Toddler Ticket Question

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Gold Vision

Gold Vision

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I'm sure this has been discussed before but couldn't find it anywhere. The Gopher Football A-Z webpage says that every person, regardless of age, requires a ticket. I called the ticket office just to confirm this, and they told me that children under 2 are free. Does anyone have experience with bringing a child under 2 to the game and sitting on your lap?
 

Gold Vision said:
I'm sure this has been discussed before but couldn't find it anywhere. The Gopher Football A-Z webpage says that every person, regardless of age, requires a ticket. I called the ticket office just to confirm this, and they told me that children under 2 are free. Does anyone have experience with bringing a child under 2 to the game and sitting on your lap?
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I've brought my toddler to B-ball games. With my kid (at age 2), the "sitting in my lap" part didn't last long. Your results may vary. Don't expect to watch much of the game if your kid is like mine. And that was at a 2 hour b-ball game. We just left early the few times we took her (blowout wins).
 

GopherJake said:
I've brought my toddler to B-ball games. With my kid (at age 2), the "sitting in my lap" part didn't last long. Your results may vary. Don't expect to watch much of the game if your kid is like mine. And that was at a 2 hour b-ball game. We just left early the few times we took her (blowout wins).
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That's why I chose New Mexico State for his first Gopher Football Game, I think this will be the only one I bring him to. I imagine he'll make it until halftime if I'm lucky. I'm sure we'll be walking around the open plaza a lot.

My real question is whether or not he needs a ticket though. There was conflicting information on the website, and in the ticket office.
 

The under 2 years old rule is the policy but I brought my 2 year old in for free last year to football (and basketball) games. I was never questioned.

He always had a great time but we did get up and wander around a good deal during games. Plus my wife was there and my parents also have tickets nearby so we could play pass-the-toddler during games to keep him from getting too restless.
 

The Gophers (and most other teams in town) are pretty lenient on the toddler free admission. If you can carry the kid in and it doesn't look ridiculous, you'll probably be fine. The problem is keeping the toddler confined to your lap for 3.5 hours (won't happen), and thereby upsetting all of you neighbors (will happen).
 


I've bought my kids tickets since I planned on holding them for a long time, and they've attended every game we were going to. My oldest is now 5, we still bring in a lot of books and activities. We spend time walking and getting nuts. My wife and I sit on the outside of our 4 seats so the kids can play switch seats, stand, walk, move, etc.

My wife says she hasn't watched a football game in about 5 years.
 

Obviously the closer they are to 2 the harder it is to handle them. You don't need a ticket for any kid under 2. Also if you sit with a group and have a 34 year old that acts like a toddler that will keep them occupied.
 

I've been there and I've done that (not at TCF, but at Gopher games back at the dome). I have three kids. At the two year old level I could get away with it with the oldest, no chance in hell with the middle one, and my youngest was somewhere in the middle - kinda worked but not very good.

So, it really depends on your kid. Apply evenly, results may vary...

Now they are 13, 11, and 7. I feel like I have accomplished something because it is EASY to take them to games now.
 

Thanks for the ticket info. Target Field had the 30" limit, but no one brought a measuring tape to him.

I'm definitely factoring in the attention span. I figure I can get a quarter out of him with some type of concession and another quarter walking around the stadium.
 



I'm taking a 4 year old to the game this Saturday. Hopefully, she'll be able to sit through the game. I take her to volleyball games, but there is a lot more chance to move around there. Maybe if I keep the hot chocolate coming that will keep her occupied for a while...
 

They questioned my 2 year old last time, I guess the soul patch was the give away. Can't beat the sounds and aroma of college game day, hot, sunny day, and a squishy diaper. Love it!
 

Under 2 is the unwritten policy and longstanding practice. I had an issue with this at Mariucci with my then 1-year old a few years ago. One of the new associate AD's at the time was trying to enforce the "everyone needs a ticket policy." He let us in with the understanding that we knew he'd need a ticket in the future. I had a constructive conversation with Maturi when I ran into him on the concourse during the game and they clarified to the new guy the longstanding allowance for kids under 2. Maturi was very nice about this and apologized for the issue, basically saying, "if he's so young to not need a seat, why should he need a ticket"?
 

Unfortunately, I bet there will be lots of open seats this Saturday so you could probably find an extra seat near you for your child, without buying an extra ticket.
 



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