I'm pretty sure every football recruit that picks NU does so in spite of its gameday atmosphere.My biggest fear on this whole issue is if and to what extent it effects recruiting?
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I'm pretty sure every football recruit that picks NU does so in spite of its gameday atmosphere.My biggest fear on this whole issue is if and to what extent it effects recruiting?
Further to this: Our spouses have had other obligations this season (Fitz51 is expecting future NU QB1 any day now, mine is trying to make rounds with friends since we're leaving Chicago soon). Typically, if we have extra tickets, our first attempt is to sell them to friends. We have many friends who are fans of other Big Ten teams (like Iowa last week) and I'd much rather sit with friends than strangers from this message board. That means extra tickets are often filled with opposing team friends. Which, personally, I quite enjoy.
That said, it's a fair point that if it does come down to stubhub vs here, we could try here first. But keep in mind that Stubhub faciliates a secure transaction which this board does not.
If there were high demand from NU people we'd of course give priority to that, but there isn't an easy way to do that. Point being, we're going to likely keep selling our tickets to opposing fans and we're okay with that.
Were you surrounded by MSU fans? IMO it's not that fun to be yelled at for celebrating your team in your own stadium in your STH seats, but maybe this is my lawn that people need to get off of.Having a full or nearly full stadium makes for a nice atmosphere. I don't care too much what is the percentage of NU fans that make up that crowd. The games are fun when the stadium is full. What's the big deal about lots of MSU/Iowa/Wiscy/Nebraska fans coming to the game? It's not like the NU alums have been deprived of chances to buy. It was fun yesterday.
Were you surrounded by MSU fans? IMO it's not that fun to be yelled at for celebrating your team in your own stadium in your STH seats, but maybe this is my lawn that people need to get off of.
100% is silly, but I’d sure like to see us shoot for 60%.As a matter of fact, yes, there were many MSU fans near my seats. I went from 10 season tickets down to 2 this season. Every week there are new people sitting in what were formerly my seats. I can only conclude that NU is selling these off weekly either thru their website or in the secondary market. Or maybe, before the season, NU sold those season tickets off to the professional scalpers...
The opposing fans have been fine. It's actually kind of fun having different people up there from game to game (these are good seats). If they behave like assholes you let them have it but it has been no big deal this year. By the way, when I go to away games I like good seats and buy them in the secondary market and sit among those mostly good, hardcore fans. It's part of the fun of college football. I don't get this idea that a stadium 100% full of the home team crowd is a good thing.
100% is silly, but I’d sure like to see us shoot for 60%.
I'm pretty sure every football recruit that picks NU does so in spite of its gameday atmosphere.
And therein lies the structural problem that needs to be fixed--don't see why there can't be a dedicated NU ticket exchange that can connect Wildcat fans for these purposes. Yes, we'd probably still have an overall demand problem, but I'm assuming at least some of the issue would be alleviated.
I’m pretty sure those who don’t also consider game day atmosphere. It also has to affect team performance.
Pretty sure those MSU fans have flat screens too, they seemed to make it out alright.Every game is on TV now and pretty much everyone has a flat screen TV - times change, this isn't 1996.
I think we have a core 50% season ticket holder base and things never get below that but I think the rest of it is up to the expectations around the team and also the policies of the NU AD. To illustrate how policies make a difference, I had 26 season tickets up to the 1997 season. Then I went to 12 and, later, to 10. Now I'm at 2. Those decisions were related to policy change on parking passes and how I choose to consume the product. My story is not all that unusual. I do not think that NU has replaced long time season holder cutbacks with new NU fan ST holders. Not unexpected.
Every game is on TV now and pretty much everyone has a flat screen TV - times change, this isn't 1996.
Pretty sure those MSU fans have flat screens too, they seemed to make it out alright.
I guess it's a testament to the flaccidity of any AD programs/policies over the past however many years in attempts to create an actual fanbase. I'm a little saddened by the attitude of what are supposedly the NU diehards on this board, but I do get it.It's a different story if you can't see your team at home every other week. Makes it more an event to see them play at an opposing stadium live. It's also an event to travel, especially to a city like Chicago, for those who are not Chicago area resident visitor alums.
I hear the frustration of you and others. I used to feel more that way, too. But it's just not realistically going to change, nor really *should* it - it's just NU football. If we ever get 1995-96 good again, we'll be a hot ticket in Chicago.
I'm excited to see what happens in the new WR. If it's same old, same old, I'll have 0 expectation that this is an issue that can ever truly be addressed.
I'm definitely agreed on the winning mantra for both football and basketball, but as a counterpoint I'll raise the fact that, while we have absolutely not reached the highs of 95/96, this stretch has been consistently the best NU has ever been.IMO, it is directly related to whether or basketball program can continue to build and, just as importantly, sustain success. If so, it'll be a lot more purple than old WR. If not, it'll be same old, same old. Winning is all that matters, and winning consistently.
I'm definitely agreed on the winning mantra for both football and basketball, but as a counterpoint I'll raise the fact that, while we have absolutely not reached the highs of 95/96, this stretch has been consistently the best NU has ever been.
It's not exactly super exciting, but it's the truth. We've won 10 games twice in the past 5 years...we've won 2 bowls. If people are waiting for a consistent B1G contender, is that really ever going to happen? Or, do we need one more Rose Bowl season to bolster the consistent success?
And these are probably either one of two types of MSU fans (1) live in Chicago area so this is their 1 game for the year or (2) don't live in Chicago or east lansing and this is their 1 game for the year and a road trip to Chicago sure as hell beats most of the rest of the places on MSU's schedule.Pretty sure those MSU fans have flat screens too, they seemed to make it out alright
Actually, once the rumored redo of Ryan Field takes place you won't anything to complain about as this will become moot. I believe the annual seat donation fees will do wonders to eliminate the absentee STH issue.
If they're only used to not having crowd support, it shouldn't really affect them!
Pretty sure those MSU fans have flat screens too, they seemed to make it out alright.
I don't have the long term insight on this, and parking is not an issue I care about as a STH, but the point is that yes, the administration's policies CAN have an affect on fan behavior...for the "what ever could we do about this" crown.
But the key is attracting casual fans and Chicago-area people who have zero ties. And the way to do that is with *national* success. Yes, that means winning B1G Titles. The fact that we're "better than NU has ever been" is not enough. The causal Chicagoan isn't going to get excited about 8-4 or 9-3, even, regular seasons and third-tier bowl wins.
I live about 1000 miles from NU but have been an "absentee STH" for almost 20 years. I have never put my tickets on Stubhub and the seats generally have been empty for many of the games,especially the non-conference games? For a few years after I met Uber, I sent him the tickets for distribution to his NU fans because he has graciously hosted me at his tailgate for many years
My son now lives in Kenilworth, so I have given him the tickets for his use or for his business contacts
The only times I have used the board to get tickets to another board member, I have been stuck with the "overnight" costs of delivering the tickets and never collected the one beer that I charge for the 40 yard line tickets
If they have seat licenses in the future, I would think many STH like me will simply buy tickets on the after market sites
I had high hopes of attending many games this year but cancelled all my trips after traveling to the Duke fiasco. My confidence in the coaching staff reached an all time low after watching the lack of preparedness of both the offense and defense for that game
I will try to get to the Minnesota game for a total of 4 games this year- 2 away and 2 home
I love way out of town yet have kept my s asin tix gor 20yrwrsmake itto about half the games. Never sell. Almost impossible to give away to DNUfans. Just saying. Thesesrw ggeat 45 usTons of green and white in 130/129/128...hope the few bucks were worth it. Seats by me 130 in haven’t been filled by NU fans all season, and if they belong to brokers then shame on the AD. This team deserves better.
yes I am ashamed of keeping my seaaon tix for 25 yrs and living 350 miles away. Am going to reconsider! Giving these away to cats fans is, well, not easy. Despite fact they are on50.I'm pretty sure every football recruit that picks NU does so in spite of its gameday atmosphere.
You do realize NU is playing in Champaign, right?Well. we're an absolute lock to outnumber Illini fans (both of them!) in the season finale. So there's that.
So why is that a problem? What's wrong with winning 8 or 9 games and drawing 40k per game? You can't force people to care about NU footballWell, if they're not going to get excited about 8-4 or 9-3, I'd say that's a problem for Northwestern as realistically the Cats (nor most other B1G teams) are not going to exceed that on many occasions. A 9-3 record against a schedule that usually is going to include at least two schools from among Wisconsin, Ohio State, Penn State and Michgan, plus usually other some other good teams, is always going to be a major accomplishment for NU.
You do realize NU is playing in Champaign, right?
I love way out of town yet have kept my s asin tix gor 20yrwrsmake itto about half the games. Never sell. Almost impossible to give away to DNUfans. Just saying. Thesesrw ggeat 45 us
yes I am ashamed of keeping my seaaon tix for 25 yrs and living 350 miles away. Am going to reconsider! Giving these away to cats fans is, well, not easy. Despite fact they are on50.
This is more like it.....Yes,.I do. And we will outnumber them.
Ageeed, but I think that the card stunt fail gets a few points. Sadly for the lolIlini, we could dedicate an entire thread to the gifs.This is more like it.....