Stadiums – Page 13 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Upbeat Ticket Sales for Gopher Football

Posted on August 29, 2021 by David Shama

A sellout crowd of 50,805 is anticipated at Huntington Bank Stadium for Thursday night’s season opening game against No. 4 ranked Ohio State. That information and more on Golden Gophers football ticket sales was provided recently by the University of Minnesota at the request of Sports Headliners.

Unlike past home openers, free tickets aren’t being given to first-year students to bolster attendance. Instead, a discounted ticket for all first and second-year students was offered for Thursday night’s game. However, free tickets are being offered to those students for the September 11 Miami (Ohio) game.

With season ticket sales on the rise and many single game buyers paying over $100 for a ticket, the September 2 game will be a much needed financial boost for the athletic department. The Gophers’ stadium, like others in college football, hasn’t hosted fans since 2019 because of the pandemic. The financial deficit in the U athletic department during the 2020-2021 school year is reportedly over $21 million. The department will borrow money from the central administration to cover the loss.

As of August 24 of this year 24,047 public season tickets had been sold. This total represents 7,383 accounts and doesn’t include student tickets.

In 2019 the public season tickets total was 21,664, with 6,605 accounts. The most public season tickets sold since the football program moved back to campus was 34,130 in the opening year of 2009.

As of August 24, 6,523 football student season tickets were sold. This compares with 3,388 in 2019.

The most student season tickets sold since the return to campus is 10,248 in 2009.

Increased interest in Gophers football isn’t surprising. Coach P.J. Fleck’s team is expected to contend for the Big Ten’s West Division championship. The home schedule includes marquee games with traditional power Ohio State (Buckeyes haven’t been to Minneapolis since 2014) and border rival Wisconsin. Although the Gophers were 3-4 during the chaotic pandemic year of 2020, they were 11-2 the season prior and ranked among the better teams in the country.

Worth Noting

Michael Hsu, the former University of Minnesota regent, is developing a nationwide advocacy organization for the rights of college basketball players. He is also an advisory board member of the newly formed College Football Players Association.

In a Name, Image and Likeness deal involving a Gopher athlete, quarterback Tanner Morgan will provide free autographs from 7 to 8 p.m. at Fan HQ Ridgedale on Monday, September 20.

Minnesota Twins radio voice Cory Provus will call college football games for FS1 and BTN. Others with Minnesota connections who will have various roles with BTN football are James Laurinaitis, Annie Sabo and Brock Vereen.

In their final preseason game Friday night the Minnesota Vikings saw the 2021 gold standard in NFL head coaches, Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs. Others considered top 10 head coaches include the Green Bay Packers’ Matt LaFleur and former Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski who leads the Cleveland Browns.

VSA Auction items for bid through September 2 include a 1974 Minnesota Vikings NFC Championship player ring. The current high bid is $14,000.

The Miami Marlins, whose top prospects include former Gopher pitcher Max Meyer, have the No. 3 farm system, per MLB.com. The Twins rank No. 15 among the list of 30 organizations, with the Baltimore Orioles No. 1.

The Twins, headed for their worst season record since 59-102 in 2016, have only four pitchers (Jorge Alcala, Alex Colome, Tyler Duffey, Caleb Thielbar) on their active pitching roster who were with the club on opening day.

The Gopher baseball team’s fall schedule opens September 7 and ends October 2. Included are intra-squad scrimmages, and home games against St. Thomas (Sept. 17), Concordia, St. Paul (Sept. 24) and the alumni (Oct. 2).

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Double-Whammy for Twins Ticket Sales

Posted on June 23, 2021 by David Shama

The Minnesota Twins, who like their MLB brethren lost millions of dollars in 2020 because of the pandemic, are facing a new challenge selling tickets for home games because of crime in Minneapolis and the disappointing performance of the team.

Murders, shootings, carjackings and other lawlessness have soiled the reputation of a once great city. Much of the crime has been downtown and some of it near the Twins’ Target Field home.

Fans, particularly from the outer suburbs, greater Minnesota and the Dakotas, think twice about coming to the big city now. In fact, many don’t need to think at all about a trip to Minneapolis. They are too frightened to even consider it.

Since 1961, the franchise’s first season in Minnesota, the Twins have relied on fans from outside the Twin Cities for a significant portion of their fan base and revenues. Now countless individuals and families are hesitant (at best) to buy tickets to see their favorite team. A Sports Headliners reader and Twin Cities resident said his elderly father, living in southeast Minnesota, wouldn’t come to Minneapolis “for 10 million dollars.”

Minneapolis violence and headlines like “Defund the Police” scare many Minnesotans and other potential visitors to the city. Attracting people to the state’s flagship city is a mega challenge for not just the Twins, of course, but also downtown restaurants, bars, hotels, retailers, and employers. One can only take a deep breath and hope the leadership of City Hall will improve, prioritizing safe streets and neighborhoods including downtown, Uptown, Dinkytown and the north side.

Public relations authority Dave Mona believes the “Defund the Police” slogan will haunt the Twin Cities’ reputation for years. A long time Twins fan and civic leader, Mona knows first hand the front office is concerned about getting fans back into the ballpark. He said the club has “done a lot of research” about the issue.

While Mona said he feels safe attending games, he recognizes the apprehension of other fans and the predicament the franchise faces in losing part of its historically important fan base. Combined with the team’s performance on the field, a lot of fans have been staying away from the park.

Mona recognizes the situation as a “double whammy” for ticket sales. “…When the Yankees come to town and you don’t draw 20,000 people, you gotta scratch your head because the Yankees were over the years…pretty much fool proof no matter how the Twins were doing, or how the Yankees were doing. Those were series that drew fans. It’s been slow to come back (attendance now versus the past). I am sure they (the Twins front office) are very concerned.”

The Twins hosted the Yankees for three games earlier this month and announced attendance each game was 17,000 to 18,000. Even with a COVID mandate limiting capacity to 80 percent at Target Field, the attendance for the Yankees series wasn’t close to maximum. Starting with games July 5, Target Field will be at full capacity of nearly 40,000.

Hard to say which factor contributes most to the Twins’ “double whammy” situation, but attendance average is among the lowest in club history so far. The Twins are averaging 11,818 fans for home games and rank No. 19 among 30 MLB franchises, according to ESPN.com. There was a time the franchise sold more season tickets than what the club is averaging now. To be fair, the Twins and others in MLB would have better numbers if not for the pandemic limitations and fears.

Minnesota was a preseason favorite to be among the better clubs in baseball. The core of the team had produced consecutive AL Central Division titles, and a win-now attitude was in place. “There’s no question the focus now is on 2021 and we think we’re well positioned to win a lot of baseball games,” Twins president Dave St. Peter told Sports Headliners before the season began.

The club, though, has suffered through perhaps an unprecedented number of key injuries, particularly to position players, while the pitching staff has faltered badly at times. The bullpen has been unreliable, including falling apart late in games. Starting pitching has been inconsistent, with the ongoing saga of Minnesota trying to find a shutdown ace.

Before the season, the Twins might have been expected to be 10 games over .500 in late June. As of today they are 31-42. Minnesota has produced better results of late, going 11-12 in the last 23 games and winning five straight before losing yesterday to the Cincinnati Reds.

It’s a long climb ahead, though, for the team to become a playoff contender. It will be a challenge hindered now by yet another injury to club MVP Byron Buxton that has him sidelined indefinitely (left hand fracture in his third game back after missing the previous 40).

The Twins have a well-earned reputation for appealing promotions and creating a fan-friendly atmosphere at Target Field, a venue that ranks among the best in baseball. Part of the marketing involves honoring heroes like Twins legends, first responders and war veterans. That recognition deserves applause and plays well to much of the franchise’s target audience, including those living in greater Minnesota, but winning baseball will sell more tickets and so will a perception the streets downtown are safe.

After Labor Day more workers will return downtown as the pandemic eases. Hospitality attractions are expected to be busier in coming months, bringing more people to the city. The First Avenue hot spot near Target Field has already announced a lineup of entertainment for this year and next.

More people on the streets will help lessen fears about downtown. There is certainly increased confidence in being one of 100 people walking from the Nicollet Mall to Target Field than being alone or in a small group.

“People (will) have to feel safe, and they need to tell their friends about it,” Mona said when asked about how the city and Twins eventually get beyond the current environment. “People need to stick their toes in the water and start coming back downtown.”

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Twins Hope for Fans at April Opener

Posted on January 27, 2021January 27, 2021 by David Shama

The Minnesota Twins 2021 home opener is scheduled for April 8 at Target Field against the Detroit Tigers. Twins president Dave St. Peter told Sports Headliners he is upbeat about the potential return of fans to home games after the pandemic made that impossible last year.

“We’re engaged in a conversation with the Governor’s Office and the Minnesota Department of Health about our potential of returning fans to Target Field here in April,” St. Peter said in Monday’s interview. “Additional conversations need to be had but in general we’re optimistic about our ability to return fans to Target Field. It’s to be determined whether that will be in April, or not. We’re working towards that.”

Nothing will be announced soon regarding fans back at the ballpark. “We’re several weeks away, maybe a month away from clarity in Minnesota and our ability to have fans,” St. Peter said.

The most exciting return, of course, would be April 8. “We’re shooting for opening day April 8^th but, again, the Governor’s Office, the Department of Health, they’re going to help guide us on this, and we don’t take anything for granted relative to the virus.”

It’s all but certain that whenever fans return, the number of attendees will be restricted. “Whether that’s at 10 percent, 15 percent, 25 percent, again, that’s to be determined,” St. Peter said. “But I think it’s safe to say we will crawl before we walk, we will walk before we run relative to the number of fans we allow into the ballpark at any given time.”

Vaccinations and “herd immunity” are expected to help ease the COVID-19 virus as the year progresses. MLB hopes the number of fans attending games will increase during the season as safety measures evolve. Still, it will be a cautious road ahead and difficult in multiple ways including financially for MLB franchises who claim total debt was in the billions of dollars last year. “There’s no scenario we (the Twins) will not lose money in 2021,” St. Peter said.

Twins pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to spring training in Fort Myers February 17, with a workout the next day and the balance of the roster checking in a few days later. Personnel will have daily COVID testing, wear masks and social distance. At the club’s CenturyLink Sports Complex spaces are being modified for clubhouse use as part of the effort to distance players. There will be other policies, St. Peter said, for dining and use of facilities like the weight room.

In the past fans have visited the complex, including for an annual open house and watching workouts. Because of the pandemic, access will be restricted to game days at Hammond Stadium.

Tickets for Twins spring training games are expected to go on sale soon but St. Peter believes capacity will likely be limited. Restrictions on the number of fans who can attend each game are expected to be in place throughout the spring training schedule.

Dave St. Peter (photo courtesy of Minnesota Twins)

The Twins won their division last year, took a quick exit from the playoffs and have the same ambitious goal again—earn their way to the World Series and a possible championship for the first time since 1991. “We like our club a lot,” St. Peter said. “We think we’re really well positioned for success in 2021. But we’re always looking for more pitching, and clearly there are a lot of good players on the board, both pitchers, and position players and bats.

“So we fully expect we’re going to add additional talent here before spring training. The way we approach it, we don’t necessarily think about it as one option. There is always a variety of plans and you can improve your club a lot of different ways.”

The Twins and many MLB clubs have been mostly quiet with offseason moves. Trades are possible, but most interesting is what St. Peter refers to as a “historic” number of free agents available on the market. “We’ll look to take advantage of that,” he said.

Multiple online sources yesterday said acquisition activity is heating up for the Twins, reporting the club has agreed to a $10.5 million deal with free agent Andrelton Simmons. He’s a proficient and versatile infielder who will impact the Minnesota defense including at shortstop.

Minnesota’s highest paid player Josh Donaldson ($92 million) was injured much of last season, his first with the team, and didn’t see the field in the playoffs. The Twins were 19-9 with him in the lineup, 17-15 without him during the regular season, per a December 16 MLB.com story. The slugging third baseman could be the team’s MVP in 2021.

“He’s a great player,” St. Peter said. “He makes us better defensively. He obviously makes us better offensively. We need to keep him on the diamond and I know Josh feels that way as well. We’re optimistic that he will be ready to go. …”

Another veteran the media and fans will scrutinize is bullpen closer Taylor Rogers whose ERA increased from 2.61 in 2019 to 4.05 in 2020. “All his metrics were really good, some of it I think was (bad) luck, to be frank,” St. Peter said.

St. Peter admires Rogers for more than his pitching skills: “High character, really smart, great teammate, cares about people in the community. So yeah, we’re thrilled to have him in a Twins uniform.”

Worth Noting

Triple A teams like the St. Paul Saints are scheduled to open their seasons in April when the big league clubs start. Because of the pandemic, though, start dates could be adjusted.

A Collegefootballnews.com story this week ranks the 14 Big Ten football teams 1-7 in each division. The Gophers are No. 2 in the West behind Wisconsin. Iowa, Northwestern, Purdue, Nebraska and Illinois follow. Ohio State is No. 1 in the East, followed by Michigan, Penn State, Indiana, Michigan State, Rutgers and Maryland.

Adam Mayer, the former Gophers wide receiver, is living in the northern California Bay Area and involved with finance and accounting recruiting. Dad Barry Mayer, the ex-Gopher running back, is mostly retired after a sales career in California and back in Minnesota substitute teaching K-12 and presenting for the Positive Coaching Alliance.

Commercials for this year’s Super Bowl are $5.5 million per ad, and down from $5.6 million in 2020, according to the Tuesday Front Office Sports email newsletter.

The newsletter also reported the NCAA’s year-end August 31, 2020 financials showed a $56 million loss for the organization and less than half of the $600 million in planned distributions was sent to Division I conferences.

The prep Mr. Football Award winner is usually announced in December at a banquet but the 2021 recipient will be revealed April 21 via Zoom. The award is sponsored by the Minnesota Football Coaches Association and Minnesota Vikings.

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