Student Football Ticket Question (Not a Bitching Thread)
So I'm about to enter my junior year and 3rd year of having student season football tickets. I just got them in the mail. While I'm not horribly upset about the location (Sec. 29, Row 43), it still isn't as good as I expected.
This has been a trend, and maybe I'm just a little ignorant and haven't tried to remedy it yet. Each year, I get involved with a large group of friends that decides to get a seating group together. Each year we have been kind of badly placed (I understand freshmen being high up in the section, but our soph. year we were still in the upper 80's). This year the group is smaller than the last couple years, but it's still between 7-9 people (I'm not sure the exact number).
We all have junior status, and most of us have more credits than our peers anyway. I guess I will ask the mgoblog community, as you all know a lot more about these matters than I do. Does the size of a seating group matter? I would think they would place us high up wherever they have space left. They say it's just based on credits, but it seems like we still would get screwed with a big group.
I vowed that if we were placed too high, I would only go in a group with no more than 4 people for my senior year. There's no way I'm getting screwed out of senior tickets near the field. I know, I know, sight lines are actually better higher up. But that's not what I care about.
Again, I'm not (really) bitching about this. I just want to know the policy, so I can correct it for next year. Row 43 is by no means the end of the world for me, so it's not that I'm upset. Though I am upset about the Big Chill thing... but that's an entirely different topic to be bitched about elsewhere.
I'm a junior, decently large group, and we're in section 29, row 53 this year. While I'm happy that we're down to row 53 (as opposed to the 80s like last year), I'm pissed we got moved over to section 29, as last year we were over in 26 and had a great view of the field. Honestly I'd rather be out of the end zone and higher up.
I was in basically that exact seat last year (can't remember the row, think it was 53) as a junior, and it is actually a really great view of the field, you'll like it a lot. The only problem is you are still near frat territory, so unless you like arriving to games 30 minutes late and icing your bros, you may have to deal with some disgusting people.
As a senior, I am in row 24 with a group of 5, if that means anything to anyone
we were in section 27 or 28 last year, and it was actually really nice. We were in the shade of the not-yet-finished construction and actually had a pretty sweet view. I'm hoping 29 isn't horrible. Also 29 is a small section so hopefully they count from the bottom row to get 43, not from where 29 starts (where 43 is actually 92 in other sections or something)
I section 29, row 43 is row 43 (give or take a few rows due to the existance of rows a + b, etc). It's a good seat
We were in 26 last year, even better. I found out we were in 29 our freshman year... so that is kinda dumb that we got moved back there. Oh well.
I am a Senior and this is my 4th year of having tickets. I am in row 44 and am happy about that. Great angle to the field and shouldn't have to get there an hour early to get my seats. At the end of the day you are a in the Stadium with improved seats. What else do you want when there are 22,000 student ticket holders to satisfy?
I am not sure how they work the season tickets out. I am a Junior and I am with a large group. We are well over 20 and we are section 26 row 43. From what I can tell it seems like gambling.
I think they place you where the person with the lowest number of credit hours would sit. Of course I could be wrong because I'm not a student.
This is correct. If you have a circle of friends with significantly varying credit hours, you have to make a decision about which is more important: getting to sit with all your friends or getting a better view of the action.
Section 27, row 60. Again, a fairly large group of juniors. What bothers me is that with the same group, we had great seats last year for sophomores in row 68. After jumping ~20 rows from fr. to so. year, I was hoping for more than an 8 row improvement this year.
I think senior year I'm going to do as OP suggested and go in with a small group of 4 or 5 kids.
I'm going into my junior year as well. I decided to get tickets without a group this year to insure I got the best possible seats and then go and sit with my friends wherever they end up. I am ahead of schedule credit-wise so I assumed I would get some pretty good seats. I got my tickets in the mail the other day, section 28, row 62, AS A JUNIOR!!! So count your blessings, you're a lot better off than some of us.
I honestly think it's all pretty much random. They say it's based on credit hours and seniority, yet everybody seems to be all over the place regardless of how many credits they have.
I think its a combination of credit hours and the spin of the roulette wheel.
I've got senior standing, didn't go into a group and ended up in row 39, while one of my friends got into row B.
As a 5th year senior in 2007 someone in my group of four did not list their credits. As such, I was in row 73 that season. I just ended up sitting with other people the remainder of the season.
I think group size matters. The smaller the group, the better. I was a sophomore and was in row 86 with about a dozen other people. I got down to row 31 for my junior year when I was in a group of 3.
Group size doesn't necessarily matter. My senior year I organized a group of 10-12 people and we had section 26 row 3. My junior year was an even larger group and we were section 26 rows 27 and 28.
Graduated in '05, but from Freshman - Junior year I didn't have great seats. My junior year seats were only okay (not horrible), and somehow got Row B seats my Senior year (furthest section towards the 50, can't remember the # now)
I did have a lot of credits as did my friends and went with a much smaller group (~4 I believe) Senior year than I had in the past. Maybe it was luck, but I wouldnt be surprised if those 2 factors help me in getting better seats as a Sr.
The one thing I have learned is to talk to people in the ticket office. The students who work there really can't help you but the full time employees can. I remember one time that I complained about my tickets and the guy took my tickets, went back to the safe and came back with great seats at the 35 yard line. I tried keep these seats but I couldn't get them the next year.
I think part of it is luck.
If you have anyone in your group that didn't get football tickets one year that will hurt your cause. However these seats don't seem that bad.
I was luck as a freshman i was in row 80 something and then sophomore year with a group of 15 we got section 31 row 4 and then junior year we only had a group of 6 and moved to row 50 something and senior year we were in the 40's for a row. I really did not like the row 4 for multiple reasons - first it was hard to see all the plays and I found myself watching the big screen instead and secondly you never had the room your were suppose to have as more people always try to fit down in the first few rows than up in the 60's or so.
Maybe next year for your senior year if you send a letter to the ticket office at the same time you sign up for football tickets asking for the seats you would like and also how you like to go to games early and support the team and blah blah blah it might help. I did that my senior year for hockey tickets and asked for our group to be placed in an exact spot and sure enough we had those exact tickets seats we wanted.
Agreed. I have a friend who already graduated a few years ago but is still a season ticket holder for hockey. He knows the woman who does the seating for the student section Yost. He has sweet talked her into placing him in the crazy part of the Children of Yost next to the hockey band even though he an alum. Last season I was placed on the opposite end of the student section from band. I was second row above the aisle (row 8), but was far from the heart of the student section. My friend is going to try to get us into the section with him.
When I was a student 98-03, my friend new someone who had worked in the athletic department and told us how to get close to the field. They told us that all we had to do was write all over our application how we are huge Michigan fans and are crazy and are number one, etc. We did as told and were rewarded with tickets in row A my first senior year in section 29. You are definately right about the sight lines down low, but still its a great experience. Hopefully by posting this here, I am only letting the die hards in on this secret, but next year give it a shot.
for this as I was a student during those years. I was given a tip to write "Front Row Please" on our application. We had at worst row 2 for several years.
Sorry for the double post.
Don't buy tickets in large groups. That's what screws you. It's difficult for the ticket department to place large groups, so they end up not getting to move up as much as individuals/small groups (who can be relocated more easily) do. And honestly, once your group gets beyond about four people, you can't really interact with everyone while the game's going on. Next year, I'd recommend that your group split in half, and you'll both get signficantly better seats. You can hang out with the rest of your friends before/after the game.
I'm in a group of 4 seniors (but we're all transfers so we kind of have half senior/half junior credit) and one sophmore. We're in Sec 25, Row 69. It's a little high, but I'm fucking pumped!!!
those are great seats. I'm jealous.
My senior year (last year) I had a group of 7 and got the fourth row in section 26. So all I can say is our large group didn't hurt us.
In terms of seats close to the field, it's great when the team is on the student section side, but I couldn't see a thing on the other end and had to watch the screen a lot. The one perk is we got to get on TV a lot for the Notre Dame game. Otherwise I thought the seats sucked for actually watching most of the game.
I think I was 2 rows behind you. Is section 26 the one adjacent to the band, around the 15-20 yard line?
I am in a group with five 5th year seniors we've all had tickets for 4 years and we are section 29 row 23. I am actually really happy with these. However, the seniors in our fraternity have a much larger group and are row 17. We all have more than 115 credits.
I'll be a 5th year and have sec. 25, row 43. Had section 31 row 5 last year, so although higher, these should be better.
There's a lot of logistics that are involved with fitting 20,000 people who all have groups in to seats. They assign the largest groups seats first and then use the smaller groups to fill out the rows. By seniority they mean that a group of 8 seniors will get closer seats then a group of 8 juniors, but a group of 8 seniors will not necessarily get better seats then a group of 7 or 9 Juniors.
The people who sit in the front row are the students who will be representing UM on tv, so the AD wants to make it seem as though the school has a ton of spirit. They select giant groups so that when the cameras point to them no one will be afraid to be hugging and cheering with the person next to them. If they chose smaller groups for the front row, then while watching tv you would be able to tell that the student section is fragmented into groups.
This sounds correct based on what I have heard and what happened to me this season. Last season I was in a group of 8 Juniors with the lowest credit total barely qualifying for Junior status and my seats were in the 50s.
A friend told me that larger groups get priority, so I joined a group of something like 30 students. Once again our lowest credit total was barely Senior status. I'm working out of state for the summer so I haven't seen the tickets, but I just found out from people in the group that we ended up in Sec 28 Row 9.
I'm not sure how visibility will be from there, but I'm pumped to sit that close
Section 28 Row 12 as a Senior. These are the highest seats I've had as an undergrad so far. I guess I'm a pretty lucky guy, beside the fact that my first Michigan game ever was The Horror.
(As a freshman I missed out on the student section but got row 2 seats in the north endzone.)
I have a question. Im not a michigan student but have a pair of season tickets in the student section. I was wondering do I need an ID to get in. If I dont can I still get in the student section.
but it doesnt have to be you. A Black kid used mine once (I'm white) I've had friends who are girls use guys' IDs, just walk through and hold the ticket over the picture
Anybody else that has not recieved their student tickets yet. I'm getting nervous that my mail man wanted to go to the games,
Went to the AD on state street, the ticket office, and they gave me handwritten replacement tickets, no problem. Only downside was you cant sell them... Not that I would have sold any, but ya know, just in case
Then again I'm a little freshman so i shouldn't be, but i moved to Texas after ordering so i am nervous about rerouting. I don't know i guess this is just the most important purchase of my life so I want to know it will all work out.
going into my junior year and have moved down only 1 row from last year to row 69... started at 96 ( whatever the highest row is), moved to 70, and now 69. I don't think the row is too big of a deal, I just can't wait to get in the stadium... http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/countdown-michigan-football
It's because whoever actually purchased the tickets and earned that row 1 seat via credit standing didn't register for fall classes for whatever reason, and they don't give you your tickets if you do that. So random freshman who were late on getting tickets get lucky and gifted with those tickets.
Maybe I was just "that guy," but I never went to my real seats when I was a student. I just tried to get decently close, and the people around me (whose seats I was poaching) were almost always cool with it. There were some "I earned these seats!" guys, but they also tended to be the same people that were the most fair weather fans. I always thought that student section should be open seating, so I guess I kind of just made it that way.
OP, man, don't sell yourself short, this is one of the bitchin'est threads in a while.
I was with a group of friends(8 of us) and we were in the same graduating class. In our Junior year, we were in row 60 but in our senior year we were in row 15. We got lucky even though we all have similar credit hours.
I actually moved backwards for being a 6th year graduate student even though graduate credits are worth 1.5X undergraduate credits starting this season and I have been a season ticket holder every year. I moved from sec 30 row 8 to row 20.