apparently teague tapped into the CSOM students a few months back and their independent studies and research resulted in them reporting that students want a game day atmosphere and a place to tailgate. brilliant! we are our own worst enemy more times than not.
Surprise! U of M botches Thursday night opening game logistics
- Thread starter gopherguy05
- Start date
apparently teague tapped into the CSOM students a few months back and their independent studies and research resulted in them reporting that students want a game day atmosphere and a place to tailgate. brilliant! we are our own worst enemy more times than not.
norman dale
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How is tailgating handled at the Texas State Fairground during the Red River Shootout
The Texas State Fair has figured out a way to incorporate a the huge Texas-Oklahoma fanbases into its fair parking.
http://www.bigtex.com/docs/Tailgating.pdf
Largest state fairs by attendance http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/qampa-texas-tops-state-fair-attendance/1155248
We'll go with raw attendance figures here, even though the state fairs vary in length. The numbers are from 2010, courtesy of carnival warehouse.com, which tracks the largest 50 fairs of all kinds in North America:
1. Texas State Fair, 2,618,500 in 24 days
2. Minnesota State Fair, 1,776,211 in 12 days (so, No. 1 in average daily attendance)
3. Oklahoma State Fair, 1,100,000, 11 days
4. North Carolina State Fair, 1,091,887, 11 days
5. Arizona State Fair, 1,041,329, 24 days
Why can't the fair and the University co-promote their respective events? They are a natural fit together in the hands of the right promoter.
The Texas State Fair has figured out a way to incorporate a the huge Texas-Oklahoma fanbases into its fair parking.
http://www.bigtex.com/docs/Tailgating.pdf
/
Largest state fairs by attendance http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/qampa-texas-tops-state-fair-attendance/1155248
We'll go with raw attendance figures here, even though the state fairs vary in length. The numbers are from 2010, courtesy of carnival warehouse.com, which tracks the largest 50 fairs of all kinds in North America:
1. Texas State Fair, 2,618,500 in 24 days
2. Minnesota State Fair, 1,776,211 in 12 days (so, No. 1 in average daily attendance)
3. Oklahoma State Fair, 1,100,000, 11 days
4. North Carolina State Fair, 1,091,887, 11 days
5. Arizona State Fair, 1,041,329, 24 days
Why can't the fair and the University co-promote their respective events? They are a natural fit together in the hands of the right promoter.
TexasAggie11
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There are a couple of obvious quick fixes to this situation that can salvage at least some of the gameday atmosphere:
1. Make Thursday an early release day (at noon) for all non-essential University staff. Officially close the University at 4:00 p.m., including night classes. Provide staff who have to stay the afternoon an extra half-day of PTO to use at their discretion. Allow the night classes to be made up on the "bad weather" or "dead week" days, if you have such a thing.
This will no doubt upset some faculty, who will see this as the University putting athletics ahead of academics. However, being the U of M, you don't really have to worry about these claims too seriously. Everyone knows you as a respected research university with a strong dedication to academics. As a concession, use a few timeouts or halftimes during the season to run features on academics, award top faculty and staff, or to market to prospective students. Let athletics be a marketing tool and showcase for academics.
2. Immediately release a pregame traffic plan on all available communication channels, including in an e-mail to all faculty, staff, and students, and in a postcard to all football parking permit holders. Create and erect large plywood signs or use the lighted portable road signs in strategic locations the week before the game to inform campus drivers of lane closures and reversals. Make two good exits from each bank of campus that are all lanes in one direction, with no right or left turns until you enter the highway. Sure, some people may have to double back around, but it's better than everyone sitting in a traffic jam.
Have all other major roads be inbound traffic, and close University to through traffic. If you want to park in lots on the west side of the stadium, you come down University from 35, and for the eastern lots, you come down University from 94/280.
3. On Thursday morning, offer incentive to faculty, staff, and students who normally park in the lots immediately adjacent to TCF Bank Stadium to park in another lot/ramp (space permitting). That way, those who have to work until 4 or 5 will be out of the way of football traffic. Find a local business or two to help sponsor this. At the entrance to the stadium lots, have a sign and even a traffic officer who lets them know they *can* park there, but if they go park in X lot/ramp today, they can park there for free and get a free breakfast. Have a station set up at each alternate lot with free coffee and donuts from a local grocery store or bakery for everyone who parked there. College staff and students will walk a little bit out of their way for some free food.
4. Since people will not have sufficient time to set up their own tailgates (three hours, WTF, we have at least 24), rent the largest damn party tent in the Twin Cities and set it up outside McNamara or Mariucci, or preferably both. Again, find a local grocery store (or, hell, Target) to sponsor the World's Largest Gopher Tailgate! Charge five bucks a head (three for kids), and let everyone grab a hot dog or two, a bag of chips, and a coke. Set out some bales of hay around the perimeter for folks to sit on. Make one tent "family friendly" and have Goldy drop by. Let alcohol be permitted at the other tent, and have your local brewery send out some girls in short shorts and tube tops to walk around.
You can even ask some student organizations or Greek life to sponsor some games. Let them bring out cornhole or ladder golf or whatever it is y'all play at tailgates. Find some two bit local band to set up somewhere and play a few songs for free just to get their name out there.
You won't break even, but that's what your sponsor is for. I could see this turning into a big annual event where the WLGT is held the first home game of every season. With more time to plan, you can create more of a fair-like experience to compete with the fair and get people excited for the season.
5. By the end of the week, contract with a charter bus operator and publicize a park and ride service from a couple nearby malls or large shopping centers. Let folks pay 3 bucks a head to ride there and back, and let the busses get as close to the stadium as possible for drop off. The centers will have excess parking on a Thursday evening, and may enjoy busloads of hungry people being dropped off near their restaurants after the game. For many people, the low hassle of park and ride is a huge bonus, because they don't have to deal with postgame traffic.
6. Take every extra campus bus you can muster out to the State Fair and offer $20 family seating packs to fill every empty seat you have. Send a couple of pom squad girls out to help sell the tickets. If you've got to compete with the fair head-to-head, you have to go out there with the best advantage you've got. Hit people up in the parking lot before they pay to enter the fair - they can always go to the fair on the weekend, but the Gopher ticket deal only happens once.
1. Make Thursday an early release day (at noon) for all non-essential University staff. Officially close the University at 4:00 p.m., including night classes. Provide staff who have to stay the afternoon an extra half-day of PTO to use at their discretion. Allow the night classes to be made up on the "bad weather" or "dead week" days, if you have such a thing.
This will no doubt upset some faculty, who will see this as the University putting athletics ahead of academics. However, being the U of M, you don't really have to worry about these claims too seriously. Everyone knows you as a respected research university with a strong dedication to academics. As a concession, use a few timeouts or halftimes during the season to run features on academics, award top faculty and staff, or to market to prospective students. Let athletics be a marketing tool and showcase for academics.
2. Immediately release a pregame traffic plan on all available communication channels, including in an e-mail to all faculty, staff, and students, and in a postcard to all football parking permit holders. Create and erect large plywood signs or use the lighted portable road signs in strategic locations the week before the game to inform campus drivers of lane closures and reversals. Make two good exits from each bank of campus that are all lanes in one direction, with no right or left turns until you enter the highway. Sure, some people may have to double back around, but it's better than everyone sitting in a traffic jam.
Have all other major roads be inbound traffic, and close University to through traffic. If you want to park in lots on the west side of the stadium, you come down University from 35, and for the eastern lots, you come down University from 94/280.
3. On Thursday morning, offer incentive to faculty, staff, and students who normally park in the lots immediately adjacent to TCF Bank Stadium to park in another lot/ramp (space permitting). That way, those who have to work until 4 or 5 will be out of the way of football traffic. Find a local business or two to help sponsor this. At the entrance to the stadium lots, have a sign and even a traffic officer who lets them know they *can* park there, but if they go park in X lot/ramp today, they can park there for free and get a free breakfast. Have a station set up at each alternate lot with free coffee and donuts from a local grocery store or bakery for everyone who parked there. College staff and students will walk a little bit out of their way for some free food.
4. Since people will not have sufficient time to set up their own tailgates (three hours, WTF, we have at least 24), rent the largest damn party tent in the Twin Cities and set it up outside McNamara or Mariucci, or preferably both. Again, find a local grocery store (or, hell, Target) to sponsor the World's Largest Gopher Tailgate! Charge five bucks a head (three for kids), and let everyone grab a hot dog or two, a bag of chips, and a coke. Set out some bales of hay around the perimeter for folks to sit on. Make one tent "family friendly" and have Goldy drop by. Let alcohol be permitted at the other tent, and have your local brewery send out some girls in short shorts and tube tops to walk around.
You can even ask some student organizations or Greek life to sponsor some games. Let them bring out cornhole or ladder golf or whatever it is y'all play at tailgates. Find some two bit local band to set up somewhere and play a few songs for free just to get their name out there.
You won't break even, but that's what your sponsor is for. I could see this turning into a big annual event where the WLGT is held the first home game of every season. With more time to plan, you can create more of a fair-like experience to compete with the fair and get people excited for the season.
5. By the end of the week, contract with a charter bus operator and publicize a park and ride service from a couple nearby malls or large shopping centers. Let folks pay 3 bucks a head to ride there and back, and let the busses get as close to the stadium as possible for drop off. The centers will have excess parking on a Thursday evening, and may enjoy busloads of hungry people being dropped off near their restaurants after the game. For many people, the low hassle of park and ride is a huge bonus, because they don't have to deal with postgame traffic.
6. Take every extra campus bus you can muster out to the State Fair and offer $20 family seating packs to fill every empty seat you have. Send a couple of pom squad girls out to help sell the tickets. If you've got to compete with the fair head-to-head, you have to go out there with the best advantage you've got. Hit people up in the parking lot before they pay to enter the fair - they can always go to the fair on the weekend, but the Gopher ticket deal only happens once.
Iceland12
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Norman, why that sounds like a great idea and there certainly shouldn't be anybody who would disagree, dealing with the Fair Board on anything is similar to dealing with the Kremlin. Though, the Kremlin is FAR more open to new ideas than the Falcon Heights boys are.
That's why having a Home Game during the State Fair, particularly a weekday game is just never going to work. Great idea in theory, outstate people can make a "trip" out of it, night game, usually great weather etc.; in reality without cooperation from the State Board Commissars, it won't work.
Which I'm guessing Mr.Teague and Mr.Kaler being the new guys, just found out.
Best to make it on Saturday when at least the Monday - Friday people and their cars won't be there.
bleedsmaroonandgold
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His address is [email protected]. Here is the email I sent. I urge everyone who emails to be respectful, there is no need for name-calling or anything along those lines.
Good Morning Mr. Teague,
I heard this morning that we will not be allowed to tailgate until 3 hours prior to game time for the football home opener. I assumed that the person had been misinformed and that there was no way that an athletic department so committed to creating a better gameday atmosphere this year would do that to us. However, several other sources seemed to confirm that. This was very frustrating to me as I have already taken work off to allow for more time to enjoy the game and get excited for my beloved Gophers.
Furthermore, the tailgating spots cost a lot of money, and if the the tailgaters are losing 1/14th of their season tailgating time, can I assume that the University will be refunding 1/14th of the cost of the spots?
I urge you to reconsider this decision. I have not yet purchased my tickets for the year, though it would be a lie if I suggested that I might not do so. I love my Gophers and would not dream of missing a football season. However, it certainly is frustrating when the team I love so much disregards its fans who are willing to give up either a day of wages or of vacation time to come get excited for a new season, only to be told that we aren't wanted on campus until 3 hours until kickoff.
If I was misinformed and this is not happening, I apologize. I also do not want to come off as a fan who whines about everything. I have been very excited about Gopher athletics since you took over the position. Hockey has been great, the Pitino hire has reignited my enthusiasm for Gopher basketball, and (in spite of this hiccup) Gopher football is generating a lot of excitement among me and my friends.
Go Gophers.
Good Morning Mr. Teague,
I heard this morning that we will not be allowed to tailgate until 3 hours prior to game time for the football home opener. I assumed that the person had been misinformed and that there was no way that an athletic department so committed to creating a better gameday atmosphere this year would do that to us. However, several other sources seemed to confirm that. This was very frustrating to me as I have already taken work off to allow for more time to enjoy the game and get excited for my beloved Gophers.
Furthermore, the tailgating spots cost a lot of money, and if the the tailgaters are losing 1/14th of their season tailgating time, can I assume that the University will be refunding 1/14th of the cost of the spots?
I urge you to reconsider this decision. I have not yet purchased my tickets for the year, though it would be a lie if I suggested that I might not do so. I love my Gophers and would not dream of missing a football season. However, it certainly is frustrating when the team I love so much disregards its fans who are willing to give up either a day of wages or of vacation time to come get excited for a new season, only to be told that we aren't wanted on campus until 3 hours until kickoff.
If I was misinformed and this is not happening, I apologize. I also do not want to come off as a fan who whines about everything. I have been very excited about Gopher athletics since you took over the position. Hockey has been great, the Pitino hire has reignited my enthusiasm for Gopher basketball, and (in spite of this hiccup) Gopher football is generating a lot of excitement among me and my friends.
Go Gophers.
After two years they were going to evaluate it and then makes changes depending upon the results. My theory/bet is that they are waiting for the Vikings to pay for the equipment that will allow them to sell it at more locations. The Vikings will not be satisfied with the present arrangement.
Bucking Fadgers
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Are the River Flats an option before 4 pm I wonder? Great place for some day-long tailgating if the city allows it.
TexasAggie11
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Hey, at least you get beer in your stadium.
At least without sitting in a particular section where seats are $3,800 each.
norman dale
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The dates of the Minnesota State Fair are never going to change. So is the answer to always play the first game of the season away? Why don't you ask Coach Kill if that is something he'd consider if he is the coach long term. Seems to me more people attend the Fair on the weekend so what does it matter that the game is on a weekday evening? Plus, starting next year there will be light rail to reduce auto traffic on campus.
Tim Riggins
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So what did the U faculty do the last 20 years when the lots were used for the fair? Why is one day an issue when the dealt with 12 for years?
Should be an easy answer and unfortunately an Aggie has better ideas than those in charge.
Should be an easy answer and unfortunately an Aggie has better ideas than those in charge.
GopherInPittsburgh
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Tailgating lots open at 2 pm on Aug. 29. Not 3 pm which is printed on materials you will receive with tickets. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%231MoreHour&src=hash">#1MoreHour</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ParkingLotParty&src=hash">#ParkingLotParty</a></p>— Gopher Football (@GopherFootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/GopherFootball/statuses/363696099715858432">August 3, 2013</a></blockquote>
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mplsbadger
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$50 says the broadcast includes shots of both the half empty because of the parking cluster stadium and 250,000 people on Dan Patch avenue. Will create a great impression.
mplsbadger
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This is brilliant. What's $4 on top of $140 you already pay.
e.bigelow
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Aggie, posts like this are why you continue to be one of my favorite posters! Well done! Already more ideas than our athletics administration in the short time you spent on that! Nicely done!
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I love the U and often don't criticize, but it may be time for new blood in the sports marketing department. The State Fair is not going anywhere nor did it sneak up on anyone unannounced. I would have preferred having a road game the first weekend even if it did involve us playing somewhere like Toledo then having them attempt to do play during the Fair on a Thursday night and still having LRT construction to go with it. Maybe cramming the bars and non U lots and getting a ton of maroon and gold people all over campus that day will show them people care, but then they would tout that as a success.
bleedsmaroonandgold
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4 hours is better than 3, but it is still not the 6 we should have.
then why the F did they print the materials wrong? and why not get in front of this? and how many tailgaters are going to see that tweet? and what about those that don't have their st. paul lot passes for that game? and throwing in #parkinglotparty shows me that these guys think that pom poms and face painting is what college football atmosphere is all about.
Iceland12
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1. You're right.
2. That was what they are trying to avoid by scheduling the Home Game.
3. Wouldn't disagree about attendance, but the point was that all the tailgating spots on campus that are used during the week are open on Saturdays.
4. That makes sense.
The problem we've got here on the board is the automatic "blame the f*-ing University", or more likely the knee-jerk "it's that damn Maturi's fault." At least no one has went there yet.
Blame the U? Okay. They made the schedule and Teague and Kaler probably operating from a combination of hubris and the belief that the State Fair Board WANTED to be cooperative, blew this one big time.
E-mail Teague all you want. Give Nadine another chance to write a "if they'd just listen to me column". Sure, why not.
Here's a much better question. Why isn't anybody advocating calling or e-mailing the damn State Fair Board and asking them why for one bleeding day they couldn't cooperate with the University to let them use their own parking lot?
Nah, lets go with the old standard, it's those SOBS over at the U.
GopherLady
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So many great ideas here. Nice work!
ReallY? What in their conduct over the years leads you to believe they have any forsight? They were shocked, shocked at the blow-back for cancelling the NC series.
GopherHomer
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I'm pumped for a Thursday night home opener...I don't care about the fair (it's the single most overrated 'event' I can think of). Let the hicks have their pigs and fatty foods. I plan on busing down to campus and hitting up the bars before the tailgate lots open up. I seriously don't understand all the complaining. There's plenty of time to party and get drunk before the game. If attendance is down...it's down, but I feel like people have had plenty of time to plan a way to attend this game if they want to.
This is all far too logical. It would never work.
patrick08
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Please keep in mind mind we are trying to rebuild the brand of Gopher Football, so when venting frustrations call out the U of M marketing and facilities department not the football team. I think it is important that this debacle not be associated with the team as they have nothing to do with it.
The comments after this blog are why MN will never be a great football school. Too many folks have never been to a 'real' college football tailgate/game. Maybe if there is real tailgating at the new Vikings stadium that will change slowly over time.
+1 I agree with the essence of what you are saying but the football program can't have take the position that they have no control over any of this, ala Glen Mason. The need to be proactive and be working with people to solve these issues. I suspect that they have been and will continue to be active in addressing these issues. I understand the anger but big institutions like the University are not easy to steer. There is no doubt in my mind that people like Kaler, Teague, and Jerry get it but they are trying to turn a boat that is highly political and slow to change. Perseverance will win in the end.
TexasAggie11
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You've got a bye week on October 12. Perhaps you should pass a hat to fuel up the U of M plane and send your AD to Baton Rouge for Florida / LSU, then up to Oxford for A&M / Ole Miss.
That's the number one and two best tailgating schools taking on number seven and eight. Should be a good case study for the powers that be.
http://m.bleacherreport.com/articles/1604639-top-25-tailgating-schools-in-college-football
BieberHole69
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Twins and Vikings that day too? I did not know that. Wow.
They did that last winter. Hired vcu's marketing director
RailBaronYarr
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Why can't the U purchase the number of spaces at the fairgrounds lot for that particular day to have them roped off with the money they're getting from the tailgaters? Honestly, this isn't rocket science. I guarantee parking revenue is greater than what the State Fair folks charge.
Why are we viewing the fair as an obstacle to fun? The fair draws an average of 140,000 people per day - they are clearly doing something right. Give any St Paul parking pass holders a free ticket to the fair valid only for the gameday to make up for the loss of tailgating capability. Let them go in, drink beer, play games, see cows ALL DAY like they intended to, then take the shuttle back to the U for the game. The fair org should like this as it brings in people to spend money who would otherwise have been sitting in a parking lot that day, and they still get paid for the entry tickets by the U.
Beyond that, as norman dale has suggested, this should be an annual thing to look forward to - the first Gopher Football game and the Fair all in one! Would it be so horrible if one out of 7 games a year people "tailgate" at the fair - walking around in maroon and gold, drinking, having fun, etc? Make the day the marching band does the parade (you know, Maroon and Gold Day) be this day to connect it all together. We're not coming close to realizing the potential that co-branding the fair and college football kickoff can bring. With some foresight, you can easily avoid any logistical challenges of parking/fair-goers/etc in future seasons:
- Maroon & Gold Day means U employees get a free half day. It's the Thursday before school starts so there aren't students commuting in or many full-time staff there anyway (plus, it's Labor Day weekend when a lot of people are heading out of town anyway. Big deal.)
- Push game time to 7 PM not 6 PM to alleviate conflicts (obviously for the future)
- Discount the tailgate parking passes for St Paul to be equivalent to regular parking since that's all they'll be able to do, communicate to them why
- Offer everyone with season tickets discount tickets to the State Fair
- Offer free LRT pass for the day to get in to the U by other means (Green Line from StP or Downtown or even from the MOA with a xfer from the Blue Line) to alleviate parking needs
- Work with the city to charge market rate pricing on all the streets in the Dinkytown and Stadium Village areas. (soapbox: they should be doing this already anyway, as on-street parking anywhere costs money to maintain and is not "free"). Temporary stakes or posts in the ground with numbers and a person at every intersection taking cash. Any residents warned a week in advance to move their car or pay said market rate on gameday
- Encourage employees to do the same
- Football team does a Victory Walk at the fairgrounds with the band in a prominent space, hops on the bus to head over to the U. Directly behind the shuttle is a line of 10 UMN buses to start bringing people back to the U, where they will be dropped at McNamara to take part in the fun stuff set up there
Should not be too hard. The fair is an asset to the U as it's directly adjacent to the StP campus and we have the dedicated busway to make bringing people back and forth very easy at marginal cost.
Why are we viewing the fair as an obstacle to fun? The fair draws an average of 140,000 people per day - they are clearly doing something right. Give any St Paul parking pass holders a free ticket to the fair valid only for the gameday to make up for the loss of tailgating capability. Let them go in, drink beer, play games, see cows ALL DAY like they intended to, then take the shuttle back to the U for the game. The fair org should like this as it brings in people to spend money who would otherwise have been sitting in a parking lot that day, and they still get paid for the entry tickets by the U.
Beyond that, as norman dale has suggested, this should be an annual thing to look forward to - the first Gopher Football game and the Fair all in one! Would it be so horrible if one out of 7 games a year people "tailgate" at the fair - walking around in maroon and gold, drinking, having fun, etc? Make the day the marching band does the parade (you know, Maroon and Gold Day) be this day to connect it all together. We're not coming close to realizing the potential that co-branding the fair and college football kickoff can bring. With some foresight, you can easily avoid any logistical challenges of parking/fair-goers/etc in future seasons:
- Maroon & Gold Day means U employees get a free half day. It's the Thursday before school starts so there aren't students commuting in or many full-time staff there anyway (plus, it's Labor Day weekend when a lot of people are heading out of town anyway. Big deal.)
- Push game time to 7 PM not 6 PM to alleviate conflicts (obviously for the future)
- Discount the tailgate parking passes for St Paul to be equivalent to regular parking since that's all they'll be able to do, communicate to them why
- Offer everyone with season tickets discount tickets to the State Fair
- Offer free LRT pass for the day to get in to the U by other means (Green Line from StP or Downtown or even from the MOA with a xfer from the Blue Line) to alleviate parking needs
- Work with the city to charge market rate pricing on all the streets in the Dinkytown and Stadium Village areas. (soapbox: they should be doing this already anyway, as on-street parking anywhere costs money to maintain and is not "free"). Temporary stakes or posts in the ground with numbers and a person at every intersection taking cash. Any residents warned a week in advance to move their car or pay said market rate on gameday
- Encourage employees to do the same
- Football team does a Victory Walk at the fairgrounds with the band in a prominent space, hops on the bus to head over to the U. Directly behind the shuttle is a line of 10 UMN buses to start bringing people back to the U, where they will be dropped at McNamara to take part in the fun stuff set up there
Should not be too hard. The fair is an asset to the U as it's directly adjacent to the StP campus and we have the dedicated busway to make bringing people back and forth very easy at marginal cost.