The Minnesota Gophers Football team has played at TCF Bank Stadium since its inception in 2009. They last played there on November 20 and, outside of winning vs Purdue, it was just another “normal” 2020 home-game without fans.

Then, they were struck by “the invisible enemy”, closing down TCF and their other facilities for two weeks. The cancellations included one last home game vs Northwestern and left only road games at Nebraska and Wisconsin on the 2020-21 schedule.

Monday, we found out the victory over Purdue will be the last game played at TCF Bank Stadium… ever. Sunday, it was announced TCF Financial sold-out to Huntington Bank, an Ohio-based company, who will phase out the TCF brand.

That will include the football stadium at the University of Minnesota, which will (probably) become “Huntington Bank Stadium” by next season (per the Star Tribune).

“It will become Huntington over time,” Steve Steinour, CEO of Huntington, told the Star Tribune regarding the stadium’s name. “We run with a single brand. But we want to be sensitive to the history and the legacy of TCF, and the stadium, so there’s work we’ll have to do with the university and other interested parties.”

Star Tribune

The interesting local nugget to this is that TCF is paying the University of Minnesota $35 million over 25 years for the naming rights to TCF Bank Stadium. #Gophers https://t.co/7zxJrZdiLd

— Jeff Wald (@JeffWaldFox9) December 14, 2020

TCF Bank was paying the University of Minnesota $35 million through 2030 to have their name on the football stadium. Huntington will now cut that check. Sometime in 2021, all TCF banks will become Huntington banks too.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

10,000 at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium for Jayhawks vs Oklahoma State. 17,000 at Texas Memorial Stadium to see their Longhorns get upset by TCU. How about 25,000 (possibly more) at Sanford Stadium to watch their Georgia Bulldogs destroy the Auburn Tigers? On Saturday, all of these college football fans got to go out, watch their team play, and forget about 2020 for a little bit of fun.

Are you yelling at me through your phone, for listing all of the stupid southern states who haven’t taken “The Invisible Enemy” seriously from the beginning? Save it. Kansas is in the Midwest. So is Indiana, where Notre Dame has invited crowds of 15,000 to their on-campus games. Maybe you jumped across our southern border, to Jack Trice Stadium tonight, for Iowa State vs Oklahoma, where they had an announced 15,000 fans to watch them upset Oklahoma in Ames, for the first time since 1960?

.@OU_Football takes a 17-13 lead over @CycloneFB into halftime of their game at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames on Saturday. #cyclonenationhttps://t.co/zBp1QNcUUG pic.twitter.com/IFmhQLtJJm

— Brian Powers (@bpowersphoto) October 4, 2020

13K Fans for Vikings/Texans

The Vikings have played three games so far this season, two at US Bank Stadium in front of purple seats and one on the road in Indianapolis, for a human crowd of 2,500. On Sunday, that will change when the Vikings land in the state of Texas to play against the Houston Texans. The crowd is to be limited at 13,300 (less than 20%). 13K will feel completely different than what this team experienced vs the Colts.

Crowds during coronavirus isn’t new to this weekend. Nah, they’ve had fans in stands for football games at both the NFL and NCAA levels all over the country, all season long. It’s time we tell Governor Tim Walz that the Minnesota Vikings and Minnesota Gophers need their football fans back too.

Minnesota COVID #’s

Coronavirus numbers are better in Minnesota, than they are in most of the country. The new “rise in cases” that we’ve heard about for the last week, is mostly a rise in testing (as expected) and nothing we need to lock ourselves in our socially distant closets for.

The testing increase in MN is real and notable. In late April, MN began a sustained rise in testing from an average of about 1,500 per day to nearly 15,000/day by July 4. But then growth slowed a ton, and stayed slow for months.

The last few weeks have finally seen more growth: pic.twitter.com/IIyjVjANEM

— David Montgomery (@dhmontgomery) October 1, 2020

Hospitalizations are up slightly but ebbs and flows are to be expected and even those rates look to be on the decline the last couple days. COVID is caused by a living virus that isn’t going to suddenly stop infecting people, even after we have a vaccine. These are just facts, people. Luckily, it isn’t as deadly as we once worried. Just as long as you can keep it out of nursing homes, where 71% of COVID deaths in Minnesota are attributed (1,482 of 2,073), your recovery rate is through the roof.

In Conclusion, Let’s Just Use Common Sense

So, if you live in a nursing home, don’t buy a ticket to a Vikings or Gopher game. If you are healthy (the younger the better) and willing to take “the risk” of attending a game at US or TCF Bank Stadiums, then both the Vikings and the University of Minnesota should be able to sell you a ticket.

We aren’t asking for anything unprecedented or untested. We’re just asking for some common sense. Other stadiums across the country are putting fans in their stands and then living to talk about it. There’s absolutely no reason why Minnesota football fans shouldn’t be able to do the same.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

College football is in a tough spot. Schools, players, and fans alike all want the 2020 season to happen. With or without fans, we all just want to cheer our Papa Fleck and the Minnesota Gophers.

Yet COVID-19 is putting universities into sticky situations. Whether it is figuring out how to deal with positive coronavirus tests (like Clemson or Kansas State) or how schools will handle fan attendance, there is a lot to pin down before the season begins… if it starts at all.

THE GOPHERS’ PLAN

It is no different for the University of Minnesota. Coming off a stellar 11-2 season which saw them climb all the way to 7th in the AP poll and 8th in the College Football Playoff rankings. The Gophers were hoping for sellout crowds at TCF Bank Stadium in 2020. They were likely to get it too, because the Gophers saw 81.6% of tickets used in 2019 compared to 59.8% in 2018.

But we live in a “new normal” (what a crappy phrase) and the Gophers have to anticipate the best and the worst. They are planning for every scenario, with regard to attendance at TCF Bank Stadium. Whether it is 100% capacity, 75%, 50%, or 25%, they want some form of fans in the stands.

The latter two capacity limitations would drastically impact who gets to see the Minnesota Gophers play in-person. Especially when looking at their stadium capacity of 50,805.

So how does the athletic department decide who gets to come and who has to watch from the couch? With a season ticket base of around 22,000, any capacity limitation under 50% would likely lead to some being turned away.

According to associate athletic director Mike Wierbicki, they could look towards the department’s “Gopher Score” loyalty program. The program grants points to ticket holders based off everything from donation levels to tenure. So while the department is likely to want students in the stands too, money talks.

via GIPHY

IS THIS FAIR?

Absolutely. While having students in the stands is an integral factor of game day atmosphere, they aren’t the big money donors. Granted they pay tuition and fees on top of their tickets, it is important to keep your donors happy.

As Wierzbicki told the Star Tribune, “the reality that [fan attendance] is probably dwindling by the day as we get closer [to the season].” So to maintain any form of revenue is important.

“Hopefully, we’re in a spot where we can take care of season-ticket holders and then still have the ability to leverage that Gopher Score system for single-game sales. With the season we had last year and where the momentum is at, there’s tons of positivity. So we were on pace to sell our largest number of new season tickets than we ever have with Gopher football. And I think that we’ll still hit that. Last year, we finished renewals right around the 90% mark. That’s kind of where we’re trending at right now.”

Mike Wierzbicki, Gopher Associate Athletic Director to the Star Tribune

While the university was expecting a $1 million surplus for the 2019-20 year, they are now anticipating a $4 million deficit. With an annual budget of around $123 million (8th in the Big Ten), football accounts for over $9.3 million in ticket sales alone. That does not include media rights, bowl games, or guarantees.

Some may complain, saying the students deserve the first shot at tickets… but they aren’t the ones bringing in the money that floats non-revenue sports such as rowing, swimming and diving, or tennis.

LIMBO

Obviously, it isn’t an ideal situation… but nothing is “ideal” this year and every university is having to adjust. It will be important for the university to prepare for both the best and worst scenarios. And it will be interesting to see how they go about each. Either way, the Minnesota Gophers will just have to plan ahead and figure out every possible avenue for their fans to remain engaged. Whether it is in TCF Bank Stadium or at home.

All we can hope for is the ability to watch college football in any form come Labor Day weekend… so we can see the Gophers take down Wisconsin.

via GIPHY

Jack Kewitsch | Minnesota Sports Fan

Nebraska would be the team’s first big test of the season. That game (eventual win) wouldn’t take place until the team was already 5-0, but when it did unfold on a the gridiron, it was going to be on TCF Bank Stadium’s. After a win @ Rutgers was followed by a beat down of Maryland (at TCF), the Gophers were suddenly 8-0 and staring at a top-5 ranked (also 8-0) Penn State team…. at TCF. Another massive home game… turned into another massive victory, as the Gophers stunned the Nittany Lions.

That game made the whole world available to the Gophers, before they would unfortunately lose 2 of their next 3, one on the road vs Iowa, and the other a stomping at the hands of Bucky, to close the regular season. Nonetheless, one constant came from the historic 10 victories piled up by the Gophers this season

FANS FILLED THE BANK.

“..win games and they will come…” #Gophers via @StribSports https://t.co/nexVNZqT0F pic.twitter.com/gruwCRlrv2

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) December 17, 2019

This table (provided by the Star Tribune) shows just how much winning means to fan attendance. Really, it’s not rocket science. It’s not always about promotions or thinking about creative ways to get people in the door, although those things are certainly needed as you start to find your footing as a program. It’s about winning. Fans hate watching their team lose. It’s a famous coach and player saying but it will ring true forever..

“Winning feels great…. but losing sucks more.”

Losing is THE WORST. If you don’t absolutely hate losing, I’m not sure where you find your edge in life. Don’t give me that bullshit about how “winning isn’t everything” or “life isn’t all about sports”. One of those things are true. Life isn’t all about sports… but winning is still everything.

Whether you’re trying to find that one-night stand at the bar or trying to find a life-partner at the grocery store…. dating is about winning. Finding the mate you want, and winning over that person is one of life’s ultimate victories. Job searching or applying for colleges is almost too obvious to mention. There are a limited number of spaces available and normally more candidates than positions…. winner eats… loser doesn’t. Good luck raising kids too, if you think winning isn’t important… Life is one giant fucking competition. EVERYONE WANTS TO WIN. IT’S BUILT INTO OUR DNA.

There are a million ways to watch your team play in 2019-20 and all of the other options are cheaper and a better view, than actually attending the event. So, 2019 stadiums that are longing to be filled, are already at a disadvantage. Again… not new news right? What don’t you get at home, that you can find while attending an actual Gopher game?

Atmosphere.

Watching virtually from home, you don’t get the life-experience that you can rewind back in your head forever. That’s what keeps drawing fans.

But the atmosphere around a bad team sucks. Nobody wants to remember losing. Nobody wants to spend that money and carve out their weekend around losing. Nobody wants that losing taste in their mouth, as they hit NFL Sunday and move into the week… At this point in society, if fans are attending games of losing teams, it’s strictly about tradition and to show support. That’s it. They are doing it because it’s what they’ve always done AND/OR to be nice to the team they were raised to love (and because most of those tickets are already purchased).

No sports team or college football program, in this case, wants to be a pity-party with a shitty atmosphere, though. So, keep recruiting, keep winning, and the crowds will continue to grow. The atmosphere will too. Saturdays in Minnesota could become great again…… IF YOU WIN.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Student section brought their A+ game today! @GopherFootball #Gophers #RTB pic.twitter.com/wYylAe8Gbf

I am so proud of my #Gophers family today. What an environment…. #RTB #SkiUMah pic.twitter.com/onfx0KBwnL

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) November 9, 2019

Two weeks ago, I called upon the TCF Bank Stadium student section to change their best. I wasn’t mad. I was disappointed. I know how many kids on that campus love football and love the Gophers. Today, the student section along with all of Gopher Nation, showed the world why Minnesota is the greatest place on this entire fucking planet.

I have goosebumps typing this. My heart is so full, just thinking about the way fans showed up today.

I wasn’t the only one who called out the fan base I belong to, 2 weeks ago. Media all over the place got in on it and all of the “blue blood” bases around the country were sitting in their cornfields, calling out Gopher fans, while wishing they had a quarter of the entertainment options we do in the Twin Cities and around the state of Minnesota. For those opposing fans who are reading this, get your cousins’ panties out of your mouth because Gopher Nation didn’t show up because of you. They showed up for this football team, that is taking its highly infectious energy, and injecting it directly into the carotid artery of this entire state. The fans were there early, stood all game, and fucking rocked the place.

Again, I expected fans to show up… but I did not expect what PJ Fleck called “the best college football environment I have ever played in as a head coach.” It was absolutely intense inside of those brick walls.

This is what college football is all about. Relevant games in November. @GopherFootball arrives for the Ski-U-March at TCF Bank Stadium. No. 13 #Gophers host No. 5 Penn State at 11a.m. @FOX9 pic.twitter.com/ooygZgQK2D

— Jeff Wald (@JeffWaldFox9) November 9, 2019

TCF Bank Stadium just exploded and even @PhilMackey is starting to believe this might happen! #Gophers pic.twitter.com/QN0MK1PqsZ

— Ramie Makhlouf (@RamieIsTweeting) November 9, 2019

The Nittany Lions may have played in some hostile environments this season but they definitely struggled at times, to get plays in and out on offense over the TCF crowd. James Franklin could be seen multiple times absolutely losing his shit. The noise forced a delay of game on a huge 3rd and short, in the first half, and that’s when you knew the crowd was giving Penn State all they could handle.

The student section, especially deserves a ton of credit. They were the first ones there, the first ones to fill both the lower and upper bowls, and led the entire stadium all game. They were the heartbeat of the environment. They were intense for all 60 minutes.

I wrote about the victory already so I won’t touch on that here. This one is about the fans. The team rewarded their show out with a victory and fans celebrated with them after the game, with a field storm that was absolutely worthy of the biggest victory in over a half-century for one of the most historic football teams in the entire country.

Soak it in.

And the fans have stormed the field at TCF Bank Stadium after a huge #Gophers win over No. 5 Penn State! It was an unbelievable atmosphere the entire day. pic.twitter.com/wc0ftUo3ww

— Daniel House (@DanielHouseNFL) November 9, 2019

Pandemonium at TCF Bank Stadium! #RowTheBoat #SkiUMah We #BeatPennState! pic.twitter.com/mfkGuwT601

— Matt Hillmann (@mahillmann) November 9, 2019

pic.twitter.com/je49SLKL1w

— Mike Grimm (@MikeGrimm3) November 9, 2019

pic.twitter.com/5PdK4G4zc8

— Megan Ryan (@theothermegryan) November 9, 2019

Maroon and Gold as far as the eye can see ? pic.twitter.com/8xZgtnjmb3

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) November 9, 2019

Music to our ears. pic.twitter.com/KXppRQgTDT

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) November 9, 2019

Carter Coughlin lauded the fans after the game for changing their best, but he also reminded them that “changing your best” is something that’s reoccurring. That means being even better in a few weeks when the Gophers get back from a two-game road trip, where they will visit first Iowa and then Northwestern…

… but let’s be real. Showing up and changing your best to help defend The Axe vs Wisconsin, won’t be a problem. Especially given the Big Ten Championship and even CFP implications…

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Full house. See you bright & early in your maroon best, #Gophers.

Look to @StubHub for secondary market chances to get seats for this Saturday ➡️ https://t.co/9WvuP1c6Do pic.twitter.com/xYaNEEFoKV

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) November 7, 2019

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Yup, it’s official Gopher fam. Saturday’s 11 AM game at TCF Bank Stadium is a sellout. A packed Bank in early November, on a day that is set to have temps in the mid-20’s (with chances of snow), cheering on an 8-0 team that’s trying to dethrone Penn State… is exactly what we all saw coming before this season started… well, maybe not, but it’s what PJ Fleck envisioned, when he took this job a few years ago. He and Mark Coyle may have been the only ones not laughing at the time, but they sure are laughing now.

But just like PJ Fleck says, expectations are always changing. When you win, expectations rise. So, now that the stadium is sold out, the job of Gopher fans is only beginning. It’s time to change our best again. Now that this crowd will be a sellout, we need to make sure the football team can take advantage of a sellout crowd from the time they step on the field for warm-ups, to when they walk back into the tunnel postgame. Here are 4 things you can do to help the Gophers get a win tomorrow morning/afternoon:

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x4 ?
x4 ?
x4 ?
x4 ?= $270

Cheap Gopher maroon (x4)= $30

Parking = $20

Memories your kids will talk to you about forever = PRICELESS.#Gophers #RTB #SkiUMah https://t.co/IeejfARcgY

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) November 7, 2019

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1. Wear Maroon: This is a Maroon-Out people! We know that all of you will be wearing overalls and LARGE jackets because it’s going to be cold as fuck on Saturday morning… I totally get that, and agree that’s a good idea. So, go to your local Walmart and buy some $5 oversized maroon Gopher gear. If you’ve spent the money to get this far, what’s a few more dollars? The Gophers will have a gold towel for everyone but the maroon is on you!

2. Get into the building EARLY: TCF Bank Stadium got as close to full vs Maryland, as I have seen it all season. Because of the extra bodies, getting into the game got to be a little crowded around kickoff, which led to many fans finally sitting down sometime early in the 2nd quarter. I took video, if you need evidence:

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They can’t get all of these people into TCF Bank Stadium fast enough… #Gophers pic.twitter.com/kFMEPRT4Ii

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) October 26, 2019

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I would recommend getting in line with 2 hours to kickoff. There are a lot of security measures these days (for good reason so be nice to the security personel trying to keep you safe) so read the stadium guidelines before you pack for the game and arrive early. There is a lot to walk around and see, once you’re inside, including a place to hangout pregame (at the open side of the stadium), that has drinks w/alcohol and food available. There are picture areas and room for kids to hangout too. PJ talked this week on KFAN, about how much the crowd dictates the atmosphere of a stadium (obviously), and how the team can feel it (and feed off of it) in pregame warmups.

Get to your tailgate spot early, so you can give that very important part of Saturday tradition plenty of attention. Then get inside, so we can move all of this buzz that has been building throughout the Twin Cities for two weeks, back into the heart of where it started gathering steam over a month ago. Then….

2. BE LOUD: Once inside the stadium, every conversation you have should be held at “in a midsize bar for a solid Friday happy hour” decibel level, or higher. We want the team to feel that buzz, baby. I can hear it already… Anyone who has attended a big time sporting event knows exactly what I’m talking about.

Then… as kickoff nears and pregame festivities get underway, LET THAT SHIT BLOW! YELL AT YOUR FRIENDS. YELL AT YOUR FAMILY. YELL AT YOUR KIDS (warn them first). YELL AT THE VENDORS. YELL AT ME. Everywhere you go, you are told to be quiet. Your kids want to yell and scream everywhere they aren’t supposed to… so, why the fuck would we hold back when we should be screaming? Don’t. Except……..

3. STFU When We Are On Offense: I don’t feel like I should have to explain this but it happens far too often. We want our offense to communicate when they have the ball. They can’t do that when everyone is yelling. So… when we are coming to the line of scrimmage on offense, ignore #2. Bring duct tape for your kids, if it will be needed. Take all precautions necessary.

If you are one of the lucky people who have tickets to this game, then take full advantage. Those who go to all of them know what is needed and what special precautions to take with a big game like this, but I want to say the same thing to them…

We haven’t seen a team like this for a long long long long time, in the college ranks of Minnesota football. Now that it is here, don’t waste it. Not only that, but you have committed yourself to this game and this cold weather. Make sure you have all of the layers and hand/toe warmers that will be necessary to keep you comfortable, so the cold doesn’t bring you down…. and then make memories. 

For everyone who will be attending OR watching from a television: Get on YouTube tonight, especially if you are going with kids. Show them the videos of past games where the Gophers have won… and when they have lost. Maybe watch the Maryland game and highlights from this season. Get up early tomorrow. Read EVERYTHING there is to read for pregame. Drink a couple extra cups of coffee. GET INTO IT. THIS IS FUN. THIS IS WHAT SPORTS ARE ABOUT.

From there, it’s up to the team. If we bring it.. so will they. It’s time to change the future of Minnesota football, just like PJ Fleck has said from the beginning.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

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Looking at Gophers tickets for next Saturday… holy hell.. pricey

— ?? UK Skol Squad ?? (@UK_Vikings) October 6, 2019

Make more money? Start a go fund me? Lots of options.

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) October 6, 2019

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The Gophers are 5-0 and the noise around them is still quiet. There is a lot going on in the state of Minnesota sports right now (possibly less after the Twins game tonight) so this is a difficult time of year to compete for coverage. On top of that, while the Gophers haven’t been 5-0 since 2004, there is still an unwillingness to jump on any bandwagon with “Minnesota Gophers” on the side of it.

That’s fine. I’ve said it before and I will say it here again. Nobody should tell you how to be a fan and there is no box around fandom. You can hate PJ Fleck and still be a Gopher football fan. I have nothing against that. The Gopher football team has been bad for a long time. In that time, they’ve been passed up by 4 professional sports teams, in popularity. This isn’t Nebraska, where all you have to do (besides pick corn and think about women from Minnesota) is watch the college football team. Attention in the Minnesota sports market is earned.

Make winning a trend, instead of an occasion, and the seats will fill. This state loves football and loves the Gophers.

But while we are talking about Nebraska, we might as well stay there, since that is the Gophers’ opponent for this weekend. Nebraska has looked like shit most of the year. The Gophers were able to come out on top of close games vs lesser, non-conference opponents, while the Huskers were not. In week 2, they lost to a Colorado team that has been beaten by both Air Force and Arizona, since. Then they got into Big Ten play, barely squeaked by Illinois (who the Gophers just beat 40-17), got absolutely POUNDED by Ohio State (48-7), and then beat a bad Northwestern team (13-10) with a last second field goal this last weekend.

A loss at TCF Bank Stadium on Saturday (especially if it’s by a wide margin) would have everyone questioning the genius of Scott Frost (who I’ve dubbed Brewster 2.0 because of his unfounded hype train). And, I almost want that destruction in Lincoln as badly as I want a 6-0 record in Minneapolis. Nebraska fans are somehow much worse than Wisconsin, Iowa, and Michigan fans COMBINED. 

But again, the Cornhusker family has absolutely nothing better to do with their lives, than travel to other states around the country and cheer on their beloved red and white during football season. They live in Nebraska, after all. My dad played in a national slow-pitch softball tournament in Nebraska one year, when I was young, and we drove the RV down to save some money. We had issues finding the campsite because seeing anything, that is cut out of the middle of a cornfield, is difficult. We forgot that Nebraska doesn’t have a tree, let alone a woods, to hold a campsite. So, they cut them out of fucking cornfields…. Lakes? LOL. How about an out-of-service pool, instead? Awww…. Nebraska life.

So to avoid inevitable death by boredom, the football team’s fanbase travels unlike that of very many around the NCAA. Because of that delusion, they drive up ticket prices as if their game will be the last ever held, at each venue they play. Seriously, it goes beyond absurd. The prices are double for every seat… All three of these pictures are from GopherSports.com. The first two are from this upcoming weekend vs Nebraska and the last one is for October 26, vs Maryland… — Clicking each picture will take you to ticket options (Through the University of Minnesota) for the game they represent.

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Nebraska @ Minnesota (TCF Bank Stadium – 10/12)

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Maryland @ Minnesota (TCF Bank Stadium – 10/26)

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I know… I know… it’s insane. But, there are things that you can control in this world and their are things you cannot. With only 5 days remaining until this game, there are two facts of life that we cannot change before kickoff:

1. You cannot fix the delusion of Nebraska fans.
2. It’s difficult to find an extra boat-load of money in 5 days

Because of these difficult truths, I’m not going to bang on drums that will ring hollow. I’m a “problem-solver”, not a “bitch and moaner”. So, here is how we keep Nebraska fans from taking over the most important football game played by the Gophers in 16 years (2004):

We need to call upon all of the rich Minnesota Gopher fans that live within our family.

Because of our abysmal last 60 years, it’s beyond difficult to become a Gopher Football fan if you don’t live here, or at-least, hail from this the great state. Fuck, many have graduated from the prestigious University of Minnesota, to go on and live successful and $$$ fulfilling lives around the world. Why? BECAUSE WE BREED SUCCESS IN MINNESOTA. Beyond all of the Fortune-500 companies we have in the Twin Cities (19 in 2018) we have Minnesotans all around the globe that are running successful businesses of their own/or successful companies they’ve been trusted with.

Those are the men and women that we need, to make sure we drown out any voice that those disgusting Husker Fans might bring to our beloved TCF Bank Stadium, this coming Saturday.

It’s too often that the rich get a bad wrap. They are blamed for everything that is wrong in the world, including the lifelessness that has taken over some of the stadiums around the country, for sporting events. Well, for the Minnesota Gopher fans who have padded wallets and padded bank accounts, I’m here to tell you that I’m not mad; and that most of the finger-pointing is based on jealousy. You’ve always known it but I’m just goint to say it. And this, is an unbelievable opportunity for you to show all of the middle-class and poor fans around you, that you aren’t selfish; and that you want to use your money to spread good around the world and to stop the spread of evil.

So rich Minnesota Gopher football fans, will you accept this challenge? Will you put the state of Minnesota football on your shoulders, and help cheer our favorite college football team to its first 6-0 start since 2003 (they won 10 games that year) That’s a question that only you, your Saturday plans, and your padded bank accounts can answer. We need you, rich people of Minnesota. We need you now, more than ever.

IF YOU ARE READY TO PUT MINNESOTA FOOTBALL ON YOUR BACK, PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS FOR SATURDAY HERE. THOSE OF US WHO CAN’T AFFORD IT, THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!

If you do purchase tickets for this game, Minnesota Sports Fan would love to give you a shoutout on Twitter and on both our Instagram and Facebook stories so feel free to reach out on any of those platforms with a screen shot of your purchase so we can get you the love you deserve!

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

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PJ has done a lot of things right since taking over the Minnesota Gophers Football Program (read below for a bunch of examples) but he knows it’s time to win and he wants to get people in the stands to watch it happen, even if it means giving away scholarships and (essentially) tickets:

Set your clocks for 10:00am Thursday, #Gophers.

For 24 hours, you can get $10 tickets online for our first game at TCF Bank Stadium.

State Fair Special Details: https://t.co/KVzf70Tjei pic.twitter.com/8dodh312Tw

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) August 19, 2019

A scholarship for two students in the stands every game this year.

The #RTB Scholarship is ready for 2019- are you?

Student Tickets: https://t.co/43IAwGlqTe pic.twitter.com/DdX3WhIJMN

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) August 18, 2019

That’s right, get on your laptop on Thursday morning and be ready to buy those $10 tickets and if you’re a student, get your ass to this link so YOU CAN PURCHASE SEASON TICKETS FOR $100, ARE YOU SHITTING ME….? You can’t go get drunk with your girlfriend/boyfriend for $100, and you could win free schooling for the rest of your stay… (trust me when when I say this… just that chance is worth it)

Coyle and Fleck are pulling out all of the stops, because no matter how good your product looked at the end of last year’s showcase, or how weak your schedule looks for this year’s, fans still need to see winning. It also doesn’t matter that you’ve been dramatically making your product measurably better with young and so-far reliable talent, since taking over a few years ago.

It doesn’t even matter that your new and held-over talent gets into trouble FAR LESS often than anyone remembers from previous regimes OR that your players repeatedly exceed expectations in the classroom. Even in 2019, that doesn’t matter as much as it should.

NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY… even.

You need to win. Just ask PJ Fleck and the Minnesota Gophers Football team. I repeatedly find myself defending this Gopher program for all sorts of things; from play on the field, to PJ’s presentation, to perceived discipline issues, to perceived “me attitudes”, to character questions…. You name it and I feel like I’ve talked with someone about it. Yet all of the improvements in the football program, that I listed in the paragraph above, are linked to sources for a reason. They are all facts.

The only thing left to do is win. If PJ starts winning then everyone will pay attention and if everyone starts to pay attention then everyone will see what is really behind the curtain of this team, because I have. It’s a massive family that PJ is creating in that Gopher locker room and into the entire athletic department. These guys really seem to love and hold each other accountable. And, the talent is building to go with that rising chemistry.

Throw all of that into the blender with the mediocre Big Ten West and weak slate of Big Ten East games, we might just have a Gophers Football program to believe in.

So, buy a couple of $10 tickets at 10 AM TOMORROW and grab your kid for an event they might never forget or (if that’s not your life) your new girlfriend for a date she might actually be impressed by. Give PJ Fleck and Co. a chance to sell you on what they are offering. As you can see, he’s proven a lot of you wrong already. 1 seat, 1 game, and a “prove it to me” mentality. Let’s have some fun.

We'd try to transcribe what @Coach_Fleck says in the final few seconds below, but we'd never get it right.

Can you help us out, @GopherFootball? ?#MondayMotivation pic.twitter.com/tLsVbC01Ua

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) August 19, 2019

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Grab your kids + some diapers, and get over to TCF Bank Stadium tomorrow afternoon because it’s family day and Gopher Football has everything you need to get your good deeds and good parenting on before church on Sunday Morning…. all while watching football… yes, this is real life.

God is going to be so proud of you when you walk through those big-ass doors (don’t tell him I swore).

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The Gopher Football team has three practices open (and free) to the public during fall camp this August, as we lead up to opening night at TCF Bank Stadium on Thursday, August 29 vs the South Dakota State Jackrabbits. One of those open practices takes place tomorrow afternoon and it is going to be a GREAT day to watch football and an even better day to put diapers on needy babies!

If I can’t convince you then let’s let PJ Fleck try:

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See you all this Saturday for Family Day!

? TCF Bank Stadium
⏰ Gates Open at 2:30pm pic.twitter.com/TNTd4iqAzZ

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) August 1, 2019

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On top of practice, there will be all sorts of family fun, including tailgating, activities for the kids, and autographs afterward that are all sure to make you the hero parent of the weekend. 

Don’t forget to bring your oar for the wall!

The other two open practices will take place on August 9 (4:30) and August 16 (4:15). Those practices will be held at the Athletes Village outdoor field but, again, Saturday’s will be at TCF Bank Stadium.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

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