Stewart Mandel (Fox Sports): "Minnesota appears a lock for a Florida bowl"

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Jike Spingleton said:
"8-4 Minnesota, which hasn’t played in a New Year’s bowl since 1962, appears a lock for one of the Florida bowls. Conversely, having made three straight Sunshine State trips, 9-3 Nebraska will likely head west."

http://www.foxsports.com/college-fo...-playoff-bowls-selection-sunday-primer-120214
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Makes sense. Citrus if Big Ten teams goes to the Orange Bowl and Taxslayer or Outback if they don't? Was wondering why Mandel wasn't writing for SI.com.

Guess he doesn't. Thanks for the link.
 


GoldenRodents said:
How much is a ticket to one of these bowls?
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Last year, tickets sold through the universities for the Citrus Bowl averaged $92, while Outback Bowl tickets were $80. It is a given tickets will be cheaper on the secondary market, but I strongly encourage anyone going to the bowl game to buy tickets through the U of M. It looks like this will finally be our chance to prove we can bring fans to a desirable location.
 



GoldenRodents said:
How much is a ticket to one of these bowls?
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Each Bowl has it's own site, aftermarket sources such as Ticket King, Stub Hub, Ticket City aside. The Citrus Bowl for instance has tickets from $45 to $265 listed. Stub Hub has tickets from $72 to over $650, but teams haven't been announced yet.
 





I love Minnesota and spend my summers in the midwest, but believe me, Florida is paradise in the winter months. Will be in the low 80's all week with nice, cool nights.
 

Gator Bowl is the worst case scenario. Dreadful location for tourists will suppress attendance and that will be the proof that Gopher fans won't even go to a Fla Bowl game. I'd like to see them give us Citrus, Outback, or Holiday mainly to see how many turn up.
 

Nothing wrong with FLA in the winter. We've found the further south you go the more expensive it is.
 

Jacksonville is certainly the worst scenario, It's the least likely to have good weather and is lacking in tourist amenities. Any other year I would go to any of them, but we have a long planned Hawaii vacation to visit our daughter, who's stationed there. The plus side is that I'll watch the game with my daughter who's also a Gopher grad.
 



I think had the Gator Bowl remained on New Year's Day it would feel like less of a blow should we end up there. With the game now on January 2, even with people having that Friday off from work and school, it will feel like an after thought given that the Citrus and Outback Bowls are preludes to CFP Semis at the Rose and Sugar Bowls while the Gator Bowl is the second serving in a meal of four straight mid range to minor bowls. Those two New Year's Florida games are the ones to get. The Holiday Bowl would be nice too due to the great location, but it's on Saturday December 27. I worry that it won't have the command audience of the January 1 games due to conflicts with the Wild, Timberwolves, spillover Christmas activities, and other forms of Saturday night entertainment. I guess it's nice to have such problems at the very least.
 

Sports_Realist said:
I think had the Gator Bowl remained on New Year's Day it would feel like less of a blow should we end up there. With the game now on January 2, even with people having that Friday off from work and school, it will feel like an after thought given that the Citrus and Outback Bowls are preludes to CFP Semis at the Rose and Sugar Bowls. Those two are the ones to get. The Holiday Bowl would be nice too due to the great location, but it's on Saturday December 27. I worry that it won't have the command audience of the January 1 games due to conflicts with the Wild, Timberwolves, spillover Christmas activities, and other forms of Saturday night entertainment. I guess it's nice to have such problems at the very least.
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It's San Diego, home of the world's most perfect weather. Ask anyone from around there.
 

I was in San Diego for a wedding on Labor Day weekend in 2004. It's a fantastic place and it was one of my favorite vacations ever. Unfortunately I won't be able to travel if we make the Holiday Bowl, but it is a place I'd love to return to someday.
 


proudgopher said:
I love Minnesota and spend my summers in the midwest, but believe me, Florida is paradise in the winter months. Will be in the low 80's all week with nice, cool nights.
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Just leaving right now. Weather was outstanding and the beach was great. I think it was 67 in Raymond James Stadium Friday. Our seats were very nice, ample tailgating, and sun felt great.
I selfishly am hoping for Outback now due to familiarity with the area around the stadium.
Tickets, as someone mentioned, are $80. I believe those would be lower bowl along corners. We sat in lower bowl in corner (opposite of pirate ship) and we're happy with those seats.
 

Jike Spingleton said:
Last year, tickets sold through the universities for the Citrus Bowl averaged $92, while Outback Bowl tickets were $80. It is a given tickets will be cheaper on the secondary market, but I strongly encourage anyone going to the bowl game to buy tickets through the U of M. It looks like this will finally be our chance to prove we can bring fans to a desirable location.
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I bought my tickets (nine total) through the U of M for the last two bowls but probably never again. Season ticket holders get no Gopher points or anything else other than the satisfaction of making the Gophers’ numbers look better. I sent a letter to the U of M after last year’s bowl game suggesting they give season ticket holders some Gopher point credits. The response I got was pathetic. They essentially said sorry, no can do but if you want to increase your Gopher points you can send us a donation. I will definitely buy my tickets on the secondary market at a fraction of the cost.
 


Ski U Mah Gopher said:
It's San Diego, home of the world's most perfect weather. Ask anyone from around there.
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It's raining here today. Hasn't done that in at least a year. :cool: I had to put on a long sleeve shirt and put away my flip flops, but they will be back out by Thursday.
 

Sports_Realist said:
I was in San Diego for a wedding on Labor Day weekend in 2004. It's a fantastic place and it was one of my favorite vacations ever. Unfortunately I won't be able to travel if we make the Holiday Bowl, but it is a place I'd love to return to someday.
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"It's a fact, it's the greatest city in the history of mankind."
 

Definitely would prefer Citrus or Outback, no offense to the Holiday and Gator (Taxslayer) bowls. New Year's Day is the day to be playing. As Sports Realist mentioned above, the Taxslayer (and other bowls) becomes an afterthought on Jan. 2. All the major bowls are done at that point, as well as the Big Ten's prime Jan. 1 slots (Citrus and Outback). Taxslayer would be the worst landing of the Gophers' likely bowl scenarios.
 

Maximus said:
That'll show 'em.
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I don't expect it will change anything but what would be my incentive to buy through the ticket office? Let's see, I buy my tickets through the U of M to show these "major" bowls that we have a large fan following in hopes that we get invited to a better bowl game next time? I don't think so. I'm guessing our record will do more (or less) for us. Besides, the new B1G policy is suppose to prevent that kind of thing. But hey, if it makes you feel better go ahead and knock yourself out and buy from the ticket office if you really think it will make any difference where we go next time.
 

If it is in San Diego...I'm there. Florida will mean I will be watching from home. I'm o.k. with either scenario.
 

Only thing I'd dislike about the Holiday Bowl is the date of the game. Wish it was a few days later so it's not immediately after Christmas.

Still will go no matter where they go, but don't really want to fly out on Christmas night.
 

FireDaveLee said:
Only thing I'd dislike about the Holiday Bowl is the date of the game. Wish it was a few days later so it's not immediately after Christmas.

Still will go no matter where they go, but don't really want to fly out on Christmas night.
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Tell me about it! I will be in MN visiting family until the 28th. I live a mile from Qualcom Stadium. If they were to go to the Holiday Bowl I might have to change some flights around. I really hope they get Florida.
 


MNGoldenGophers1 said:
Let's see, I buy my tickets through the U of M to show these "major" bowls that we have a large fan following in hopes that we get invited to a better bowl game next time? I don't think so. I'm guessing our record will do more (or less) for us.
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It never has in the past. Getting people to buy 10,000 tickets through the U of M would do wonders for our reputation, and right or wrong, that matters to bowls. The number of tickets sold is always a story in the lead-up to bowl games, and it would benefit us down the road if we have something to brag about.

MNGoldenGophers1 said:
Besides, the new B1G policy is suppose to prevent that kind of thing.
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Valid point, one that I almost included in my previous post. The bowls will supposedly be submitting a list of their top three choices to the league office, who will then mix and match to come up with the assignments. It seems like Minnesota would appear on those lists more frequently down the road if we show we can snap up tickets.
 

I've attended the Champs Sport Bowl (also site of the Citrus Bowl) and Outback Bowl twice each in 2010 and 11 while I lived in St. Pete Beach, FL for a few years. The Outback Bowl is a great site for a game and they do a nice job. Very nice stadium and we scalped tickets for around 35 to 40 bucks. The teams stayed a few hotels down from my condo building and there are a lot of team events on the beach for fans to get involved in. There is ample parking right outside the stadium, shuttles from the most of the beach hotels, and it's in a nice area. The tailgating wasn't too bad either. The Citrus Bowl was a complete dump of a stadium, but now renovated. Tickets were cheap to scalp going around $25. The neighborhood is pretty bad, and parking, while ample, is had to navigate getting into and out of. Plenty of strip clubs and dive bars not far from the stadium for those looking for an adventure pregame. I wouldn't recommend heading out to the local pubs in the stadium area post game. It's probably in the worst area of Orlando.

If we wind up in the Gator Bowl, St. Augustine is an amazing city (the Historic District anyway) and is about an hour south of Jacksonville. They'll have the Nights of Lights going on which is beautiful during the bowl which I highly recommend. Its been rated a top ten most beautiful city during Christmas in the world. Lost of history, great museums, plenty to see, eat, drink, and the beach is a 10 min drive.
Amelia Island/Fernandina Beach is about an hour north of Jacksonville and is also a great area to stay with great beaches, history, etc.. Jacksonville itself is unimpressive, and the beaches are ok. I've never been to the Bowl as it was held on the 1st and I preferred the Outback so I can't speak to that.

I'm hoping for the Outback myself. If we do make it there and anyone needs recommendations on where to stay, eat, drink in the beach areas (45 min drive), I'd be happy to assist.
 

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