Student ticket information email?

[parkinglotgopher]

Wasn't something supposed to go out yesterday with information about how to purchase student tickets from the upcoming season? Did anyone receive it?

 

[GortonsFisherman011]

I didn't get anything about tickets yet....

 

[Chadypu]

I think they said week of the 6th, not the 6th

 

[parkinglotgopher]

So - the week of the 6th has come and gone. Anyone see anything yet? I'm really anxious to get a look at this new system, esp. since tickets are apparently going on sale in just 12 days and no one (among the ticket buyers) has more than a small clue about how it will all work.

 

[gopherguy06]

Why not call the ticket office and ask them? They are running it and should have an idea.

 

[FarmGopher]

Here's the link

http://www.gophersports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=8400&KEY=&ATCLID=1179091

Looks like the policy of letting alumni buy student tickets up to 2 years after they graduate is offically over for football. That's kind of depressing since I graduate in a month and I won't be able to go to any games with my girlfriend who is a year younger than me, or my brother who will be a sophomore next fall. I guess I'll have to start coming up with a new plan to get into the new stadium next fall.

GO GOPHERS!

 

[parkinglotgopher]

Thanks Farm - shitty circumstances for you on this one.

For me personally, I'm now really curious to see if (and for that matter, how quickly) the U sells out the student section. I know they expect a spike in demand with the stadium being both new and on-campus, but consider this.

Last year, the U sold only a fraction of the 10,000 allotted last year while allowing pretty much anyone with a U Card (regardless of credit status) to purchase TWO tickets. This year, it's very likely there will be fewer than 5,000 returning ticket holders (quite possibly significantly fewer than that), since they'll remove all the people who bought student tickets who weren't students, the second ticket purchased by anyone who bought two, and anyone who graduated this winter or spring and had tickets last fall as a senior. That leaves a void of several thousand students (3,000? 4,000?) who didn't buy tickets last year to buy tickets for this coming season, and that's just from the 8,000 in the returning student allocation. Add into that the need for incoming/transfer students to buy up their allotment of 2,000 tickets, and you're looking at needing to sell an awful lot of kids on the experience of Gopher football. There is certainly a buzz among those I'm friends with, so I don't see this as impossible, but I am falling into my Gopher-bred roots of expecting the worst right now.

Now it's time for the students to really show up and pack this place. Tell your friends - buy a student ticket!!! We need everyone to get out there and pick one up!

 

[Wisconsin33]

I am falling into my Gopher-bred roots of expecting the worst right now.

THIS is what separates you all from the rest of college football and explains why you all hate Wisconsin so much. You need to learn to think differently before you guys can even start to have a respected fan base or build any sort of significant traditions. God...

 

[FarmGopher]

THIS is what separates you all from the rest of college football and explains why you all hate Wisconsin so much. You need to learn to think differently before you guys can even start to have a respected fan base or build any sort of significant traditions. God...

Thank you so much for the input, Wisconsin33. It must be such a burden to have to troll, I mean grace inferior university message boards and inform them, in such a constructive, and meaningful way about how sad and pathetic they are. You are certainly a shining example of the quality product of University of Wisconsin at Madison. To think of all the beer that could have been binged while you were tirelessly crafting such gifted messages, like the one above. I think I'm speaking for everyone that you have opened our eyes to the wretched lives we lead, and that your work here is done. Please carry on your quest at another university wallowing in pathetic fandom, I here Florida Atlantic is really sucking it up right now, I think they might need you more than we do.

So long, Wisconsin33, you shall be missed.

 

[FarmGopher]

Thanks Farm - shitty circumstances for you on this one.

For me personally, I'm now really curious to see if (and for that matter, how quickly) the U sells out the student section. I know they expect a spike in demand with the stadium being both new and on-campus, but consider this.

Last year, the U sold only a fraction of the 10,000 allotted last year while allowing pretty much anyone with a U Card (regardless of credit status) to purchase TWO tickets. This year, it's very likely there will be fewer than 5,000 returning ticket holders (quite possibly significantly fewer than that), since they'll remove all the people who bought student tickets who weren't students, the second ticket purchased by anyone who bought two, and anyone who graduated this winter or spring and had tickets last fall as a senior. That leaves a void of several thousand students (3,000? 4,000?) who didn't buy tickets last year to buy tickets for this coming season, and that's just from the 8,000 in the returning student allocation. Add into that the need for incoming/transfer students to buy up their allotment of 2,000 tickets, and you're looking at needing to sell an awful lot of kids on the experience of Gopher football. There is certainly a buzz among those I'm friends with, so I don't see this as impossible, but I am falling into my Gopher-bred roots of expecting the worst right now.

Now it's time for the students to really show up and pack this place. Tell your friends - buy a student ticket!!! We need everyone to get out there and pick one up!

I agree. I don't think anyone knows how big student turnout will be. It makes it even more difficult when, in true U ticket office fashion, they don't give you the whole story. Will the tickets be transferable to other students, or non-students? Will you need to present a student ID at the gate? Will seating be general admission, or assigned at the door? All these things factor into some students decision to get tickets but they seem to almost always neglect to provide information to students.

As for me, I think I'll be able to get into the bank this fall, and I'll find a way into the student section.

GO GOPHERS!

 

[ChemEGopher]

I'm in the same situation as you, FarmGopher. What's to stop you or I for registering for 6 credits right now, getting tickets, then dropping the classes before school starts in september?

 

[GoAUpher]

I'm in the same situation as you, FarmGopher. What's to stop you or I for registering for 6 credits right now, getting tickets, then dropping the classes before school starts in september?

It looks like this could maybe be doable. From the website Farm posted:

A season ticket will not be distributed to an individual who purchases a season ticket with an invalid U of M Student ID number or is not a student at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities with a minimum of 6 credits for the 2009 fall semester. All tickets are general admission and seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis. An email will be sent to student season ticket holders in early August with information about student season ticket pick-up and specific information about the student section in TCF Bank Stadium.​

In the U's academic calendar (http://onestop.umn.edu/calendars/index.html#fall2009) it says you can drop classes with a 100% refund up to 9/15. The website says they'll contact students in August, not that they'll had them out then. But even if they hand them tix in September it looks like its conceivable you could still drop the credits. I wonder if they have anything in place for that?

 

[GoAUpher]

I agree. I don't think anyone knows how big student turnout will be. It makes it even more difficult when, in true U ticket office fashion, they don't give you the whole story. Will the tickets be transferable to other students, or non-students? Will you need to present a student ID at the gate? Will seating be general admission, or assigned at the door? All these things factor into some students decision to get tickets but they seem to almost always neglect to provide information to students.

As for me, I think I'll be able to get into the bank this fall, and I'll find a way into the student section.

GO GOPHERS!

The website you linked to said it was GA on a first come first served basis.

 

[dpodoll68]

The website you linked to said it was GA on a first come first served basis.

I don't think that clears up the situation entirely though. That could be construed to mean general seating, or vouchers handed out at the door, the way it's been done for several years now. There's been a lot of pissing and moaning on this board about vouchers, but I think it's the better way to go for one simple reason...there's nothing stopping somebody from being a douche and grabbing your seats while you're at concessions or using the restroom.

 

[DLguy]

I dont think registering for classes and then getting tickets just to drop your classes would work. When you go to the gate, your U-Card would get scanned. If you drop your classes then you are no longer a student at the U. This would show up at the gate and I believe you would not get admitted to the event.

 

[parkinglotgopher]

When you go to the gate, your U-Card would get scanned. If you drop your classes then you are no longer a student at the U. This would show up at the gate and I believe you would not get admitted to the event.

I just called the Gopher ticket office and the girl told me the U hasn't officially decided what, if anything, will be done at the gates of the stadium to assure that those entering the stadium are the same students who purchased the tickets. The way I see it, there are a few scenarios:

(1) A system is arranged where a students U Card is scanned, remotely somehow or with something that's set up on-site, during the normal frisking to enter the stadium. The ticket doesn't have a name on it or anything like this - it's enough to have a ticket and a U Card that can be scanned to assure you're a U of M student. The only way I can see the U scanning every ID is if there's a set up at the security checkpoint for frisking. If you make the line stop a second time for scanning, getting into the stadium is going to be very, very slow.

(2) A system is arranged like hockey season tickets, where your name is printed on your ticket. You flash the ticket and the U Card at some point, and if the names match, you're golden. If the names don't, you have to go through a separate line and have your card scanned.

(3) There are no names printed on the tickets, and no one is scanning IDs. When entering the stadium, it's enough to have a U Card that is (or appears to be) you and the ticket. Flash the ID on your way in, and you're all set.

(4) There is no name on the ticket, no ID required. Basically, if you have a ticket for the game that says you sit in the student section, you're getting in and sitting in the student section.

#2 and #3 seem the most likely to me, with #2 probably being the most likely since there's a example of how this works with hockey games. Then again, #2 worked at the beginning of the hockey season, but as ushers started to care less about arguing with students, they started just letting everyone in and it sort of defeated the purpose. #1, though it would be the most effective at assuring everyone entering the gates as a student is a student, would be a major hassle and slow down entering the stadium to a crawl. #4 seems unlikely, because why would you go through the hoops of this new ordering system and then not back it up with anything at the gate?

 

[Gold Vision]

How many student tickets were sold last year? Unless we are sure we can sell 10,000 tickets to actual individual students, #4 seems like the best way not to have a sparce upper deck student section.

 

[GoAUpher]

How many student tickets were sold last year? Unless we are sure we can sell 10,000 tickets to actual individual students, #4 seems like the best way not to have a sparce upper deck student section.

#4 is also the best way to make sure that there is plenty of red in the seats for the B10 opener. Students who aren't hardcore fans will not balk at a good $$$ amount and given that money is tight for many students its not hard to see why. And yes, I know I've likely ignited an age old debate and Nervous will see fit to make an appearance now. Regardless, if we can't sell 10K student tickets at $83 a pop in TCF's first season...well I might just throw up. However, I don't think they'll have trouble selling all the student seats. Not all the students there will be die-hards by any means, but $83 bucks is still a pittance and TCF is right there. Those conditions alone should be enough.

 

[gopheraschells]

i for one am really disappointed for how the U is handling this in regards to getting information out

 

[UptownMaroon&Gold]

Yeah, I wish they would outline the gameday system a little more in detail, so I could figure out how to get around it. I am recent grad, and have still been sitting in the student section through friends purchasing a ticket for me for the past couple of years, with no problems. I still act more like a student than most of the students at our games, and I would die before I ever sold any ticket to any opposing fanbase. I dont really have the money to buy normal-person tickets at this point in my life, so unfortunately, if they scan u-cards at the gate, I might be out of luck.

Unless maybe if I had a buddy still in school, who didnt want to get tickets, compelled them to log on and buy one for me,...then also lend me their U-card seven times throughout the fall. probably would help if they looked like me too.

 

[TubbytownUSA]

I still havent gotten an email. This is garbage.

 

[Bronko Nagurski Gopher]

Yeah, I wish they would outline the gameday system a little more in detail, so I could figure out how to get around it. I am recent grad, and have still been sitting in the student section through friends purchasing a ticket for me for the past couple of years, with no problems. I still act more like a student than most of the students at our games, and I would die before I ever sold any ticket to any opposing fanbase. I dont really have the money to buy normal-person tickets at this point in my life, so unfortunately, if they scan u-cards at the gate, I might be out of luck.

Unless maybe if I had a buddy still in school, who didnt want to get tickets, compelled them to log on and buy one for me,...then also lend me their U-card seven times throughout the fall. probably would help if they looked like me too.

now that is dedication to gopher football my friend! you are a true gopher fan through and through. i have a feeling though you won't be the only person dealing with this same type of "situation". it is just the way it goes i guess.