Predicted Attendance for NU

BilldGopher

Section 211
Joined
Nov 12, 2008
Messages
4,799
Reaction score
2,871
Points
113
Don't know how to start a poll so...

Have no idea how the typical Gopher fan will respond for this Saturday's game against the Cats.

At kickoff it appears cold (23 F) with a light NW wind (11 mph) and possibly sunny. An early tune-up but bundle-up type of game where precip is not an issue

Football-wise we have the B1G West Champs coming to town after a very dominant Gophers win over Purdue the previous week. A rare for-this-season 11 AM start but certainly a recipe for potentially a good game.

Are people weighing which Gophers will show up in the decision to attend? Do I really want to sit in the cold to watch the Illinois Gophers? Or...do I want to miss the chance to see the Purdue Gophers take down another good team?

Being forever an optimist I think the fanbase will respond with 30,000 butts in the seats for this one. It would be great to be proven wrong with a higher number.

As Coach says... "Row The Boat. Ski U Mah. Go Gophers!"
 

I think it will be about like last time. That means a stadium filled to spring game levels, in my opinion. For the rest of this post I am editing it. Somehow my phone had switched my Wunderground location from Minneapolis to Longville, so, yeah, things suddenly looked a LOT colder for tailgate and game. The forecast for Minneapolis looks mostly unchanged, with temps in the mid 20's.
 
Last edited:

Hopefully a good group will show up. The kids deserve it.
 

Same as Purdue.

Hopefully the same fans as that was a very energetic crowd.
 

Hopefully an uptick from Purdue but still small. I think finishing strong this year will make for a slight bump for next year (especially if the Gophers win their final 3 Big Ten games).
 


I just looked at the forecast on Weather Undgerground...tailgate temps never fall below 20°. Game time temps 23-25° with wind an avg. of 10 mph. Mostly sunny.
I am going and am not afraid of what the weather doomsdayers have to say.
I was there two years ago at the NW game and other than the game being earlier it looks like the conditions are about the same. That's when they gave a way those winter bomber hats that embarrass the hell out of my wife when I wear it. Any giveaways this weekend?
Should be a good time and hoping for a Gopher win.
 

about 15500 went through the door last week and I predict 1K more this week but the sun might bring a few more.
 

I think it will be dreadful again, but a bit better than last week, just because the U anticipated this and had this game on special during the state fair. My daughter bought two tickets for this game there, on a nice hot day, when the possibility of 20-degree weather was not top of mind.
 

Same as Purdue.

Hopefully the same fans as that was a very energetic crowd.

PJ Fleck made a comment about that this week. He also made a comment that their concern are the fans who are in the stands to support them (I am pretty sure this was a knock on the negative fans who don't support him or the program - pretty much saying he doesn't care what they have to say).
I am not a season ticket holder but do attend about three games a year. Minnesota football has a reputation of being "fair-weather", but when I go to the stadium and see those fans who are passionate about Gopher football it makes me feel good to know that there are others out there like me.
 



This dose of realism is appreciated.

As the person who complained about crowd size when people were dropping of heat stroke earlier in the season, I won't be the person to complain about the potential for frostbite keeping folks away from a very important game on what will likely be an otherwise glorious day for football.

Nope, not gonna do it.
 

PJ Fleck made a comment about that this week. He also made a comment that their concern are the fans who are in the stands to support them (I am pretty sure this was a knock on the negative fans who don't support him or the program - pretty much saying he doesn't care what they have to say).

Are you talking about his weekly chat with PA? I heard that and what he said, in response to a question about the low attendance, was that he was focused on the people who were there, loved their enthusiastic support and also mentioned the great support from the band. Your interpretation that it was intended to be a knock might be right, but I took it as him trying to spin a negative question about how poor the attendance is into a positive by emphasizing the great support from those who are there and that things like the band are what make the college game different and better than other football.
 


I'm actually going to this game! First game in 4 years. Granted the ticket is free and is in the DQ club, but still, attendance is attendance right? I'll physically add to the turnstile count on Sat.
 



PJ Fleck made a comment about that this week. He also made a comment that their concern are the fans who are in the stands to support them (I am pretty sure this was a knock on the negative fans who don't support him or the program - pretty much saying he doesn't care what they have to say).
I am not a season ticket holder but do attend about three games a year. Minnesota football has a reputation of being "fair-weather", but when I go to the stadium and see those fans who are passionate about Gopher football it makes me feel good to know that there are others out there like me.

Nobody told me to sit down at all during the Indiana and Purdue games this year. I hardly sat down at all. Everyone around us was yelling/cheering and having a good time. The fans who show up to these games are a fun group to watch football with.
 


Just a visual count, but I can confirm it.

My visual count was half full. 25,000. As the blowout kept going the crowd thinned out. Best game of the year to attend. Minnesota so-called fans suck.
 

My visual count was half full. 25,000. As the blowout kept going the crowd thinned out. Best game of the year to attend. Minnesota so-called fans suck.

I would say last week was closer to 15K than 25K, but hard to really tell with a lot of fans on the concourse. I think the crowd will be a little better after last week's performance and that it's a chance to beat the West champ and clinch a bowl. The AM kickoff should help as well.
 

There are some real advantages to the smaller crowd game.
1. Lines for bathroom better
2. Parking easier
3. And like someone else said the fans that are there are fun
 

At the end of the game I did a Reusse voice parody for Mrs. Billd where "he" acknowledged that he was wrong all these years...that indeed there were Gopher fans...and the full extent of them were at the game at that time...

Mrs. Billd got a chuckle but said something to the effect "can we go now?" Of course we exited at that time...
 
Last edited:

about 15500 went through the door last week and I predict 1K more this week but the sun might bring a few more.

Last season scanned tickets averaged 68% of announced attendance. Your estimate of 50% of last Saturday’s announced attendance of 31K is probably pretty close.
 

Last season scanned tickets averaged 68% of announced attendance. Your estimate of 50% of last Saturday’s announced attendance of 31K is probably pretty close.

True, nationwide it was about 70-75%.

Wonder how much losing the previous week(s) affects the next weeks attendance?
 

Wonder how much losing the previous week(s) affects the next weeks attendance?

It certainly doesn’t help. But the large number of no-shows for the 2014 tOSU game (one week after trouncing IA) indicates weather is a bigger factor than winning or high-profile opponent.
 

It certainly doesn’t help. But the large number of no-shows for the 2014 tOSU game (one week after trouncing IA) indicates weather is a bigger factor than winning or high-profile opponent.

That's true, but wasn't just talking about the Gophers.
 

It certainly doesn’t help. But the large number of no-shows for the 2014 tOSU game (one week after trouncing IA) indicates weather is a bigger factor than winning or high-profile opponent.

I think it is clear that it has to be high profile wins, and NYD bowl game appearances / wins that will really hit attendance.... and even then the bump attendance wise will lag a bit behind the wins.

I will say that I suspect if this offense REALLY can get going often, and the defense steps up... there is some room for a high flying offense show picking up attendance in the short term ... but that would have to start from the start of the year.
 

The Purdue upset. Senior day/last home game. Plus did they lower the tickets prices of some seats for the NW game?
You'd think there'd be more butts in seats this weekend.
 

My four seats will be full as usual.... I think we will see a few more people than the Purdue game.
 

Actual bodies in seats - I will say 25,000 max. Maybe a little less. 1 game does not change decades of public perception.

Now, if it was going to be 50-degrees plus and sunny, I could see 40,000+ in the stands. But, it's not going to be 50-degrees and sunny.
 

Actual bodies in seats - I will say 25,000 max. Maybe a little less. 1 game does not change decades of public perception.

Now, if it was going to be 50-degrees plus and sunny, I could see 40,000+ in the stands. But, it's not going to be 50-degrees and sunny.

I think only those who show up at TCF should be eligible to participate in a thread like this.
 

Certainly many more butts in the seats today than last week. From upper 211 it looked pretty good.

Any estimates?
 

Certainly many more butts in the seats today than last week. From upper 211 it looked pretty good.

Any estimates?

I haven't heard a number, but the sunny side was looking pretty good.
Shady side thin.

Nice thing about a half full stadium is it's easy to find a comfy spot.

It was a fun game to attend.
 




Top Bottom