Chip Scoggins: Gophers working on winning back trust from fans

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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per Chip:

Their biggest challenge remains winning back football fans that dropped season tickets in protest of scholarship seating increases, a money grab that is common practice in college sports.

Teague sought to capitalize on Jerry Kill’s popularity and euphoria of a rare New Year’s Day bowl game. But he misread the situation by not recognizing that Gophers fans have suffered for decades and needed more than just one successful season to accept substantial price increases. Instead, many revolted and haven’t come back as season-ticket holders.

Coyle froze the third price hike last fall hoping to stop the exodus. The damage already was done, though.

Planning is underway internally to lower some football single-game ticket prices for nonconference games and possibly lower-profile Big Ten games. Exact prices aren’t known, but it’s not unreasonable to suggest a family of four should be able to get into a non-marquee game for $100 in the upper deck.

If the Gophers win big under P.J. Fleck and achieve sustained success, financial expectations will and should change. But for now, the Gophers need to entice fans to show up, not push them away.

Coyle commissioned a football survey during the season. The top three reasons fans listed for why they might not renew their tickets were: 1. Price exceeds value and benefits; 2. Affordability of tickets/overall cost of attending; 3. The team is not headed in right direction.

“It was consistent with what I had been hearing and what I had been seeing,” Coyle said.

http://www.startribune.com/gophers-ask-for-fan-input-to-regain-their-trust/420963563/

Go Gophers!!
 

The main problem and it's even mentioned in Bleed's "sampling" is not the price of single game football tickets (except for whining IA and WI fans) but the donation cost. Not the donation itself, the cost.

Nothing they are doing is addressing that. Could be that a simple cost benefit analysis is telling them they can't cut it too much because they won't get enough new tickets to cover the loss. Who knows, but doing things that cost the U zero money isn't gonna ratchet-up Season Ticket sales.

Coyle's "blah, blah, blah" aside, they are basing everything on the teams wining.

Men's Basketball needs to keep winning and either challenge for the Big Ten title or make it to the Sweet 16. Men's Hockey needs another National Title. Fleck needs to build on the record of the last 4 years, beat WI and get to another "name" bowl.

Yes, all that has been said many times before, but take a look at that 2018 Gopher Home Schedule. It's the worst Home Schedule for Football in many years and it won't have NE or WI fans buying tickets to bail them out.

Unless they have a good to great season this year, that Season Ticket base is gonna take a big hit next season. Getting a handshake from a player or coach ain't gonna cut it.

"Football games at TCF Bank Stadium were half full, even for important Big Ten games late in the season. Crowds at Williams Arena steadily improved as the men’s basketball team made a historic turnaround, but the Gophers still finished with their lowest average attendance since the 1970-71 season. Attendance for men’s hockey dropped to its lowest level in five years.

"Fan engagement with the three revenue sports on campus is a serious problem. Coyle made that issue a priority after being hired last May."..

“We’re trying to be conscious of our market,” Coyle said. “If people are telling us, ‘Hey, the cost for a football single-game ticket is crazy or it’s an awesome price, our market will tell us.’ ”..

"That vision led them to overhaul their fan benefits program and create a new loyalty plan that allows fans to customize a benefits package that interests them. Previously, only donors had access to pre-assigned special benefits. The new loyalty program offers rewards to all season-ticket holders. The department also expanded its annual Gopher Road Trip to include more dates and stops..."
 

Iceland12 said:
Yes, all that has been said many times before, but take a look at that 2018 Gopher Home Schedule. It's the worst Home Schedule for Football in many years and it won't have NE or WI fans buying tickets to bail them out.
Click to expand...

But Indiana finally makes it's TCF Bank Stadium debut in 2018!

2018's home schedule is very similar to last year's home schedule.
 

BleedGopher said:
per Chip: it’s not unreasonable to suggest a family of four should be able to get into a non-marquee game for $100 in the upper deck.
Click to expand...
I've been getting into those games for about $10 per ticket for years, stubhub ftw.
 



Ski U Master said:
I've been getting into those games for about $10 per ticket for years, stubhub ftw.
Click to expand...

This is exactly the issue. I had season tickets for years, and even picked up 2 extra tickets for first couple seasons at TCF. My thinking was, my friends/family could use them when they wanted, and if there were no takers, I could sell them and break even.

I couldn't always make every game, so there would be 2 or 3 games each season where I would need to sell my tickets. My last couple seasons as a season ticket holder were tough. The market wasn't there, and I would end up practically giving the tickets away.

I realized a couple years ago that it just wasn't worth it. I'd be better off buying tickets on the secondary market for the games I wanted to see. Sometimes they were cheaper than going through the school and I didn't have to deal with headache of trying to find a buyer for games I couldn't attend.

Now, I realize why the University raised prices/donations like they did. Its all about revenue and competing with the big boys. But the reality of the situation is quite different for the fan. Its a hard justification to make when the season ticket price is 2 or 3 times the cost of a secondary market ticket.
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
But Indiana finally makes it's TCF Bank Stadium debut in 2018!

2018's home schedule is very similar to last year's home schedule.
Click to expand...

Pretty much, but without even a BCS team in the Non-Conference schedule and remember what the stands looked like last season.
 





Iceland12 said:
And, as mentioned, that's all they are really counting on.
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It's all you can count on.

Michigan had a loss of season ticket holders, and a recent bump.

The free tickets with a coke weren't the reason for the bump ;)
 

We had season tickets to football and basketball for years.

We will return when Coyle and Kaler are fired.
 

I think we are on the edge of a precipice for all big money sports. Tickets are too expensive and people perceive themselves to have such busy lives that they don't want to commit in advance for tickets. Television will prop up big time sports for a while but on-site attendance is going to drop dramatically if it doesn't become more affordable.
 

gopherveteran said:
We had season tickets to football and basketball for years.

We will return when Coyle and Kaler are fired.
Click to expand...

The problem is that even if you do you would be in the minority. When you do something for many years and then quit doing it, often times you find a new freedom in not "having" to do it. I used to hunt a lot. One year I ended up not going because I had events on key weekends. I ended up enjoying not hunting, and I've barely hunted since. Do I still enjoy it when I go out? Yeah, but I (for now) enjoy going to the Gophers more. Years ago, I would have skipped a game to go hunting, now I don't even want to go hunting if there's a road game I'm not going to. I can't imagine a scenario where I'll ever hunt like I used to.

I would guess if you offered the season ticket holders who dropped tickets their same seats back at the same price w/o donation and a guarantee you wouldn't raise the price for 10 years that most still wouldn't come back. It's too late. They're gone. Now it's more of an effort into how to cultivate new season ticket holders. Which won't be easy.

And I get the effort to sell single game tickets. But when you can get seats better than mine for every game for less than I have to pay and the only downside is that you don't sit in the same seats every week? Every year it gets harder to justify keeping my tickets which exasperates the issue.

I told a buddy of mine when Teague made this policy that Teague didn't understand how fragile the fan situation was and that they were one bad loss away from a nearly empty stadium. It turns out it really hasn't even taken that. I honestly don't know if there's a way to get people back in the seats short of winning a B1G title, and even then it will have to come with sustained success...

IMHO if they want to get the former season ticket holders back they'll have to:

1. Revert donations back to the original levels (zero for most folks).
2. Give incentives to people who are returning (a free ticket for a hoops game and a hockey game with each renewal, lottery for which conference game).
3. Win.

By the way, I really think the U should sue whatever consulting firm told them they could charge these rates with minimal attrition. And supposedly they suggested going even higher. Absolutely unbelievable that someone would think those rates were going to be acceptable.
 



It doesn't matter how many times someone says they stopped their season tickets because of the donation amounts. It doesn't matter that the surveys of people dropping their season tickets not only listed the #1 reason being cost, but the #2 reason as well. No matter how many times it is said, surveyed, shouted, proclaimed, and proven... someone on Gopherhole will suggest the quality of the home schedule opponents is the reason season ticket holders left in droves. I agree with the point that once these season ticket holders were lost, even the same prices won't automatically bring them back. Yes, people do move on to other things.
 

Schnauzer said:
It doesn't matter how many times someone says they stopped their season tickets because of the donation amounts. It doesn't matter that the surveys of people dropping their season tickets not only listed the #1 reason being cost, but the #2 reason as well. No matter how many times it is said, surveyed, shouted, proclaimed, and proven... someone on Gopherhole will suggest the quality of the home schedule opponents is the reason season ticket holders left in droves. I agree with the point that once these season ticket holders were lost, even the same prices won't automatically bring them back. Yes, people do move on to other things.
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No, but a lousy schedule and the lack of NE or WI makes things worse. And it kills walk-up and single game ticket sales. You disagree with that? Seriously?
 

Iceland12 said:
No, but a lousy schedule and the lack of NE or WI makes things worse. You disagree with that? Seriously?
Click to expand...

YES I DO. I seriously disagree with it. Bad home schedules hurt single game ticket sales, but longtime season ticket holders do not drop their seats due to that. NE has only been in the conference for a few years by the way, and we had a season ticket base before they were an annual opponent.

Please find the throngs of people that cut their season tickets due to the schedule quality, and I will consider ending my serious disagreement.
 

gopherveteran said:
We had season tickets to football and basketball for years.

We will return when Coyle and Kaler are fired.
Click to expand...

Good for you. I'm sure the athletic department will collapse without your revenue.
 

Schnauzer said:
YES I DO. I seriously disagree with it. Bad home schedules hurt single game ticket sales, but longtime season ticket holders do not drop their seats due to that. NE has only been in the conference for a few years by the way, and we had a season ticket base before they were an annual opponent.

Please find the throngs of people that cut their season tickets due to the schedule quality, and I will consider ending my serious disagreement.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure there are some professional scalpers that will for sure drop tickets in years where the schedule is bad. Not sure about the real fans though. I'm sure it hurts to some degree though.
 

Schnauzer said:
YES I DO. I seriously disagree with it. Bad home schedules hurt single game ticket sales, but longtime season ticket holders do not drop their seats due to that. NE has only been in the conference for a few years by the way, and we had a season ticket base before they were an annual opponent.

Please find the throngs of people that cut their season tickets due to the schedule quality, and I will consider ending my serious disagreement.
Click to expand...

"Throngs of people" are your basis and a head's-up about Nebraska being on the schedule? Classy.

Oh, and why you're at it, find all the posts where people are saying that "the quality of the home schedule opponents is the reason season ticket holders left in droves." Should be a very short phucking list. :D

Your logic then is "NOBODY EVER CONSIDERS ANYTHING BUT THE DONATION PRICE WHEN THEY DECIDE TO BUY SEASON TICKETS", even those seats that don't have a donation price? Those people don't renew because of the donation amounts on other people's seats?

You "seriously agree" with that?

The stories about NE and WI fans buying season tickets when they play here are not true then? Oh heck, since they don't fit into your "100 PERCENT OF SEASON TICKET BUYERS ONLY FOCUS ON THE DONATION PRICES" theory they couldn't exist even if those stories were true.

Okay, talk to every person who bought season tickets from 2010 to 2015, but no longer have them and if they all say the reason they didn't renew their season tickets was the donation increase, than I will consider ending my serious disagreement" with your 100% increased donation cause of decline.

Heck, even if you only find throngs of them.
 

I wasn't a season ticket holder but I might take the plunge soon. Kids are older now. I have a little more money handy and for once I think the commitment is there to take the big step.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
 

Iceland12 said:
Your logic then is "NOBODY EVER CONSIDERS ANYTHING BUT THE DONATION PRICE WHEN THEY DECIDE TO BUY SEASON TICKETS", even those seats that don't have a donation price? Those people don't renew because of the donation amounts on other people's seats?

You "seriously agree" with that?

The stories about NE and WI fans buying season tickets when they play here are not true then? Oh heck, since they don't fit into your "100 PERCENT OF SEASON TICKET BUYERS ONLY FOCUS ON THE DONATION PRICES" theory they couldn't exist even if those stories were true.

Okay, talk to every person who bought season tickets from 2010 to 2015, but no longer have them and if they all say the reason they didn't renew their season tickets was the donation increase, than I will consider ending my serious disagreement" with your 100% increased donation cause of decline.

QUOTE]

I have a fairly simple point here, and I have said it elsewhere. After talking to a LOT of people that dropped their season tickets, 100% of them did so due to the scholarship seating debacle. The U itself published their findings from asking previous season ticket holders why they dropped and not only the top reason, but the second one as well referenced cost and scholarship seating as the reason why. So, I find it frustrating that posters on gopherhole continually mention the schedule as if it is a big factor for those dropping season tickets.

I have made no point related to the reasons people BUY season tickets. Apples and oranges and a reading comprehension or imagination issue on your part.

Some people dropped season tickets every year prior to the donation price increases. That will always be the case. But, to bring up the schedule as a reason anywhere near the level of the donation price increases for the recent massive drop is incorrect, and that is my point. Every time the big recent loss in season ticket holders is brought up, someone here mentions the schedule as if that is a major reason for the drop. For the most part death of the ticket holder, relocation, or job conflicts are not brought up, although they will always be a minor factor in yearly season ticket loss, like the schedule.
Click to expand...
 

Iceland12 said:
"Throngs of people" are your basis and a head's-up about Nebraska being on the schedule? Classy.

Oh, and why you're at it, find all the posts where people are saying that "the quality of the home schedule opponents is the reason season ticket holders left in droves." Should be a very short phucking list. :D

Your logic then is "NOBODY EVER CONSIDERS ANYTHING BUT THE DONATION PRICE WHEN THEY DECIDE TO BUY SEASON TICKETS", even those seats that don't have a donation price? Those people don't renew because of the donation amounts on other people's seats?

You "seriously agree" with that?

The stories about NE and WI fans buying season tickets when they play here are not true then? Oh heck, since they don't fit into your "100 PERCENT OF SEASON TICKET BUYERS ONLY FOCUS ON THE DONATION PRICES" theory they couldn't exist even if those stories were true.

Okay, talk to every person who bought season tickets from 2010 to 2015, but no longer have them and if they all say the reason they didn't renew their season tickets was the donation increase, than I will consider ending my serious disagreement" with your 100% increased donation cause of decline.

Heck, even if you only find throngs of them.
Click to expand...

I dropped my tickets because of the donation increase. I'm back in this year because of Fleck, but in non-donation second deck bleacher seats. I refuse to pay a "donation". The schedule for me had nothing to do with not renewing. I had season tickets for 20 years.
 

I dropped season tix after 2-decades because of increased costs (and the actual cost of tix on secondary market). The donation was the primary portion of the increase. Cost.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Schnauzer said:
I have a fairly simple point here, and I have said it elsewhere... So, I find it frustrating that posters on gopherhole continually mention the schedule as if it is a big factor for those dropping season tickets.

I have made no point related to the reasons people BUY season tickets. Apples and oranges and a reading comprehension or imagination issue on your part.

Some people dropped season tickets every year prior to the donation price increases. That will always be the case. But, to bring up the schedule as a reason anywhere near the level of the donation price increases for the recent massive drop is incorrect, and that is my point. Every time the big recent loss in season ticket holders is brought up, someone here mentions the schedule as if that is a major reason for the drop. For the most part death of the ticket holder, relocation, or job conflicts are not brought up, although they will always be a minor factor in yearly season ticket loss, like the schedule.
Click to expand...

You got any examples of posters mentioning "the schedule as if it is a big factor for those dropping season tickets or mentioning the schedule as "a major reason for the drop"?

Or are you so pissed-off about the donation increases that you become irrational about them and think anybody that didn't renew, anybody, is lying to themselves if they don't say it's about the money.
 

There are a number of reasons why people choose to purchase season tickets, and a number of reasons why people choose to drop season tickets. For some, cost is the #1 reason - for some, the schedule could be a major factor - but for each person, the reasons and how they rank them could be different. As noted, the Gophers have had an older fan base - some of them could be facing health issues, or even passing away, and the relatives let the tickets lapse.

But, I will say this: Minnesotans - as a rule - are cheap. If they don't think they're getting adequate value for their money, they'll drop that item in a heartbeat. And - Minnesota fans are notoriously fickle in their sports fandom. There is a relatively small base of hard-core fans for each team (a little bigger base for the Vikes), but beyond the hard-core fans, there are a lot of people who jump from band-wagon to band-wagon, depending on which team is winning or getting good buzz in the media. That does not lend itself to high season-ticket numbers. Instead, people buy single-game tickets or (cheap again) try to scalp the cheapest seats they can find.

Let's face it - MN has - more often than not - been unable to sell out one of the smaller stadiums in the B1G - and when they do have a sellout, it's usually due to fans of the opposing team buying extra tickets. Yes, winning more games on a more regular basis might help, but one season isn't going to be the magic bullet. they will need to have several really good seasons in a row to rile up the sleeping fan base.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
they will need to have several really good seasons in a row to rile up the sleeping fan base.
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I think that even if they won 4 straight B1G titles, the instant the team starts to decline, the fans are off to watch the other sports/do other activities. It's the way of things in Minneapolis.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
they will need to have several really good seasons in a row to rile up the sleeping fan base.
Click to expand...

It took just 2014 to get pretty damn good excitement and attendance in 2015.

It's just too bad 2015 turned out stinky :(

I think the fanbase is very much available, they just need the Ws with some marquee Ws to get them going.
 

I agree that the home schedule does have an impact on attendance - but I will never understand the mindset of those fans. When I go to games, I am there to see the Gophers and would rather see a victory of anybody than a loss to anybody. I wish we were lucky enough to never have to play Michigan or OSU again and get a steady diet of Rutgers and Indiana for the rest of time. I would love it if wisconsin was the toughest opponent every year.
 

Schnauzer said:
Iceland12 said:
Your logic then is "NOBODY EVER CONSIDERS ANYTHING BUT THE DONATION PRICE WHEN THEY DECIDE TO BUY SEASON TICKETS", even those seats that don't have a donation price? Those people don't renew because of the donation amounts on other people's seats?

You "seriously agree" with that?

The stories about NE and WI fans buying season tickets when they play here are not true then? Oh heck, since they don't fit into your "100 PERCENT OF SEASON TICKET BUYERS ONLY FOCUS ON THE DONATION PRICES" theory they couldn't exist even if those stories were true.

Okay, talk to every person who bought season tickets from 2010 to 2015, but no longer have them and if they all say the reason they didn't renew their season tickets was the donation increase, than I will consider ending my serious disagreement" with your 100% increased donation cause of decline.

QUOTE]

I have a fairly simple point here, and I have said it elsewhere. After talking to a LOT of people that dropped their season tickets, 100% of them did so due to the scholarship seating debacle. The U itself published their findings from asking previous season ticket holders why they dropped and not only the top reason, but the second one as well referenced cost and scholarship seating as the reason why. So, I find it frustrating that posters on gopherhole continually mention the schedule as if it is a big factor for those dropping season tickets.

I have made no point related to the reasons people BUY season tickets. Apples and oranges and a reading comprehension or imagination issue on your part.

Some people dropped season tickets every year prior to the donation price increases. That will always be the case. But, to bring up the schedule as a reason anywhere near the level of the donation price increases for the recent massive drop is incorrect, and that is my point. Every time the big recent loss in season ticket holders is brought up, someone here mentions the schedule as if that is a major reason for the drop. For the most part death of the ticket holder, relocation, or job conflicts are not brought up, although they will always be a minor factor in yearly season ticket loss, like the schedule.
Click to expand...

Right, the takeaways from the fan surveys were cost/donation increase and success of the program. None of those have to do with schedule.
Click to expand...
 

Spoofin said:
I dropped season tix after 2-decades because of increased costs (and the actual cost of tix on secondary market). The donation was the primary portion of the increase. Cost.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Maybe the new benefit program will entice you to buy them again:

- Attend a tailgate with AD Mark Coyle
- Take in a practice with the Pride of Minnesota Marching Band
- Enjoy a photo shoot at Williams Arena with Goldy
- Skate alongside your favorite Gopher Men's Hockey student-athletes at Skate with the Gophers
- Attend the Golden Goldy's, an annual celebration for Gopher student-athletes and staff to recognize their accomplishments

Or maybe not..:eek:
 

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