19,364 season tickets have been issued

[Eastcoastgriz]

Griz FB Season Tickets Reach 19,000-Plus Mark
by: Dave Guffey of the UM Sports Information Department
Friday, 08/08/2008

A record 19,000-plus season tickets have been issued for the 2008 Grizzly football season, The University of Montana athletic department announced Friday.

As of today, 19,364 season tickets have been issued, “and that figure increases daily,” according to Celine Fisher, the Adams Center Box Office Manager.

“It is truly incredible the support that we receive from Grizzly football fans,” said UM Athletic Director Jim O’Day. “To go over the 19,000 season ticket mark would never have been imaginable 10 to 15 years ago. It just shows what a great following we receive from not only the entire state of Montana, but the Northwest as well.”

The former record for football season tickets sales at Washington-Grizzly Stadium of 16,833 was set last season.

The new and on-going east side expansion of Washington-Grizzly Stadium added 2,000 additional seats, bringing the total capacity of the facility to 25,198.

Of the roughly 5,800 tickets remaining, 4,000 have been set aside for UM students, while 1,050 of them are reserved for single game seating, and those remaining 600 or so are used to fulfill single game contractual obligations.

A limited number of season tickets are still available at the Hellgate Terrace membership level in the new eastside Stadium Club at a cost is a $1,000 per seat. Those interested may call Colleen Marks at 406-243-6472 for more information.

Any single game tickets that become available will be sold Thursday of game week beginning at 8:30 a.m. These tickets will be sold at the Adams Center box office only.

Season tickets will be mailed the week of August 18.

[GrizinWashington]

It would appear as though every game will again be a sellout before the season begins. Pretty remarkable.

[BobCatFan]

Gee, must be a lot of Cat fans buying up the tickets so the can to to Cat - Friz games!!!!!

[AlphaGriz1]

Cool................even more people interested in being seen at a Griz game ONLY because they own businesses in Missoula.

Pass the wine, whats the score!

[Bleedinbluengold]

Hats off to O'Day and the AD Dept. Regardless of who pays, or who goes, there's no denying the fact that the friz know how to market their FB team and their game day.

Question: if you average close to 30K fans/game, don't you feel compelled to play big boy FB? I mean, at what point do you realize that winning the Big Sky (which has been a sub-par conference since Boise and Nevada left) just doesn't mean that much. Who cares if you win the Big Sky 20 years in a row? Really? Least of all, friz fans...Isn't it kind of like being a dynasty in middle school? I don't know, I'm just askin'.

Now before you criticize me for being a sour Cat fan, let me say this: The Cats are an average FCS team with an average chance of going to the playoffs, with an average fan base, and average funding. That's just reality. I don't think MSU will ever be destined for the FBS or will ever be a mid-major in hoops...I think we'll have great years every so often, but I don't have any illusions that we'll be like Boise, or Marshall, or Nevada, or Colorado State, or...I just don't see that happening...we don't have those kinds of alums and we don't have the same kind of metro area. Missoula has everything any of these teams have.

[Old Skool Cat]

This thread =

[John K]

Hats off to O'Day and the AD Dept. Regardless of who pays, or who goes, there's no denying the fact that the friz know how to market their FB team and their game day.

Question: if you average close to 30K fans/game, don't you feel compelled to play big boy FB? I mean, at what point do you realize that winning the Big Sky (which has been a sub-par conference since Boise and Nevada left) just doesn't mean that much. Who cares if you win the Big Sky 20 years in a row? Really? Least of all, friz fans...Isn't it kind of like being a dynasty in middle school? I don't know, I'm just askin'.

Now before you criticize me for being a sour Cat fan, let me say this: The Cats are an average FCS team with an average chance of going to the playoffs, with an average fan base, and average funding. That's just reality. I don't think MSU will ever be destined for the FBS or will ever be a mid-major in hoops...I think we'll have great years every so often, but I don't have any illusions that we'll be like Boise, or Marshall, or Nevada, or Colorado State, or...I just don't see that happening...we don't have those kinds of alums and we don't have the same kind of metro area. Missoula has everything any of these teams have.

I know this topic was discussed at great length in a thread a few months ago, but I will say it again. I just don't believe that Missoula has the population base, or enough potential big corporate donors, to be "the next Boise State". I think they would certainly do better than Idaho, and might be a middle of the pack team in the WAC most years, but I don't see them being a consistent conference title contender, and I certainly don't see them going to BSC bowl games, like BSU did in 2006 (even for them, that probably won't happen more than once a decade....if even that often). Now, is being a middle of the pack team in a lower-tier I-A conference preferrable to being a perrenial NC contender in I-AA? For me, the answer would be no, but I can understand that many people would probably disagree with me.

[TIrwin24]

I know this topic was discussed at great length in a thread a few months ago, but I will say it again. I just don't believe that Missoula has the population base, or enough potential big corporate donors, to be "the next Boise State". I think they would certainly do better than Idaho, and might be a middle of the pack team in the WAC most years, but I don't see them being a consistent conference title contender, and I certainly don't see them going to BSC bowl games, like BSU did in 2006 (even for them, that probably won't happen more than once a decade....if even that often). Now, is being a middle of the pack team in a lower-tier I-A conference preferrable to being a perrenial NC contender in I-AA? For me, the answer would be no, but I can understand that many people would probably disagree with me.

[GrizinWashington]

Well, I'm unconvinced that population has much to do with success. The vast majority of college towns are smaller than Missoula. Is there enough population in Montana for UM to have success in the WAC? I guess that's debatable. But Kansas has a population of 2.5 million and they have 2 FBS programs.

Remember, most people scoffed at Boise as well.

That said, I would like to see the NCAA commit to FCS football, and then I believe that Montana is properly positioned. If that doesn't occur (and let's be honest, the NCAA would rather the subdivision go away so I doubt they're going to support it), then Montana can and should move up. Would they be a Boise? Who knows. But it would be impossible to imagine a scenario in which they are not at least as successful as New Mexico, for example.

[John K]

Well, I'm unconvinced that population has much to do with success. The vast majority of college towns are smaller than Missoula. Is there enough population in Montana for UM to have success in the WAC? I guess that's debatable. But Kansas has a population of 2.5 million and they have 2 FBS programs.

Remember, most people scoffed at Boise as well.
That said, I would like to see the NCAA commit to FCS football, and then I believe that Montana is properly positioned. If that doesn't occur (and let's be honest, the NCAA would rather the subdivision go away so I doubt they're going to support it), then Montana can and should move up. Would they be a Boise? Who knows. But it would be impossible to imagine a scenario in which they are not at least as successful as New Mexico, for example.

I for one, never scoffed at Boise, and had no doubt that they could eventually be quite successful in the I-A world. It has been one of the fastest growing cities in the country for many years (with a population that is about 4 or 5 times that of Bozeman and Missoula COMBINED), and has 4-5 Fortune 500 companies headquartered there. And the presence, or lack thereof, of large corporate donors is even a larger issue for UM, than is the lack of population. Would you really rather be a New Mexico (a mid-level team in a lower-tier I-A conference, just as I stated before), versus being one of the top 3-4 programs in I-AA?

[GrizinWashington]

Would you really rather be a New Mexico (a mid-level team in a lower-tier I-A conference, just as I stated before), versus being one of the top 3-4 programs in I-AA?

Personally, I'd rather be a top 3-4 FCS team, but (and this is a HUGE "but") ONLY if the NCAA gives the FCS its full support. And as I stated, it's my belief that the NCAA wants the entire sub division gone and that they intend to starve it to death. Under that scenario, I'd happily be at worst a New Mexico with at least a legitimate shot at being a Utah or Boise State.

[BentonGrizFan]

Well, I'm unconvinced that population has much to do with success. The vast majority of college towns are smaller than Missoula. Is there enough population in Montana for UM to have success in the WAC? I guess that's debatable. But Kansas has a population of 2.5 million and they have 2 FBS programs.

Remember, most people scoffed at Boise as well.

That said, I would like to see the NCAA commit to FCS football, and then I believe that Montana is properly positioned. If that doesn't occur (and let's be honest, the NCAA would rather the subdivision go away so I doubt they're going to support it), then Montana can and should move up. Would they be a Boise? Who knows. But it would be impossible to imagine a scenario in which they are not at least as successful as New Mexico, for example.

Kansas may have a population of 2.5 million, but that does not count the population of Kansas City, Missouri which is a short drive from both campuses. Then you have Omaha, Des Moines, St. Louis, etc. They have major metropolitan areas that are close to that state.

[Cat in NC]

Well, I'm unconvinced that population has much to do with success. The vast majority of college towns are smaller than Missoula. Is there enough population in Montana for UM to have success in the WAC? I guess that's debatable. But Kansas has a population of 2.5 million and they have 2 FBS programs.

Remember, most people scoffed at Boise as well.

That said, I would like to see the NCAA commit to FCS football, and then I believe that Montana is properly positioned. If that doesn't occur (and let's be honest, the NCAA would rather the subdivision go away so I doubt they're going to support it), then Montana can and should move up. Would they be a Boise? Who knows. But it would be impossible to imagine a scenario in which they are not at least as successful as New Mexico, for example.

Kansas may have a population of 2.5 million, but that does not count the population of Kansas City, Missouri which is a short drive from both campuses. Then you have Omaha, Des Moines, St. Louis, etc. They have major metropolitan areas that are close to that state.

Well put. The city population argument is a very tricky one, just look at App State. Boone's total population is around 15,000 (no, that's not a typo), yet they average around 23,000 for home games. There also aren't any major population centers really close to Boone, unless you count Blowing Rock...

However, factor in that Charlotte's less than 2 hours away and Raleigh/Durham is still an easy morning drive, and you have a school that could legitimately move up...when they get sick of winning championships.

[grizzh8r]

Well, I'm unconvinced that population has much to do with success. The vast majority of college towns are smaller than Missoula. Is there enough population in Montana for UM to have success in the WAC? I guess that's debatable. But Kansas has a population of 2.5 million and they have 2 FBS programs.

Remember, most people scoffed at Boise as well.

That said, I would like to see the NCAA commit to FCS football, and then I believe that Montana is properly positioned. If that doesn't occur (and let's be honest, the NCAA would rather the subdivision go away so I doubt they're going to support it), then Montana can and should move up. Would they be a Boise? Who knows. But it would be impossible to imagine a scenario in which they are not at least as successful as New Mexico, for example.

Kansas may have a population of 2.5 million, but that does not count the population of Kansas City, Missouri which is a short drive from both campuses. Then you have Omaha, Des Moines, St. Louis, etc. They have major metropolitan areas that are close to that state.

Well put. The city population argument is a very tricky one, just look at App State. Boone's total population is around 15,000 (no, that's not a typo), yet they average around 23,000 for home games. There also aren't any major population centers really close to Boone, unless you count Blowing Rock...

However, factor in that Charlotte's less than 2 hours away and Raleigh/Durham is still an easy morning drive, and you have a school that could legitimately move up...when they get sick of winning championships.

Dunno if they even can... This may be a bunch of BS, but someone posted this under a highlight vid of App. St.'s win over Michigan:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rBzoXqCEnA (on the second page of comments)

app state is already d1, but they're fcs instead of bcs. they can't go bcs because they don't have the enrollment requirements and they can't expand the campus because of its location. they are eligible to be included in the ap top 25, though. i'll take it.

[GrizinWashington]

Enrollment has absolutely nothing to do with being FCS/FBS/BCS. There a number of BSC schools with enrollments less than App's (take Stanford as an example). And UMass (an FCS school) has an enrollment approaching 25,000 - 30,000.