Cause of umaa student tix crisis revealed. It's TV

DetNews umaa beat writer appears to have dutifully added her byline to the latest story written for her by David Brandon's staff.

The reason umaa students aren't buying football tickets isn't the $300 / per cost, it isn't the marginal record or the godawful '14 home schedule, its TV.

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20140606/SPORTS0201/306060041/Amid-fickle-students-comforts-home-schools-scramble-unload-football-tickets

GRR Spartan wrote:DetNews umaa beat writer appears to have dutifully added her byline to the latest story written for her by David Brandon's staff.  

The reason umaa students aren't buying football tickets isn't the $300 / per cost, it isn't the marginal record or the godawful '14 home schedule, its TV.  

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20140606/SPORTS0201/306060041/Amid-fickle-students-comforts-home-schools-scramble-unload-football-tickets

Dammit the NCAA and Jim Delaney shouldn't force u of m to schedule games against the likes of Appalachian State, Miami (Ohio) and Utah.

I thought it was a fair article and hit on all of those points.  The TV aspect was actually a quote from our associate AD.

I thought the one thing they missed was the need to make the game day experience more fan friendly.  Tailgating restrictions, no diaper bags, nonexistent cell phone service, whatever.  After more than 25 years of being a season ticket holder I had finally had enough.  I have never regretted not renewing.  The only regret was not doing it sooner.  

There is nothing in that article hasn't been discussed hundreds of times on MSU message boards.

Tailgating restrictions keep me home. Only a top 15 opponent or MICHIGAN would make me consider the trip north

Well sure, TV plays a part. If games weren't available on TV(Which obviously is a ridiculous concept), I have to imagine more students would purchase tickets.

However, when you consider factors such as A) TV, B) a weak schedule, C) back-to-back mediocre seasons, D) most analysts projecting another year of mediocrity, and E) this being the college game, why the hell are they charging $300?

Blanch32 wrote:Tailgating restrictions keep me home.  Only a top 15 opponent or MICHIGAN would make me consider the trip north

I know it's been covered before but what is it you CAN"T you do while tailgating that keeps you home ?

duffy munn wrote:

I know it's been covered before but what is it you CAN"T you do while tailgating that keeps you home ?

Talk

This stuff isn't rocket science. The "home experience" has passed the "game experience" for many football fans.

CrazySparty wrote:... E) this being the college game, why the hell are they charging $300?

Because they can?  If MSU could charge $300 for student tickets, we would.  Student tickets have an definite opportunity cost associated with them.  That is a seat that is sold for less money and has no seat license fee attached (I believe every other season ticket in their stadium requires a donation to purchase).

Bashing them is fine, but we also need to look in the mirror.  The reality is they will sell more student season tickets than MSU this year, at almost twice the price, with 10,000 fewer undergraduate students.

duffy munn wrote:

I know it's been covered before but what is it you CAN"T you do while tailgating that keeps you home ?

Find an available bathroom?

Blanch32 wrote:Tailgating restrictions keep me home.  Only a top 15 opponent or MICHIGAN would make me consider the trip north

I agree. I have some college friends who have season tickets and tailgate every year, and I feel bad for them when they tell me the stories of how they had to fight to get into their lot and how bad the chaos is with the lot opening start times.

Also seeing how they have pushed students away from campus tailgating is kind of depressing when I go back, especially since I know in the future it means many of these students won't be coming back to campus to tailgate when they have graduated.

As for stadium entry, I feel like they are too aggressive in patting people down at times, and the purse restriction is unnecessary targeting of women. Plus our fans yelling at other fans for standing up and cheering is a big annoyance. Some of us travel a good distance to go to a game and are very turned off by things like that.

So I'm with you -- I'm only willing to put up with it for top games and now that the Big Ten has expanded East, I'm not even sure if I need to come back as much to get my MSU fix

duffy munn wrote:

I know it's been covered before but what is it you CAN"T you do while tailgating that keeps you home ?

Set my tailgate up and Party hard with thousands of others on the tennis courts. Course you of all blownars don't understand this....

MSU addict wrote:
Because they can?  If MSU could charge $300 for student tickets, we would.  Student tickets have an definite opportunity cost associated with them.  That is a seat that is sold for less money and has no seat license fee attached (I believe every other season ticket in their stadium requires a donation to purchase).

Bashing them is fine, but we also need to look in the mirror.  The reality is they will sell more student season tickets than MSU this year, at almost twice the price, with 10,000 fewer undergraduate students.

We don't have 3 campuses selling student tickets. They count UM-Dearborn and UM-Flint tickets as student tickets so that's another ~15,000 in the pool that could hypothetically purchase student tickets.

Giant Moose wrote:
I agree. I have some college friends who have season tickets and tailgate every year, and I feel bad for them when they tell me the stories of how they had to fight to get into their lot and how bad the chaos is with the lot opening start times.

Also seeing how they have pushed students away from campus tailgating is kind of depressing when I go back, especially since I know in the future it means many of these students won't be coming back to campus to tailgate when they have graduated.

As for stadium entry, I feel like they are too aggressive in patting people down at times, and the purse restriction is unnecessary targeting of women. Plus our fans yelling at other fans for standing up and cheering is a big annoyance. Some of us travel a good distance to go to a game and are very turned off by things like that.

So I'm with you -- I'm only willing to put up with it for top games and now that the Big Ten has expanded East, I'm not even sure if I need to come back as much to get my MSU fix

This. Possibly see you at the Maryland night game!

Blanch32 wrote:

Set my tailgate up and Party hard with thousands of others on the tennis courts.  Course you of all blownars don't understand this....

You can't do this now ? And why does a 30 year old "man" need to party with kids ?

Blanch32 wrote:

Set my tailgate up and Party hard with thousands of others on the tennis courts.  Course you of all blownars don't understand this....

It's sad how empty the tennis courts are compared to back in the day. I really wish MSU would realize they are losing thousands of future customers who will never come back to campus to tailgate as adults because they didn't experience it as students.

I realize our students are boners when it comes to showing up but tickets have sold out the past fee years and sold out fast. But this story is just more fuel to the tire fire that is scums university and athletic program.

Can't win a bowl game
Can't run the ball
Drunk president
Drunk driving players
Rape cover up
Decommits
And now students aren't buying tickets

MSU addict wrote:
Find an available bathroom?

This is a legit issue.

duffy munn wrote:



You can't do this now ? And why does a 30 year old "man" need to party with kids ?

No I legally/enforement-wise cannot. No wonder your are the only idiot to lose your bar in el

MSU addict wrote:
Because they can?  If MSU could charge $300 for student tickets, we would.  Student tickets have an definite opportunity cost associated with them.  That is a seat that is sold for less money and has no seat license fee attached (I believe every other season ticket in their stadium requires a donation to purchase).

Bashing them is fine, but we also need to look in the mirror.  The reality is they will sell more student season tickets than MSU this year, at almost twice the price, with 10,000 fewer undergraduate students.

They can? This whole article is about how they aren't selling enough of them.... Sounds like they can't.

Giant Moose wrote:
It's sad how empty the tennis courts are compared to back in the day. I really wish MSU would realize they are losing thousands of future customers who will never come back to campus to tailgate as adults because they didn't experience it as students.

Like trcmb, we hardcore tailgater's are only seen as problems by mgt

Blanch32 wrote:

No I legally/enforement-wise cannot.  No wonder your are the only idiot to lose your bar in el

Again, what can't you do ? And I didn't lose shit, dumbass.

Blanch32 wrote:

No I legally/enforement-wise cannot.  No wonder your are the only idiot to lose your bar in el

the guy is the BW/JLS of bar owners...he owns a bar in a college town...and he called you out for wanting to party with kids.   

How is the tailgating different from tRose Bowl? I had fun there, even played the game where you throw shit at a board and try to get it in the hole. There was a huge lack of a police presence and plenty of bathrooms. Getting in and out of the stadium was much faster than I thought it would be. If anything I didn't have enough time to tailgate. Parking seemed pretty easy. I guess they studied what MSU does, flipped it 180 degrees and it works.

WCS wrote:

the guy is the BW/JLS of bar owners...he owns a bar in a college town...and he called you out for wanting to party with kids.   

30 year old men shouldn't be partying with 19 year olds. And you know the facts about the bar owners.

tig ol bitties wrote:This stuff isn't rocket science.  The "home experience" has passed the "game experience" for many football fans.

Many, but not all. I'd much rather be in EL. Sitting at home on a couch with a few friends still doesn't compare to being there, cheering with thousands of people. I've also never been a fan of the stat tracking on TV. I love that it's constant in the stadium, especially with the addition of the new scoreboards.

MSU addict wrote:
Bashing them is fine, but we also need to look in the mirror.  The reality is they will sell more student season tickets than MSU this year, at almost twice the price, with 10,000 fewer undergraduate students.

No they won't, especially coming off of last season. I'd be shocked if there are actually that many UM students dumb enough to shell out $300 for that.

Giant Moose wrote:
As for stadium entry, I feel like they are too aggressive in patting people down at times, and the purse restriction is unnecessary targeting of women.

This is really the only thing that bugs me about the stadium. I agree that no girl needs to bring one of those ginormous tote bag monstrosity purses to a game (or to anything, ever), but they were about ready to arrest me for a wristlet, which is just a wallet with a wrist strap and a pocket for my phone. Really? Calm down on the power trip, people.

MSU addict wrote:
 If MSU could charge $300 for student tickets, we would. Student tickets have an definite opportunity cost associated with them.  That is a seat that is sold for less money and has no seat license fee attached (I believe every other season ticket in their stadium requires a donation to purchase).

Bashing them is fine, but we also need to look in the mirror.  The reality is they will sell more student season tickets than MSU this year, at almost twice the price, with 10,000 fewer undergraduate students.

  Hollis had a golden opportunity to increase ticket prices coming off a Rose Bowl Championship and going into a loaded home schedule. He didn't. In fact, he made a point not to. As for student ticket sales, if Michigan's own projections are accurate, then the sales will actually be pretty even with each other.

Floyd Robertson wrote:

Dammit the NCAA and Jim Delaney shouldn't force u of m to schedule games against the likes of Utah.

I seem to remember watching Utah muscle out a win over the ungodly Stanford team last year. That means they were national title contenders, no?

CrazySparty wrote:

  Hollis had a golden opportunity to increase ticket prices coming off a Rose Bowl Championship and going into a loaded home schedule. He didn't. In fact, he made a point not to. As for student ticket sales, if Michigan's own projections are accurate, then the sales will actually be pretty even with each other.

Maybe because of all the complaints he heard about the Rose Bowl tickets perhaps? Was he really going to raise ticket prices after he pissed off many donors?

Blanch32 wrote:Tailgating restrictions keep me home.  Only a top 15 opponent or MICHIGAN would make me consider the trip north

So, if tailgating was better...you would donate to the Spartan Fund, buy season tickets, fly in for every home game, spend 2 nights in hotel, and incur other various expenses associated with these trips?

What are you doing with all the money you're saving? Buying a new vacuum cleaner for your apartment?

duffy munn wrote:


Again, what can't you do ? And I didn't lose shit, dumbass.

For starters, wait in line and park there on a first come first serve basis. My god, how dumb are you?

WCS wrote:

the guy is the BW/JLS of bar owners...he owns a bar in a college town...and he called you out for wanting to party with kids.   

.....and complains about how hard that is. Lol

NigelUno wrote:

So, if tailgating was better...you would donate to the Spartan Fund, buy season tickets, fly in for every home game, spend 2 nights in hotel, and incur other various expenses associated with these trips?

What are you doing with all the money you're saving?  Buying a new vacuum cleaner for your apartment?

I can't speak for blanch, but yeah I would attend another game in EL every year. Right now I do 1 or 2 a year against Michigan/Notre Dame and another if we get a Top 10 Wisconsin/Ohio State game or something.

If the atmosphere was better, I would consider conference games against mid-level opponents like Iowa, Northwestern, etc. But as of now, no I never consider going to those games.

Donjuanmc wrote:

I seem to remember watching Utah muscle out a win over the ungodly Stanford team last year. That means they were national title contenders, no?

You guys struggled with the #60 something D in the nation. Winston would have left the game by the 3rd quarter in a casket.
 

duffy munn wrote:


30 year old men shouldn't be partying with 19 year olds. And you know the facts about the bar owners.

Why not and what's theses "facts?"

Blanch32 wrote:

For starters, wait in line and park there on a first come first serve basis.  My god, how dumb are you?

Sorry you have to wait in line and can't get blackout drunk with kids. From what I hear, being blind drunk is a good way to get your ass kicked, am I right ?

duffy munn wrote:


30 year old men shouldn't be partying with 19 year olds. And you know the facts about the bar owners.

I don't mind tailgating with people older or younger than me. As long as you're a Spartan, it's fine with me. Some of the best tailgates I've been to have all age groups represented from ~20 to like 60+.

duffy munn wrote:


30 year old men shouldn't be partying with 19 year olds.

  In addition to tailgating at one of the fraternities, a couple of my friends and I would always go to our parent's tailgates and hang out with their friends. We would play Beer Pong, Flip Cup, and Boom with our fellow 30--50 year old Spartan fans.

InTenSity wrote:
You guys struggled with the #60 something D in the nation. Winston would have left the game by the 3rd quarter in a casket.
 

Huh? Oh sorry that didn't happen and instead he threw the national title winning pass with seconds left on the clock. Do wish they would have played MSU but after nothing but 3 and outs from your o I don't think your d would have put up much of a fight the second half.

NigelUno wrote:

So, if tailgating was better...you would donate to the Spartan Fund, buy season tickets, fly in for every home game, spend 2 nights in hotel, and incur other various expenses associated with these trips?

What are you doing with all the money you're saving? Buying a new vacuum cleaner for your apartment?

Too late for me. Had the tailgate restrictions never been implemented I might still be living in the north. Now that I've escaped that hell fat chance I return.

Now multiple my story by 10 to 20k....