PJ Fleck Interview new - Sunday 2-10-19 + Mark Coyle interview

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PJ Fleck appeared on the Sports Huddle on WCCO on Sunday with a taped interview.

Sid: January recruits?
PJ: signed 1 today. Owens - JUCO safety. Patterson was his HC. needed help at safety. Treadway - grad transfer from Notre Dame. There's one other player out there who will be eligible next year as a transfer.

Sid: Smith and Brooks.
PJ: rehab going well. look healthy. won't go through spring ball. work on individual drills.

Sid: walk-ons
PJ: announced 10 walk-ons. important for program. shows people want to come to U of MN. some of them gave up other opportunities - maybe scholarships other places. excited to add them to Gopher family.

Sid: free agents?
PJ: Treadway will help us. get him for 1 year - maybe for 2. we'll see if that happens. Get Owens for 3 years. need depth at secondary. the other one I can't talk about yet.

Sid: look back at last season. how did you turn this thing around from Illinois?
PJ: players matured. youngest team in America. young teams make a lot of mistakes. knew we would have a lot of highs, lot of lows. team grew up. matured. embraced past and applied to future. for what they accomplished, was a wonderful feat to finish the way they did. give them a belief of what we can accomplish. continue to more forward. players worked really hard. ended up (bowl) champions. beat WI at Camp Randall. maturing and growing up. becoming a FB team.

Sid: competition with offense. fight for positions
PJ: everyone has to earn their position. work hard to create competition within the program. the key is how you create competition, nurture competition. we do it a certain way. competition with each other, not against each other. players understand where they need to go. excited about future, new class we brought in. we've had 3 awesome weeks in weight room.

Sid: competition at QB?
PJ: always. need to create competition. all 4 QB very healthy, will be fun to watch.

Sid: will you Red-shirt any of the QBs?
PJ: went from 1 scholarship QB and 4 healthy linemen to having a lot of depth. think we have 13 scholarship OL now. keep working to create the numbers we want.

Sid: you recruited more for Defense this year
PJ: we will need a lot of young guys, newcomers to play on defense. going to have to have that. when we first got here, we said we needed more on offense. for our 2nd big recruiting class, wanted to swing more toward defense. took 7 DL this year to swing the pendulum back. from here out, future classes should be be more balanced.

Sid: did bowl practice help?
PJ: helped a lot. develop young people. get extra Spring Ball in December.

Sid: will some of the Red-shirts help this year?
PJ: definitely. Spann-Ford, Oliver, Dunlap Jr. with the incoming FR, we will have to red-shirt some, play some for 4 games.

Sid: what about new recruits?
PJ: Feel great about class. tremendous group. we hit our needs. some will come in and play right away. others will need to be developed. the players think about doing everything they can to get MN to the next level.

Sid: some people are picking you as high as #22 in country for next year.
PJ: can't control where people pick us. we're trying to be proactive. apply more pressure on team. use word "pressure" in off-season - expectation. put more pressure on players to perform at high level. train them how you respond to pressure. if people have high expectations for us, they're going to hear it - need to be prepared for it, so they know how to handle it.

(end of taped interview. No Murray's)

Bonus - AD Mark Coyle was on the Sports Huddle after Fleck for a live interview.

Sid: how do you stand with fundraising for new facilities?
MC: Athletes Village - had record fund-raising last 2 years. at about $125-million toward goal of 166-million.

Sid: will there be new track events at the new track?
MC: opened this fall. will have events this Spring. will host a track meet this Spring - not sure about dates.

Sid: hockey attendance
MC: men's side getting better. celebrated '79 championship team, had great crowd for WI games. something we pay attention to - men's and women's side.

Max: hockey coach at Penn State said their Athletic Department made $100-million last year?
MC: apples and oranges. differences in how different departments handle and report their budgets. In the B1G we get equal share from TV. Penn State has a big FB stadium, fill it each week. generates more revenue. that feeds other sports.

Mona: introducing FB ticket package for 1st-time buyers?
MC: we do surveys with fans. get good information after games. want to get more creative with ticket prices - the "get-in" price for games. when more people are there, it adds to excitement. need to be more creative.

Max: is it being Creative or winning?
MC: look at VB program. one of toughest tickets in town. they do it right. compete at high level. Winning is an important part for the FB team. get people here, show off campus. want them to come to a FB game, leave with feeling they had a good experience.

Sid: interest in more people buying cheaper tickets?
MC: renewals out. feel confident there will be an increase in ticket sales. won 3 of last 4 games. Coach Fleck generating enthusiasm with recruiting. good home schedule this fall- NEB, WI, PSU. will try to be creative.

Mona: pairing of games. give opp to purchase tickets to another game?
MC: make sure it's strategic. sometimes people lose sight -we're not a pro team. kids 18-21 years old. public doesn't understand. FB team had highest GPA. doing it the right way. love for people to come out and support our programs.

Sid: elevators by stadium. tearing them down?
MC: that's part of the campus master plan. I think they've moved forward with that project. for other uses, not athletics.

Sid: (calls him Glen Mason). Thanks, Murray's.

(OK, I'm done typing. time to start shoveling. getting about 3" show today (Sunday). expecting 4-6" Monday night and Tuesday.)
 

Thanks for the notes. Everything sounds good except not budging on ticket pricing. does anyone know what deals are available for families with kids. I am not in that age group, but the U should be doing everything it can to get younger fans in the stands.
 

MC: make sure it's strategic. sometimes people lose sight -we're not a pro team. kids 18-21 years old. public doesn't understand.
Me thinks MC forgets that ticket prices should NOT be the same price as a pro team. Marketing doesn't understand...
 

"There's one player out there as a transfer who will be eligible next year"

Is he talking about Dew-Treadway or someone else?
 



Me thinks MC forgets that ticket prices should NOT be the same price as a pro team. Marketing doesn't understand...

My season tickets remain double what they were just a few years ago because of the two-step "contributions." They did cancel the third step, but they should have cut back on step two, as well. Tickets are too expensive for the market, given all the other metro sports offerings.
 












I think he is talking about the WR from USC, Randal Grimes.

That's what I thought because he said "player I can't talk about right now". Either someone new or Grimes could be getting a waiver. Unless someone else knows something I don't know.
 



That's what I thought because he said "player I can't talk about right now". Either someone new or Grimes could be getting a waiver. Unless someone else knows something I don't know.

I feel like he may have just misspoke or was referring to one of the juco transfers.

Grimes on twitter stated after Field's became eligible that he has to sit out but felt he shouldn't. It did sound like he had a compelling case though as he claimed he was robbed at gunpoint.
 


Get seats outside the premium seating area. Last I checked they are available . $249 to $310 price range. That is $35.57 - $44.28 per game. Price is not the issue. Minnesota fans will always find something to complain about, it’s just our nature
 

I feel like he may have just misspoke or was referring to one of the juco transfers.

Grimes on twitter stated after Field's became eligible that he has to sit out but felt he shouldn't. It did sound like he had a compelling case though as he claimed he was robbed at gunpoint.

Seems like most/all players who have hired a lawyer to help with their waiver application got the waiver shortly thereafter. Wonder if Grimes has the resources to hire a lawyer. I would imagine at a place like Ohio State they find a way to do it for you.
 

Seems like most/all players who have hired a lawyer to help with their waiver application got the waiver shortly thereafter. Wonder if Grimes has the resources to hire a lawyer. I would imagine at a place like Ohio State they find a way to do it for you.

I'm honestly fine with him sitting out a year. Fleck and Simon could do wonders with him in a year just practicing. And it spreads out the talent a little bit after Tyler graduates.
 

Get seats outside the premium seating area. Last I checked they are available . $249 to $310 price range. That is $35.57 - $44.28 per game. Price is not the issue. Minnesota fans will always find something to complain about, it’s just our nature

Yup - to all of the above.
 

Yeah, just $35 per game to deal with all the logistical hassles of going down to the stadium, to have a viewing experience that likely isn't even as good as you could get for "free" in your own living room. (yes it's not free per se, but you'd likely be paying for TV regardless anyway)

As I've said ... you're not getting new people into the stadium unless: a) they're having a significantly better viewing experience than what they can get on TV, which means they have to pay out the ___ or b) there is something else OTHER than the game that is enticing them to be down there, which right now is limited to it being some kind of family tradition or if people have a tailgating spot or know someone who does. That's it.

You ain't getting new people in the door by offering them this sweet deal of $35 per game to deal with the hassles and have a viewing experience that is, at best, only as good as they could've had in living room. Will. Not. Work.
 

Get seats outside the premium seating area. Last I checked they are available . $249 to $310 price range. That is $35.57 - $44.28 per game. Price is not the issue. Minnesota fans will always find something to complain about, it’s just our nature
Yup - to all of the above.
Price is certainly an issue for families with young children who would grow up as Gopher football fans.
Family of 4 has to drop $150 minimum, just to get tickets. Now add 6 home games. You have $900 minimum and you haven't even paid for transportation, parking and snacks.
$900-$1200 for kids to bounce in their seats or watch their phones. Families do their cost-benefit analysis and choose not to attend.
People can b!tch all they want and say snobby things about those who don't choose to spend the money.
B!thing is free (that's why the GH exists) but families just aren't going to come if you don't make their experience great. UMN doesn't even try to bring in young families.
Better hope the football program becomes consistent top 15 if you want butts in the seats using the present marketing scheme.
 

Price is certainly an issue for families with young children who would grow up as Gopher football fans.
Family of 4 has to drop $150 minimum, just to get tickets. Now add 6 home games. You have $900 minimum and you haven't even paid for transportation, parking and snacks.
$900-$1200 for kids to bounce in their seats or watch their phones. Families do their cost-benefit analysis and choose not to attend.
People can b!tch all they want and say snobby things about those who don't choose to spend the money.
B!thing is free (that's why the GH exists) but families just aren't going to come if you don't make their experience great. UMN doesn't even try to bring in young families.
Better hope the football program becomes consistent top 15 if you want butts in the seats using the present marketing scheme.

The numbers you're throwing out are just blatantly false and wildly exaggerated. You can choose not to go. That's fully your right, but at least be honest about the cost.
 

The numbers you're throwing out are just blatantly false and wildly exaggerated. You can choose not to go. That's fully your right, but at least be honest about the cost.
Nope. The number $35 is the bottom baseline that has been brought up. I know you are a balls to the walls person who will argue half a penny, but using basic numbers my calculations stand. No family of four is going to realistically purchase season tickets.
I'm sorry if you cannot accept this reality.
 

The numbers you're throwing out are just blatantly false and wildly exaggerated. You can choose not to go. That's fully your right, but at least be honest about the cost.

I guess I'm not seeing what's so wildly exaggerated - maybe exaggerated a little bit? 6 games, 4 people, at about $35 is $840, but that's assuming you have the absolute cheapest seats you can find for season tickets. Parking is probably at least $15 per game, so that's another $90. If you ate at the game you'd probably be looking at $50 minimum per game - which if you do it for 6 games is another $300.
So for the "6 games for a family of 4" scenario, I could see you easily getting to $1250-ish range and that is with the cheapest seats in the stadium.

If I knew I could get face value on the secondary market for my tickets I would probably consider buying them again, but there are too many games that I can't make it to (due to kids activities) so it just got to the point where I was eating the tickets or at least a large % of the ticket cost. The alternative is make the tickets so cheap I won't mind eating the cost of missed games. That's just my scenario personally, but I know others with kids are in the same boat with only being able to make it to a few games. Of course if the team starts winning a lot, the secondary market should improve.
 

Nope. The number $35 is the bottom baseline that has been brought up. I know you are a balls to the walls person who will argue half a penny, but using basic numbers my calculations stand. No family of four is going to realistically purchase season tickets.
I'm sorry if you cannot accept this reality.

I guess I'm not seeing what's so wildly exaggerated - maybe exaggerated a little bit? 6 games, 4 people, at about $35 is $840, but that's assuming you have the absolute cheapest seats you can find for season tickets. Parking is probably at least $15 per game, so that's another $90. If you ate at the game you'd probably be looking at $50 minimum per game - which if you do it for 6 games is another $300.
So for the "6 games for a family of 4" scenario, I could see you easily getting to $1250-ish range and that is with the cheapest seats in the stadium.

If I knew I could get face value on the secondary market for my tickets I would probably consider buying them again, but there are too many games that I can't make it to (due to kids activities) so it just got to the point where I was eating the tickets or at least a large % of the ticket cost. The alternative is make the tickets so cheap I won't mind eating the cost of missed games. That's just my scenario personally, but I know others with kids are in the same boat with only being able to make it to a few games. Of course if the team starts winning a lot, the secondary market should improve.

Did you guys know that there are other ways to attend the games aside from season tickets?
 

Did you guys know that there are other ways to attend the games aside from season tickets?

Sounds like something only a “fan” would do.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Did you guys know that there are other ways to attend the games aside from season tickets?

For sure - that's how I get to the couple games a year that I attend. The OP was talking about "ticket packages" which I assume includes season tickets, that's why I was talking about season tickets. I assume the same for Menno.
 




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