Student Section going GA
http://www.mgoblue.com/tickets/students-fbl.html
I am sure this makes many of you happy but as a kid whose tickets were going to have excellent senior standing next year and who always makes it before kickoff, I am really angry.
GA is just chaos
(Edit: As a poster pointed out below, tickets are also way more expensive)
(Second Edit: To those thinking you will get good seats just for showing up before kick, you are wrong. Now that there is a reason to go early, we will have our own mini-Paternoville. For good games, you will have to be there 2 hours early. I love Michigan football, but as a grad student who also remembers pregames as the best part of being an undergrad, I really think this could kill some of the Saturday fun.)
I get why they made the change (encourage people to show up early), but I don't think they thought this one through. A lot of people didn't sit in their exact seat to begin with, but now you're taking all boundaries in terms of sections away, which will result in people jamming into the sections closer to the sideline/farther down near the field. So you're still going to end up with empty seats in the upper deck, but you will also have lower sections overflowing with people.
Also, camping out is going to be a huge problem. It was absolute chaos for basketball games. Obviously not everybody is going to get out there the night before or anything, but you're going to have to have event staff people out there to maintain the peace if basketball is any indication.
The solution here was to come up with a better system that rewards people for attending games/getting there early/seniority/etc., not make it GA.
none of those alternative systems ever worked.
at least this way, you can actually sit anywhere, instead of having to scurry away from ushers. also, yay for being able to go to games with friends instead of having to sneak people into sections.
You could always go to games with friends. That's why they let you make groups.
It sucks when you have that one friend who takes less credits than the rest of you, or is a year younger, though. Your group's seating was decided by the person with the least credits in your group, or at least that's what people have said the past few years.
Or how about someone like myself, who, during my college years (I went to school in Pasadena, as my avatar hints), would travel back for a game (or catch a game before term started - quarter system, I know...), and would want to watch with my high school buddies, most of whom happened to be Michigan students. Even though I'd have a validated student ticket (completely legal yall), I'd still have to get smuggled into the individual sections so I could stand next to my homeys. And then we'd have to fight and struggle for every inch of space cuz nobody was where they were supposed to be anyways!
I see it more as deregulation. Regarding people cutting in line - you better believe that students will police themselves, and vociferously eject those who try to cheat. Yeah, there'll need to be some enforcement staff at first, but things will settle down. And if there ARE serious concerns, just ask the folks at Paternoville how they've managed to do things.
Have they actually implemented any alternative systems? As far as I know, it's simply been based on credits rather than actual attendance. I know they threw the idea out there of factoring HAIL points into the formula, but that wouldn't have worked given the cell phone issues on game day (and the idea that not everybody has a smart phone).
Personally, I would take a system that uses overall attendance, how early you show up to games and credit hours over general admission. Freshmen and new students would have to build up their points, but it beats overcrowding sections and the issues with camping out.
Well, I'm sure they did think it out very, very much and they've been trying minor changes for years. This isn't a decision that's made likely.
I agree with you, though, that they will need ushers saying "nope, this row is full, find another." If they police it well, then it can work.
Anyone know how other GA student sections are policed to keep from row-overcrowding? (Note that row over-crowding is already a major issue, so any improvement b/c of GA will be great)
I think PSU's student section is also GA. Not sure how it's handled.
Brandon putting the screws to the students...$295 (with service charge)
football tickets are now $295 for students (was around 200 last year iirc) and basketball is now $200 (was 99 last year). DB you're absolutely killing me.
Football I get, as long as they make it less for next year. This year you get every good game minus MSU. Basketball is a lot better with a great schedule. Overall though, the students are paying a lot already this is a little ridiculous.
I guess it's supply and demand at it's finest but this will be the 2nd thing I'm not thrilled with DB about. Overall I think he has done amazing...add this to uniformz.
Holy crap. I think it was only $200-220 when I was a student just a few years ago. There's a ticket bubble that we're getting close to popping.
We make $25MM off the BTN every year plus whatever we normally make off football and the AD is charging students $300? Talk about being underappreciated
Jesus, when I was a student tickets my first year was $165.
It's one thing to have this system when most games are at 3:30 or night games, but as has been historically the case, Michigan plays at noon. Having people line up for GA really restricts the amount of time they can tailgate.
Don't really like this idea at all
I agree with this. I actually prefer seats that are between rows 30-60. It has the best sight lines and gives a great vantage point of the entire field.
As other mentioned before, the only people showing up really early will occupy the first 10 or so rows. If you show up 10-15 minutes early you will still have a great shot at prime seating.
After seeing the upper bowl of the student section be not even close to capacity in the student section at kickoff, this is probably necessary.
I do not claim to know what effect the capacity of the student section at kickoff has on the final score of a game, but incentivizing early arrival and a louder crowd can't be a bad thing IMO.
A majority of the home games will start at 3:30 or later this season, probably, so it isn't too much to ask for folks to start drinking earlier!
Disclosure: I'm about to graduate and move out of state, so this doesn't bother me as much as it would if I were to be a junior or senior next year!
Ugh, why did they have to wait until the year that I'm going to have 104 credits going into the fall semester to make it general admission. It's going to be an absolute blast to wait for like 5 hours plus to get decent seats for Notre Dame.
People in this thread keep saying "decent" seats like decent = row 1. The only rows you'll need to get in line 5 hours early for are the first few. If you are willing to do that, then you are the one that deserves the seat, not a random lotto winner.
is to make the student section smaller. As a sixteen year season ticket holder, this will end up creating chaos at other gates besides the student section.
Why not make the whole stadium general admission?
Fair is fair, right? Only the best fans should get the best seats.
new prices are more:
Victors - $600
Valiant - $475
Maize - $350
Blue - $275
Endzone - $75
Damn you Dave Brandon
April 22nd, 2013 at 10:30 PM ^
You're right. My checkbook knew, too. I just couldn't find an appropriate picture that demonstrated the point with the up-to-date figures. Because you know what they say: a picture is worth a thousand bucks.
And I love that people are silly enough to pay the big dollars. We've had our tickets for 40 years in the endzone. Finally got them transferred to me this year. I've sat in every general area of the stadium, and I still think I have the best view from our seats. Helps to be right on the aisle though.
April 22nd, 2013 at 11:25 PM ^
It's not like I have that option as a student...besides a tuition bill fair outweighs that. I realize that tuition doesn't go to the athletic department, but it is what gets me access to tickets.
clearly they are inferior fans and should be punished...
April 22nd, 2013 at 10:29 PM ^
Look, unless you have been a student recently (if at all) you probably think this is fantastic. But in all honestly, it's kind of disappointing that current students won't get a stress free Saturday morning experience.
Contrary to popular belief, rooting for the team/wanting to show up on time and wanting to have a solid social experience before the game are not mutually exclusive. Now, anyone who would like to do both will constantly have to stress about what time to get to the stadium, rounding up an entire seating group at the same time to enter the stadium, and how to structure their mornings.
So, count me in the minority that feels a bit bad for the current and incoming students.
Not only that, but for later games, you're not going to get to see any of the earlier games if you have to line up early.
Now, anyone who would like to do both will constantly have to stress about what time to get to the stadium, rounding up an entire seating group at the same time to enter the stadium, and how to structure their mornings.
This sounds exactly how it was for me and my friends a decade ago. For years, the student section would be full (or close to it) at kickoff precisely because people did worry about getting to the games on time. We should note that for a long time, the stadium ushers basically didn't enforce the assigned seats in the student section, so if you wanted to ensure that you sat in your actual seat (or wanted an "upgrade"), you had to get there on time. I see the change to GA as essentially going back to how it's been.
This all sucks, if you ask me. I'd hate it. Not knowing where you might end up. Nothing to show for senior-seniority.
It is all a kind of collective punishment, for the students' terrible showing in arriving so late for games.
I actually don't even understand it, at a base level. I mean, we know that it is all essentially general admission within whatever section your ticket says. So it is very nearly general admission already.
Now, how the hell does anybody know when Section 26 gets filled up? Then, Section 27? Then 28, 29... It will be a clusterfuck to get everybody in position to see the game. Especially if people have to walk into and then out of three different sections to find a seat.
They should have just cut down on the number of student tickets. Tickets that, it is worth noting, do not pay PSD/seat license fees at present. That's how you make it hurt, for people who let tickets go unused or half-used.
I'll be watching to see how this mayhem works itself out. Watching, that is, through binoculars.
And, as always, I'll be laughing at the cohort of Michigan Stadium partons who question the fandom of those who decline to stand for the whole game. Unlike the always-standing students. The same students whose sections are one-quarter empty at kickoff.
I like this because drunks can't show up late and demand their row 5 seats in the 2nd quarter. But if I was going to be a senior this coming year, I'd be pissed because it would screw me over. I usually showed up to see the band step off from Hoover but at the very least I was always on time and enjoyed the occaisional tailgate. Under the new system, I wouldn't be able to do that and still get decent seats. I'd probably end up in rows 50-70 as opposed to the row 18 I had my senior year
of my experience at Michigan was more about drinking than anything.
It's also sad how many non-students feel that Saturday can't be about both drinking AND football.
This. I tailgated/drank before every football game and made every game on time. I think that, together, thats what made my michigan football experience unique and great. It's not just about getting drunk before the game, it's the festive atmosphere that goes along with pregaming, having people over before games, etc. If, instead, I spend those hours waiting in line...I'm not sure how anyone can argue that the experience is made better. There are other ways to incentive early arrival and to penalize people for not showing up on time, aside from making it GA.
Saturday is more about drinking than waiting in line. Alums/randos alike can comfortably stroll in with 15-30 minutes before the game after having a nice morning/afternoon of tailgating with friends and family. Why not us?
Doors open 1.5 hours before kick off. There won't be a line unless you're looking to get in the front 10 rows. Do people honostly believe 80% of Michigan students will abandon pre-gaming more than 60 minutes before kickoff?
I'll say it again - get there before the band comes out for your average game and I'd bet that you are in the 40s. Get there 15 minutes before that and I'd guess you can get into the 30s. Those are amazing seats.
Who knows, you could be right. This is all speculation as of right now. If I had to guess. I'd say it's not so bad to get decent seats if you make it to the line by 30 minutes before kickoff, but the student section will be just as spotty/empty at the top. Those that assume the same folks who sometimes blew off some games in the past will be more likely to make it to their seats now that they know they'll be stuck at the top are delusional.
Problems solved: Half empty student section prior to kickoff
Problems unsolved: Attendence problem
Consequences (good, bad, and neutral): Rewards earlygoers, no longer rewards seniors (annoying now, will just become a part of the culture if it sticks), creates a significant and likely chaotic line of students waiting outside Michigan Stadium, long-term shift in gameday atmosphere
In order to get seats at the 40s for the Ohio game you will have to show up the night before. Bank on it. Ditto for the Notre Dame game.
Don't blame Brandon. The students ruined this for themselves.
Like the board I'm torn. As a student I think I would have loved this -- sitting with 50 empty rows below you 15 mins to kickoff watching the band was always pretty depressing. However I wouldn't be pleased to have missed the noon games for a 3:30 kickoff.
Also getting booted from the stadium after waiting in line for 2 hours for sneaking in airplane bottles would have been a part of my life.
I'm a year removed from undergrad, and I loved pregaming, but I never once showed up too late to see the band come out, much less see kickoff. Not trying to toot my own horn, but if students are so hellbent on getting to pregame and get good seats too, just start drinking earlier.
So you expected 40,000 U-M students to "come together as a community and find a solution?" Yes because that was real likely. And reasonable. Excuse me if I'm a little too busy to spend my time making sure a bunch of fucking idiot greeks show up to football games on time.
How about this, since general admission is so awesome, how about the entire stadium does it? No more blue hairs at the 50! Better fans get better seats amirite?
April 22nd, 2013 at 10:40 PM ^
April 22nd, 2013 at 11:17 PM ^
A-fucking-men.
You absolutely nailed it. I'm sitting here at my computer actuallly wanting to clap and really wish the old voting system was in place cause that comment, my friend, would be golden.