The Univ. of Michigan's student season-ticket sales for football "are down significantly this year," so the athletic department is "offering new football ticket packages because fewer student tickets were purchased than expected," according to Mark Snyder of the DETROIT FREE PRESS. UM Associate AD/Media & PR Dave Ablauf said that while the student sales "usually hover between 18-21,000 and were around 19,000 last year, this year the department is expecting around 13-14,000 based on their current returns." UM in response to the lower sales announced new ticket packs, including "the Go Blue pack, which includes Penn State at night, Miami (Ohio) and one other game, and starts at $200." There is also the Fan Choice Pack for three games, except Penn State with "costs depending on which games are chosen," and a Family Pack with four games starting at $260 for three games -- the first two in the non-conference and Maryland -- "plus shirts, programs, hot dogs and drinks" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 5/29). MLIVE.com's Nick Baumgardner noted Ablauf "maintained that Michigan's general attendance numbers, not including the students, are on track to remain as normal." Michigan Stadium has "drawn more than 100,000 fans for every home game since the final home tilt" of the '75 season. Student ticket numbers are "on the decline across the country, and Michigan is no exception." The student numbers "will be lower this year, and the parameters of the student section inside Michigan Stadium will likely shrink because of that." However, if for some reason UM "finds itself looking at a higher number than originally projected come fall, every student wishing to purchase a student season ticket will be provided an opportunity to do so in the designated student section" (MLIVE.com, 5/28).
