Monday Lowdown is Getting to Games Earlier From Now On

It's game week! The count of open tabs on my browser is out of control. Firefox is holding tough though. #bloggerproblems

Lay The Wood - 2012 Game 1

The Art. The Art. The Art. They make game-specific Michigan football wallpapers. They are a must for anyone who calls themselves a fan and owns a computer.

University of Michigan athletics launches new student loyalty program for 2012-13 season
Last year's 8 home games (including 5 in a row to start the season) was a grind for the student section. Showing up on time for a nooner proved to be too much for many of them by the time September was drawing to a close.

3:03 til kickoff. The die-hards.

UofM has been so informed, thus the creation of a new loyalty program aimed at getting student's butt's in seats earlier.

The new program will award a student two loyalty points for each non-revenue sporting event they attend. Students attending revenue sports, like football, won't get two loyalty points unless they're early to games.

"In order to get full two points [at revenue sporting events] you have to at least check-in 20 minutes before game time," athletic department marketer Angela Thick told AnnArbor.com.

The HAIL rewards scale:

• 12 points: A Michigan shirt worth $10.
• 25 points: $5 'blue bucks' deposited directly in students' U-M account.
• 50 points: Adidas shirt and bag
• 80 points: Students get $100 in a Flagstar Bank checking account. They also get a Victors Club priority point, which can be use for priority standing when obtaining football or basketball tickets.
• 100 points: Students receive an invitation to a private athletic department event and get entered to win one of three grand prizes. One grand prize includes season tickets to football, basketball and hockey games for one student. Another grand prize is a $2,000 cash award and another is a two roundtrip airline tickets.
• The highest point earner will receive recognition during a 2013 home football game.

Not everyone is so optimistic.

A student loyalty program should  be based on ticket scans and determine priority for next year's seating and and bowl/NCAA lotteries plus involve a number of Victors Club points worthwhile enough to pursue. Those who can't show up on time at all should not get tickets that could go to better-paying and plain better fans. The above plan is a nice bonus for kids who are already fanatics but completely fails to address the major issue. 

Ohio State Football: Pre Game Quick Cals [YouTube]
Michigan isn't the only athletic department looking at getting students to games earlier. Ohio State is offering the extremely rare opportunity for students to clap and grunt along with the strength and conditioning coach.


Practice Items: Devins Will Catch
MGoBlog was able to sit in on the invitation-only practice at Michigan Stadium on Saturday. As expected, notes were taken.

The biggest takeaway. Devin Gardner took zero QB snaps and was on the first team as a WR. I think they moved him full-time. Swingin' for the fences. 

No Thomas Rawls at the practice. This is mildly alarming.

Also noted was Quinton Washington going with the 1's. Initial reports from multiple sources saying that the starting DL is Roh-Washington-Campbell-Black. Okay then.

Notre Dame suspends RB Wood
...for 2 games. DE Justin Utupo suspended  for 2 games as well. The bigger story here – Purdue gets, once again, another break.

Brandon's Blog: More Than Just a U-M Shirt
Michigan AD Dave Brandon writes a blog. Who knew?!