Stadium not filled to capacity for first time since 2001

at Michigan, at least for games with opponents like Akron.

This is why Brand-on is focusing on the Brand, trying to milk a little more ticket purchasing out of a public that has hit a limit.  He has the games that he has and is balancing the cost of a few thousand unsold tix against the cost of bringing in quality opponents and the likelihood of losing a home game to a home-and-home arrangement.

The unsold tix cost Michigan a one-time penalty of around $270,000, maybe a bit more with concession income.  Will TV revenues and incremental bowl revenues in the future offset poor attendance at Rutgers and Maryland visits to Ann Arbor?  I don't know the figures, but I'm going to guess that if you're going to bring in some tomato cans, at least they're OUR tomato cans, and we capture revenues from their viewership.

The whole direction is unfortunate, because it runs another revolution on the cycles away from what makes the college football game experience unique.  Using piped-in crowd-involving zombie music, killing the game pace with long and frequent timeouts for TV, even the halftime extravaganzas take away from the uniqueness of the experience and move toward a homogeneous sports attendance experience.  At the point where the only things that change from place-to-place are the color of the uniforms and the logos, the only thing separating college football from the NFL is history -- which is why the legacy has now become a selling point.  That the recruits thought the halftime show was like the Superbowl is revealing -- it's another step closer to homogeneity in the experience, the homogeniety of spectacle.

The difference maker used to be that this is Michigan and all the unique features that make it Michigan.  Brandon will walk the line between Michigan and cliche sports experience, and tend toward the branded cliche because that is what he knows and what he thinks will appeal to the largest number of potential ticket buyers, which is not necessarily the unique Michigan experience.

My first game at Michigan Stadium was the 69 Ohio State game.  I've probably been to 100 games since then, graduated there as 3rd gen Blue, sent a son there as 4th gen, and given a fair amount of cash to the University and the Athletic Dept.  I've done pretty well and can afford to go to games, but the value has declined while the price has gone up.  For me to take my wife and youngest son from Chicago to A2, buy tickets, a coupla dogs and sodas turns into a $1000 weekend, easy.  I have lots of things on which I'd like to spend a grand, and sitting watching TV timeouts, hearing zombie songs, promos, and staged productions ain't on that list.  When I go, the best parts are the band pre-game from the M Fanfare to touching the banner, the team, the opponent, the actual game, the band at half, the cheerleaders, the great people in the crowd, all the Maize and Blue, and the band post-game, in no particular order.  All the rest is negative to the experience.  

We'll probably go when Michigan vists Northwestern and get to listen to that stupid cat yowl, but I'm pretty much done with the Stadium.  Ferry Field was my playground when I was little and as a player, and I bleed an obnoxious amount of Maize and Blue, but I'm done.  It's clear there are others like me out there who would otherwise buy those 2700-odd tickets.

The tough economic times are definitely a consideration. The student section pooped the bed, but there were some understandable reasons for them not to show up this weekend.

But back to the economics. If I wanted to just take in a football game but have to pinch pennies, the Lions are a way more intriguing option. Tickets are chepaer, seats are closer, more comfortable, they serve alcohol, and the opponent isn't going to be frickin Akron at $75 a pop.