1/2 full. (not sure about the Ski-U-Mah lot, didn't spend much time there). Kind of seems like a no brainer to me, but then again, I'm not the smartest guy out there.
 

I agree with the idea of dropping the prices for those lots. They can always ease the prices back up. Also, it is a bit of a downer walking to the stadium to see the lots like that. I think it would be a better atmosphere if the lots nearest the stadium were jammed with people tailgating.
 

They want people to pay $233.33 per game to park (I guess a little less if the spring game is included)? I honestly had no clue it was so expensive. That is ridiculous.
 

It's going to take awhile to bring back the tailgate culture to this sports town. I'm afraid that if you lowered the donation amount that you'd just have a bunch of people pay who just want to park close to the stadium. Lower fees doesn't necessary mean more tailgaters I'm afraid.

From a dollars and cents prespective, 50% capacity at $1k is the same revenue as 100% at $500. Although one could make the argument that having 100% capacity increases your customer base and gets them hooked for a price increase later.
 

To each their own but as someone who has a spot in Ski-U-Mah I kind of enjoy the extra space. It allows us to spread out and not be on top of each other. Plus my $250 seat donation makes the parking surcharge "free".
 


streetfighter said:
They want people to pay $233.33 per game to park (I guess a little less if the spring game is included)? I honestly had no clue it was so expensive. That is ridiculous.
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Technically you're paying for a place to park, but really you're paying for a place to tailgate close to the stadium.
 

zman said:
To each their own but as someone who has a spot in Ski-U-Mah I kind of enjoy the extra space. It allows us to spread out and not be on top of each other. Plus my $250 seat donation makes the parking surcharge "free".
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I understand that but my family has 6 tickets and that is usually 2 cars filled with food/beer and tailgating gear. Christ, that's $2,800 for 2 parking spots and 1 family. That's tough to eat on top of ticket prices.

I just think that it would bring a better atmosphere to the campus if the lots were filled with Gopher fans directly around the stadium. Maybe not all would tailgate but you will also get people who will tailgate and not go to the game, maybe to purchase tickets later if they had a good time.

Just my $.02
 

Why the tailgate parking is sooooo high is one of the big head scratchers to me. Getting on a surface lot that can host tailgating is waaaaay too expensive. The 'U' seemed to do a lot of studies of other Big 10 football operations prior to completing TCF Bank Stadium. Is it normal to have tailgating parking that is impossible to purchase on game day? I would love to tailgate but I would probably only do so for a few games every year. It would be nice if even ONE of the lots didn't have to be reserved. I always see people talk about the missing "tailgate culture" here due to the seasons in the Metrodome. How will that culture grow under the current game day parking situation? There are tons of people that like me, would probably love to try it and get hooked (and be willing to pay MORE down the line to continue). But, it is so out of whack from day one the result is a bunch of half empty lots next to the stadium. That can't be 'normal.'

I am in the Oak Street ramp because it makes no sense to me to pay that kind of money to tailgate 2 or 3 times per season. So, I hang out at the bars instead. Still fun, but I'd love the opportunity to tailgate a bit. Ironically, it is much easier to tailgate for games at the Metrodome (unless you want to pay THOUSANDS for the opportunity).
 

In my case It got us to upgrade our seats. Last year we had 2 $250 seats and 2 non donation seats. The $1000 donation for the tailgate spot is now covered by my 4 $250 donation seats. We have 4 great seats on the 30 yard line in sec. 139. This motivation to have tailgate spot will get more of the cash seats sold. If they are not sold as season tickets, they would have to be sold as singles with no cash donation. The U knows what they are doing and a half full tailgate lot still makes them a lot of money.
 



dlw4gophers said:
In my case It got us to upgrade our seats. Last year we had 2 $250 seats and 2 non donation seats. The $1000 donation for the tailgate spot is now covered by my 4 $250 donation seats. We have 4 great seats on the 30 yard line in sec. 139. This motivation to have tailgate spot will get more of the cash seats sold. If they are not sold as season tickets, they would have to be sold as singles with no cash donation. The U knows what they are doing and a half full tailgate lot still makes them a lot of money.
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Well said. It's not about filling the parking it's about getting butts in the $250 and $500 donation seats. Brilliant marketing.
 

herbie said:
Well said. It's not about filling the parking it's about getting butts in the $250 and $500 donation seats. Brilliant marketing.
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Worked on us. We had $100 tickets last year. We enjoyed the tailgating so much last year we moved up to the $250 seats to cover the parking surcharge this year.
 

If you would like to tailgate I would consider trying the after-market for a tailgate lot permit.
 

Goldmember said:
If you would like to tailgate I would consider trying the after-market for a tailgate lot permit.
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I have a pass in the Maroon lot next to the stadium. I won't be using it for the following games....South Dakota, USC, Northwestern(homecoming) and Penn State. If anyone is interested shoot me an email to [email protected] Will sell to best offer. Thanks
 



We did the same as others have. We had two $250 preferred seats last year and bought two more this year so we could get into lot 37. Those spots are obviously enticements for people to buy preferred seating and that should stay that way even if they are not full. There are other opportunities for tailgating at private lots near the stadium and at the fair grounds. There are also the ramps and the bar scene. The money I spend on preferred seating is part of my stadium contribution. That's how I planned it. I just decided to accelerate that donation and include my children in the seating. I could see how some one sitting in seating that isn't preferred would feel a little out, but that is how it is. You could get Rukavina involved and then everyone could park wherever they damn please and drink beer from morning til night.
 

Last year I was disappointed that they made the lots around the stadium too expensive for our group. I have parents, aunts and uncles, and friends of friends that all tailgate together and the diversity of our group makes it impossible for everyone to even think about dishing out the extra cash for the lots around the stadium.
So from the get go I had my eyes on the lots on the West Bank, and for the most part I love it. Our small lot is probably 25% tailgaters, prettty pathetic but that's another story, but I absolutely love the walk over to campus before and after the games. I like the fact that we are walking through the Mall on gamedays, it just adds to the atmosphere. It's a 20 minute walk (at the most). We stop at the Alumni Center and have a beer and then head into the game.
 

Schnauzer said:
Why the tailgate parking is sooooo high is one of the big head scratchers to me. Getting on a surface lot that can host tailgating is waaaaay too expensive. The 'U' seemed to do a lot of studies of other Big 10 football operations prior to completing TCF Bank Stadium. Is it normal to have tailgating parking that is impossible to purchase on game day? I would love to tailgate but I would probably only do so for a few games every year. It would be nice if even ONE of the lots didn't have to be reserved. I always see people talk about the missing "tailgate culture" here due to the seasons in the Metrodome. How will that culture grow under the current game day parking situation? There are tons of people that like me, would probably love to try it and get hooked (and be willing to pay MORE down the line to continue). But, it is so out of whack from day one the result is a bunch of half empty lots next to the stadium. That can't be 'normal.'

I am in the Oak Street ramp because it makes no sense to me to pay that kind of money to tailgate 2 or 3 times per season. So, I hang out at the bars instead. Still fun, but I'd love the opportunity to tailgate a bit. Ironically, it is much easier to tailgate for games at the Metrodome (unless you want to pay THOUSANDS for the opportunity).
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The Minneapolis Parks opened up the East Bank Flats last year for tailgating down on the Mississippi River for first come first serve. Very nice and underused location if you ask me. I'd by far have used this spot over anything over at the State Fair.

And I think everyone that has a spot around the stadium needs to realize is that most of those surface lots are going to be gone within the next 20 years and replaced with buildings and parking ramps.
 

GoGophers2005 said:
And I think everyone that has a spot around the stadium needs to realize is that most of those surface lots are going to be gone within the next 20 years and replaced with buildings and parking ramps.
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But until then....:party:
 

I enjoy doing the bar thing as a pregame warmup.
Reasons:
You don't have to lug around, set-up, or take down any tailgating equipment.
There are plenty of bars with pretty good food.
Great atmosphere, with plenty to look at.
Don't have to pay an outrageous sum to park my car.
 

I like the outdoors aspect of tailgating rather than sitting in a bar. That lost its appeal to me many years ago. But having choices is the key - to each their own.
 

You are correct zman...to each their own.
Tailgating is fun, it just becomes a hassle sometimes.
Last year we did the state fair lot before the MSU game. Ended up in a big hurry when we were still in the lot 30 minutes before kickoff. Had to stand in line for shuttle. By the time we got to our seats, we'd missed 10 minutes of the first quarter. By the time we got back to the fairgrounds after waiting for shuttle bus, etc. It was 11:30 PM.
I can't afford the big bucks for a place close to the stadium, so my best option is the bar scene.
 

Park at Van Cleve Park off 15th and Rollins. Its a 15 minute walk, but it's easy on the eyes on the nice fall days.
 

GoGophers2005 said:
The Minneapolis Parks opened up the East Bank Flats last year for tailgating down on the Mississippi River for first come first serve. Very nice and underused location if you ask me. I'd by far have used this spot over anything over at the State Fair.
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+1. We tailgated for 3-4 games last year, all that this lot. Drove up day of the game, $10, great spot (indoor bathroom, water fountains, nice grassy area, Mississippi river) and a quick 10 minute walk through the superblock to the stadium (right past any number of good places to stop for a drink). And this smallish lot, which probably could hold about 100 cars, was NEVER full.

From the sounds of it, the near-stadium tailgating lots are a scam, and that's too bad. But at least last season, for people on a budget, those who didn't want long walks, or those who only wanted an occasional tailgate, there were options. I hope the same is true this season.
 

I was talking to my brother and he made a great point. One big thing that separates Target Field from TCF Bank Stadium is the parking situation. Let's say that someone does not have season tickets to either team. If they acquire tickets to a Twins game, they can drive right up the stadium and park 2-3 blocks away. If they go a Gopher game, they either have to park a mile away and walk, or take a shuttle to the stadium. With the way the U has things setup, getting to stadium for a game is a b*&ch if you haven't forked out the absurd money for parking.

Now I'm not complaining for myself because I'll still go to the games, but for the casual fan it sucks. Just think about that... You are someone who likes the Gophers, but you've never been to a football game. A friend of yours gives you their tickets, and you show up to the game only to have to tack on an extra 30 minutes on each side just so you can get close to the stadium..

What the Gopher football team needs more than anything is to make a good experience for causal fans, because we're really short on them. But with the way it's setup, what casual fan is going to rush back to the stadium after they had to walk a mile to get to it, especially when all of the parking lots they're passing are only 40% full? I know the U needs money, but IMO they blew it on the general strategy.
 

Originally Posted by GoGophers2005
The Minneapolis Parks opened up the East Bank Flats last year for tailgating down on the Mississippi River for first come first serve. Very nice and underused location if you ask me. I'd by far have used this spot over anything over at the State Fair.

+1. We tailgated for 3-4 games last year, all that this lot. Drove up day of the game, $10, great spot (indoor bathroom, water fountains, nice grassy area, Mississippi river) and a quick 10 minute walk through the superblock to the stadium (right past any number of good places to stop for a drink). And this smallish lot, which probably could hold about 100 cars, was NEVER full.

From the sounds of it, the near-stadium tailgating lots are a scam, and that's too bad. But at least last season, for people on a budget, those who didn't want long walks, or those who only wanted an occasional tailgate, there were options. I hope the same is true this season.
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Stop telling people about the East Bank Flats - I don't want the prices to go up!!!
 

GoGophers2005 said:
The Minneapolis Parks opened up the East Bank Flats last year for tailgating down on the Mississippi River for first come first serve. Very nice and underused location if you ask me. I'd by far have used this spot over anything over at the State Fair.

And I think everyone that has a spot around the stadium needs to realize is that most of those surface lots are going to be gone within the next 20 years and replaced with buildings and parking ramps.
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GoGophers2005, I don't think it will take 20 years for your prediction to come to fruition.

http://www.cppm.umn.edu/masterplan/Docs/East%20Gateway%20District%20Master%20Plan.pdf

Another aerial view from the U's Master Plan pdf http://www.cppm.umn.edu/masterplan/Docs/East%20Gateway%20District%20Master%20Plan.pdf

What parking will eventually look like immediate to the stadium http://www.cppm.umn.edu/masterplan/Docs/East%20Gateway%20District%20Master%20Plan.pdf

The above link to page 58-59 of the pdf gives an incredibly detailed description of what parking (or lack thereof) will be surrounding the stadium.

Also from the pdf:
The current parking total is 3,082 spaces, all surface parking. Proposed parking space is 4,200, including up to 3,300 spaces in the three proposed decks. Smaller surface parking lots of 20 to 30 spaces will be located throughout the District.
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Bottom line, enjoy tailgating while you can as in the not to distant future it will be a even more $$$$.
 


dlw4gophers said:
In my case It got us to upgrade our seats. Last year we had 2 $250 seats and 2 non donation seats. The $1000 donation for the tailgate spot is now covered by my 4 $250 donation seats. We have 4 great seats on the 30 yard line in sec. 139. This motivation to have tailgate spot will get more of the cash seats sold. If they are not sold as season tickets, they would have to be sold as singles with no cash donation. The U knows what they are doing and a half full tailgate lot still makes them a lot of money.
Click to expand...

one thing I'd like to see right away. Allow anyone with four seats and 2000 in donations to buy two spaces provided their lot is not full. I split my seAts with family but have them in my name. I can't get two spots unless I transfer two of them to another family member - dumb. $140 down the drain for the u.

Another I'd like to see is shift everyone in the pay lots together so the lots closest are full, then allow first come first served tailgating in the other (outer) lots for $50 a game, first come first served. I'd like to see all the lots full someday.
 

As others have mentioned, its about the preferred seating more than anything. We have 4 seats in the $250 section and part of the reason (not all) for the 4 seats was that we would get the close lot for tailgating. These spaces need to be preserved for folks willing to donate to the University of Minnesota IMO. Truth be told, another reason we bought the seats was that we knew it was a donation to something we believe in...
 

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