Gopher Nation? Just 37,000 tickets distributed for season opener; Only 2/3 will show up!!!

[Franisdaman]

From the Minneapolis Star Tribune:

Gopher fans will continue to see swaths of empty seats at football games The Gophers sold 27,885 non-student season tickets three years ago, but that number sat at 21,522 as of last week.

Just over 37,000 tickets have been distributed for Thursday’s opening game — 6,000 short of last August’s opener.

In three years, ticket revenue from Gophers sports fell by $8 million — a 28 percent drop — to $20.5 million in 2017, the most recent accounting. Most of the decline occurred in football, men’s basketball and men’s hockey, the three sports the U counts on to help fund the entire athletic department.

In 2014, the U’s three most lucrative sports raked in a combined $26.7 million in ticket revenue. That dropped to $19.1 million in 2017. The biggest declines came from men’s hockey, down 33.5 percent, and football, down 28.8 percent.

http://m.startribune.com/how-plunging-ticket-sales-have-changed-gophers-sports/491766811/

Aug 30 Edit

The above numbers get worse; it is now being reported that the real Minny football crowds were 2/3 the size of the announced crowds.

LINK:

http://www.startribune.com/report-a...e-size-of-announced-crowds-in-2017/492109571/

 

[DaCDiggity]

All money going to the Vikings

 

[grayhair81]

Truly pathetic. Minnesota has 2 million + more people than Iowa. The Vikings sold 533,000 tickets last year. That averages out to around 67,000 people per home game. The goophers averaged around 44,000 per game for a total of 310,000 tickets sold for the season.
The Hawks averaged 66,000 + in 2017. ISU got to around 58,000. So two-team totals per state: Minnesota-111,000.
Iowa-124,000.
Even factoring in the Vikings playing 8 home games, the state of Minnesota bought about 844,000 total tickets between both teams. Iowans bought around 868,000 tickets even though there are 2 million less people here. And Minnesota promotes themselves as having a booming economy.

 

[Wadzinator]

That fan base isn't buying Flecks lip service and Bullshit

 

[CO_hawk]

Please, we don’t need another Illinois in the Big10 West.

 

[ROCKY MOUNTAIN HAWK]

Truly pathetic. Minnesota has 2 million + more people than Iowa. The Vikings sold 533,000 tickets last year. That averages out to around 67,000 people per home game. The goophers averaged around 44,000 per game for a total of 310,000 tickets sold for the season.
The Hawks averaged 66,000 + in 2017. ISU got to around 58,000. So two-team totals per state: Minnesota-111,000.
Iowa-124,000.
Even factoring in the Vikings playing 8 home games, the state of Minnesota bought about 844,000 total tickets between both teams. Iowans bought around 868,000 tickets even though there are 2 million less people here. And Minnesota promotes themselves as having a booming economy.

What a rotten state. They deserve the Gophers. They deserve Fleck.

 

[Herkmeister]

Why row if you can’t see land on the horizon?

 

[mazda1]

Someone is rowing the boat up the creek.

 

[ichawk24]

Year Negative One

 

[Franisdaman]

Why row if you can’t see land on the horizon?

you would row, too, if you were being paid $3.5M annually

He was paid an annual salary of $3.5 million in 2017 — which is about the Big Ten average — with $50,000 increases each year through 2021. Fleck was making $800,000, with incentives to reach $1 million, at Western Michigan in his last year there.

 

[TJHawkeye]

I hear if it doesn't work out for PJ in Minny, he's going into the used car business. Or maybe boat sales.

 

[Rustys Dad]

Minny's opening game is on a Thursday night against New Mexico State ...Blah ... That being said, when your college team is located in your capital city and you have no other P5 schools to compete with in your state ... yeah, you would expect more fan support ...

 

[HawkIDrummer]

I hear if it doesn't work out for PJ in Minny, he's going into the used car business. Or maybe boat sales.

It's great to be part of the club where you can take a job for 3 years, fail, and basically be set up for life. Kinda like being in congress.

 

[MitchL]

At least they are close to full when Wisconsin or Iowa play them.

 

[HawkIDrummer]

At least they are close to full when Wisconsin or Iowa play them.

I bought tickets for the Hawk-Gopher game through the Minn ticket office. I was surprised how many were available.

 

[MitchL]

I bought tickets for the Hawk-Gopher game through the Minn ticket office. I was surprised how many were available.

I imagine the expectations are pretty low... and that works to Fleck's advantage. The starting qb being a freshman walkon only re enforces what many think... Minny will be VERY fortunate to be 5-7/6-6.

 

[HawkIDrummer]

I imagine the expectations are pretty low... and that works to Fleck's advantage. The starting qb being a freshman walkon only re enforces what many think... Minny will be VERY fortunate to be 5-7/6-6.

Having lived in the Twin Cities for awhile (as well as a couple other large cities) I can tell you the sports media up here is as cynical as any I've heard. It's almost as if they don't want Gopher sports to succeed.

 

[Franisdaman]

Minny's opening game is on a Thursday night against New Mexico State ...Blah ... That being said, when your college team is located in your capital city and you have no other P5 schools to compete with in your state ... yeah, you would expect more fan support ...

actually the stadium is in Minneapolis; the capital city is St Paul, which is just over 7 miles away

 

[Franisdaman]

I bought tickets for the Hawk-Gopher game through the Minn ticket office. I was surprised how many were available.

you can get tix as low as $10 each just outside the stadium on game day (especially if the goofs are as bad as advertised)

 

[MitchL]

Having lived in the Twin Cities for awhile (as well as a couple other large cities) I can tell you the sports media up here is as cynical as any I've heard. It's almost as if they don't want Gopher sports to succeed.

Other than Senile Sid... right?

 

[Rustys Dad]

actually the stadium is in Minneapolis; the capital city is St Paul, which is just over 7 miles away

My point being they are right smack dab in the middle of the state's population hub ...

 

[Franisdaman]

Other than Senile Sid... right?

hard to believe he is still working and putting out a column; he turned 98 in March

pretty sure he still carries around a large tape recorder with a large microphone for interviews, too


CLICK ON IMAGES FOR A LARGER VIEW

 

[Kinnick.At.Night]

Isn’t that a sellout at TCF?

 

[HawkinMN]

hard to believe he is still working and putting out a column; he turned 98 in March

pretty sure he still carries around a large tape recorder with a large microphone for interviews, too


CLICK ON IMAGES FOR A LARGER VIEW

I say God bless SID for doing something he loves for so long.

 

[hawkster03]

 

[myteamcanbeatupyourteam]

you can get tix as low as $10 each just outside the stadium on game day (especially if the goofs are as bad as advertised)

You can buy some crappy pizza for free tickets too.

https://iowa.forums.rivals.com/threads/buy-3-frozen-pizzas-get-2-free-gopher-fb-tix.240650/

 

[kceasthawk]

actually the stadium is in Minneapolis; the capital city is St Paul, which is just over 7 miles away

Cmon Fran. Nit-pick much do we? 7 miles? Do they not call it Minneapolis/St. Paul? Or the TWIN cities? (Sorry if my sarcasm meter was on the blink here).....

 

[sultanofsuede]

Anyone looking to get rid of some Iowa/MN tickets?

 

[Hawk_4shur]

Good lord this is going to leave a mark. New stadium, and I think they are building some sort of athlete's dorm - money's got to be a little tight in Goofland.

 

[scotthawk1964]

Why row if you can’t see land on the horizon?

Agreed, but I will add, why row when you can get a motor and not have to row. LOL

 

[bagdropper]

Here's how I see it.

1) let's face it, coming off last season and the fact it's NM State - how big a ticket is this really?

2) when you've had the lack of long term success they've had (been since the early 60's since they were relevant on a national scale)...the ticket buyers are gonna be leery.

3) buy into it or not, Minnesota ticket buyers have also have MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS, WNBA and who knows whatever other tickets to plan for...let alone buying tickets for a football program that has mostly stunk for 50+ years.

4) Fleck Fatigue Factor. I've been of the opinion that he was the exact wrong type of personality for that state. If he were an Iowa hire, pretty sure his act would go over like a lead balloon. Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin I think are fairly similar with what I would term "average citizen temperament" - look at who Iowa and Wisconsin have for coaches for proof, their personalities.

No nonsense, results produced. Something to believe in to trigger emotions such as wanting to buy tickets.

5) there no doubt is still major hangovers from the prior eras and how they turned out.


They'll start selling tickets when they start winning something worth buying tickets for. They don't want to hear about a turnaround coming, they want to see it first. And I cannot blame them at all and I suspect given the exact same circumstances Iowa would have the same issues.

 

[HawkIDrummer]

Here's how I see it.

1) let's face it, coming off last season and the fact it's NM State - how big a ticket is this really?

2) when you've had the lack of long term success they've had (been since the early 60's since they were relevant on a national scale)...the ticket buyers are gonna be leery.

3) buy into it or not, Minnesota ticket buyers have also have MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS, WNBA and who knows whatever other tickets to plan for...let alone buying tickets for a football program that has mostly stunk for 50+ years.

4) Fleck Fatigue Factor. I've been of the opinion that he was the exact wrong type of personality for that state. If he were an Iowa hire, pretty sure his act would go over like a lead balloon. Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin I think are fairly similar with what I would term "average citizen temperament" - look at who Iowa and Wisconsin have for coaches for proof, their personalities.

No nonsense, results produced. Something to believe in to trigger emotions such as wanting to buy tickets.

5) there no doubt is still major hangovers from the prior eras and how they turned out.


They'll start selling tickets when they start winning something worth buying tickets for. They don't want to hear about a turnaround coming, they want to see it first. And I cannot blame them at all and I suspect given the exact same circumstances Iowa would have the same issues.

Not sure what your point is (other than to cut Minnesota some slack).

BTW, I know what you mean about Fleck's shtick, but it went over in Michigan which is also a Midwestern state. Go figure. Maybe it's more of the Power 5 level as opposed to a second tier program where the guys embrace the underdog role and need to strive for greatness...or at least be told they are.

 

[grayhair81]

you would row, too, if you were being paid $3.5M annually

He was paid an annual salary of $3.5 million in 2017 — which is about the Big Ten average — with $50,000 increases each year through 2021. Fleck was making $800,000, with incentives to reach $1 million, at Western Michigan in his last year there.

So, in his second year, he is making only 1.2 million less than KF in his 20th year. And yet this site is full of people who constantly bitch about Ferentz's salary.

 

[HawkIDrummer]

So, in his second year, he is making only 1.2 million less than KF in his 20th year. And yet this site is full of people who constantly bitch about Ferentz's salary.

Swing and a miss again, Grayhair. It's the TERMS...as in virtually no chance to buy him out and just pay him until he's tired of making money...NOT, the salary.

 

[H4wkfan4life]

Everyone is probably staying home to watch the twins on tv.
I'd rather do that than pay to watch the boat rowers!

 

[grayhair81]

Swing and a miss again, Grayhair. It's the TERMS...as in virtually no chance to buy him out and just pay him until he's tired of making money...NOT, the salary.

Only partially correct. There have been plenty of complaints as to how much he makes, too. What is your suggestion? Re-negotiate a one-year deal every year?

 

[HawkIDrummer]

Only partially correct. There have been plenty of complaints as to how much he makes, too. What is your suggestion? Re-negotiate a one-year deal every year?

My suggestion is if you're going to sign a guy to a long term contract, include a realistic buyout clause in case it's needed.

 

[grayhair81]

My suggestion is if you're going to sign a guy to a long term contract, include a realistic buyout clause in case it's needed.

I can agree with that. Peace

 

[Franisdaman]

Isn’t that a sellout at TCF?

LOL; official capacity is 50,000!

 

[Franisdaman]

Cmon Fran. Nit-pick much do we? 7 miles? Do they not call it Minneapolis/St. Paul? Or the TWIN cities? (Sorry if my sarcasm meter was on the blink here).....

just pointing the facts out; not trying to be an arse

The Minneapolis-St. Paul metro is now an estimated 3,600,618 residents. That is a 251,759 increase from the 2010 census, according to figures released Thursday. Mar 22, 2018.

The entire state of Iowa? The latest number I found was 3,146,000.