Stadium not filled to capacity for first time since 2001
According to MVictors, Saturday was the first time since 2001 against illinois (107,085) that Michigan Stadium was not filled to capacity.
The attendance was 107,120. 2,781 seats not filled. Yikes.
EDIT: Changed the title. Sellout wasn't the right word to use.
September 16th, 2013 at 9:56 AM ^
There was a $75 fee (can't remember if it was per ticket) for end zone seats. I asked for a tickup upgreade and got moved one whole section for $300 additional. Seems like I spent nearly a grand for 2 tickets in section 41 by the time all fees were paid.
I'm no economics major but I think DB is discovering that he is hitting the high end of what people will pay.
September 16th, 2013 at 10:01 AM ^
worth mentioning that saturday was yom kippur, and U-M does have a lot of jewish students/alumni for whom this affected. not to say that comments above about quality of opponent, ticket prices, etc arent on point, but seems fair to point out that this particuar game had an additional extenuating circumstance that might have impacted turnout from folks who otherwise would have been there no matter the opponent.
September 16th, 2013 at 10:03 AM ^
Nice to see "dynamic" pricing bite them in the ass. Read somewhere that the dynamic price was $90?? What a joke.
I guess this also debunks little Dave's theory on students not "making enough of an investment" in their football tickets. Which was total bullshit, by the way - just a nice way to scrape some profit off the back of students from YOUR OWN UNIVERSITY.
Wake me up when the Dave Brandon era is over. Wow factor indeed.
September 16th, 2013 at 10:17 AM ^
Not sure what the price was for the Akron game but it was $90 per for the Minnesota game. My dad decided to pass and so we are watching it at home.
September 16th, 2013 at 10:08 AM ^
This isn't just a Michigan problem, thi sis something that is happening trhough football in general. Both NFL and NCAA and there are several reasons for lack of attendence.
- The TV expierence has improved so much that it is getting more and more enjoyable to watch the game from home and with friends that at the stadium.
- Ticket Prices are way too high right now. The Ticket price and taxes basically put you at around $100 per game. Now include parking, traveling, etc and you are paying a large fee to attend these games. The game day expierence isn't improving witht he increase in price so fans aren't showing.
- The scheduel needs to be improved. Next year, I doubt I attend any games at the Big House. With there being a playoff system in place, hopefully conference championships matter more than 1 or 2 losses. This means that we should be able to schedule better teams.
September 16th, 2013 at 10:30 AM ^
Before the advent of the BTN, this game would not have been televised. The only way to see the game would have been to go to the game or if in live in the Detroit area hope some local station maybe picks it up. Now with the BTN, every game is televised.
September 16th, 2013 at 2:25 PM ^
It would be on ESPN+ or your local ABC affiliate.
September 16th, 2013 at 11:45 AM ^
I agree with your point about the TV experience. I would like to see UM address two issues that would make a significant impact on the in person experience.
1. Do something about cell reception or wifi. Not being able to keep up on other scores or even text your friends about the game is a real downer. I believe the NFL had an initiative on this. Not sure whether it actually worked. (my tip, refresh your twitter or send your texts quickly while the game is going, you can read them later. Trying to refresh during a stoppage while everyone else is doing it is a no go).
2. Improve the scoreboard content. Every single play should be replayed (instead of the Big House Cam). Show us lots of angles on controversial plays. In the NFL, you get to see exactly what the ref is looking at on replays. We're mature enough to handle that. Also, let's see some highlights of other games. MSU and OSU both do this, so it shoudn't be that hard. Listening to the PA guy struggle through 30 minute old scores is useless.
September 16th, 2013 at 12:13 PM ^
September 16th, 2013 at 10:19 AM ^
$90 for one ticket! I love this team and have enjoyed some games at Michigan stadium but I am not going to pay a dime over $50 to watch Michigan play certain teams. The total cost for me would be at least $300 for two people and I travel only 45 minutes. I can't imagine what others pay.
Anyone who thinks $300 for a sporting event is cheap either is rich or doesn't know the value of a dollar. On top of all that you can get an awesome TV for $700 and watch the game at home with food that costs a fourth of the stadium price. This is dilemma that college football programs face and not necessarily scheduling. Other teams are dealing with dwindling attendance.
September 16th, 2013 at 10:32 AM ^
With all these conferences coming up with their own tv stations, every game is televised. No longerr are the days where if the espn network of channels (ABC included) didn't televise the game, you were screwed - either you went to the game or you didn't get to see it. Thanks to the BTN if it's a matchup every game is televised so people can pick and choose the games they want to go to and the ones they want to stay at home and watch.
September 16th, 2013 at 10:34 AM ^
The people are a big part of this problem. Anyone who pays these prices is either an idiot or incredibly wealthy. I'm inclined to think it's mostly the former.
It's unfortunate but the CFB bubble must burst. It will be painful but we might as well get it over with before it gets even more out of hand.
September 16th, 2013 at 10:51 AM ^
September 16th, 2013 at 11:11 AM ^
September 16th, 2013 at 10:19 AM ^
September 16th, 2013 at 10:32 AM ^
Maybe it doesn't count on a technicality because they sold the tickets to Miami and Miami didn't re-sell them?
September 16th, 2013 at 10:37 AM ^
Perhaps sellout was the wrong word to use in the title.
The stadium was no filled to capacity for first time since 2001.
That game in 2008 vs MU was.
September 16th, 2013 at 10:37 AM ^
September 16th, 2013 at 10:38 AM ^
All the October home games are 3:30 and all the November home games will be Noon.
September 16th, 2013 at 10:39 AM ^
As a couple people mentioned above, Brandon is acting the CEO part and is trying to make as much money as possible for the AD. If 95% of the stadium buys tickets at $90, UM makes more money than if 100% of the stadium pays $70. From a "bottom line" perspective, sometimes a sellout is not even the desired outcome.
I'm hoping that the AD still places some non-monetary value on selling out the stadium, and would adjust prices accordingly. It energizes the fanbase, makes us proud to be at that game. Just think about how happy we were against ND, when we set the NCAA record for attendance.
** On a side note, true dynamic pricing would adjust the ticket price in both directions according to market value. This model only moves the price up if necessary, never down. I kind of think that's my biggest beef with this, and what makes it feel like an insult to us as fans.
September 16th, 2013 at 11:14 AM ^
There's a feeling that you can't adjust single game tickets below face paid by season ticket holders because that pisses off your most important customers. Professional teams have been faced with the same dilema. Some teams have done it, sometimes through things like groupon deals, other teams, like the Yankees have refused to cut individual game prices for their highest priced tickets despite large chunks being unsold.
September 16th, 2013 at 4:48 PM ^
Why not offer dynamic pricing in both directions while guarenteeing season ticket holders a refund if the price drops (a la Northwestern's scheme for OSU and Michigan this year). Brandon could even make the refund apply to next year's PSL thereby keeping season ticket holder's locked in for another year
September 16th, 2013 at 11:54 AM ^
While that maybe true regarding the amount of money made on tickets sold, there are other factors that need to be considered. How much revenue is lost from parking if only 95% of the tickets are sold? How much revenue is lost from concessions and programs if only 95% of the tickets are sold? How much revenue is lost from souvenir stores?
And then there's the longer term picture. John Doe decides that he isn't going to the Akron game. Instead he'll stay home and watch it on tv. He usually has a 90 minute drive to Ann Arbor so instead of having the UM game take up is whole day, he gets a few things done around the house, spends some time with his wife and kids and still gets to see the game. He wakes up Sunday and says,'You know, I don't think I need to go to every game. I think from now on instead of buying season tickets I'll just pick 2-3 games a year that I'll attend and the rest I'll watch at home.'
September 16th, 2013 at 12:30 PM ^
I don't disagree with your second part about the longer term picture. At all. And that's what I think worries me, is that this has the odor of an "activist shareholder" coming in and changing things up to maximize profits in the short term, with no concern paid for the long term. Obviously that's not entirely the case, as Brandon is a former Michigan football player himself and understands everything that goes along with that which can't be measured. As many have said above, I'm curious to see what happens next year.
As a fan of college football in general, though, it's hard not to see this as a bubble that will eventually pop. When people stop coming to games because prices are too high, schedules are too crappy, and the HD experience at home is enjoyable, then what? Couple that with the ongoing litigation about players unable to make money off of their own image and likeness, and things eventually will have to change. Does that mean ticket prices go down?
September 16th, 2013 at 10:40 AM ^
September 16th, 2013 at 10:42 AM ^
September 16th, 2013 at 10:45 AM ^
September 16th, 2013 at 11:17 AM ^
September 16th, 2013 at 10:43 AM ^
Paying $75 for a game against the MAC and increasing the cost per seat if you have season tickets is horseshit. Not to mention $6 for a lemon chill and $4.50 for a bottle of water. We're getting to the breaking point, and if DB decides to increase prices any more, we're gonna see empty seats galore next year.
September 16th, 2013 at 1:02 PM ^
Breaking point? You have to be kidding me. Last week they broke all records. Now we've hit rock bottom? The complaining and DB bashing on here is ridiculous. Until the product quality slumps and bottom line declines, I'll reserve judgement.
September 16th, 2013 at 10:03 PM ^
the bottled water charge is especially horrifying.
September 16th, 2013 at 10:45 AM ^
September 16th, 2013 at 10:50 AM ^
Week after night game
Noon
Not terribly surprising that no one got psyched for this one. Though the students showing (or lack thereof) was embarassing
September 16th, 2013 at 11:36 AM ^
Student section did fill up quite full throughout the game. So, yes, it looked bad at kickoff but it did fill up throughout the game. I'm not sure why people just pile shit on the students relentlessly here. A noon game following a night game against what many people consider the worst (at least among the worst) FBS teams?
I couldn't give away my 2 extra tickets to the game demand was so low.
September 16th, 2013 at 11:56 AM ^
I'm pretty sure the allotment of student tickets were sold. It's the other fans who didn't buy the tickets. Also, if you look at pictures from the game, there's plenty of empty seats throughout the stadium.
September 16th, 2013 at 12:55 PM ^
I'm not sure why people just pile shit on the students relentlessly here.
Because the students, and the student-types were the ones who started the fight on "Who's a worthy fan?" It was students, and student-types who started the "Up in back!" meme. MGoBlog seemed to be ground zero for the development of that meme.
And it is pretty freaking ironic, to sit across from a half-empty student section on a day when the football team apparently needed a boost of enthusiasm, after having been scolded about how the students are the really best fans because they stand and yell and yadda yadda yadda.
September 16th, 2013 at 11:10 AM ^
I think MVictors is wrong about this. I'm pretty sure we've had some other games of 107K in the last few years. I want to say one of the games against EMU was one, but I'm not positive. In any event, we don't have a capacity crowd unless it's about 2,000 above the listed capacity, because we count everyone invited (media, players, bands, people with field passes) in addition to the number of tickets sold. If the announced crowd is right at the 109,901 figure, it's not really a sellout.
In any event, when we don't sell out, it's not related to the number of season tickets sold, which is capped at around 95K. It usually has to do with our opponent not selling out its allotment. When that happens, they return their unsold seats to us, and we put them on sale pretty late on, usually only a couple of weeks in advance, and it's tough to move them at that late point.
September 16th, 2013 at 11:26 AM ^
We might not be thinking of the same game, but I saw this replay and thought of the 2007 Eastern Michigan game almost immediately. According to the archives, the attendance was 108,415, which actually would have been over the official capacity at the time, I believe, but I definitely remember empty seats. The 2009 game against Eastern was only a few hundred people over official capacity by attendance, but again, I can remember empty seats.
September 16th, 2013 at 12:08 PM ^
September 16th, 2013 at 11:21 AM ^
September 16th, 2013 at 11:22 AM ^
So I'm not going to say this was a fantastic crowd, by any means, but this is a bit misleading. I've been going to games for the last 8 years, and there were plenty where we never filled up the stadium.
Attendance numbers count everyone who comes through the gates, whether it be someone coming to watch the game or a vendor. How else do you think we hit ridiculous numbers like 115,000+? We're not cramming another 8,000 people into the seats, that's for sure.
So yes, this is a bummer from a "even with that boost, we were under capacity" standpoint, but we frequently do not fill all the seats. And this isn't just w.r.t. the student section. I've seen games against "bad" teams from inconviently far away where even the seats typically sold to visitors don't go.
TL;DR Don't worry, the sky isn't falling.
September 16th, 2013 at 11:59 AM ^
It's actually tickets sold plus everyone who comes through the gates. The days of counting the number of tickets used is gone. If they sell all the tickets but only 80,000 people show up, it's still considered a sell out.
September 16th, 2013 at 11:32 AM ^
I think Dave should start charging what the product is worth. Season ticket holders should be charged the estimated worth of their tickets per game. For example the prices for an end zone season ticket holder should range from $10 for the Akron ticket to $250 for UTL2 Nortre Dame ticket. Drop the forced "donation" bs. Then dumping the Akron ticket for $10 doens't seem like an issue. Otherwise attendance and season ticket purchases will continue to fall. Season tickets in even years should cost less than in odd years when Ohio and MSU both come to town. Right now I am thinking that I am overpaying for my season tickets since several games are valueless or overpriced (CMU, Akron, Minnesota for sure) . There were a lot of free tickets available for Akron and CMU this year.
September 16th, 2013 at 11:33 AM ^
What can we learn from this?
I know! Let's schedule North Dakota State!!!!!
September 16th, 2013 at 11:36 AM ^
...just last week everyone was on Brandon's nuts about setting a new attendance record and making a College Football Super Bowl.
Now, because students don't show up for Akron it's his fault and he sucks?
What makes it even worse is NONE of you truly understands how college athletics or athletics administration works.
Just because Dave Brandon is the only name in the entire Athletics Department that you recognize doesn't mean he makes all of the decisions. Doesn't even mean that he signs off on all of the decisions. He doesn't. He's got a department to run and funds to fundraise. He's got speeches to give and coaches to assess.
This was not Brandon's fault...Michigan has scheduled how many MAC teams between Saturday and 2001? It didn't happen then...not before Brandon or during Brandon. So how is scheduling his fault? Michigan has also scheduled how many FCS teams in that period? Still got sellouts.
This has nothing to do with scheduling.
September 16th, 2013 at 11:37 AM ^
+1 Insightful, Informative, Perspective
September 16th, 2013 at 11:43 AM ^
September 16th, 2013 at 1:16 PM ^
It's also about the massive amounts of revival and upgrades for all M athletic teams that is partially funded by the increased prices. I'm certain these improvements have, and will continue to draw in bigger and brighter minds and athletes. You get what you pay for. Money talks and bullshit walks. Most, (not all), of the DB bashing and complaining probably comes from non-donors or people that do not contribute much to the university other than their season tickets. Don't be mad at the AD if you are priced out of the gameday experience. Hell, most of you bitch and moan about that too, (RAWK music ect). Since finshing my undergrad, I've been a season ticket holder for 20 years while living in NYC and So Cal. I only get to about 2-3 games per year but that, (or next year's shitty schedule), will not deter me from renewing and ponying up additional funds to support my school. I love what DB has done and extremely excited about the direction of entire athletic department.
I cringe when I read the complaints about DB and rising prices. Put your money, (or lackthereof), where you mouth is and take a stand if you've had it. Don;t renew and don't financially support M anymore. I'm sure things will continue to be fine. If not, then changes will happen.
September 16th, 2013 at 4:22 PM ^
" I'm certain these improvements have, and will continue to draw in bigger and brighter minds and athletes. You get what you pay for. "
The brighter minds part of this argument is ridiculous. Upgrading the indoor track facility, for example, leads to a better track program, but it virtually no bearing on attracting non track academic talent of any kind. If the goal was to attract scientists for example, they'd upgrade lab facilities.
You're giving us an underpants gnome argument:
1. Upgrade athletic campus
2.
3. Scientists, poets, and inventors!
September 16th, 2013 at 6:21 PM ^
For your edification, Witz, eliminate my "brightest minds" comment. Though, in the case of the recruitment of D. Hand, I find it applicable, assuming he pulls the trigger. He totes a 3.7GPA and is in love with prof Needs a Raise.