UM Returning Super Regional Tickets to UCLA?!
Trying to locate tix for super regional @ UCLA. Call my local contact that hooks me up with UCLA tickets when UM is in town. He informs that UCLA allocation is sold out and UCLA is trying to get tickets back from UM’s allocation. So I call UM and am told that UCLA is handling all tickets. I repeat to him the information I’ve just learned about UCLA trying to claw back tickets from UM. Response: “Oh, it’s interesting that you know that. Please hold.” He returns after about 5 minutes, tells me only player guests will be offered tickets, and that I should call UCLA back in a day or two to see if they’ll have any more available. Or I can get in touch with a UM “major donor contact” who may have a few extras available. I mean WTF? Guess I’ll pay UCLA for my UM tix or pay 5x on stubhub?
Die.
Guess the crowd is going to be 90% UCLA they going to be crying when we 2-0 them with our starters throwing 2 complete game shutouts.
Or they will run our starters in the 3rd and score 40 runs.
Glad to hear it isn't my personal incompetence preventing me from finding any tickets. I've been looking all day with no success.
Yep, tickets gone already!
When U-M rep tells me, I'm sure they'll be available on StubHub, that's when I say: I wish I could donate some $$$ to Michigan, but I need to hang on to that $$$ to pay the StubHub markup!
UM returned the vast majority of its allocation to UCLA, even with the vast network of alums in LA. They’re “gone” because UM didn’t even try to use its allocation. FIRE EVERYONE!
OK. How do you know this?
See OP. Personal interaction with those “in the know” on both sides UCLA (where I leveraged my buddy who’s a donor there) and UM ticket office
Fire Bakich!
Lol, $25 tickets already going for $175 on StubHub.
FIRE WARDE
This is on Bakich. If he can't handle his job maybe we need to start looking for another coach.
Unacceptable that UofM would given tickets back to UCLA. Way to support the team Warde or whoever made this choice.
Hey, we’ve got the largest alumni base in the country! That can make Staples (few miles from UCLA) feel like a home game during NCAA basketball tournament games!
Well....the baseball game is 3 days away...let’s not try to replicate any kind of home field for baseball, who hasn’t done this in decades...because sending an email ticket offer (which would immediately sell out) is too much trouble.
I KNOW let’s send them back to our OPPONENT! GENIUS!!!
This is very disappointing.
This is outrageous if true. I can literally walk to this stadium in two minutes. It is part of a VA complex that is directly next to my home. I am extremely upset to be blocked out of this game for no reason. Could have attended with my wife for $25 and supported Michigan but now there's nothing under $200.
Bitterly, bitterly disappointed.
Oh, it’s definitely true.
Your post has made me extremely upset.
User name checks out.
In short, “stop being a fan”
Just saw on SeatGeek that tickets are going for $1061....YIKES!!!!
Is that a green dot or...?
“UCLA is handling the tickets (lie).”
After tell him what UCLA told me (my UCLA donor buddy).
“It’s interesting that you know that (UM returning allocation upon UCLA request).”
After UM ticket rep fact checked my story.
“Call your major donor contact.”
So, don’t offer them to alums, return them to our host/opponent, lie about it, get confronted with the facts, and then ask me to go through major donor staff to support my school?!
Seriously?!
LIVID!!!
Don't we have someone on the MGoBoard who has experience in getting ADs fired for idiotic boneheaded decisions? If I could only remember who that devoted Wolverine fanboy is, I'm sure he'll be glad to again force regime change in the Athletic Director's office.
IT IS BRUTAL to get super regional tkts.
Even better is that there was never a public sale from UCLA. Tickets were "soldout" to donors and season ticketholders before they ever went on sale. UCLA doesn't have that many season ticketholders. And now the rich guy who undeservedly got $25 tickets is trying to scalp you on Stubhub. Lol.
If someone in the AD decided for no good reason to just sell them back to UCLA without letting the thousands of die-hard Michigan alums in LA have a chance to support their team it's a fireable offense. Not only are you preventing us from supporting our team you're really fucking over the team, preventing them from having more fan support.
I really cannot believe this happened. I was VERY excited to go to at least one of the games this weekend, not sure I plan to pony up that kind of dough at this point.
I can’t wait for the AD spin on this one... UCLA major donor tells me sold out, go ask UM we’re getting tickets back from them, UM AD ticket department “surprised you know that, please hold”, sorry only player invites will get tickets, you should call your major donor contact to see if he can do anything...
UM AD statement destined to be one of those 1/2 hearted owner responses on Yelp/TripAdvisor:
“We understand you feel you’ve been totally screwed, and apologize for missing the mark this time, but I assure you we don’t typically operate this way, so please reach out to me with a private message so we can empathize and do nothing but look like we’re trying in this very public forum”
I refuse to be believe we are this stupid. Well .... maybe a little.
This is total BS, I was veeeery close to booking seats to L.A. from SF to see the game with my son.
I almost assumed the game tix would be fairly easy to come by, glad I checked.
I'm going to call the ticket office tomorrow and see if they try to give me a similar lie and then call them on it if they do....either way going to register my small donor voice as pretty ticked off I got shut out in favor of a Bruin.
Can't believe they would sell out the team that way by just handing all the tickets back to the opponent.
FFS.
So Warde fucks up again?
Are we still firing Bakich‼️
I seriously was thinking about flying into LA for the weekend!
THIS IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE!!!
Could you imagine the recruiting impact, in the middle of a hot bed, if those kids saw how well Michigan travels and how passionate there fan base is, combine that with a win over the #1 seed team and MICHIGAN could not have paid for better advertising.
TOTALLY FUCKED THAT ONE UP!
Does someone have a phone number or e-mail I respond to too? I'm pisseed!
What a slap in the face to the baseball team! When was the last time we made a super-regional for God's sake?
Warde how about this? You send us back those tickets you're allotted at $25... we'll turn around and sell them on StubHub for a significant financial markup and we'll split the profits?!? Yes, I know college attendance across all sports is dropping so what more will this matter... but it will REALLY help out your bottom line, those few thousand extra dollars. While UCLA's AD is sitting on the other end of the phone with a huge smile, shaking his head and looking forward to packed stadium 90% of their alum.
I hope everyone looking for tickets calls out the AD and actually submits a complaint to the department. Whining about it here won't do a single bit of good... This is a horrible thing to do and whoever is responsible should be publicly shamed over it.
Agreed. Do you know if there is a specific email address for complaints to the Athletic Department?
In the past I've been successful in reaching directly to the people in the athletic department by calling or emailing them (you can get email addresses from directory.umich.edu), even up to the Associate AD level.
The staff directory link is below, and I would suggest reaching out to people in the ticket office, or if you are a donor or potential donor reaching out to people in development.
From development, I would suggest Robert Weigand as he is responsible for the Western region. If they understand how these decisions made within the athletic department impact donations and their fundraising efforts, it may change future behavior. Or you may want to go straight to Patrick Gray, Senior Director of Development, his phone number is listed.
From ticketing (which I'm less familiar with), potentially Adam Dunn or Brent Papenfuss (both their phone numbers are listed).
Being polite while expressing strong displeasure and how that impacts your giving to the University and Athletic Department now and in the future will have the most impact in my mind.
https://mgoblue.com/sports/2017/6/16/staff-directory-alpha.aspx
By the way, I assume you're in Hermosa Beach, we were planning on making the trip up the 405 from Hermosa this weekend too. Bummer.
Thanks, goblue7612!
Yep, I am in Hermosa and would definitely make my way up to Westwood, if not for this debacle. UM undergrad and UCLA grad, so having an opportunity to see Michigan play UCLA at this stage would be special.
I have met both Robert and Patrick. Will definitely contact them, hopefully with some more clarity tomorrow.
I wonder if the team stayed out West? Perhaps we can see a practice, show a little support and voice frustration to athletic department staff...
Anyone know who to email or the direct P# to someone in charge?!
What’s stopping UCLA from adding temporary bleachers down the lines past the bullpens and in Left field?
Weren’t the outfield bleachers at Goss Stadium (not that Goss) temporary bleachers?
right field baseline would work too, before you reach the batting cages
BREAKING NEWS: The University of Michigan athletic department has announced that they have reached an agreement with the Ohio State University to sell their allotment of World Series tickets to Omaha area OSU alums should they advance this weekend. They will take no questions and have no further comment at this time.
Go Blue.
Another thing is how does the NCAA keep allowing UCLA to host all the time with only 1,800 seats in that place? Alec Box has 8,000. Louisville is 4,000+. Vandy, 3,500+
They don't let UCSB host when the Gauchos have a good team.
How does UCLA meet the minimum qualifications for hosting every year? Nonsense.
Are there minimum qualifications? I think if you're a top 8 seed, you just automatically host the super-regional (and the regional, obviously).
The announcers spent a lot of time last weekend discussing the possibility of both LMU and Michigan winning, and who would host in that scenario. It sounds like every school needs to submit a host bid BEFORE the regionals even start, and then the NCAA would decide. Strong possibility Michigan would have hosted this weekend, in that case.
Another thing is how does the NCAA keep allowing UCLA to host all the time with only 1,800 seats in that place? Alec Box has 8,000. Louisville is 4,000+. Vandy, 3,500+
They don't let UCSB host when the Gauchos have a good team.
How does UCLA meet the minimum qualifications for hosting every year? Nonsense.
Heard top 6 seeds get host regardless of facilities.
UCLA is the number 1 seed.
Deserving to host.
I want to submit a FOIA request for all emails between the university and UCLA in the last week, but I'm worried they'll charge me a fee for looking it up. Doesn't anybody know if it typically costs money to submit a FOIA request?
By making a FOIA request, the requester shall be considered to have agreed to pay all applicable fees up to $25.00 unless a fee waiver has been granted. If the Department estimates that the search costs will exceed $25.00, the requester shall be so notified.
I've got 5 on it.....
Sam and Ira had a thorough explanation of the situation on today's WTKA Michigan Insider. Really seemed like they understood the details.
They explained that the Super Regionals are akin to a UCLA home game. The visiting team only gets a small allotment for the team's family and major donors.
If we get past the Bruins and move on to Omaha, things will be different. Although I can't Uber to Omaha. Rats.
By contrast, this is not like a football bowl game where each team gets a sizeable allotment.
Just passing on info. Please don't shoot the messenger.
GO BLUE!!!