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Baggot: Make it worth it for UW students to show up on time
By ANDY BAGGOT
608-252-6175
608-252-6175
11/13/2008
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PrintMaybe now isn't the best time to bring this up, but it's been on the to-do list for weeks and it really needs to come off.
One of the PR issues facing the University of Wisconsin football program is the fact many of its student season ticket-holders are chronically tardy for kickoffs, especially those that start in the AM.
People have made a big deal about this for years now, presumably because it makes everyone — UW administrators, coaches, players, fans, parents, pets, tutors, massage therapists and chefs — look bad when TV cameras show one of those panoramic shots of Camp Randall Stadium to a national audience.
The place is full except for this large pocket of emptiness near the north end zone. For some reason, it drives grownups almost as crazy as much as a certain chant the student section likes to yell.
During their tenures as Badgers coaches, Barry Alvarez and Bret Bielema have gently encouraged students to get their butts out of bed — or leave the house parties on Breese Terrace a little earlier — in order to be in their seats when the game starts.
When that didn't work, UW Athletic Department administrators tinkered with the ticketing process, essentially rewarding those students who showed up first with the best seats, regardless of class status.
That didn't work, either, since that ticketing policy was scraped last month.
This shouldn't be that big a deal the rest of the season, because Saturday's Big Ten Conference finale against Minnesota and the non-conference game against Cal Poly on Nov. 22 are 2:30 p.m. starts.
Besides, if the underachieving Badgers lose the Paul Bunyan Axe to the Gophers, empty seats won't be confined to the student section next weekend.
So how can this be fixed for the 2009 season? A person much smarter than I has an idea that makes a lot of sense.
Start by charging UW students the same per-game ticket price as everyone else (currently $39 instead of $19). That should separate the serious fans from those motivated solely by the money they can make selling the cheaper tickets.
Bar codes on the tickets make it possible to track the exact time students walk through the turnstiles. If a person has perfect pregame attendance at the end of the season, they not only avoid the ticket lottery the following year, but the price of their ticket also goes back to the cheaper level.
In order to maintain access to the ticket and the cheaper price, the student must continue to have perfect pregame attendance.
What about the seniors and graduate students who presumably won't be around to collect on the discount? Good question.
If the senior has perfect pergame attendance next season, they qualify for a refund from the general admission price to the student price ($140) that can, if they so choose, be donated to the Badger Fund.
Once again, this isn't my idea. I just happen to think it will work.
The alternative for UW Athletic Department officials? More trial and error.
The alternative for UW students? There might come a time when there will be fewer season tickets to be had.
32 comment posts
Last Reply: 11/20/2008 11:05 AM
Baggot: Make it worth it for UW students to show up on time
(11/20/2008 11:05 AM)
J Ewing says:
I am a current UW student. The solution is easy and it doesn't involve charging students or anyone else more money. The whole issue is that the UW athletic department does not want empty seats; the tickets have already been paid for. My suggestion is that if students fail to show up to the game 10-15 minutes prior to kickoff then open the gates to other students who want to be there to cheer on the Badgers. Essentially the ticket would be forfeited or transferred to students that are present outside and hoping to get into the stadium. There is obviously high student demand to get football tickets as evidenced by the fact that there is a lottery system awarding students the opportunity to purchase tickets. The only loser in this scenario is the student that didn't think it was important to show up. There you go problem solved and home field advantage restored!
(11/19/2008 12:20 PM)
montgomery says:
Forget assigned seats. First come first served. Any ticket holder who enters the stadium prior to kick-off gets full refund of ticket face value upon redeeming ticket stub (with bar code) at ticket office week immediately following game.
(11/18/2008 9:53 PM)
Murph says:
Call me old-fashion/old school, but late arrival of many students and their swearing duel chant audible on TV and by gradeschooler fans in attendance like my 10 year old son irks me. I like the idea of meaningful bowl game, season tickets, scooter, etc. drawing during the first quarter with the winner having to be present is an excellent idea combined with increasing student season ticket lottery chances for those who get there on time. Having a uniformily clad, roaring from the get go opening kickoff like Penn State's Beaver Stadium would be awesome. Maybe there is something that can be done using the band and the scoreboard video and PA system to attract students to come early for kaeroke concert type pregame party atomosphere to get things stoked.
Room for student improvement,
Murph, class of 1983
Room for student improvement,
Murph, class of 1983
(11/18/2008 6:32 PM)
UW Alum '02 says:
Andy, you need to consider the student perspective - when you're watching a sub-par football team play a bunch of cream-puff non-conference teams, no one wants to show up on time.
Instead of suggesting public policy, why don't you convince the UW coaches to recruit better players, drop the egoism, and actually play good teams week in and week out?
Instead of suggesting public policy, why don't you convince the UW coaches to recruit better players, drop the egoism, and actually play good teams week in and week out?
(11/18/2008 4:16 PM)
Seen it says:
Get a coach that cares about winning more than chasing skirts in the bars. That will help
(11/17/2008 3:57 PM)
Nancy Becker says:
Andy,
The idea you presented is okay, but I think the problem requires something more drastic. After all, this past Saturday, despite the later, 2:30 starting time, the student section was still 2/3 empty at kickoff. My suggestion is to close the gates that students must use to enter the game 15 minutes after kickoff time. If students get there too late, then oh, well, they just plain can't get into the game!
Maybe someone in the athletic department should talk to the Penn State people. Its student section is amazing week after week. For that matter, how does the university get its students to arrive not only on time but wearing white?
The idea you presented is okay, but I think the problem requires something more drastic. After all, this past Saturday, despite the later, 2:30 starting time, the student section was still 2/3 empty at kickoff. My suggestion is to close the gates that students must use to enter the game 15 minutes after kickoff time. If students get there too late, then oh, well, they just plain can't get into the game!
Maybe someone in the athletic department should talk to the Penn State people. Its student section is amazing week after week. For that matter, how does the university get its students to arrive not only on time but wearing white?
(11/17/2008 2:47 PM)
grumpy ol man says:
I cannot believe that the AD and coaches are that concerned about late arriving students. I also cannot believe that a "solution" is to basically fine students who do not come to the game on time. Will we also penalize those who don't wear red or leave early. We should be happy the stands do fill up, even if it is later in the game. I have been to many other stadiums that have next to no student involvement, Northwestern comes to mind. Or better yet the students are not up for the game, University of Michigan, even before this season would students would not get excited about anything. It was like watching paint dry. I just have one word of advice to the AD, get over it. Our students are some of the best in the big ten, be happy they still come to the games even when the team is not doing that well. Believe me I know I graduated in 1986...
(11/17/2008 8:49 AM)
Ken says:
For every early ticket that is scanned in before gametime. They would get an entry for a prize. Like a scooter, Laptop, Vacation for two to a bowl game, season tickets for hockey, basketball or something significant. And announce the winner at the end of the first quarter. I'm sure the money that the athletic department is making they surely could afford to do it.
(11/16/2008 9:33 PM)
Ern says:
To Problem Solver: How about we shrink the seating for the general public instead? It is already ridiculous that thousands of students who want tickets can't see their own school play ball. This is a completely artificial problem. It does absolutely nothing to hurt the university.
(11/16/2008 12:06 AM)
Tony says:
This is unbelievable. There are people actually concerned that the student section is not filled up? That they should charge more money for students and their families who already pay tuition, places to live and an activity fee (and receive a cheap looking diploma that they probably pulled out of the ink jet printer hours before mailing it--so cheap looking that I am too embarrassed to show it to anyone) that's a few hundred bucks?
As for Tim, your commentary is the major problem with this country--selling the youth short. Instead of giving them direction or challenging them, , you just fall back on "they're lazy and don't care." Nice. Real nice. I'm an alumnus who lives 6000 miles away and personally does not care whether the team wins or loses, but its the student section and if they choose to party and show up an hour late, oh well, that is life. It is their choice. They paid for the tickets, so why should they care what you think?
Maybe UW's AD should be more concerned about the swirling rumors about the head coach's dalliances out and about the bars of Madison.
As for Tim, your commentary is the major problem with this country--selling the youth short. Instead of giving them direction or challenging them, , you just fall back on "they're lazy and don't care." Nice. Real nice. I'm an alumnus who lives 6000 miles away and personally does not care whether the team wins or loses, but its the student section and if they choose to party and show up an hour late, oh well, that is life. It is their choice. They paid for the tickets, so why should they care what you think?
Maybe UW's AD should be more concerned about the swirling rumors about the head coach's dalliances out and about the bars of Madison.
(11/15/2008 9:35 PM)
dobie says:
A million years ago when I was a student (Class of '61) freshmen sat in the northwest corner of the endzone and each year their year group moved progressively south. When I was a Sophomore in medical school I sat on the 40 yard line. Those seats, with students all around were worth getting to the game on time for. In defense of present day Badger students, I must admit all our games started at 2:00 pm.
(11/15/2008 2:05 PM)
Jeff Scott Olson says:
Big Brother Baggot:
While we are individually monitoring fans' times of arrivals at Badger games so we can penalize the tardy ones, why not install some surveillance equipment so we can monitor their conversations? They might be conspiring to be tardy in the future.
Geesh! It's a game, not the opera. You buy your ticket, you have the privilege of showing up late, leaving early, or boycotting the sucker altogether, which I intend to do if anything like Baggot's tracking is implemented.
Remember. Someday, the swiftboaters of the future will bring down a promising candidate with old data showing she was late to some football games.
While we are individually monitoring fans' times of arrivals at Badger games so we can penalize the tardy ones, why not install some surveillance equipment so we can monitor their conversations? They might be conspiring to be tardy in the future.
Geesh! It's a game, not the opera. You buy your ticket, you have the privilege of showing up late, leaving early, or boycotting the sucker altogether, which I intend to do if anything like Baggot's tracking is implemented.
Remember. Someday, the swiftboaters of the future will bring down a promising candidate with old data showing she was late to some football games.
(11/15/2008 2:05 PM)
Jeff Scott Olson says:
Big Brother Baggot:
While we are individually monitoring fans' times of arrivals at Badger games so we can penalize the tardy ones, why not install some surveillance equipment so we can monitor their conversations? They might be conspiring to be tardy in the future.
Geesh! It's a game, not the opera. You buy your ticket, you have the privilege of showing up late, leaving early, or boycotting the sucker altogether, which I intend to do if anything like Baggot's tracking is implemented.
Remember. Someday, the swiftboaters of the future will bring down a promising candidate with old data showing she was late to some football games.
While we are individually monitoring fans' times of arrivals at Badger games so we can penalize the tardy ones, why not install some surveillance equipment so we can monitor their conversations? They might be conspiring to be tardy in the future.
Geesh! It's a game, not the opera. You buy your ticket, you have the privilege of showing up late, leaving early, or boycotting the sucker altogether, which I intend to do if anything like Baggot's tracking is implemented.
Remember. Someday, the swiftboaters of the future will bring down a promising candidate with old data showing she was late to some football games.
(11/15/2008 2:05 PM)
Jeff Scott Olson says:
Big Brother Baggot:
While we are individually monitoring fans' times of arrivals at Badger games so we can penalize the tardy ones, why not install some surveillance equipment so we can monitor their conversations? They might be conspiring to be tardy in the future.
Geesh! It's a game, not the opera. You buy your ticket, you have the privilege of showing up late, leaving early, or boycotting the sucker altogether, which I intend to do if anything like Baggot's tracking is implemented.
Remember. Someday, the swiftboaters of the future will bring down a promising candidate with old data showing she was late to some football games.
While we are individually monitoring fans' times of arrivals at Badger games so we can penalize the tardy ones, why not install some surveillance equipment so we can monitor their conversations? They might be conspiring to be tardy in the future.
Geesh! It's a game, not the opera. You buy your ticket, you have the privilege of showing up late, leaving early, or boycotting the sucker altogether, which I intend to do if anything like Baggot's tracking is implemented.
Remember. Someday, the swiftboaters of the future will bring down a promising candidate with old data showing she was late to some football games.
(11/15/2008 10:21 AM)
Back to the Future says:
If the only problem is how sparse the student section looks on TV on gameday, then maybe the ticket policy should go back to what it was when I was in school (1998-2003, some pretty good years). Students had vouchers they turned in for tickets at the Kohl Center on Wed. and you were given an assigned seat that day. So, those students that did show up earlier were spread out throughout the section, as opposed to now where everyone is clumped together and there's a gapping hole of empty seats. I also like the idea of painting the seats red.
As an alumus that did not go to a home game this year because the tickets were way too expensive (at least for a decent game), I wouldn't mind seeing the student section shrunk by one section (I don't even remember section K, or L being in the student section when I was in school) if it will help drop ticket prices to the public.
Students will always come to the games later, especially the early games. Nationally televised games have about 15-20 minutes of pregame before kickoff and students will not ever come in droves that early for the panoramic shot.
As an alumus that did not go to a home game this year because the tickets were way too expensive (at least for a decent game), I wouldn't mind seeing the student section shrunk by one section (I don't even remember section K, or L being in the student section when I was in school) if it will help drop ticket prices to the public.
Students will always come to the games later, especially the early games. Nationally televised games have about 15-20 minutes of pregame before kickoff and students will not ever come in droves that early for the panoramic shot.
(11/15/2008 9:17 AM)
Problem Solver says:
Like another person said...
Shrink the student section, sell the tickets to the general public, the general public will get there, fill the seats and generate local spend much more than the kids.
And...before the kids respond that it's the students that make Camp Randall what it is...
You're right. The kids are the key to making a great homefield advantage...but actual fans in the seats trumps no-showing kids.
Shrink the student section, sell the tickets to the general public, the general public will get there, fill the seats and generate local spend much more than the kids.
And...before the kids respond that it's the students that make Camp Randall what it is...
You're right. The kids are the key to making a great homefield advantage...but actual fans in the seats trumps no-showing kids.
(11/15/2008 2:06 AM)
Lighten Up says:
People need to stop badgering UW students (no pun intended). I'm so sick of hearing how "something has to be done to curb drinking at UW", or how "steps have to be taken to ensure that seats are filled by kickoff". Lighten up people. Can't you remember when you were 18-22 years old? I'm sure back then you drank way too much and acted crazy on occasion...and if you didn't, you should have. I mean, the college years are the only time in your life when you can cut loose like that. Bottom line, our student section is what it is: they come late to games, they come drunk, they yell obscene stadium chants. Deal with it. As an alumni of both UW and the University of Tennessee, I can tell you that our students will NEVER be as passionate about football as kids at SEC schools (it's sad but true). Those people absolutely live and die college football, whereas up here the game is an excuse to get crazy. Personally, I think that's our tradition and there's no reason to mess with it. ESPN consistently ranks our student section as one of the funnest places to be on gameday. I feel like some of you old timers became really uppity after the program picked up under Barry (by the way, reality check, this program isn't even that good...I mean, we've only won the Rose Bowl three times and we haven't so much as sniffed a national championship in our 120 year history). Seriously people, lighten up and let the kids have a good time. Wisconsin will still be a "Public Ivy" regardless of whether or not it's also a "party school" and regardless of when the students trickle into the game.
(11/14/2008 7:31 PM)
michelle says:
The only way to change students' game time behavior is to give in a little to what they want and change their overall feeling of the game. As in letting the band play songs they want to hear like "Swingtown" and not treating every student who walks in like a criminal. This is their team too and they want to watch their fellow students play. Or here's another idea - how about playing some hard non-conference games? That would put students in the seats in the beginning of the season. And it might even keep them there for the rest of it.
(11/14/2008 2:41 PM)
s says:
My God, is this what this school has become? Is King Barry that paranoid and insecure that showing some empty seats on tv is somehow going to cause his beloved football program to go south? I think there's much more serious problems with it than some students just being students. Plus don't worry, as greedy as this athletic dept. is, I don't doubt there will be fewer student seats in the future as they don't create the same revenue as the general public
(11/14/2008 12:24 PM)
tim says:
MadcityJack and current uw student,
Putting a winning team on the field is not a cure for the tardiness of an apathetic and lazy student fan base. You never see OSU seats empty, or Penn St. or Michigan (when they were better). And spare me the "they play an hour later" excuse. Back in 2005 and 2006, when they were a pretty good and fighting for a BCS bid, the student section was still empty at the beginning of each game. The fact is that the current student base, like most kids the same age is lazy, apathetic and seem to think that they deserve everything. It's sickening to see such open space for those of us who suffered through the early 90's of Alvarez's first years who now have to watch it on TV from our seaside mansions (currently burning to the ground) when we could drink AND make it to early games EVERY weekend for a team that was destined to go 1-10 and 5-6 and 5-6. Suck it up.
Putting a winning team on the field is not a cure for the tardiness of an apathetic and lazy student fan base. You never see OSU seats empty, or Penn St. or Michigan (when they were better). And spare me the "they play an hour later" excuse. Back in 2005 and 2006, when they were a pretty good and fighting for a BCS bid, the student section was still empty at the beginning of each game. The fact is that the current student base, like most kids the same age is lazy, apathetic and seem to think that they deserve everything. It's sickening to see such open space for those of us who suffered through the early 90's of Alvarez's first years who now have to watch it on TV from our seaside mansions (currently burning to the ground) when we could drink AND make it to early games EVERY weekend for a team that was destined to go 1-10 and 5-6 and 5-6. Suck it up.
(11/14/2008 12:13 PM)
MadCityJack says:
For some time, I was under the impression that the students were being held outside the stadium by some draconion ticket checking policy. But, apparently that isnt' true.
I would be totally opposed to raising ticket prices on students. If you think their sections are empty now, just wait for what would happen if they had to pay those higher prices. I agree with what others have said: Put a winning team on the field first and foremost. AND, get out of the scaredycat scheduling of out of conference cupcakes. (I mean, Wofford, for cryin' out loud!) If you brought USC or Texas or Florida into Camp Randall, the place would be full to the rafters before the band's run on began.
I would be totally opposed to raising ticket prices on students. If you think their sections are empty now, just wait for what would happen if they had to pay those higher prices. I agree with what others have said: Put a winning team on the field first and foremost. AND, get out of the scaredycat scheduling of out of conference cupcakes. (I mean, Wofford, for cryin' out loud!) If you brought USC or Texas or Florida into Camp Randall, the place would be full to the rafters before the band's run on began.
(11/14/2008 12:08 PM)
Current UW Student says:
Heres an idea - start winning games - that will get at least some people to come earlier - oh, and constantly toying with the system only pisses off the students more and more, i.e. the wristband disaster, which literally was a race to seats - try sprinting down wet bleachers with 75 people behind you - really fun. Now, the current system with the tickets doesn't even give away all the seats, and they also give away some seats that don't exist, thus creating problems. Oh, and UW, try to not double the costs of housing food over the summer, ignore the Norovirus that has infected 3 large dorms now, and is spreading quickly, and raise our costs 10% each year- that would be great. Its now nice to know that, cost wise, a Penthouse in Lucky isn't really that far off from the nicer dorms.
(11/14/2008 11:02 AM)
Guest says:
Here's a simple idea: paint the entire student section red. That way, the glaring empty area won't be so glaring on TV. There, problem solved.
(11/14/2008 11:01 AM)
tim says:
Why not just shrink the student section to one section, or 1/2 of one section? And offer the tix to us alumni who had to put up with sh*tty seasons but still showed up on time to every game?
(11/14/2008 10:43 AM)
Mad-Mark says:
PLEASE!!! Aren't we done with this issue? The kids aren't going to change. The University should be more concerned with fielding a quality team and stop whining about the tardy students or trying to get everyone to wear red.
(11/14/2008 9:45 AM)
Freedom says:
Who cares? Students are like everyone else and have the right to go to the game when they want. It would take too much effort to change student behavior over so minor an issue. Want to use social engineering to change student behavior? Focus on an important issue, such as safe sex or substance abuse. Otherwise, leave them alone. This year, we should be happy that they show at all.
(11/14/2008 6:57 AM)
SCHOONEY says:
send the "hog farmer" packing to the farm and get a coach would be the first step
(11/14/2008 6:56 AM)
SCHOONEY says:
a WINNIN TEAM THAT PUTS EFFOR INTO THER PLAYING AND COACHES WITH iqS ABOVE THE SLOW LEARNER RANGE AND CAN COACH WOULD BE THE FIRST STEP
SEND THE 'HOG FARMER' PACKING
SEND THE 'HOG FARMER' PACKING
(11/14/2008 6:44 AM)
chill says:
An even beter idea is to let the program slide until no one wants to go. Ref. to the Don Morton era, the students were the only ones in the stadium, no one wanted to take the tickets away from the season ticket holders who weren't there. During this dark time for the UW we played every game at 1:00 PM and everyone that went was on time, is that what you want? This only became a problem when money and TV dictated an early start time.
Partying before home games is a tradition at UW. It isn't a problem, the tickets are sold, the students will show up and the stadium will be full the idea of raising the ticket price is insane. This is about the students. They have 4 to 5 years to enjoy this unique environment. For every one out there that is trying to "solve" this problem I would say get a life and let the students live theirs. I really think the UW wants to eliminate the student section so they can charge for a seat license and more for those tickets. Just watch, this has become a money event. And every time we think more about making money than tradition we end up losing and the program suffers.
How many regular season ticket holders are late for games? We don't kinow but since they aren't all sitting in one area we don't notice. What ever you do to the students you have to do to everyone in the stands.
Partying before home games is a tradition at UW. It isn't a problem, the tickets are sold, the students will show up and the stadium will be full the idea of raising the ticket price is insane. This is about the students. They have 4 to 5 years to enjoy this unique environment. For every one out there that is trying to "solve" this problem I would say get a life and let the students live theirs. I really think the UW wants to eliminate the student section so they can charge for a seat license and more for those tickets. Just watch, this has become a money event. And every time we think more about making money than tradition we end up losing and the program suffers.
How many regular season ticket holders are late for games? We don't kinow but since they aren't all sitting in one area we don't notice. What ever you do to the students you have to do to everyone in the stands.
(11/13/2008 11:12 PM)
Rene says:
Here's an idea: how about you give away a free beer for every student that gets to the game before kickoff. I guarantee the place would be packed. Price gouging wouldn't fix anything. It would only anger the student section into more vulgar chants but this time it won't be at each other or the visiting team.
(11/13/2008 4:27 PM)
not alone says:
This isn't a problem only at UW. Many of our conference brethren have the same problem.
(11/13/2008 3:56 PM)
the n says:
Nice idea andy, however nothing will change with the attendance in the student section(maybe if they took away a section and gave it to people who wanted season tickets, then they could) this will make the students more hungry and to come on time. the only time this season where i saw the student section almost full before kickoff was the ohio st game. and i sat next to a psu fan the next week and they were surprised on how empty the student section was halfway through the 2nd quarter. nothing will change like i said, you know if its first come 1st serve and there is a loong line to get in, some students will not like the seats and will come late, especially if they are near the top. you can do everything and barry and bret could do anything and they will not fill up the student section on time, and i doubt it will ever happen.
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