Minnesota Gophers Season Thread 2015-16

[burd]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread 2015-16

Yup seriously. UND would add instant rivalry (and once they get shellacked, it would for the likes of Michigan very quickly). It would add the state of North Dakota (vs. approximately zero of Indiana). And it would add to BTN. I hate UND, but that's why I like them in the B1G and it would put buts in seats and eyeballs on TVs. Notre Dame is just a big school with no hockey following. This is not football, this is hockey. I would put Notre Dame at...well...the least exciting matchup in upcoming B1G seasons. IMHO.

I really don't think you want to have a bunch of loud, badly dressed NoDak honyocks coming into your rink every year and kicking gopher arse up and down the ice, 5mn. It would be uncivilized, and the gophers have proven to be a fragile lot in recent years.

 

[goldy_331]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread 2015-16

I really don't think you want to have a bunch of loud, badly dressed NoDak honyocks coming into your rink every year

And smelly, don't forget that those honyocks are all very very smelly. We sure as hell don't want them in the Mecca. Plus many of them are always spitting tobacco juice through that gap where their front tooth was, when they aren't just dribbling it down the front of their jersey. Especially the women.

 

[5mn_Major]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread 2015-16

Yeah, it's going to be a real bore playing a team that makes the NCAA tournament on a semi-regular basis.......

Like there aren't a lot of those outside of the B1G. OK, somebody answer me a question. So UMD, SCSU, Mankato and BSU are locks for and pretty much will fill up our NC schedule. Is Notre Dame every year better than who else we could play? BC? BU? DU? UND? And the beauty is we wouldn't have to pick...we could rotate through them.

It seems that most really miss the old WCHA because of the intense rivalries. Well, we just got further away from it.

 

[D2D]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread 2015-16

Notre Dame is just a big school with no hockey following.

I don't know how you can say that when their average attendance bested St. Cloud, Minnesota State and Bemidji this year. And they did slightly better than UMD in terms of tickets sold/capacity.

Minnesota - 9,849 (98.5% Cap. %)
MN-Duluth - 6,111 (92.6%)
Notre Dame - 4,749 (94.6%)
St. Cloud - 4,200 (81.4%)
MN State - 3,753 (77.7%)
Bemidji St. - 3,212 (73.4%)

 

[mnstate0fhockey]

Like there aren't a lot of those outside of the B1G. OK, somebody answer me a question. So UMD, SCSU, Mankato and BSU are locks for and pretty much will fill up our NC schedule. Is Notre Dame every year better than who else we could play? BC? BU? DU? UND? And the beauty is we wouldn't have to pick...we could rotate through them.

It seems that most really miss the old WCHA because of the intense rivalries. Well, we just got further away from it.

We need to add quality conference rivals. That is what makes Notre Dame's addition so important. OOC record for the conference has had brutal pairwise implications.

I read this somewhere else and think it is most likely what is going to happen. I think we'll see the Gophers eventually drop all games against the in-state schools other than the NCC and an away series at the school not participating in the Cup.

 

[St. Clown]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread 2015-16

I don't know how you can say that when their average attendance bested St. Cloud, Minnesota State and Bemidji this year. And they did slightly better than UMD in terms of tickets sold/capacity.

Minnesota - 9,849 (98.5% Cap. %)
MN-Duluth - 6,111 (92.6%)
Notre Dame - 4,749 (94.6%)
St. Cloud - 4,200 (81.4%)
MN State - 3,753 (77.7%)
Bemidji St. - 3,212 (73.4%)

Tickets sold and attendance are not the same thing. The Gophers may only have 100-150 tickets go unsold for each game on average, but look at a TV screen when the shots pan the crowd or talk to a season ticket holder. Far too many of those tickets are going unused in recent years. Heck, talk to the scalpers outside Mariucci, and they'll give you an excellent idea as to what's happening with filling those seats.

ETA: that is to say, Notre Dame has many of the same problems the Gophers are having right now - a lot of tickets sold, but a lot of them go unused. Just watch their home games on TV.

 

[SteveO]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread 2015-16

I have no idea why Notre Dame except for Lucia.

We could have put something together as a conference. But they didn't want to do that...but rather wanted to go ACC. Fine. But why would we let them cherry pick hockey? They get not much travel. They don't have to play UConn (and I think most programs would rather play PSU than UConn or UML). They get to soak off of Minnesota's recruiting grounds. What does the B1G get? The B1G gets its desperate need of having any team fill no. 7 (and no, Notre Dame is not that stellar of a school...i.e., not Hopkins). It gets almost no real rivalries (def not for us). It gets a decent team (but not the best by a long stretch). It appears the B1G doesn't even get BTN benefits (who negotiated this). And it gets the B1G look like its begged Notre Dame to join for years...and after a total snub, giving them the farm anyways.

I hate UND and I'd take them (or half the NCHC for that matter) in a heartbeat over ND. It looks like they did the right thing by not originally joining the B1G overall...we just gave them a decent part of the benefit for free.

"It's very important," Delany said. "AAU membership is an important part of who we are. It was an important part of who we are [when the Big Ten added] Penn State, and it's an important aspect of what makes an institution a research institution, an undergraduate school, a school that serves the public at a high level."

Asked if AAU membership was mandatory for expansion candidates, Delany said, "We're not there. I'm not going to qualify or disqualify, but it's a very important factor."

My first impression of your post sir is you are blowing off some stream without doing your homework. There are several good reasons why Notre Dame is a like-minded fit for the Big Ten. A little research on your part will clarify the misconceptions of your post.

 

[5mn_Major]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread 2015-16

I don't know how you can say that when their average attendance bested St. Cloud, Minnesota State and Bemidji this year. And they did slightly better than UMD in terms of tickets sold/capacity.

Minnesota - 9,849 (98.5% Cap. %)
MN-Duluth - 6,111 (92.6%)
Notre Dame - 4,749 (94.6%)
St. Cloud - 4,200 (81.4%)
MN State - 3,753 (77.7%)
Bemidji St. - 3,212 (73.4%)

Not sure how you could compare support for ND hockey with that of St. Cloud. Outside of the folks who pay tickets (if accurate and I've been to more than one empty game at ND), do ND students by and large care about hockey? What about the people of South Bend? Northwestern Indiana is full of folks that have never watched an entire game of any level of hockey in their lives. St. Cloud and high school hockey are possibly the most popular sports in central Minnesota. Frankly the same regarding hawks could be said for a decent chunk of North Dakota.

Not looking to get into a big fight about this...just don't see anything exciting in the choice, its empty calories.

My first impression of your post sir is you are blowing off some stream without doing your homework. There are several good reasons why Notre Dame is a like-minded fit for the Big Ten. A little research on your part will clarify the misconceptions of your post.

What good does 'like minded' school when they hit the ice? I'd rather have a school that has a rep somewhere in our league (ie, more than zero national championships) that brings a rivalry. The problem is obviously with the choice of criteria...and not the B1G's ability to execute on criteria.

 

[D2D]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread 2015-16

Tickets sold and attendance are not the same thing. The Gophers may only have 100-150 tickets go unsold for each game on average, but look at a TV screen when the shots pan the crowd or talk to a season ticket holder. Far too many of those tickets are going unused in recent years. Heck, talk to the scalpers outside Mariucci, and they'll give you an excellent idea as to what's happening with filling those seats.

I'm well aware of the difference, and as a long-time season ticket holder the number of empty seats at Mariucci for many of the games this past season was disappointing. But there is no objective way to measure attendance other than the official numbers being reported for each game, which are based on the number of tickets sold, and that's how all the schools do it.

ETA: that is to say, Notre Dame has many of the same problems the Gophers are having right now - a lot of tickets sold, but a lot of them go unused. Just watch their home games on TV.

Notre Dame's Cap.% of 94.6% is far superior to that of St. Cloud's 81.4%, despite the Huskies having such a great season. So with this kind of a difference I'm sure that Notre Dame had far fewer empty seats, on average, based on the total number of unsold tickets + no shows.

 

[SteveO]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread 2015-16

What good does 'like minded' school when they hit the ice? I'd rather have a school that has a rep somewhere in our league (ie, more than zero national championships) that brings a rivalry. The problem is obviously with the choice of criteria...and not the B1G's ability to execute on criteria.

Your definition of "like-mindedness" is much too myopic. That's the problem with your argument. That's why you need to do more research. Think about the word you used, "criteria". That's a clue.

 

[5mn_Major]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread 2015-16

Notre Dame's Cap.% of 94.6% is far superior to that of St. Cloud's 81.4%, despite the Huskies having such a great season. So with this kind of a difference I'm sure that Notre Dame had far fewer empty seats, on average, based on the total number of unsold tickets + no shows.

Your putting way too much into ticket sales. By your math, Notre Dame hockey has half of the relevant following of the Gophers...when really its probably 100:1. There is no real following for Notre Dame hockey in Indiana.

 

[5mn_Major]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread 2015-16

Your definition of "like-mindedness" is much too myopic. That's the problem with your argument. That's why you need to do more research. Think about the word you used, "criteria". That's a clue.

I've already told you why I think its a dull and irrelevant choice for Minnesota fans. You haven't said a word of why its a stellar choice. And until you do...pls don't tell me 'I need to do research'.

 

[D2D]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread 2015-16

Your putting way too much into ticket sales. By your math, Notre Dame hockey has half of the relevant following of the Gophers...when really its probably 100:1. There is no real following for Notre Dame hockey in Indiana.

That's your opinion, but I'll go by the numbers.

 

[SteveO]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread 2015-16

I've already told you why I think its a dull and irrelevant choice for Minnesota fans. You haven't said a word of why its a stellar choice. And until you do...pls don't tell me 'I need to do research'.

You've always impressed me as narrow minded "Debbie Downer" type and now you've confirmed it.

 

[mnstate0fhockey]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread 2015-16

If we're talking on ice product, I saw this on GPL and think it puts things in good perspective. Looks at performance the past decade.

Minnesota: 6 NCAA apps, 2 Frozen Fours, 6 Conference Championships, 2 Playoff Championships
Michigan: 7 NCAA apps, 2 Frozen Fours, 2 Conference Championships, 2 Playoff Championships
Wisconsin: 4 NCAA apps, 1 Frozen Four, 0 Conference Championships, 1 Playoff Championship
Michigan State: 3 NCAA apps, 1 Frozen Four (NC), 0 Conference Championships, 0 Playoff Championships
Ohio State: 1 NCAA app
Penn State: Nothing, obviously
Notre Dame: 7 NCAA apps, 2 Frozen Fours, 2 Conference Championships, 2 Playoff Championships

 

[St. Clown]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread 2015-16

Notre Dame's Cap.% of 94.6% is far superior to that of St. Cloud's 81.4%, despite the Huskies having such a great season. So with this kind of a difference I'm sure that Notre Dame had far fewer empty seats, on average, based on the total number of unsold tickets + no shows.

You're not getting it. Notre Dame's fan base isn't regional. Many of those tickets sold are going to be to people who never intend to use them. Watch one of their games on TV, the stands are not filled at 95% capacity, more like 40-60%. In that regard, they are much like what we're seeing from the Gophers.

Meanwhile, schools like SCSU has about 84% of its tickets sold, and usage rates for those tickets generally holds to be around 75-80%. The corners tend to be emptier than other sections of the arena, but the rest of it has people in their seats. Ticket usage takes a big hit when teams like ASU are in town, or if there's a school break. Beyond that, people are mostly using their purchased tickets.

Given the fact that every current B1G team is a public school, and all but DU and CC are public schools in the NCHC, we could get exact rates for tickets sold and tickets used for the vast majority of western schools, even broken down by opponent. The U of M has them, I know, because I've read Eric Vegoe's article over on GPL about this. It's easy data for the schools to track, and will fall under freedom of information due to their status as public schools.

 

[mnstate0fhockey]

Your putting way too much into ticket sales. By your math, Notre Dame hockey has half of the relevant following of the Gophers...when really its probably 100:1. There is no real following for Notre Dame hockey in Indiana.

Notre Dame is also a huge school with a huge alumni base that doesn't just live in Indiana. Granted, may not make a big difference in regards to butts in the seats, but certainly impacts eyeballs on TV.

 

[mnstate0fhockey]

You're not getting it. Notre Dame's fan base isn't regional. Many of those tickets sold are going to be to people who never intend to use them. Watch one of their games on TV, the stands are not filled at 95% capacity, more like 40-60%. In that regard, they are much like what we're seeing from the Gophers.

Meanwhile, schools like SCSU has about 84% of its tickets sold, and usage rates for those tickets generally holds to be around 75-80%. The corners tend to be emptier than other sections of the arena, but the rest of it has people in their seats. Ticket usage takes a big hit when teams like ASU are in town, or if there's a school break. Beyond that, people are mostly using their purchased tickets.

Given the fact that every current B1G team is a public school, and all but DU and CC are public schools in the NCHC, we could get exact rates for tickets sold and tickets used for the vast majority of western schools, even broken down by opponent. The U of M has them, I know, because I've read Eric Vegoe's article over on GPL about this. It's easy data for the schools to track, and will fall under freedom of information due to their status as public schools.

Outside of possibly this season on occasion, Mariucci has rarely ever been 40-60% capacity. And that has as much to do with nation high ticket prices as anything else.

Gophers are averaging $50 a seat. That means you would have to drop $250, plus parking and concessions, for a family of five to go and watch a game. And people wonder why we're seeing Mariucci turn into more and more of a corporate environment where tickets go unused more and more.

 

[SteveO]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread 2015-16

If we're talking on ice product, I saw this on GPL and think it puts things in good perspective. Looks at performance the past decade.

Hey thanks for that synopsis on the B10. If we go back only a few more years (2002-03) under Markell, Ohio State has 4 NCAA apps and 1 Conference Championship. They had some very good teams back in the day when the Gophers were in the old barn. Then they took a dive in 2009-10 to .500 and under, and have since yet to recover under Rohlik. Osiecki only lasted three seasons then they went with Rohlik. Not sure how long OSU will keep him around if he doesn't pull a winner out of the hat next year.

 

[St. Clown]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread 2015-16

Outside of possibly this season on occasion, Mariucci has rarely ever been 40-60% capacity. And that has as much to do with nation high ticket prices as anything else.

Gophers are averaging $50 a seat. That means you would have to drop $250, plus parking and concessions, for a family of five to go and watch a game. And people wonder why we're seeing Mariucci turn into more and more of a corporate environment where tickets go unused more and more.

It's not every game, but there have certainly been a number of games where people simply aren't showing up. I had some friends there for Mariucci, they said it was really empty. The Thursday Michigan State game looked a lot like the B1G tournament. And my brother, who has season tickets, has noted that there's been a steep decline in attendance this season. He and his wife keep getting offers from the U to move their seats to what most people would consider more desirable locations, but they like their corner tickets. (I think they just like showing up on TV.)