New student ticket prices to be released next week; DB statement (updated)
The U-M athletic department will announce the new student ticket prices next week.
— Mark Snyder (@Mark__Snyder) October 17, 2014
Statement from U-M AD Dave Brandon pic.twitter.com/hl9zF4W2j1
— Mark Snyder (@Mark__Snyder) October 17, 2014
UPDATE: As announced on MGoBlue:
CSG President Bobby Dishell made a presentation to the Regents regarding the findings from a CSG survey about the student experience at football games and the student body's relationship with the athletic department. He outlined the following agreements between Michigan Athletics and CSG that will take effect immediately:
- Athletics will work to design a new plan for next season that will include a significant price decrease for football student season tickets. Athletics will announce student season-ticket prices for the 2015 football season next week.
- Rental fees for athletic facilities will be eliminated for student groups with a charitable focus.
- The department has committed to work with the Big Ten to create a blackout weekend where Crisler Center will be available for MUSIC Matters in 2016.
- Monthly meetings with students will be held with Athletic Director Dave Brandon to address topics relating to all 31 teams and Michigan Athletics.
- Dishell and Brandon will have regular standing meetings.
- The athletic department will create a student advisory board comprised of student-athletes, non-athletes, season-ticket holders and non-ticket holders.
October 16th, 2014 at 9:20 PM ^
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October 16th, 2014 at 10:28 PM ^
So he has done one good thing, that he was pretty much forced to do, and we should congratulate him for it? That makes absolutely no sense.
October 16th, 2014 at 10:47 PM ^
The pro Brandon people on here need to learn how to cut through corporate bullshit.
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October 17th, 2014 at 8:21 AM ^
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October 16th, 2014 at 11:45 PM ^
Didn't Dave Brandon raise student ticket prices in the first place? So, all he is doing is undoing (or partially undoing, we don't know how 'significant' this is yet) something he screwed up before. Should he be cheered for being forced to do something that he clearly doesn't want to do, because his job is on the line?
Well done Dave!
October 16th, 2014 at 9:26 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 10:45 PM ^
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October 16th, 2014 at 8:39 PM ^
the man responds to one of your requests and you chastise him.....so glad you are perfect
October 16th, 2014 at 8:49 PM ^
I am really dumbfounded by this entire thread. This is absolutely the right move from a guy in Dave's position. We all think he's a douchebag, fine. But we're piling on to this move, a direct response to one source of fan discontent - swiftly timed to try and prove he's willing to change. This is pathetic. I think I'd prefer that Dave that pull a Marcus Hall and raise the prices so we could actually have something to complain about.
October 16th, 2014 at 9:31 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 9:35 PM ^
About that last comment - wait, really?
I definitely get why. I've posted my thoughts in more detail elsewhere in the thread. I guess I just expecte more than name calling and obscenities after this move. Regardless of the motive, it's good news.
October 17th, 2014 at 1:05 PM ^
Look, the move is good, obviously. But it's also plainly obvious that there are ulterior motives associated with this move, and many are still bitter that it took THIS much pressure before DB finally relented. That's not exactly "responding to a request", that's caving in to insurmountable public pressure.
Applaud the move, fine. But you can't chastise people for thinking that DB's motives are, at best, suspect, given his rich history of PR "miscommunications" and oddly timed things.
October 16th, 2014 at 8:40 PM ^
A leopard cannot change its spots.
Sometimes, there is no going back and having a redo. I believe this is one of those times.
Along with all his other misdeeds, we cannot forget that Hoke was Brandon's hire.
October 16th, 2014 at 8:44 PM ^
His image and reputation has been irreparably damaged amongst a large chunk of the Michigan fan base. Nothing that he does from here on out will be well received, regardless of what it is. Just has to go.
It's not that dissimilar to when RR was canned. There was an argument to keep him and I supported keeping him right up until he was fired. What changed my opinion was seeing how fractured his relationship was with a large chunk of the fans. You hit a point where that can't be mended and best to go separate ways. Brandon has pretty much obliterated that line.
October 16th, 2014 at 9:29 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 9:35 PM ^
Good for him. It's about time. And credit to him for finally getting that part right, even if I don't entirely believe that he did this on his own.
I will, however, shit on him for not pursuing this relationship with students in the first place. He never should have waited four years to do stuff like this. He never should have blown them off in the first place. It's too late to call this relationship "important" and not be laughed at. If it were actually important, he shouldn't have destroyed it in the first place.
October 16th, 2014 at 10:39 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 10:55 PM ^
It seems a little absurd to argue that when DB does what he should only when there's been a rally to fire him and credible media outlets are reporting that Michigan has reached out to AD candidates through intermediaries, that's okay because we get what we want. I'm sure Schlissel and everyone else at Michigan can do a much better job at their jobs when they don't need to spend their time pointing guns at people to tell them how to do their jobs correctly.
October 17th, 2014 at 11:11 AM ^
The point about it being a waste of Schlissel's time is a good one. Maybe that is grounds for firing in and of itself. But he's the president; everything that happens here is his responsibility.
What I will say is that as long as I get what I want, I'm happy. And I don't care how I get it. It seems like that opinion is out of the ordinary. But, man, I just want a good, clean football team that I can afford to watch. That's just me.
I will be honest in saying that I don't really care about other sports, I don't care about skywriting or noodles. I don't care about the price of water because I've never purchased a bottle at the stadium at any price. I am not crazy about the music, but I'm probably the only guy on here who hates the new(ish) skyboxes. But that's personal preference, and I realize that the skyboxes are good for the school and the program.
I'm not defending Brandon. I don't think he has been particularly good or bad, but I lean bad because of what I read on here. He has done nothing to affect my experience as a Michigan fan. I do think that because he has been meh, a lot of other guys could do the job, and I'd be fine if they did. I just think the guy himself is a lot less important than the things he does. And if we get what we want, I don't care what his intentions are.
October 17th, 2014 at 12:09 PM ^
and I don't disagree with any of them. I care a bit more about the trappings than you do, but it's only fair to acknowledge that we all have different things that we care about. Michigan fans are far from a monolithic homogeneous group!
I'd only add, I don't think that you'd disagree, that he's making an awful lot of money and consequently I think it's fair to hold him to a fairly high standard.
October 17th, 2014 at 3:41 PM ^
October 17th, 2014 at 1:22 PM ^
"What I will say is that as long as I get what I want, I'm happy. And I don't care how I get it. It seems like that opinion is out of the ordinary."
It IS out of teh ordinary. Especially at a place like Michigan. Do you really want a football team that oversigns, cuts players and schollies, does things that violate NCAA rules just to get a team that is good? I sure as hell don't. Part of my deep fandom with michigan is the perception of doing things the right way. Now, Michigan is far from perfect in that regard. But I like to believe it is better than the average Power 5 school in terms of following the rules and doing things the way that the NCAA intended them to be. One of the reasons why I held out hope for Hoke for so long (and if I'm honest with myself, still do even now that his chances to succeed are vanishingly small) is that Hoke definitely embodies what it means to run the program "the right way" with how he treates his athletes.
That's important to me, and I suspect, many other Michigan fans. I wouldn't want that to go away all in the name of winning. I don't have a "win at all costs" mentality with Michigan. Maybe that's why Michigan will never be elite...I don't know...I just refuse to give in to the idea that Michigan can't win by being Michigan. Shoot, Northwestern never changed it's identity and yet they found a way to be a successful program with Pat Fitzgerald.
That might have been tangential to the DB topic, but I think it's still relevant to the idea that we shouldn't care how we get what we want as long as we get it. Because in my opinion, we SHOULD care.
October 17th, 2014 at 3:09 PM ^
October 17th, 2014 at 12:22 AM ^
I fully agree that, in the end, his intention shouldn't matter. Unfortuantely, he's driven a wedge so deep in between himself and students/alumni/fans that decisions like this are questioned almost instantly, even though they should be looked upon in a positive light. It's hard for people to overlook being misled/blown off at almost every turn and not question something like this, especially given the timing. Is it right? Not necessarily. Is it understandable? Absolutely.
October 17th, 2014 at 1:13 PM ^
Intentions matter. If his intentions were to maximize revenue and to do it at all costs, then that's a problem. In fact, that's THE problem that many have with DB to date.
If his intentions were to lower student ticket prices only because of the massive public pressure and backlash he's received, then that's a problem. Because as that old saying goes, "The ends don't always justify the means." Why did it take this long for DB to get the message? Why wasn't he seemingly listening to students before the the chants, the petitions, the letters, the fucking rallies?
What he did here is good. Lowering student prices is good, obviously. But it definitely matters what his motives are. And it could be true that he has good intentions in all of this...but you have to forgive me and many others here who have a sense that his intentions are not at all pure given how things have unfolded.
October 17th, 2014 at 7:49 AM ^
What? I'm not sure how that conclusion was drawn from what I said. Maybe the poor season and Shane incident was a tipping point but let's not pretend all of the issues at hand didn't exist. It hit a critical mass, doesn't mean football is the driving force behind this.
October 17th, 2014 at 10:53 AM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 8:40 PM ^
I don't really understand the comments above me. He's trying to right an obvious wrong. Maybe it's too little too late, but you guys would honestly prefer that he doesn't try to fix it? That he just continues to thumb his nose and screw the students?
Like I said, maybe it's not enough to change your perception or make you want to keep him. But I can't fathom how this is anything BUT a good thing coming from Dave Brandon, a guy who is currently our AD and may still be next year. If our regents don't pull the plug, at least he's willing to bend for the students...maybe mending relationships with season ticket holders and righting other wrongs would come next.
October 16th, 2014 at 8:51 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 8:54 PM ^
when it's clear that he's got a gun to his head. It's a last-ditch effort to repair what is probably irreparable. There's no reason to think that DB really wants to do it; he simply has to do it. He seems to be trying to save his job, not actually fix the problem. He might solve it, but that seems secondary.
It's like the boyfriend pleading for his girlfriend to stay with him, promising that he's going to change: he's not. And she shouldn't stay with him, 99.9% of the time.
October 16th, 2014 at 9:06 PM ^
That's a fair analogy, and I do understand that it's a last ditch effort that deserves maybe a bit of facepalm. But it's still the right move. That's why my reaction is "too little, too late," and not "WTF Dave!!!"
I do like your analogy, but on the other hand maybe he's finally reached a point where he realizes he needs to reign it in and can't get away with his antics anmore. His job is literally in jeopardy. So I'll offer another comparison, a person with a drug habit or self-induced health problems that has a "come to Jesus" moment after a very close call. There's plenty of examples of "this person" turning it around.
There are other analogies available to prove whatever point somebody is trying to prove. He's to hoping we never have to find out how the story will actually end. As far as the AD is concerned, I'm more interested in a fresh start than a story of redemption. On the other hand, I am willing to give Hoke another year *IF* he earns it in the next 6 games (contingent upon a fresh start at AD...one has to go).
October 16th, 2014 at 9:56 PM ^
I agree with your take on this. I mean, this is not to defend Brandon's tenure thus far. But if things improve, I don't care what the motive is. If he kept silent, he'd be bashed for keeping silent.
And if he's on the way out, anything good he does at the end of his tenure is likely to be kept by the next regime.
October 16th, 2014 at 10:09 PM ^
but this is so obviously self-serving that I really can't take this as any improvement in the athletic department. Years of crapping on everyone and only when his back is against the wall does he actually do anything to appease the mob.
He'll go right back to raising prices again if people get off his back
October 16th, 2014 at 8:49 PM ^
Announcing new student ticket prices half way through the season? ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? Its neither....it's actually a fucking insult.
edit....I meant Brandon
October 16th, 2014 at 8:42 PM ^
This guy must be on the ADept payroll.
He's a staunch DB-lover and has bashed MGoBlog and Brian quite a few times calling us "uninformed fans".
https://twitter.com/HAILtoMICHIGAN
Tough guy Brian at mgoblog! Again, can you even throw a football?? You call yourself a fan? #GoBlue or #GoAway pic.twitter.com/t1Pd6EZ9Vi
— Hail to Michigan (@HAILtoMICHIGAN) October 3, 2014
Brian at @mgoblog fits the mold of 95% of programmers. He's an arrogant asshole who thinks he knows more than everyone else.
— Hail to Michigan (@HAILtoMICHIGAN) October 2, 2014
It's unfortunate that a lot of fans' opinions are based/swayed by what they're reading on @mgoblog. Not facts. Just assumptions.
— Hail to Michigan (@HAILtoMICHIGAN) October 2, 2014
October 16th, 2014 at 8:44 PM ^
Pretty sure that is Pizza Man's alter-twitter ego.
October 16th, 2014 at 8:51 PM ^
Keep in mind, this guy is followed by quite a few players.
I follow him and argue with him when I need a good laugh because he always responds to me.
October 16th, 2014 at 9:18 PM ^
So what - honestly, why should they like a guy (Brian) who is very critical of their coach? I would expect them to like Hoke, given that he recruited almost everyone on the roster.
I'm not quite sure what the connection is between this guy and the topic of this thread anyway.
October 16th, 2014 at 9:19 PM ^
I'll say it: I don't really see why Twitter shit like this is important in the first place, regardless of the thread. Lowest form of social media this side of MySpace.
October 16th, 2014 at 9:54 PM ^
Myspace.
That seems like forever ago.
October 16th, 2014 at 8:53 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 9:04 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 9:36 PM ^
Rule of the internet:
If an opinion exists, no matter how crazy you might think it might seem, someone has it and will rant about it.
October 16th, 2014 at 8:43 PM ^
secondly, to even talk about an ongoing relationship with student government is a joke. He makes it sound like this was the product of some fruitful partnership. Where was this working "relationship" last year when he increased ticket prices and changed the seating policy? What a tool.
October 16th, 2014 at 8:50 PM ^
The endowing of the AD position was done under Bill Martin, I believe. I don't have a problem with it. We do it for professors, so I don't see why athletic administrators are sacred.
October 16th, 2014 at 8:53 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 9:43 PM ^
this little guy knows or even cares what things cost or how they're paid?
October 16th, 2014 at 9:12 PM ^