Maize Rage, fans give yourselves a pat on the back

Submitted by Wolverine Devotee on

This year Crisler Center was filled to capacity in sellouts 15 times this year. Something that has not been done since 1985-86. Not even in the Fab Five's two years COMBINED was Crisler sold out more times.

There also was an average attendance this season of 12,138. The highest since 1997-98. 

Without a doubt, Crisler Center has now become one of the most feared places to play in the country. 32-2 in two years. 15 out of 18 games this year were sold out. 

Also the most wins since the Maize Rage was created back in the 1998-99 season. 

 

CooperLily21

March 10th, 2013 at 8:14 PM ^

This is an awesome post. And I agree. I logged in this even to thank all you students who represented well all year - the games looked great on TV and you all were a huge part if it. Great work!

MightyMatt13

March 10th, 2013 at 8:40 PM ^

Might have been more, but first hand I saw (in order of where the were sitting) Shane Morris, Drake Harris, and Gardner. Not a bad seat for Mr. Harris.. and Mattison was across the aisle. The Maize Rage chanted Harris' name a few times and he seemed to enjoy that but overall everytime I looked over he was looking at his phone, but I guess that's what most of these kids do no matter what, I just thought of the Pryor pic with RR lol. On the other side of the Arena Zak Irvin had a damn good seat too.

M-Wolverine

March 10th, 2013 at 8:17 PM ^

At a lot of the games it was maize rage sections at the top with no shows? Don't think they bought that any more tickets either. You can congratulate the fans in general. Though I imagine Brandon's marketing team and a refurbished Crisler as well as a team that was good had a lot to do with it.

DH16

March 10th, 2013 at 10:04 PM ^

For the bleacher seats, you get wristbands on you to prevent that from happening. And in 130, you'd have to squeeze extremely tight, and since that section was completely full not many people were doing that. There were just a few no shows, people who were getting back from spring break, people who tried too hard to make a profit off of selling and failed, people who just don't care at all about such a thing, etc

bo_lives

March 10th, 2013 at 9:55 PM ^

A few seats at the very top of the student section were empty, yes. quite frankly, i'm less concerned with that than I am with the courtside premium seats across from the maize rage containing dozens of empty seats for every other game of the year.

Please tell me more about how when you were in school, the students always showed up two days in advance (rather than just the night before), and every single seat in the entire arena was filled, along with the aisle ways and the rafters.

Anyone else remember what it was like 2 years ago, when the entire upper deck was empty save for the MSU game, and as a student, you could arrive 5 minutes before game time for Big Ten games and get in the Maize Rage? Both the students and the non-students have stepped it up in an impressive way when it comes to supporting the basketball team.

M-Wolverine

March 10th, 2013 at 8:40 PM ^

But fans aren't measured on showing up for Big Games. They always do. Always have. He was talking about the season. And a number of games were "sell outs" with the upper bowl student seats EMPTY. Check post Arkansas game threads - I posted a picture of 3 empty sections. They weren't all squeezed below. One of the biggest non-conference games we had. And that was hardly the only one.

Getting a chep ticket and showing up for a Big Ten title game doesn't deserve a pat on the back; to do otherwise is fan malpractice.

bo_lives

March 10th, 2013 at 9:10 PM ^

did an awesome job showing up and being roudy. Empty student section upper deck seats and premium courtside seats aside, it's a night and day from 2 years ago.

You seem to be coming to a different conclusion, and singling out the students for fan malpractice, and i'm just trying to say that's a bit unfair. The non-students are just as guilty.

ziggolfer

March 10th, 2013 at 11:12 PM ^

People were lining up at 1:30am today. In my opinion, it seems a little ridiculous to do that, but a lot of ppl feel differently. People are going to skip games. The bright side is that we don't have a tradition of leaving at half time, never showing up, or being empty at big games. We don't/didn't attend a blow off all your work institution where ppl can devote all their energy to athletic teams. The world and the University will keep turning. 

myblueheaven

March 10th, 2013 at 8:25 PM ^

Feared by everyone but Indiana I would assume. With that said, I have really enjoyed watching the home games this season as I feel we finally have the home court advantage we've all loned for for so many years now. My hats off to the Maize Rage and all the Michigan fans this season, because of them the games have really been a joy to watch.

JimBobTressel

March 10th, 2013 at 8:39 PM ^

The student section has absolutely brought it. No longer can teams come into Crisler and expect to play in a library atmosphere.

Hopefully the Maize Rage can continue to grow and become as famous/ feared as Duke and Kansas's student sections.

DH16

March 10th, 2013 at 10:14 PM ^

Do I think we have the students to do it? Yes. Do we have the arena layout to do it? Probably not. 2/3 of our student section is chillin up in the rafters. Naturally, everything is a lot less exciting down there, and they don't make as much noise. Still a pretty impressive section for what we're given though.

 

Now, what if we put all those students in the Cameron Crazies/Izzone formation all the way around the lower bowl? Now we've got something formidable, if it gets filled (which is the big IF that probably keeps it from happening)

BOX House

March 10th, 2013 at 9:07 PM ^

Want to kill myself now, but yeah.

That was the loudest I've ever heard Crisler. I don't think it was the Maize Rage being any louder (they're always good), but from my experience it was the upper section that changed the atmosphere.

snarling wolverine

March 10th, 2013 at 9:33 PM ^

Not even in the Fab Five's two years COMBINED was Crisler sold out more times.

Are you sure about this one? I know we didn't sell out that much their freshman year, but their sophomore year I thought we did.

(One confounding factor: Crisler has about 1,000 fewer seats now than it did then.)

jasonmkeith

March 10th, 2013 at 9:38 PM ^

...I'm sure it will be said many times in the next few weeks, but it feels good knowing that the program is heading in such a positive direction.  Sure, we were literally inches from another banner and confirmation of an elite program, but we should be uber competitive for years to come.

The home crowd, as defined in this thread, confirms that our beloved program will get embraced as it should.  Go Blue.

DH16

March 10th, 2013 at 10:14 PM ^

Was out camping for three nights in some cold weather for a spring break hiking trip, got home and went right to camp out for this game. Awfully proud of my fellow Ragers though, I've been going to games for probably 15 years now and remember when they could barely get 388 students to fill the bleachers; we had that many in line by 8am, and had around 160-170 do a full night's campout. That's simply incredible. And the non-students even stood up for most of the game!!! You all deserve some compliments too, it's not just us making the noise. Crisler is finally becoming a place where we get a real home court advantage from the crowd, and I'm really hoping that sticks around for the next few years.

 

Of course, there's still a ways to go, as lots of games still have the empty seat problem (see: Arkansas, any game during 2012 this season pretty much), but that's more of a problem with students forgetting to transfer their ticket if they can't make it, and too many students buying tickets who never ever go.

A Lot of Milk

March 10th, 2013 at 10:12 PM ^

It would be great if we could fill up the student section in the Big House better. Every game I went to this season, the students would show up late and the upper part of the sections were barren. I was pretty disappointed in our students for being the only section in the Big House that wasn't full...

DH16

March 10th, 2013 at 10:30 PM ^

plus a couple other factors like selling too many student tickets that creates too much supply and not enough demand in the resell market (plus the validation fees that nobody wants to pay if you wanted to sell your ticket to someone who doesn't resemble a college student), students who buy them just to flip for a profit, students who don't feel the need to be a regular supporter of the team so just don't show up, and some other things that just compound all these into a problem.

A Lot of Milk

March 10th, 2013 at 11:10 PM ^

It probably also didn't help that the games were noon kickoffs. I wouldn't get out of bed on the weekend unless MIchigan was playing. It just seemed noticeably emptier than in 2011. Although, that was a BCS season, so who knows?