How Michigan Sold Its Soul and Alienated Fans

[J.B. TexasEx]

I actually tweeted this article to Patterson months ago...not that he cares what a lowly Texas-Ex Life Member has to say.  I'm not a BMD, so who cares...right?  WTF do I know?

http://m.thepostgame.com/blog/road-saturday/201406/college-football-fan-stadium-students-business-tv-ncaa-michigan-tickets

If you treat your fans like customers long enough, eventually they'll start behaving that way, reducing their irrational love for their team to a cool-headed, dollars-and-cents decision to buy tickets or not, with no more emotional investment than deciding whether to go to the movies or buy new tires.

Yes, advertising in the Big House does matter. Americans are bombarded by ads, about 5,000 a day. Michigan Stadium used to be a sanctuary from modern marketing, an urban version of a National Park. Now it's just another stop on the sales train.

Everything the ticket holders spend hundreds of dollars to wait for and pay for, they can get at home for next to nothing – including the ads -- plus better replays. They can only get the marching band at the Big House.

Survey after survey points the finger for lower attendance not at cell phone service or HDTV, but squarely at the decisions of athletic departments nationwide. Fans are fed up paying steakhouse prices for junk food opponents, while enduring endless promotions. The more college football indulges the TV audience, the more fans paying to sit in those seats feel like suckers.

 

[streettopeschel]

Parallels between UM and UT? No doubt. Here's the question not asked. 'If you're winning big, does any of that other stuff matter?'

I went back and looked at our attendance in 09. First game Lou-Monroe. Later home games with utep and ku. All in excess of 101k.

Godzillatron, Taco Bell ads , 'shitty' game day atmosphere. Didnt matter. We'd been a NC contender and bcs winner in 08 and were preseason #2 in 09.

Win and fans come. Don't win and they won't. No different than it's ever been.

 

[North Texas Golfer]

Parallels between UM and UT? No doubt. Here's the question not asked. 'If you're winning big, does any of that other stuff matter?'

I went back and looked at our attendance in 09. First game Lou-Monroe. Later home games with utep and ku. All in excess of 101k.

Godzillatron, Taco Bell ads , 'shifty' game day atmosphere. Didnt matter. We'd been a NC contender and bcs winner in 08 and were preseason #2 in 09.

Win and fans come. Don't win and they won't. No different than it's ever been.

If I knew how to post a picture, I would post one that shows a hammer hitting a nail on the head.

 

[Bevostuntdouble]

Parallels between UM and UT? No doubt. Here's the question not asked. 'If you're winning big, does any of that other stuff matter?'

I went back and looked at our attendance in 09. First game Lou-Monroe. Later home games with utep and ku. All in excess of 101k.

Godzillatron, Taco Bell ads , 'shifty' game day atmosphere. Didnt matter. We'd been a NC contender and bcs winner in 08 and were preseason #2 in 09.

Win and fans come. Don't win and they won't. No different than it's ever been.

There's a reason the saying "winning cures all..." is legitimate.

 

[HornEsch]

It is sad to see us selling our soul, for sure. However I agree with the "winning cures all" as well.

I remember, all too well, going to games in the 90's before we were really commercializing everything at the stadium. It was much smaller stadium and yet almost all the games you could get in for very little cash (even had the Randal's $5 end zone tickets) yet the games were rarely sold out. Even without the whole "selling of our soul" campaign in full bloom, the attendance was not great and the crowd was not all that in too it. I will say that the student section was much better.

Then we started winning some and that changed. Ricky, the Big 12 championship against Nebraska, the hiring of Mack Brown and return to prominence, changed everything. The stadium was full, because of winning. Then yes the "selling" out to commercialization started as well. That is the downside to just how popular the game has become. However if we start winning again, the stadium will once again be sold out as well.

 

[Chris Flanagan]

I think most fans are as loyal as their pocketbooks allow.

Are their exceptions? Sure. The AD does a good job of rewarding those fans for constant support.

However, I think we all take a business approach to the entertainment aspect of our lives. Am I going to get my money's worth? Sometimes you just want to do something new and instead of getting Texas season tickets, you use the money to add to a vacation you always wanted to go on. That's perfectly fine. No one forces you to do anything you don't want to do. But I also don't blame ADs for taking advantage of their marketability to consistently bring in money so in down years, they are still making loads of money for potential buyouts and facility upgrades.

 

[BevoBlake]

I think most fans are as loyal as their pocketbooks allow.

Are their exceptions? Sure. The AD does a good job of rewarding those fans for constant support.

However, I think we all take a business approach to the entertainment aspect of our lives. Am I going to get my money's worth? Sometimes you just want to do something new and instead of getting Texas season tickets, you use the money to add to a vacation you always wanted to go on. That's perfectly fine. No one forces you to do anything you don't want to do. But I also don't blame ADs for taking advantage of their marketability to consistently bring in money so in down years, they are still making loads of money for potential buyouts and facility upgrades.

This is pretty spot on. Finances have to a lot more to do with it than anything else. I'm fairly young, so it was always a task for me getting tickets to a few games each season. This year, as a new father and having other financial priorities, I probably won't be going to any. As an AD, you'll just never know the circumstances of the hundreds of thousands of people you're hoping buy tickets for a game. I'm only one person, but one by one, people start adding up. 

With that said, I would really love to see less advertisements. 

 

[echeese]

I actually tweeted this article to Patterson months ago...not that he cares what a lowly Texas-Ex Life Member has to say.  I'm not a BMD, so who cares...right?  WTF do I know?

Yeah, so STFU. . . ...



Seriously, good thoughts and an interesting parallel .. . 

I have a buddy of mine in our weekly lunch bunch who actually is a minor insider . . .we actually discussed buying the radio rights to the Horns to include streaming rights.

Anyway, we have both agreed that Admin has left millions of $$$$$ because they act as it if is beneath them to talk with people who would gladly give $500 or $1000 a year.    Now granted, that's not much. . .but there are THOUSANDS of people who would do this. . . .and you could reach them with little to no effort. . . 

Would you hire one former player at $75,000 a year if he was in charge of your "grass roots" plan which could raise $1,000,000 or $2 a year?

 

[Matt Cotcher]

Anyway, we have both agreed that Admin has left millions of $$$$$ because they act as it if is beneath them to talk with people who would gladly give $500 or $1000 a year.    Now granted, that's not much. . .but there are THOUSANDS of people who would do this. . . .and you could reach them with little to no effort. . . 

Would you hire one former player at $75,000 a year if he was in charge of your "grass roots" plan which could raise $1,000,000 or $2 a year?

This is a perfect parallel to political campaigns. So often campaigns are won/lost because candidates fail to capitalize on the masses that will donate $25 to their campaign.

In other news, Michigan is in a lose-lose situation.

 

[Chris Flanagan]

This is a perfect parallel to political campaigns. So often campaigns are won/lost because candidates fail to capitalize on the masses that will donate $25 to their campaign.

In other news, Michigan is in a lose-lose situation.

That's a great parallel. We all become enamored with the big $$$ but that is just one person. Those small donors are larger in number and if don't have their support, you can't win the election.

Money is important but when you depend on the general public support for your job security (Sports and politics are the same in this way), you have to empower the little guy. It's a tough balancing act but the best figure it out.

 

[Matt Cotcher]

And the hits just keep coming....

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