Attending every game in a season
2011 is my senior year at U-M and I am pondering the idea of attempting to attend every game next season. I figure this will be my one real shot to try and pull this off and the schedule sets up very nicely: 8 homes games, a game at MSU, a game at Northwestern (which I've been to before) and then games at Iowa and Illinois and a bowl (hopefully in California... wink wink).
Have any of you pulled this off before? Any stories or advice on traveling to Iowa or Illinois (I've been to MSU and NW before)?
November 30th, 2010 at 2:37 PM ^
my only advice is to get the tickets all through the athletic dept.
sounds kind of stupid but yhou'd be surprised of what some of my friends did haha they purchased tix from scalpers the entire season and wound up losing 1000+ dollars
k?
November 30th, 2010 at 2:40 PM ^
I came damn close in 1997 (the national championship season). I attended every home game and then traveled to Happy Valley, East Lansing, and Pasadena. I missed Bloomington and Madison and I could kick myself for not going the distance.
You absolutely have to complete this quest! And you have to update us with your adventures.
November 30th, 2010 at 4:36 PM ^
I made the Madison trip that year. It was a beautiful thing.
Would have given anything to have been at Happy Valley. It was a beautiful-er thing.
November 30th, 2010 at 5:22 PM ^
Woodson breaking free in the secondary and Griese throwing the easy TD toss while you are sitting in the middle of the PSU student section laughing all the way . . .
November 30th, 2010 at 2:40 PM ^
Make sure you don't have late classes on Friday or early classes on Monday (if any at all). That gives you the extra time to road trip the long ones to Iowa and Illinois in case you get stuck with an attendance required class.
Also, you can almost always buy road tickets as a student on one-two days during the summer time but it usually requires you to buy them in person. I know people that got road OSU tickets last weekend through that method and they only had to pay face value. That's much better than going the StubHub route. Keep an eye on mgoblue.com for when they go on sale during the early part of the summer. If you can't go you can usually have a buddy that's sticking around for spring/summer go for you.
November 30th, 2010 at 2:46 PM ^
Yeah those go on sale in April. You turn in an application requesting whichever games and unless the demand is too high and there is a lottery, the tickets are yours.
November 30th, 2010 at 2:54 PM ^
I pulled this off...
November 30th, 2010 at 7:06 PM ^
November 30th, 2010 at 2:48 PM ^
I have been to Illinois in 07 and 09, very boring drive once you hit chi-town and head south. Rarely do I say get scalper tickets, BUT... In 2007 it was a night game and a really big game like 7-2 vs 7-2 (i think) but after the tailgate about 30 minutes til the game is when I started looking got a lot of $80 offers but settled on $40. In 2009 both teams were not looking good, I got tickets for at 4 for $180 and parking pass on ebay, 1 person bailed and I couldn't get anything for it there so I upgrated and traded 4 for 3 just before the game with an upgrade to 50 yard line tickets. All in all I would say get them a head IF you are for sure going regardless of either teams record if you want "piece of mind tickets" but if you could careless where you sit get them at game and hope both teams are undeafeted for $$$ sake.
PS Cool stadium, good bars
November 30th, 2010 at 2:50 PM ^
Definitely get the tickets through the A.D. I did this in 2006 and went to ND, PSU, and OSU for face value.
November 30th, 2010 at 4:38 PM ^
I did those same trips, what a fun season
November 30th, 2010 at 2:50 PM ^
are 12 for 12 this year. They have said they are not going to the bowl game this year but once the bowl is announced my guess is they will.
November 30th, 2010 at 2:51 PM ^
I went to all of the games last year as a Junior. It was an amazing experience. I highly recommend it to every big football fan.
And i agree that buying them through the ticket office is the way to go. I got all of them from there and got to sit in the Michigan section for each game was a lot of fun.
It helped me a lot that I either knew someone at the other school or they had a chapter of my fraternity where i could stay. Having someone to show you the ropes of the school makes the trips a lot more fun. Go for it!
November 30th, 2010 at 4:10 PM ^
I was an MBA student at Ross at the time and had tickets to all games way in advance. But man, I was gearing up for an awesome season. Then came the App St game...then the Oregon game. Ugh! But I still went to every game home and away, including Illinois.
My only suggestion for Illinois if you decide to chant "safety school" in Churbana, make sure you have a good crew of Michigan buddies. They hate the dickens out of us and that chant really took them over the edge.
Other advice: go to Kams. They let in 18 year olds. Enough said.
November 30th, 2010 at 3:18 PM ^
Iowa and Illinois and had good times at both places. My advice for tailgating is to make sure that you do some research ahead of time and find locations where there will be other U of M fans. It's fun to mingle with th eopposing fans but always remember that you are the visitor. You will take some ribbing. Suck it up and stay classy, and you'll have a good time.
November 30th, 2010 at 3:44 PM ^
Went to all but Penn State. Some of the best roadtrips ever. Mad-town especially.
November 30th, 2010 at 3:56 PM ^
I almost did it in 1997. Got the tix through the Athletic Department and then got sick as a dog during the PSU game. Doctor wouldn't let me leave town, so I had to give away my Wiscy ticket. Biggest mistake of my life, missing the Wisconsin game that is.
November 30th, 2010 at 4:07 PM ^
if you do it, just be thankful the 2011 schedule has Purdue at home, and not away. Man, does that stadium/tailgate/gameday blow.
November 30th, 2010 at 4:55 PM ^
This is so true. I have been to 8 away games over my 4 years at Michigan and this was by far the worst gameday experience. Awful.
November 30th, 2010 at 5:14 PM ^
... don't plan on going to CA for a bowl.
Good luck, though! Most people don't even go to all the home games in a season.
November 30th, 2010 at 5:24 PM ^
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November 30th, 2010 at 5:32 PM ^
Thanks! I appreciate it, seriously. I now know how stupid I am. I will learn from this and I will be better off for it.
"Thank you sir, may I have another?"
November 30th, 2010 at 6:26 PM ^
I went to all home and away games in 1997 (Rose Bowl included)-of course that was a blast!!!
2004-went everywhere except the Rose Bowl.
Nice road slate next year as we only have to leave the state 3 times. As always, the game in Evanston will be BIG HOUSE WEST. Been to Illinois a few times-meh. Kinnick Stadium is a long haul, but it is a good environment for sure.
November 30th, 2010 at 6:54 PM ^
Actually, the easiest way to get tickets to Northwestern and Illinois are to wait until the end of July and just buy them for face value thru their Athletic Department ticket office. I've done this many times and never had a problem. MSU and Iowa are better off thru the Michigan ticket office.
November 30th, 2010 at 7:11 PM ^
Students can get away tickets face value in April. I suppose you get a better pick of seats through the other ADs, but the Michigan ones are in the U-M section.
November 30th, 2010 at 8:30 PM ^
Lloyd Brady did it, right? You can too.
December 1st, 2010 at 4:15 PM ^
I've done it just about every year since 1996. It is definitely a great experience. Now when I go to games I always look for 2 or 3 other groups that do the same thing. Here are some quick tips for the away games next year.
* Reserve hotel rooms now for Iowa and Illinois if you want to be close.
* For Northwestern it is always more fun to stay downtown Chicago than near campus.
* Try to avoid scalping on game day for MSU.
Have fun! We'll see you at the games next year.
December 1st, 2010 at 4:36 PM ^
A damn good time was had in Iowa City last year -- despite the loss. Although, I was stunned by the early October weather in Iowa: there were snow flurries on game day, and the night-time temps by kickoff were in the 20s. And again, this was EARLY October.