How many Big 10 Husker road games will sell out in 2011?

[NUance]

The Big 10 is gonna be shocked at how well the Sea of Red travels. Think there is any way that all Cornhusker road games will sell out in 2011?

[Creed]

Aren't most Big 10 conference games sold out? When OSU, Iowa, PSU plays an IU, NW, IL they fill more seats then the home team. I have been to an OSU-IU game in Bloomington and it was 80% OSU fans, at NW it was 50-60% OSU fans.

[rawhide]

I think being the new kid on the block all the Big X fans will come out in droves to see the team.

 

Or try to make an extra buck on us like ND; they liked the results of that.. ..... goldendomer SEA OF RED

 

 

GBR

[Coqui]

The Big 10 is gonna be shocked at how well the Sea of Red travels. Think there is any way that all Cornhusker road games will sell out in 2011?

 

I think you'll have no problem selling out all your away tickets and showing up. I also think you'll have no problem getting home tickets for teams like Northwestern, Illinois, Indiana.

 

But if you think you can easily step in to Ohio State, Penn State, or Wisconsin, you'll be in for a rude awakening. I have no doubt you travel well. But just like Buckeye fans, Nittany Lion fans, and Badger fans, you'll be watching the game from the tailgating areas. You guys aren't the only ones that travel well.

[Coqui]

Aren't most Big 10 conference games sold out? When OSU, Iowa, PSU plays an IU, NW, IL they fill more seats then the home team. I have been to an OSU-IU game in Bloomington and it was 80% OSU fans, at NW it was 50-60% OSU fans.

 

 

I read a report somewhere that during the Rose Bowl, there were approximately 95,000 Buckeye fans in Pasadena for the game.

[VprHis]

The Big 10 is gonna be shocked at how well the Sea of Red travels. Think there is any way that all Cornhusker road games will sell out in 2011?

 

I think you'll have no problem selling out all your away tickets and showing up. I also think you'll have no problem getting home tickets for teams like Northwestern, Illinois, Indiana.

 

But if you think you can easily step in to Ohio State, Penn State, or Wisconsin, you'll be in for a rude awakening. I have no doubt you travel well. But just like Buckeye fans, Nittany Lion fans, and Badger fans, you'll be watching the game from the tailgating areas. You guys aren't the only ones that travel well.

 

I wouldn't go quite that far. There are plenty of tickets to be had outside the stadium--they'll just be selling for a hefty mark-up the first few years. As always, the bigger the game, the bigger the price tag. Something tells me Nebraska will always (OK, for the indefinite future, anyway) count as a big game.

[Creed]

How about the Big 10 fans (including me) shed some light on some of the pros, cons, tid bits, etc of visiting Big 10 locals for NU fans. I have only traveled to Columbus, Bloomington and Evanston (NW). Here are my thoughts:

 

Columbus: I am not from there and I made the drive the morning of the game. Both times, I parked rather far away at a University building (my car was broken into once). There seemed to be some nice parking and tailgaiting areas but I am sure they are reserved for season ticketers or the like. After game, we went to the local bars (10 min walk away). They were very crowded and not the nicest but I guess they are geared for younger folk. I liked the experience of the shoe but would rather watch on TV. Maybe if I were with a big group tailgating ,the experience would have been better.

 

Bloomington Nice campus but I don't think the city is capable of handling traffic for big games. I drove in from Indy on the two lane hwy and it was backed up for 20 miles. We got there just before half. That was disappointing. The other time, we stayed in Nashville (about 20 minutes away), which is a nice touristy, B&B, shopping town. We got there early and were able to tailgate. They have a nice size parking area around the stadium and BBall arena.

 

Evanston I went in early November and it was down right freezing. Tailgating was impossible but we weren't well equipped either. It is in a nice neighborhood area between Evanston and Wilmette. I can't speak to parking capability as we were staying in the local neighborhood. We made a weekend out of it and visited Chicago, which is the best benefit to NW. There's so much to do and see in Chitown.

[RockyMountainOySker]

I also expect a ton of Sker fans to visit away games during the first couple years in the conference. Something new to see.

 

I plan to do a little tour myself....I can hit 7 stadiums within about a 5 hour drive...sweet!

[Coqui]

Columbus: I am not from there and I made the drive the morning of the game. Both times, I parked rather far away at a University building (my car was broken into once). There seemed to be some nice parking and tailgaiting areas but I am sure they are reserved for season ticketers or the like. After game, we went to the local bars (10 min walk away). They were very crowded and not the nicest but I guess they are geared for younger folk. I liked the experience of the shoe but would rather watch on TV. Maybe if I were with a big group tailgating ,the experience would have been better.

 

Best place to park is in the residential area west of the university or in the West Campus parking lots (near Kenny) The downside to this, is that it is quite the hike to get to the stadium. The upside is that they are both incredibly safe (the west campus lots are right next to the campus police and there are cameras)

 

There is no reserve parking or tailgating area. It's first come first serve to those willing to pay to park there. Although unless you live in Columbus, you better not drive there the morning of the game unless it's a night game. There are easily 250,000 people in that area just for the game itself. The place will be packed. There are much closer bars, but High street has always been the post game hangout area (mostly due to its proximity to fraternity and sorority row.)

 

Regarding how nice they were, it all depends on which bar you go to. I also don't know how long it's been since you've been there, but they've renovated the area severely. It looks drastically different from when I went to school there. If you're talking about the fans.....you have a bunch of college aged drunk people in a close proximity. Not the best experience for cordiality. Honestly, the best visiting experiences would be the tailgating areas a little further down Woody Hayes drive (across the bridge) and from the stadium. The older crowd tends to congregate there and it's more family friendly.

[TAW]

Of the places I have been:

 

Minnesota - much better experience with TCF than the dreaded Metrodump, but the Gophers are still working on developing a game atmosphere; it will take time. The UW Alumni Club of the TC closes off a block in downtown Mpls for a pre-game party (in front of Rozens) which is very cool. They also had buses to TCF or you could walk. TC is a fun place to visit (of course, I lived there for three years so am a little biased). We go every year.

 

Columbus - The Shoe is incredible. I also had no problem with the fans, but then I was in a group. Learn the alternative lyrics to the Michigan Fight Song and you will have friends everywhere. I've been here twice and would go again. Like the stadium better than PSU, but PSU fans were slightly nicer. Close call between the two. Lots of locals, some with severe dental issues, show up for the games. One guy I was talking to said "Yeah, on gameday some of these folks come down out of the hills and they scare even us." Most "southern-feeling" of the places I've been in the Big 10.

 

Penn State - Great fans (even though someone stole Monsignor's Badger jacket from a chair outside our RV), but it's a pain in the butt to get there. We drove to a little town about half an hour away, rented an RV there, and stayed in the RV on their tailgating lots. I think you can also rent an RV already set up on the grounds and just drive up to that. We may try that next time and then fly to Harrisburg and rent a car (as I get older, comfort trumps cost). Stadium kind of looks like an erector set, but it is rocking. Would go more often except for you-can't-get-there-from-here.

 

Northwestern - Best thing about going to a Northwestern game is that it is in Chicago. We have a friend who lives in Evanston, within walking distance of the stadium, so we have a nice spot to tailgate. Their stadium renovation a few years back made it much more fan-friendly. Local fans are apathetic, at best. Easy visiting team ticket. I kind of like the stadium in a small-liberal-arts-college kind of way. The kitty-cat roar is annoying (ditto for PSU). Pre-renovation, was named Dyche Stadium (now called stadium formerly known as Lesbo) giving rise to comments like "You'd think a place called Dyche Stadium would have more women's restrooms."

 

Iowa City - Get hotel rooms early (like February). Nice town, have old friends who live there, kind of an old-hippie ambiance. Tailgating is scattered except for one big lot, but fun. Similar to Wisconsin, if you show up at a tailgate with a 6-pack and a decent attitude, people will be glad to talk football. Lots of stands selling those big-ass turkey legs. Stadium renovation helped women's restrooms, but now the men have a line. Concourse not laid out particularly well (this is true of upper concourse at Camp Randall too) and visiting fans get horrible seats (same at the Camp). Always enjoy IC - it's like visiting the cousins you only see every other year; hard to work up a hate.

 

Champagna - Illinois is a basketball school, but they try. If you can, drive down and back the same day. Most hotels have two-night minimums and one night is more than sufficient in Champagna. Tailgating lot is good; people were friendly; only seemed to be a couple of downtown bars, but there were some decent restaurants. Been there twice, but would only go back for a big game. Stadium renovation was half done when I was there, but it looks like a good one. Impressive facade to the stadium.

 

Going to Michigan this year for the first time. Haven't done any of the Indianas or MSU.

[Manhattan]

... Nobody finds this a bit arrogant? Nebraska isn't the only fan base that sells out its stadium. It's not like the Shoe, the Big House, and Happy Valley are going to be ghost towns and then overtaken by hordes of Nebraska fans. Alumni of Ohio State have to enter in a competitive lottery just to be eligible to buy a maximum of two tickets for ONE game in the entire season. The Big Ten is not The Big 12 North. The only stadium that is easy to take over is Indiana; Illinois and Purdue a little harder. It is known that Indiana waited until an Ohio State at home game to shoot aerial photos for their recruiting/admissions photos.

[VprHis]

... Nobody finds this a bit arrogant? Nebraska isn't the only fan base that sells out its stadium. It's not like the Shoe, the Big House, and Happy Valley are going to be ghost towns and then overtaken by hordes of Nebraska fans.

 

The same could be said for Notre Dame, if you take my point. I seem to recall it looking a lot like Christmas in there.

[Ratt Mhule]

... Nobody finds this a bit arrogant? Nebraska isn't the only fan base that sells out its stadium. It's not like the Shoe, the Big House, and Happy Valley are going to be ghost towns and then overtaken by hordes of Nebraska fans. Alumni of Ohio State have to enter in a competitive lottery just to be eligible to buy a maximum of two tickets for ONE game in the entire season. The Big Ten is not The Big 12 North. The only stadium that is easy to take over is Indiana; Illinois and Purdue a little harder. It is known that Indiana waited until an Ohio State at home game to shoot aerial photos for their recruiting/admissions photos.

 

I don't think he was trying to make that post seem arrogant at all. Just stating that Nebraska fans like to travel to see their team play. And as far as him asking the question can we sellout our 2011 games, he was prob. talking about the games at like Northwestern or Indiana. The schools that don't sell out every football game. For example, there were more NU fans then Baylor fans at the game last year in Waco. We aren't expecting to take over the big stadiums such as Michigan, PSU or OSU. Those schools have a very good turnout for games. So to answer his question, the Husker road games will be sold out at Michigan, OSU, PSU, Iowa and Wisconsin most likely, but our fans prob. have to help the other schools out a little bit to sell out the other stadiums.

 

Good luck to Ohio State this upcoming year. The Yankees on the other hand...

[BOJ]

 

 

 

Good luck to Ohio State this upcoming year. The Yankees on the other hand...

I appreciate your sentiment and hope the huskers do well this year as well; a MNC match-up of tOSU and Nebraska (I don't know the abbreviation yet; what is it, by the way?) would be epic. We would have two Big Ten teams (as far as I am concerned) battling for the title.

[NUance]

... Nobody finds this a bit arrogant? Nebraska isn't the only fan base that sells out its stadium. It's not like the Shoe, the Big House, and Happy Valley are going to be ghost towns and then overtaken by hordes of Nebraska fans. Alumni of Ohio State have to enter in a competitive lottery just to be eligible to buy a maximum of two tickets for ONE game in the entire season. The Big Ten is not The Big 12 North. The only stadium that is easy to take over is Indiana; Illinois and Purdue a little harder. It is known that Indiana waited until an Ohio State at home game to shoot aerial photos for their recruiting/admissions photos.

It wasn’t my intent to be arrogant. Sorry if that’s how it came across. And I know that some Big 10 fan bases travel quite well. In particular, tOSU and Meechicken fans. But the Sea of Red is legendary in how it follows the Huskers. Ooops——there’s that arrogance again. :-)

 

 

Actually, I think there will be a LOT of visiting NU Red in the Big 10 stadiums for the first couple of seasons. There is a pent up demand to see the Huskers in places like Happy Valley, The Horseshoe and The Big House. But I doubt if Husker fans take over those three football shrines like we did at Neuter Dame a few years back.