Well this is new... A solution to poor student attendance?

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gopherstudent2011

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I got this email this morning which I thought I would share and ask your opinion on. This is one way to try to combat poor student attendance... I guess. Does it mean that the ticket office is thinking that it might not even sell all of the 10,000 allotted student season tickets?


Student Season Guest Passes Available

Enjoy the Gopher Football Season with all of your friends! New this season, student season ticket holders will be able to purchase a guest pass in addition to their season ticket. Guest passes can be used by anyone, and offer general admission seating in the student section.

Each student season ticket holder would be able to purchase one (1) guest pass
Guest Passes will be able to be used by anyone, not just students
Price for a Guest Pass will be $275.00 (season ticket) and is to be used in the Student Section
Guest Passes will go on sale Thursday, July 22nd at 9:00am and can be purchased over the phone or in person only. Must be a 2010 Football Student Season Ticket Holder to purchase a guest pass.
If available, single game guest passes will go on sale the Tuesday prior the home game.
To purchase your student season guest pass, call 612-624-8080 or visit us at Mariucci Arena.


Beware: Rant (And I apologize beforehand for the length of this post)

A few things come to mind after reading this. First, why are the guest passes so much more expensive than the regular student season tickets? I know that, being an extremely poor college student myself, I will not be able to fork over $275, thus being unable to utilize this option. Second, as previously stated, does this mean that the 10,000 allotted seats given to students will not sell out? If it does not, then the rest of my entire post is obsolete and these guest passes are a great start at trying to solve the problem of student attendance. However, I think it obviously does tell us this, which begs the question, why not open up these seats to the general public and people on the season ticket wait list instead? It is painfully obvious that the percentage of apathetic students is too great at this University to accommodate a 10,000 seat student section efficiently.

Does the Gopher Ticket Office really think that by offering guest passes, (which are available for use only by these same apathetic students who knew that season tickets were available, and much cheaper I might add, and did not jump at the opportunity to grab them initially) that it is really going to solve this problem? I know that when I have brought guests to games in the past that I have bought tickets from other students for a lot cheaper than these guest prices will be, if they are about $40 per ticket, so I am just unsure on how effective this whole process will be.

Here are some ways that I would solve it. At the University of Kentucky I know, (and I am a huge Kentucky basketball fan, but thats neither here nor there) any student tickets that are not sold by a certain day, are opened up to the general public. I love this idea. Why not send an email to all UofM students stating that if you do not buy student tickets by a certain day, that they will be opened up to those on the season ticket waitlist?

One other way you can do it, which is in a way related to the aforementioned method, is to make students get their tickets prior to EACH game. Set a deadline by, say, Thursday before the next home game, for each student to get their ticket, and then those tickets that were not obtained by students can be sold to the public for a set price. I understand the madness that could ensue in making 8-10k students grab their tickets before each game, but I really think that it COULD work.

Lastly, and perhaps the method talked about the most at nauseam on this board, is just curtailing the student section altogether, until we prove capable of filling an assigned area on a regular basis and the demand for these tickets increases. Or perhaps offering some kind of rebate for students who go to a set percentage of games. I do not think that this Guest Pass setup by the University will even put a dent into the problem we have with student attendance, and sadly we will see more of the same emptiness come this Fall.

/rant.
 

Student Attendance

Good post and Thanks for the info but this topic has been discussed ad nauseam. The truth is that the only way that the student section is sold out this year is if U2 actually does come in concert and/or we win and win big! 5 or 6 wins are not going to do it no matter how nice are stadium is! Expect a partially empty student section most of the year unless are student section is invaded by outsiders or we win and win often!!!
 

You have some very good points.The $275 is the public price for the ticket. It appears that the 10,000 Student Ticket set aside is to high but with the way the "liquor issue" went over on both sides of the aisle, I can see why the U doesn't want to go over and ask to have the mandated number lower. The $275 is the public price for the ticket. It should stay there in this new scheme.

Personally, I just want to limit the number of the damn Iowa/Wisconsin "locals" ending-up at TCF. I don't know if this will accomplish that.
 

The STUDENT SECTION DID SELL OUT LAST YEAR!!!! What don't people undertand about this. If you sell 10,000 for 10,000 seats not every will show up and if you have the section in a lower and upper deck they will pack the lower deck which appears worse then it is. A better indication is to have the student section tickets scanned and find out how many of these are being scanned. I still have trouble believing the student section a few years back had 10,000 there and had to ride a bus to get there but in the second year in a new stadium on campus can't get that many there.

One solution is to oversell student tickets if the demand is there by a couple hundred.

Another solution is to sell standing room tickets especially with the open end zone like a 1,000 a game. If the upper bowl is not filled by the second quarter they can fill in those seats similar to hockey.

Solution 3 is what was mentioned earlier about if they are not sold out by a certain day open up to public.
 

I think the problem will be mitigates to an extent by the most disinterested fans not renewing their season tickets. There were a number who only bought season tickets to see the new stadium. I don't know that I care for the guest pass idea, those are largely going to be sold on StubHub. That's why it makes sense to sell them at full price, they aren't going to be used by students.

I'd just have a dress code for the student section - Go Gold or Go Home. Show up wearing the oponents colors, you can buy a Gophers T-shirt, go home and get one, or just go away.
 


gopherstudent2011 said:
A few things come to mind after reading this. First, why are the guest passes so much more expensive than the regular student season tickets? I know that, being an extremely poor college student myself, I will not be able to fork over $275, thus being unable to utilize this option. Second, as previously stated, does this mean that the 10,000 allotted seats given to students will not sell out? If it does not, then the rest of my entire post is obsolete and these guest passes are a great start at trying to solve the problem of student attendance.
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The student tickets didn't sell out. And even when they did last year, the attendance warranted more like 6,000 or 7,000 rather than 10,000.

This plan could make the tickets more attractive to older students, or students whose friends go to other area colleges. I know at least 5 graduate students who will consider this. Now two girls who are grad students could both bring their non-student husbands, and their average ticket cost is about $25. Not quite the $13 that students pay (insanely cheap), but a whole lot less than a professional sports ticket -- and for a sports experience that is probably the best in the area.

Also, there is no "general public waitlist" anymore. Single-game tickets (albeit very, very few) are coming.
 

RodentRampage said:
I think the problem will be mitigates to an extent by the most disinterested fans not renewing their season tickets. There were a number who only bought season tickets to see the new stadium. I don't know that I care for the guest pass idea, those are largely going to be sold on StubHub. That's why it makes sense to sell them at full price, they aren't going to be used by students.

I'd just have a dress code for the student section - Go Gold or Go Home. Show up wearing the oponents colors, you can buy a Gophers T-shirt, go home and get one, or just go away.
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You may see a few of these passes on StubHub, but these are passes, not single tickets. The buyer will have to buy 7 games, not one. It wouldn't be like selling your average season ticket. If you're a Budgie or Hogeye, you're basically paying $275 for a single game. It's awfully hard to distribute a 7 game pass for 7 games.
 

Here´s my question, will the guest passes be identical to the student passes?

As a recent alum, I would like to buy a student tic from a friend who doesn´t attend games and still is in school. Unfortunately I was stupid enough to lose my studen ID. Is there any way to find out if they are identical? If so, I could use the student tic as a guest pass.

Thanks!
 

Iceland12 said:
Personally, I just want to limit the number of the damn Iowa/Wisconsin "locals" ending-up at TCF. I don't know if this will accomplish that.
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We may as well start thinking about the future and add Nebraska to that mix. I really hope that the Big 10 schedule makers do us a favor and refrain from a visit from both Nebraska and Wisconsin in the same year.
 



Goldmember said:
The student tickets didn't sell out. And even when they did last year, the attendance warranted more like 6,000 or 7,000 rather than 10,000. .
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Umm, sorry bud. But the student section did sell out last year. They even over sold by a little bit. That is a fact. Please please please understand that more kids packed into the lower level and the lower portion of the upper level so it didnt look nearly as full. And many kids just didnt show up, but it was sold out.

As for this deal, they got a lot of complaints about students not being able to bring bf/gf or spouses or best freinds or whatever. This will get them in without giving them the student discount and allowing them to sit with the student. Also, they will be over selling the student section this year because they now know they can.
 

DLguy said:
Umm, sorry bud. But the student section did sell out last year.
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I was referring to this year. The incoming freshmen allotment may sell out, but obviously the others will not. And they knew this was going to happen.

The rest of your post echoes my sentiment exactly. There are a lot of U students whose circle of friends extend beyond campus. That's not really as true in a typical, small college town.
 

Prepare to see thousands of craigslist ads for these seats. Goodbye gold student section. With that said, something needed to be done. Outside of the Rivalry games, this should put more Gopher fans in the seats.
 

Not sure how many here would agree with me, but I sense this is a golden opportunity for a lot of non-Gopher fans to buy there way in. I'd rather see 5000 empty student seats than to have them filled with Pigeye or Becky fans. That's what's going to happen. Hello "dome-atmosphere".
 



Goldmember said:
I was referring to this year. The incoming freshmen allotment may sell out, but obviously the others will not. And they knew this was going to happen.

The rest of your post echoes my sentiment exactly. There are a lot of U students whose circle of friends extend beyond campus. That's not really as true in a typical, small college town.
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Sorry about that. My bad. I would assume they will sell a lot more closer to the start of school and from the freshman.
 

strokemonster said:
Not sure how many here would agree with me, but I sense this is a golden opportunity for a lot of non-Gopher fans to buy there way in. I'd rather see 5000 empty student seats than to have them filled with Pigeye or Becky fans. That's what's going to happen. Hello "dome-atmosphere".
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That's all well and good, but they aren't selling out the section. Are you suggesting the U sit on the unsold tickets just because the students didn't buy them? I don't want opposing fans there either, but I don't think sitting on seats would be better.
 

The Solution

1. Scan all student tickets entering the stadium

2. 30 minutes befoe gametime, any Alumni or current student with ID can purchase a ticket for seating in the student section.

3. The cost of the ticket will be the cost of the annual student ticket divided by the number of games.

4. The total number of students and Alumni allowed in the student section will not exceed 10,000.

OPTIONS:

a. A student whose ticket is used for all games will receive a rebate at the end of the season.

b. Student season holders will have reserved seats in the student end. They may pick out their seats-first come first served.

c. Create student "blocks" within the student section where groups can reserve seats together. Have competition during the pregame and halftime between "blocks" or representatives of each block.

d. Give a Phy Ed. credit for perfect attendance and a pass/fail test on "Home Football Games 2010."
 

This plan is basically the same one that was in place at the Metrodome when students were allowed to purchase two tickets per person. The only difference now is the second ticket is full-price.
 

Here's a better solution to the student attendance problem. PUT A MORE EXCITING TEAM ON THE FIELD. or at least get some kind of hype going thats not spawned from Brew. Tubby's arrival jumpstarted the basketball team and attendance there, why? For one, the name, and also the team has actually improved and is doing very well. Its fun to go to games because they are exciting. The football team just doesnt give that vibe (maybe its just me) I'm never very sure whether we'll walk away with a win much less a chance of getting one, and most times im hoping just not to get blown out (post-decker injury games)

The new stadium (while not brand spanking new anymore) will still draw fans because its nice, but the students just wont come to games if there's no excitement, and student's arent dumb enough to buy into brew's crap anymore. It doesnt help that half the section feels (knows) theyd be better at playcalling than the coaching staff has been (running on third down..ever..we have no running game, they should know this and not be in denial, even if the defenses dont expect it theyre still going to demolish it) and that we never ever win games against rivals or anyone of importance for that matter. The lackluster recruiting classes (+seemingly 'meh' attitude from the staff at the results) and the insistence that adam weber is more than just a benefactor of decker's skills (which he's not) leads to even more disappointment.

tl;dr just get rid of brewster, just out, now please. Bring in someone with a NAME, not just names of people he recruited to schools far better at football than us. THAT, and the better results that come of it will resuscitate attendance far more than the friend ticket will.

P.S. this ticket is hardly ever going to be used by students. 1. no one can (want to) afford it 2. pretty much everyone interested in going to the game with a student will have tickets themselves.
 

gopherphan said:
I'm never very sure whether we'll walk away with a win much less a chance of getting one, and most times im hoping just not to get blown out (post-decker injury games)
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Seriously? This is evidence that you don't even watch/go to the games. We haven't had would I consider a blowout since the 55-0 abortion. Some might consider OSU one, but considering it was 7-0 at halftime, I wouldn't. Even giving you that, we've had one blowout in our last 14 games.

But, congratulations for getting that (and all the other rambling nonsense in your post) off your chest.
 

dpodoll68 said:
Seriously? This is evidence that you don't even watch/go to the games. We haven't had would I consider a blowout since the 55-0 abortion. Some might consider OSU one, but considering it was 7-0 at halftime, I wouldn't. Even giving you that, we've had one blowout in our last 14 games.

But, congratulations for getting that (and all the other rambling nonsense in your post) off your chest.
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You can't blame a kid for being so drunk at games that he hallucinates what is actually happening on the field.....
 

This will hardly help the lack of attendance problem in the student section. I could see maybe 100 of these extra tickets being sold. That's it.
 

Just to pile on with you here DPO, Williams Arena holds 14,625 total people. Do you think that the basketball student section is going to have a tough time selling out, compared to 10,000 student seats in TCF that holds over 50,000? Of course not; there's probably at least 2,000 student fans that would show up at either event regardless of how exciting the team is, or how big of a name the coach has.
 

Gopherphan were you even watching the games last year? What games weren't the Gophers in? Cal, Wisconsin and Illinois went down to the last 5 minutes and we beat Purdue and SDSU.

I say you sell the student tickets at a nice price, say $10 bucks a game. BUT, you require at least 86% attendance (6 out of 7 games) and only the student with the ID can use the ticket. If a student cannot attend a game that student is required at least a week in advance to notify the ticket office of their absence so the ticket can go on sale to either students or general season ticket holders. Doing this does not affect their 86% standing. If a student falls below the 86% threshold they lose their ticket privileges and will be refunded $ for the remaining games they lost their privilege to use. Plain and simple. Charging the kids only $70 bucks doesn't make this a $$ issue.
 

How about refunding money based on attendance? It's can't be too difficult to scan tickets and record who shows up. Then you could give money back based on attendance: attend all the games, and you get a bg percentage of the money back. Attend few, and you get a small percentage back.

It makes the Gophers look bad to have a half-full student section. A full student section is worth more than the revenue from student tickets. I'm open to any and all ideas. If the student tickets are too cheap, students who aren't very interested will buy them. And because they are so cheap, the students can't sell them for much, so it isn't very worth their time to make sure that someone uses them.

Some students bought them hoping to make a profit off them. As bad as a half-empty student section is, it's just as bad to see the student section packed with the opponents fans.
 

I would:

1. Reduce the amount of straight student tickets by 1,000. (The farthest, upper-deck 1000 spots in what is now the student section.)
2. Take those seats, and sell them at $175 a piece to recent grads only (within 5-6 years of graduation). Give them a t-shirt and have them fill the top of that section. Give them some gopherpoints and open them up to purchase away game tix through the U.
3. Oversell the student section by an additional 500 people (if possible). And trust me, there's room for it.
4. Scan tickets at each game (with IDs).
5. For those who attend every single game: at the end of the season, there will be a lottery. 1 Grand prize: free semesters tuition! Other prizes: Season and single game Gopher hockey or basketball tickets, free tix to a bowl game.
6. Sell 500 standing room spots, which can fill in empty spaces all over the stadium.
7. Donate tickets to tix for tots, local children's hospitals, and underprivelaged kids around Minnesota.
 

I liked when the U offered free tickets to every football player in the state. Not a recruiting violation, because even third string players form 9-man teams could get tickets, it wasn't limited to recruits. Even if they never play college football (or even if they play D-II or D-III), this can create life-long Gopher fans.

With student tickets, the problem seems to be twofold: how do we get tickets into the hands of those most likely to attend, and when people aren't going to attend, how do we get their tickets into the hands of someone who will want to attend? Making tickets too cheap can be a problem. How about "turn in a ticket, get a pizza"? We could do something like at a Little Caesar's, people can exchange a ticket to get a $5 pizza, and they could do that until the night before a game. The U then buys back the tickets from the pizza place. They get something for a ticket they weren't going to use, and the ticket can be used by someone else. A possible downside is that this could lead to people counterfeiting tickets to get free pizza.
 

RodentRampage said:
How about "turn in a ticket, get a pizza"? We could do something like at a Little Caesar's, people can exchange a ticket to get a $5 pizza
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Dude, do you think you're blowing things out of proportion just a bit?:)

They need to sell about 1,000 tickets in the student section. And the most insightful feedback from current students was essentially .... "I would buy em' if I could sit with my boyfriend/husband". The new policy makes perfect sense, and will accommodate those students.
 

Goldmember said:
Dude, do you think you're blowing things out of proportion just a bit?:)

They need to sell about 1,000 tickets in the student section. And the most insightful feedback from current students was essentially .... "I would buy em' if I could sit with my boyfriend/husband". The new policy makes perfect sense, and will accommodate those students.
Click to expand...

No, I don't. I'm not talking about getting tickets sold, I'm talking about getting them used. One problem we had last year was that people had tickets, but didn't feel like using them, and none of their friends wanted to use them. That doesn't mean no one wanted them, most people are very much like their friends, what your friends like isn't necessarily any guide to what everyone else wants. Anyway, they aren't likely to go to any great lengths to make sure someone uses the ticket. My proposal would give student ticket holders a tangible benefit to turning in tickets that they aren't going to use.
 

RodentRampage said:
No, I don't. I'm not talking about getting tickets sold, I'm talking about getting them used. One problem we had last year was that people had tickets, but didn't feel like using them, and none of their friends wanted to use them. That doesn't mean no one wanted them, most people are very much like their friends, what your friends like isn't necessarily any guide to what everyone else wants. Anyway, they aren't likely to go to any great lengths to make sure someone uses the ticket. My proposal would give student ticket holders a tangible benefit to turning in tickets that they aren't going to use.
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Right idea, but I'd do the opposite. Don't give the students thier ticket for the SDSU game in August and expect them to show up in November. They won't. Make them come each week and pick up that's week ticket from the ticket office. It takes two minutes. If you don't pick up your tickets by Thursday, they'll be given to someone else. If you fail to pick-up 3 in a season, you're ineligible to renew for the next year.
 

Ideas???

Ideas:

1. Would it be better to have one ticket punched or scanned vs. individual tickets?

2. Reserved seating in the student end?

3. Pay $15 per game or $70 for all seven games. Full season packages are sold first and receive priority seating. Individual game packages are sold afterwards. Left over seats are sold to Alumni.
 

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