After TCF Bank Stadium saw its lowest average attendance numbers on record in 2018, the University of Minnesota released its newest football ticket package on Monday — one aimed at luring more fans into the stadium seats.
The new “Gopher Pass” will allow fans to attend all seven home games for the 2019 season for about $200. The University described it as the “most flexible plan ever” for Gophers fans in a press release sent out on Monday.
The pass is an all-mobile ticket, and fans will have a digital ticket delivered to them by text message before each game. In the event of a sellout, the pass does not guarantee fans a seat in the game, just stadium entry and access to a standing-room-only area.
Fans will pay an average of $28.56 per game, a considerable drop for marquee games such as the highly anticipated rivalry game against Wisconsin. The cheapest seat for the 2019 rivalry game on StubHub, a secondary market for tickets, is just under $70.
The Gopher Pass is a part of a recent trend in University Athletics toward make games more affordable and inviting for fans.
Earlier this year, the University decided to lower the season-ticket prices for both men’s basketball and men’s hockey games in an attempt to make sporting events more affordable.
In June, University of Minnesota regents voted unanimously to allow alcohol sales in Williams Arena for basketball games and 3M Arena at Mariucci for hockey games, looking to boost attendance.
The new plan is similar to one employed by the nearby Minnesota Twins. The Twins unveiled the “Twins Pass” for the 2019 season which allowed fans the option to pay for tickets on a monthly subscription-style basis with prices ranging from $49-$149 per month, giving them access to all the games. The Twins have seen their average attendance per game numbers climb to the highest it has been since 2015, due in large part to their success on the field.