Student section

Submitted by ontarioblue on
Today has to be the last draw. Senior Day, 50 degrees, sunny, Big Ten hopes on the line and you still can't show up? Come on, Denard, Roy, Roh, Floyd, Bill Will, Kovacs and all the rest deserved to be honored by a packed stadium. Really embarrassing. Time for Brandon to take away sections for real fans. The students have proven they don't deserve additional seats..

CleverMichigan…

November 17th, 2012 at 5:01 PM ^

I wish I could moderate this OP as "Redundant." Ain't nobody got time to discuss this every week, but you can see the last such thread for my humble epinion. Mods? 

Also, I think you mean last straw.

 

543Church

November 17th, 2012 at 5:01 PM ^

I dunno....we've kicked this around a lot.  There could be a few things at work here:

1) Maybe this next generation of kids doesn't really care that much about football?  Not a big deal, but still weird they'd buy tix.

2) Drinking

3) Foreignors and kids from OUT OF STATE!!!

4) Sexting

Mmmm Hmmm

November 17th, 2012 at 5:02 PM ^

Perhaps the student section should be general admission/unassigned seats, and for tickets not scanned before kickoff somebody off the street can fill into the back of the student section and students risk their ticket not being valid.  That even sounds somewhat draconian to me, but there are more than enough people who would gladly get on a "alternative" list if those seats are available.

club2230

November 17th, 2012 at 5:03 PM ^

What if student tickets were will call?  After the kickoff they are open for purchase without validation needed.  You could pay a higher fee to avoid will call and it is refunded if you meet attendence requirements.

DealerCamel

November 17th, 2012 at 5:03 PM ^

It filled up fine.  No, it wasn't full at 11:30 when the seniors had their moment.  Not everyone cares enough to show up that early - fact of life.  But it filled up faster than I've seen since the season opener.  Also a fact.  And as someone else pointed out, it's still the loudest part of the stadium.  So please stop complaining.

U Fer M

November 17th, 2012 at 5:05 PM ^

Don't remember this problem in the 70's and 80's, Brandon is quite concerned about brand and image, and seeing all those empty seats on HD on ESPN is really what I noticed with every shot of the North endzone. 

MQTBlue

November 17th, 2012 at 5:06 PM ^

 

While students were late to the game you can't guess the number of students at the game just by looking. The top rows are always spaced out which doesn't mean that those students didn't show up, just that they snuck down to another spot. Adding to this issue is that the top rows are freshman who move around to find the friends they've made (hopefully) this semester. This is the 2nd game in a row where I've had to stand sideways in  my seats because it was so packed and people were even in the aisles this game. A good number of students probably didn't show up but I don't think it's as bad as people make it seem and partially that students pack themselves tighter together than the other sections (I've been in those sections and wow they're far more comfortable).  

I welcome any thoughts and comments to this post. 

STW P. Brabbs

November 17th, 2012 at 5:36 PM ^

IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN LIKE THAT. STUDENTS HAVE ALWAYS HAD TO STAND SIDEWAYS IN THE BOTTOM 20 ROWS OR SO. THE SECTION STILL WASN'T HALF EMPTY. YOU ARE ALSO NOT THE FIRST STUDENTS TO DRINK BEFORE GAMES. NOR ARE YOU THE FIRST STUDENTS WITH WORK TO DO. WHAT ON EARTH MAKES YOU THINK THESE ARE ALL BRAND NEW PHENOMENA? I FEEL LIKE I'M TAKING CRAZY PILLS.

lewan_long

November 17th, 2012 at 5:44 PM ^

i sat in the 56 or 57th row as a sophomore in 08. 
There were still ppl squeezing in from the top rows...
They also moved some of the students behind the endzone.

i think the question is since they expanded the student section (i think twice, once in 07 and also once sometime after that), did they actually sell out the allotment? 

There could be bad planning where they moved the expanded number of students for a couple of years to section 33 and onwards towards the endzone. Then as demand goes back down the size of the sections stay the same. hence the empty seats. 

eamus_caeruli (not verified)

November 17th, 2012 at 6:41 PM ^

Exactly. I graduated in '05, and I never had great seats like row 67 at best. Non-conference, maybe, maybe, the top rows were thin and/or sparse. All BIG games or literally big games were packed and spilling over into the aisle. You can make excuses till you are blue in the face, but this generation is a disgrace. You better cure cancer and hiv assholes!!

Metzger

November 17th, 2012 at 10:49 PM ^

strange... you say it was packed?  I thought the opposite.  I saw a dozen or so empty seats within a row or two or three around me... section 22.... 20 rows(ish) up.  We had tons of space today and while I agree that the student section was pathetically empty, I attributed the extra space I had (and all the extra seats in the student section) to Michigan playing Iowa.  I thought perhaps there just wasn't the interest.  (Even though attendance was 113,xxx)

ILL_Legel

November 17th, 2012 at 5:12 PM ^

This is almost as good as the weekly live blog meltdown that always happens.  For me, this falls under the "I'm not going to let anyone else ruin my experience" category.

Do your thing and don't worry about what everyone else is doing.  If another fan is early, late, stands, sits, whatever, I still have a great experience.  I am not spendng any emotional energy on the other fans and what they choose to do.

 

Avant's Hands

November 17th, 2012 at 5:14 PM ^

What I don't understand is why the students that come here keep defending their peers so much. The section isn't full. It's a fact. Students always pack down and always have. When everyone shows up that section still looks full. If you are a student that comes to games shouldn't you be in favor of general admission? I used to hate coming to games nearly an hour early only to watch a bunch of empty seats in front of me slowly fill up. 

goblue16

November 17th, 2012 at 5:20 PM ^

I was in the student section and i was sure there are more people today than last saturday but still a little dissappointing. I think decreasing the student section by couple thousand would be perfect. 

lazyfoot10

November 17th, 2012 at 5:26 PM ^

I've tried defending my fellow students before, but it's becoming too hard. We really should change it to general admission. I show up at least a half hour early, but I'm much more of a die hard fan than most students. I'd love to get rewarded for it. The only reward they give for showing up early is 3 extra HAIL points (did they really think that would work?). Change it to general admission and let the kids who show up early get the better seats. It gets people to the basketball games early. See if it works for football.

Generic MGoBlogger

November 17th, 2012 at 5:46 PM ^

This what I was thinking the entire game. I was really hoping there would be a thread about this, but anyways, that was in no way an acceptable way to honor the seniors who have worked so hard through adversity.  At least three thousand of those tickets need to be allocated elsewhere.  I don't care if it is a noon game and it's a noon game, either the students need to show up, or the tickets need to go to fans who will be there and cheering on the maize and blue. Unacceptable.  Otherwise, I was really pleased with the outcome and the way the seniors did in fact play today.  Go Blue and beat Ohio.

YoOoBoMoLloRoHo

November 17th, 2012 at 5:49 PM ^

I was laughing because my young daughter kept asking about the empty seats after the blimp shots. If an 11-year old repeatedly raises the issue, I'm sure an old guy named Dave is inconsolable right now.

El Fuego

November 17th, 2012 at 5:54 PM ^

but please stop making threads about attendance after every home game and calling out all of the students.  It is only a portion that suck and I am tired of being associated with them.  I live on North Campus, bike down to central at 7 am, get my drink on, then I am in my seat an hour before kickoff.  Continuing to bitch about it on the blog doesn't solve the problem and making this thread just upsets everyone.  We know it's an issue.  just stop it...

Wendyk5

November 17th, 2012 at 5:54 PM ^

I don't remember this being an issue when I was there. We were packed in like sardines, with people both standing on the benches and the aisles in front of the benches. 

Lost in Champaign

November 17th, 2012 at 5:54 PM ^

I've been thinking about this for a while now, and there is definitely a problem that has developed over the last two years or so. I graduated last year, but for a few years now, I have noticed more and more students simply feeling apathetic towards football in general. Some people always showed up, and more are now than ever. Additionally, the ushers are no longer checking tickets to force the freshmen with tickets in row 90 to go up to their seats add they used to (yes, it's not hard to get around but it was the only obstacle preventing those students from just walking into the lower bowl). People not showing up at all is a whole other problem, but forcing people to at least go up to their seats first would make it look more full.

davidhm

November 17th, 2012 at 5:57 PM ^

...you show up on time and I'll stand up and participate in your "wave".  

What I don't appreciate is hearing the students boo when their precious little wave fails to make it past the student section at the beginning of the 3rd quarter. Don't boo me for not taking part in the wave if you can't make it to your seats before half time. Deal?

Now get off my lawn.  

mgobeast19

November 17th, 2012 at 6:45 PM ^

we need to cut the student section by about 5,000 to 7,000 seats and give them tickets to people who actually care, also if yur not their by midway 1st quarter you get tazered