Sipple ties ticket sales to Pelini's job

knapplc

knapplc

International Man of Mystery
Not inappropriately. We're talking about sellouts, wait lists, student tickets and seats free of donation money throughout the offseason. Is it a real concern? Two weeks before the season kicks off, there are unsold tickets in the student section. It's a bit of a concern.

Some fans relish the idea of the sellout streak ending, as long as it means the ouster of a coach they dislike. Whether that's a worthy goal or not is up to the individual, but the reality is, we could see the end of the sellout streak as quickly as 15 days from now.

What does that have to do with the Head Coach? Plenty.

We all know what would guarantee sellouts for many, many autumn Saturdays to come.

It would come from the lasting glow and prestige of a Big Ten Championship Trophy, and a probable berth in the final four.

Don't get me wrong, nobody is saying this season is a Big Ten Championship-or-bust situation for Pelini and his staff. I've said many times I think Nebraska has the right man for the job.

I also understand economics -- in this case the wide-ranging importance of Memorial Stadium being filled on Saturdays. A smart AD retains a good feel for the fan base's confidence in the head coach and direction of the program.

I think Nebraska fans generally have reasonable expectations for the program. It's a particularly savvy fan base. It knows what good, sound football looks like. Husker fans want to see passion on the field that mirrors their own. They want to see the program make progress toward a title, and close the deal every now and then -- mindful that breaks often are needed.

The fans' patience is waning. It should be waning. Fourteen years seems an eternity. Pelini begins his seventh in charge at NU.
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LINK

 
If Bo has the same kind of season as last year performance-wise (leaked audio tapes and insane press conferences not included), does the lack of ticket sales finally push the department over the hump of firing him?

In other words, all other things being equal, is that the straw that will break the camel's back?

 
Landlord of Memorial Stadium said:
If Bo has the same kind of season as last year performance-wise (leaked audio tapes and insane press conferences not included), does the lack of ticket sales finally push the department over the hump of firing him?

In other words, all other things being equal, is that the straw that will break the camel's back?
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Look for the word "shortsighted" in the article

 
It will be interesting to see what they do with the unsold tickets. I wonder if they will consider offering them at a discount or offering then to alumni. I doubt the university and donors will just allow the streak to end because a few hundred student tickets were unsold

 
jsneb83 said:
I thought I heard that they have already sold all the season tickets for this year.
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All the regular tickets are sold. Only student tickets remain available (plus some returned by the visiting team which don't count toward The Streak).

 
There's so many other factors tied into what could be the end of the sell out streak. Bo Pelini is one of those factors, sure. Maybe even the hot topic, discussion stirring factor, but he's only part of it. Expansion, ticket prices, the economy, the change in conference. Also consider the fact that Tom Osborne is no longer the face of the Athletic Department. He drew many loyaly fans on his own.

We talk all the time about the lack of a rival. A change in conference is a tough change.

We can tie the product on the field to Bo Pelini, but I don't see it as simply wins and losses. Look at how the product has changed. The pride of Nebraska has always been two things. Hard nosed ground and pound running attack, and Blackshirts defense. We can't fault Bo for the vanishing of these things, at least not entirely. I just think these things were a matter of pride for folks. Obviously wins and losses are too, but Nebraska used to have an identity. This program thrived on that identity. We've lost it over time.

Combine these things with a sloppiness and lack of passion it seems at times and you can't fault fans for also losing their passion. Look around and you can see the emotions surrounding this program change. We don't strike fear into the opponent, we fear our own issues.

Who ever imagined the drought would be this long? Do Nebraska fans have the patience? Why would they? This generation filling the seats now knows nothing but success. Therein lies the issue. This may just be part of the evolution. Dominating at the level we once did is nearly unheard of nowadays. Nebraska has been the most dominant program for the last fifty years of college football. It's not reasonable to expect that level to be sustained is it? Why should it be?

Losing the streak may just be part of the process. After all, if the process teaches us anything, it's that winning cures everything.

 
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Mavric said:
jsneb83 said:
I thought I heard that they have already sold all the season tickets for this year.
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All the regular tickets are sold. Only student tickets remain available (plus some returned by the visiting team which don't count toward The Streak).
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Student tickets don't affect Oregon's sellout streak.
The lack of interest from students will not affect Oregons sellout streak, since the cost has been taken out of students incidental fees.
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http://www.csnnw.com/ducks/student-tickets-all-classes-left-unclaimed-civil-war
 
There is much more at work here than just Bo Pelini. The sport is changing, the players are changing, students are changing, etc. The whole lightning in a bottle we captured during the TO era, particularly the 90's, just really doesn't exist anymore. It's almost impossible to value the hardnosed blackshirt defense anymore because they have made much of it illegal and against the rules. The economics of the game have made it virtually impossible to make it available and appealing to college student. As much as I hate to say it, the Nebraska CFB most of us have known and loved is changing, permanently, and not for the better imo.

 
the sellout streak will not end anytime soon. there was a few years my grandfather recalls during the middle late 80s that there were seats unsold multiple times threatening to end the streak and they were all purchased and handed out by "Private Donors" believe me there are plenty of well off people in this state that would wrather hit the grave than see her not sell out. it WILL be sold out for at least the next 50 years

 
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