Petition Against GA Student Section

Submitted by kirtip on

I held off on posting this for a while, but now that the petition has gained significant support, I thought I would post it here for any students interested in signing it. As of now it has over 3000 signatures. 

I know that many people on here are in favor of the GA seating, but for those who don't, this is a chance to voice your opinion and hope for some form of change. If you are for the GA system, simply ignore this post and do not sign.

In my opinion, I think this could lead to at least a GA by section policy, still giving some level of seniority by credits.

Edit: Forgot to include the link.

https://csg.umich.edu/upetition/p/footballseating/

 

Also, I understand many of you don't agree, but I think all the negging is a little much. Its a relevant topic and many people are against GA as well.

Wolverine Devotee

April 23rd, 2013 at 3:54 PM ^

Where's the petition to trim the student section down? And those who are paying to be on a waiting list and who will actually go to the game and be there ON TIME get their seats?

yoyo

April 23rd, 2013 at 4:13 PM ^

Students are the loudest section in the stadium and usually the only group that follows the "maize out" request.  Why would you want to limit a group like that from getting tickets?  You wouldn't be elminating sorority girls from getting tickets but kids who are genuinely fans.

Wolverine Devotee

April 23rd, 2013 at 5:20 PM ^

Those who show up are louder than the empty seats.

Other than basketball, the whole Maize Out for football has been an overrated gimmick to sell season tshirts with the schedule on the back.

Does it provide an advantage? No, I don't think so. If an opposing team fears the color of the tshirts the fans are wearing, they are in the wrong division.

One Inch Woody…

April 23rd, 2013 at 3:56 PM ^

Sorry, but just because you're a senior does not mean that you're entitled to those seats. Only the most devoted fans should be entitled to those seats. Athletic department is not taking anything away from you that was yours to being with.

JimBobTressel

April 23rd, 2013 at 4:40 PM ^

What are you, a moron?

People who dropped $200 for 4 years straight for the privilege of one day sitting in the front row, dress up, being on ESPN and making some noise are no longer devoted fans?

The one and only problem I have with GA is that it is going to screw over the rising senior class. If this happened to me, I'd be furious. Since I graduated a couple of years back, I avoided it.

?Came and talked to your friends" for 4 years? Now you're making assumptions about what kids did and didn't do. 

Don't push your bias on people.

Tacopants

April 23rd, 2013 at 4:56 PM ^

I would have loved if my senior season wasn't the 3-9 Rodriguez debut debacle (we'll always have Wisconsin Rich!)

I would have loved to have a former/current president to be my commencement speaker. Nothing against Larry Page, but graduating in 09 instead of 08 or 10 was kind of a bummer.

I would have loved to graduate in a nice economy like the classes of 03-07.

Someone in life always gets screwed. If it wasn't this class it would have been a future class.

One Inch Woody…

April 23rd, 2013 at 6:23 PM ^

Guess what bro (I'm assuming you're a Greek or ex-Greek) I am a 5th year student and I have over 150 credits in my time at this university and I am SICK AND TIRED of people getting better seats than me (as a senior I had row 40) when those people DON'T GIVE A SHIT about Michigan football. I say FUCK those people. I don't care if you're a senior or a freshman or a State student. If you cant take a small hit and pregame from 9 am until only 11 am (GOD FORBID!) then gtfo. Seriously. I don't want to see you in the stadium. I don't care if you spent 450 dollars for the privilege of attending the social event in row 10 your last year here. You either care about Michigan football or leave. Stupid Greek fairweather fan.

michclub19

April 23rd, 2013 at 7:19 PM ^

This is the point which hasn't been brought up as every Junior/Senior seems to believe they will be given seats in rows A,B,C, etc.  I only missed one game my 4 years at Michigan, senior year to take the EIT Exam.  Yet I was still stuck in the 30th row my senior year watching people show up late and stake claim to their seats in the rows below.  A part of me feels that if some seniors would've received their tickets in July and been stuck in rows 20-40 they would be all for GA to have a shot at getting front row.

ClearEyesFullHart

April 23rd, 2013 at 9:34 PM ^

No intelligent discussion ever started with "What are you, a moron?"

It removes the credibility of everything you say after, because you're broadcasting off the bat that you are incapable of considering a point of view different than your own.  

 

The FannMan

April 23rd, 2013 at 5:36 PM ^

I had student tickes through undergrad and lawschool.  The last three years were sweet tickets.  I even started to post that on the main page thread.  However, as I thought about it, I always got there at least 30 minutes early, often 45 minutes early.  I probably would still have done pretty well.

GA will screw seniors and grad students who want to show up late.  However, that is kind of the idea.  I think it will probably work out, but a year two tweak could be to reserve one or two setions for seniors or grad students who alreay have bought at least three years of tickets.

WolvinLA2

April 23rd, 2013 at 6:51 PM ^

I agree.  I showed up for kick-off the every game as a student, but not a ton before that.  I'm just not a huge marching band person, though I appreciate how great they are.  I also didn't always live very close to the stadium.  If this system were in place when I was a student, I would have had shit seats for most of the games.  

There are not just "people who show up super early" and "people who show up crazy late or never come."  There are lots of people in between.  You are not a better fan if you get to the stadium 45 minutes before kick off as opposed to 5 minutes before kick off.  

WolvinLA2

April 23rd, 2013 at 7:51 PM ^

I don't know, 70+?  I never got to the game a half an hour before it started, so I imagine getting in a handful of minutes before kick off would leave me up there, at least for the non-cupcakes.

Yes, I understand that showing up on time for Northwestern or Indiana or most of the non-ND OOC games will get you solid seats.  But not for the rest.   

MGoBender

April 23rd, 2013 at 8:09 PM ^

I was someone that always tried to get in 15 minutes before kick to see the band. That was usually good for all the way up to row 30.  Even closer if I tried.  Of course, 15 minutes was right before the rush.

I really don't anticipate that rush getting moved up too far.  Now maybe instead of 15 minutes early, I have to get there 30 minutes early for row 30.  Maybe 45 minutes for the top two games.  I really don't think that is terrible.  You're not killing your pre-game by getting there 45 minutes before kick.  It's not a huge adjustment and when you consider the positives, I think it is well worth it.  Like I said in another thread - grab some airplane liquor bottles at blue front and enjoy the stadium. It's better than another 15-30 minutes of flip cup or beer pong.  And this comes from a competitive fuck that loved his beerpong.

DISCLAIMER: As a student I was vocal about GA and even emailed Brandon several times. Hell, I even mentioned it in person to some other admins. So, I don't want to sound like a recent grad who is just saying things because it doesn't affect him - I wanted this when I was a student too.

MGoBender

April 23rd, 2013 at 7:44 PM ^

Waiting in lines is not the determing factor in one's fandom. Making kickoff? Of course. But not waiting in lines.

You're not going to have to wait in a fucking line.  I know just a few years ago I was the first to be OUTRAGED at things when they CHANGED but you're still going to get great seats if you walk into the stadium 30 minutes before kick.  There will be no line 30 minutes before kick. 

The only way you have to stay in line is if you want to be in the first 8ish rows.  Somone in another thread noted that Paternoville took up ONLY the first 8 rows in State College.  I bet at Michigan Stadium you can get into row 10 without standing in line for 1 minute by simply showing up 1 hour before kick.  Only want to be there 30 minutes before kick? Then you get row 30ish for an average game.

POOR FUCKING YOU for having to sit in row 30 at Michigan Stadium and have to wait 10 minutes before the pre-game show begins.

WolvinLA2

April 23rd, 2013 at 7:56 PM ^

But you are allowed to be a huge Michigan football fan and not a huge marching band fan.  I never saw the pregame show because I never had any interest in it.  That doesn't make me a bad fan.  If I were a student now I would have to either get there early and sit through that or be stuck with seats near the top.  

Is that the end of the world?  Of course not.  But a great part of a Michigan football game for me is the pregame entertainment outside of the stadium, and I would be upset if I had to forego that to sit in the stadium for a half hour before the game started.

MGoBender

April 23rd, 2013 at 8:18 PM ^

That's fair enough, but you can still enjoy pre-gaming; just for 15-20 less minutes than year's past. 

And, I would bet that if the student section fills up early, it will be just as fun as pre-gaming. Even if you're not normally a MMB fan (I, admittedly was), when the section is full and getting chants going building up that atmosphere for the banner run, then hell, I wouldn't trade that for any amount of pre-gaming.

EDIT: Also, over time this might just push pre-gaming up as parties will start to die down earlier than in past. So really, you wouldn't even be missing that much.

bo_lives

April 23rd, 2013 at 8:53 PM ^

Well of course that's easy for you to say. You're not the one who has to choose between tailgating with friends and family and not having to sit in the endzone. How about you join me in line and we can hang out and talk for 6 hours about how much of an abomination it was when the students didn't show up on time?

DH16

April 23rd, 2013 at 4:02 PM ^

Does GA suck? Yes. But someone needs to propose a better solution because the old policy was a disaster.



There were 5,000 no shows. GA won't fix that. The top rows will still be empty. But at least it will be better than before.



Things that would fix that without compromising a system tied to a seniority to a certain extent and tarnishing the game day experience? A point system, less tickets (somehow), etc. Those are the solutions that need to be proposed, not just "STOP GA AHHHH"

ESNY

April 23rd, 2013 at 4:59 PM ^

This!!!    Its a brilliant move by Brandon.  Without the pesky seat numbers holding you back, they'll be able to sell more tickets for the same section and bank on either jamming them all in or hope people don't show. 

 

Or go the airline route and offer to get them an extra ticket to the next game if they take a voluntary bump to the next game.

Wolverine Convert

April 23rd, 2013 at 4:04 PM ^

I suggest that they charge students FULL price with the previous seniority benefits in place.

All students entering the stadium prior to game time would get a refund equal to the original student discount. You snooze you lose.

Money talks....

WolvinLA2

April 23rd, 2013 at 6:56 PM ^

I think that's a fair plan actually.  Not sure it would work, but you could have that apply to your next season or something.  You need to pay full price for each time you showed up late the previous season.  Although lots of students' parents buy their tickets, if a parent sees that their kid showed up late to every game the year before, they may be less willing to buy them again, opening up spots for the people who really want to go.  

Blue in Yarmouth

April 24th, 2013 at 9:07 AM ^

just my opinion, but I think paying extra the next season wouldn't have as big an impact as paying full cost up front. This way they have an actual incentive to arrive on time...if they don't, they don't get the refund.

If the impact is only felt after the fact you will likely just get less students getting season tickets the following year when they have to pay the penalty. That will open the door for more fans the following year, but that could just as easily be the same type student who wants to drink longer and come later. They in turn would likely not pay the penalty the following year which would (again) open that seat up for someone else...and on and on. 

If you pay the full price up front with the promise of reimbursment I think the plan is far more likely to get the desired outcome, but that's just my opinion.

Blue in Yarmouth

April 24th, 2013 at 9:01 AM ^

I have read this entire thread and this is by far the best solution I have seen thus far. I guess the iissue would be whether the full price upfront would be too much for most students to afford, but knowing they would be reimbursed might promt their parents to help them with the initial cost.

mGrowOld

April 23rd, 2013 at 4:06 PM ^

I'm starting my own petition.  It states that any student who buys tickets and fails to use said tickets or show up for games before kick-off for three consecutive games will LOSE said tickets for remainder of season and all rights to buy future tickets.   Forfieted tickets will be distributed to famillies of childern at Mott free of charge.

I'm calling it the "use em or lose em" policy

DH16

April 23rd, 2013 at 4:09 PM ^

is exactly what they should have done. Not hard to keep track of if they put tickets on MCards at all, or I'm sure there's other ways. Doesn't harm anyone except for the people who caused the issues of late arrivals and absences in the first place.

 

And then instead of just allocating closer seats to seniors, make it a mix of credit hours + attendance/timeliness at previous games. A mix of reward for being a good fan and punishment for being a bad one.