Big Chill Attendance
So I have a hypothetical "How likely is this to happen" question. I talked with someone today that goes to the hockey ops meetings and today he told me how there have been about 113,000 tickets sold for the Big Chill. How likely is it that we break the attendance record for the Big Chill? Something about this just seems skeptical, but what if it really happened?
November 18th, 2010 at 9:53 PM ^
I doubt the game will be over capacity. Many people purchased large blocks of tickets, and it's difficult for me to believe that all of those tickets end up being used.
November 18th, 2010 at 9:54 PM ^
Do you mean a college sporting event record? A U.S. sporting event record?
November 18th, 2010 at 10:00 PM ^
How many students do you think will end up saying "it's too cooold"? I was disappointed by the people who missed out on the Illinois game on the basis of "It's too cold out." Besides, hockey doesn't quite get the amount of appreciation that it deserves amongst students compared to football.
November 18th, 2010 at 10:35 PM ^
Besides, hockey doesn't quite get the amount of appreciation that it deserves amongst students compared to football.
Ever been to Yost for a game? It's a smaller crowd for sure, but the intensity is off the chart.
November 18th, 2010 at 11:10 PM ^
but its maybe ~2000 students. we all know the student section at yost is awesome. i think he's saying it doesn't have the same fan support by quantity
November 18th, 2010 at 11:24 PM ^
of being at a hockey game at the big house and being part of a world record crowd will draw the students out, at least for part of the game.
November 19th, 2010 at 12:22 AM ^
Yeah, I ment by quantity. I hate hearing people say "eww, who watches hockey?" I got a lot of that at my high school. I've only been to one hockey game so far, sat in the student section, and I had one of the best times I've ever had at a sporting event (5-3 win over ND too). Hockey fans are certainly diehard. But there's certainly more football fans on campus than hockey fans.
November 18th, 2010 at 10:50 PM ^
This is an event - a one time thing that has people buzzing. I'm flying in from West Texas to watch this (and about half of my group are coming in from the southwest), and while hockey may not be as big as football at Michigan, it's competitive with basketball. The student's section support can be disappointing in crappy weather - but even in 2007, in miserable weather, everyone showed up on time and stayed till the end of a miserable loss to Ohio State. Because Ohio State is an event, and so is the Big Chill. It can be sleeting and it'll still be a great time.
November 18th, 2010 at 11:27 PM ^
The Cold War at Spartan Stadium in 2001 was a must-see event, and it was a capacity crowd despite being freezing cold. People flew in from all over the country to see it. Every Michigan grad I knew who went to the game was fantasizing about the possibility of doing it in Michigan Stadium, rather than that parking garage in East Lansing.
Now it's happening. And it's sold out. Freezing temps won't stop people from coming.
November 19th, 2010 at 12:30 AM ^
The Big Chill is a great excuse for students to pre-game and get outrageously drunk on a saturday in December.
November 19th, 2010 at 4:16 PM ^
No-shows do not affect the official attendance. It's not a turnstile count. They take the number of tickets sold plus invited guests (media, band, players/coaches, people with field passes, etc.). That's how the streak of games with over 100,000 survived games like 1995 Purdue, when there were never that many people in the stands (there were maybe 80K at kickoff and it went straight down from there).
November 18th, 2010 at 10:29 PM ^
at least with a mid-december outdoor event you know it's going to be fucking cold and you know to prepare beforehand.
the thing about the football games is that you never know what you're going to get. one week it'll be 70 and sunny, then the next it'll be 45, raining and all you brought was a hoodie. then you're stuck buying a coffee every quarter just to keep your fingers from falling off while watching a crappy game against northwestern. (yeah. i was at that game)
November 18th, 2010 at 11:11 PM ^
Parents of young children attending the game will probably hope there aren't 113,000 there. I highly doubt a parent wants their childen to hear 113,000 people yell the "See Ya" chant.
However, I can't really see the cold holding people back. Some of the people who don't go to the cold games are the "I go to the football games because that is what everyone does on Saturday" type of people. I can't imagine an historic event will fall in the category of just something to do with everyone on Saturday. If anything, the cold will be a good excuse to drink some whiskey before the game to keep warm.
November 18th, 2010 at 11:34 PM ^
I doubt 20,000 of the fans in attendance know any of the hockey chants. The only chant that 100,000 will be doing at the game is Let's Go Blue!
November 18th, 2010 at 11:15 PM ^
will be 100,000+ but i doubt it'll be over 95,000. the student section won't show up that well because "it's too cooooold" will be in effect. i bet that less than 25% of the student body can name more than 2 michigan hockey players ("carl hagelin aaaannd.......")
and like the post above, i know plenty of people who just bought a block of tickets thinking that someone they know might want them
November 19th, 2010 at 3:01 AM ^
Jeez, I'd be surprised if 25% could name anyone on the team. Which sucks. They don't know what they're missing.
November 18th, 2010 at 11:18 PM ^
To be quite frank: hockey fans don't need/care for the fair-weather (literally) football fans. Hockey has its own special niche at Michigan; hardcore, knowledgable, and dedicated to the very end.
Certainly not a slight against football fans; but the hockey crowd is just DIFFERENT.
"Yost likes hockey more than you like football."--UMTailgate.com, I believe.
November 18th, 2010 at 11:53 PM ^
I know about 15 other students like me who accidentally bought an extra ticket for the Big Chill. Since everyone I know already has one with their football tickets/hockey tickets, I know I won't be able to sell mine unless I put it online, scalp it, etc. How realistic if everyone that has more than one ticket pulls this off? My guess is not high...
November 18th, 2010 at 11:55 PM ^
How did you and 15 of your friends buy an extra ticket? The Athletic Department specifically emailed you SAYING that you had indicated you wanted an extra ticket, and gave you ample time to go into your account and change your order. C'mon.
November 18th, 2010 at 11:58 PM ^
Email be difficult, yo.
November 19th, 2010 at 12:23 AM ^
I literally just made an account to contact you "ImHungover." If you really have an extra and know of friends that are selling theirs I am interested in buying a couple (at least 1 though). For some reason I didn't mark that I wanted them. And would really like to go. Thanks.
November 19th, 2010 at 2:06 AM ^
have an extra ticket section 31 row 10
email me at [email protected] if interested. Must be able to pick the ticket up on campus.
November 19th, 2010 at 5:37 AM ^
Also, if it's set up anything like the game at Camp Randall was last year, some of the lower row seats around the rink will be left empty because people in those seats wouldn't be able to see anything.
November 19th, 2010 at 9:15 AM ^
I think we're underestimating the magnitude of this event, folks. People dont buy tickets to a hockey game and just decide not to go. Its been hyped for months now and everyone that has a ticket wants to be part of this record crowd. Hotels in Ann Arbor are sold out and although it may not be as big as football to some fans, its outdoor hockey being played in the greatest stadium on earth! Get out your toe warmers, snuggies and flasks and enjoy this game, its gonna be a spectacle.
November 19th, 2010 at 10:05 AM ^
I bought tickets the minute they went on sale thru MGOBLUE
I am in section 7 row 46
November 19th, 2010 at 4:12 PM ^
I talked with someone today that goes to the hockey ops meetings and today he told me how there have been about 113,000 tickets sold for the Big Chill.
Is there additional seating available for this game? There are only 109,901 seats in the stadium.