#1 is the biggest thing. We are big, but not Texas AD big. This is the issue with huge corporate sponsorship, they want enormous reach we just want cost control and have pretty good reach.
#2 we did this year and it helped for the home games and really picked up when we got to the conference play.
#3 yeah merch needs to not be obnoxious and available and not the center, I think this is actually the core to solving this. Inventory, shipping etc is a pain in the ass, but I think with help is addressable.
#4 this is an economic loser, because it is supposed to be, otherwise it turns into the rest of the tailgates that aren't about football and fandom, they are about making money and being Texas adjacent. The lead is intended to be a pay for position during the season. There is no profit intentionally, because as soon as there is profit motive you lose the spirit of what we are doing.
#5 is not really optional, they have a monopoly on premium on campus locations nationwide, I've got costs down where appropriate though (bring our own TVs, generator, coolers, plates napkins etc) and they do right by us everywhere. Its just expensive because they need to make some money and they do pass-through rental with Monarch. Their margins are totally appropriate for what we are getting, it's just expensive to tailgate ON CAMPUS steps away from LCL, Bevo Blvd etc. You can't replicate the band practicing in front of your tailgate, the player busses rolling in right in front etc. Likewise how else are we gonna get into the grove etc? At Michigan we were literally attached to Gameday and had the premier spot in all of Ann Arbor. It was magical.
#6 we have a ton of help now that I've asked. This seems solved now.