Worst parts of the game day experience and how to fix them?

[Tony (admin)]

What are your biggest problems or pet peeves about game day, either tailgating, ticketing, or the in-game experience at Rice Eccles Stadium?

They did make some improvements on the food lines last year which did help, but I think perhaps the biggest beef I have is the crowds in the concourse. The food lines block a lot of traffic, though they’re improved. Ultimately I think having a separate concessions concourse would be great. Also, I think if they somehow added some stairways and direct access to the different seating levels, the traffic could be much reduced and more efficient.

Restroom lines are a huge problem too. I practically refuse to miss a minute of the game, so when I try to hit the bathroom between quarters or at halftime, there’s no way I’ll make it back to my seat to catch the next play. I think troughs would help, instead of individual urinals, ala Notre Dame. (insert troughs in ladies’ restroom jokes here…)

Other pet peeves for me are… The amplification of the band stinks. There’s such a bad delay between when the sound from the band directly hits me and when the sound comes out the speakers, that it makes it nearly impossible to discern anything. It’s just a garbled mess. How to fix it? Turn the mics off.

LMK your thoughts.

[Kellso]

The crowed concourse is a big negative. They were designed to save space but, at what cost. The amplification of the band is bush league. We made fun of UCLA for doing it. The next season we were doing it. I would like to enjoy a good beer during the game. They did add restroom space in the northwestern corner of the stadium. It’s never full, but trying to get there through the crowds is time consuming.

[MDUte]

For me it’s the in-game experience that has a lot of room for improvement. Rice-Eccles needs to add an upper concourse to relieve all of the traffic and congestion. Not sure there’s a way to do that without redoing the East/West stands. But they should carry the KGRZ concourse forward both directions for another 360 degree concourse. This way they could add another level of restrooms and concessions etc. Otherwise, the U of U would need to seriously widen the current concourse and push back and add more restrooms…and I’m not sure if that would really solve the problem.

I love the SEZ Video Board but the 2 small video boards in the NEZ are worthless. I’d prefer another identical board in the NEZ or at least 2 MUCH larger boards to replace the current ones. It’s been stated a number of times that wifi in the stadium is non-existent. And I wish the U of U did a better job of using the video board to provide score updates around the country. However, once RES finally comes out with a wifi system we would be able to access all of this type of info on our phones. And my hope is that RES will come out with a great stadium app to make it super efficient/easy to order concessions so you don’t have to waste so much time waiting in lines. The app could notify you when your order is ready for pickup etc.

Ultimate wish list would be a redo of the East/West stands. And with the Olympics coming, I think it’s a realistic renovation project that could provide premium seating options in the best sight-lines of the stadium that would offset a large portion of the cost and help pay for it. And this would also dramatically improve the flow of traffic throughout the stadium.

[Rick]

The narrow concourses are a huge problem for me. Running more Trax trains before and after games would also help. Not having the trains wait and wait until they fill up completely to the max along with more trains would speed up pre and post game congestion. Or maybe stagger the train stops and have one on the east side of the stadium along with the current west side. The restroom situation has gotten a little better but could improve dramatically with widened concourses.

[MDUte]

Good call on TRAX! I decided to give it a try and do the whole park-n-ride for the Florida game…that SUCKED! We thought we’d be smart and park-n-ride from Millcreek (3300 South) and were packed into that thing like sardines. It seemed like I could’ve walked to the stadium faster, stopping at about every block and having people try to squeeze into the train with no room for anymore people. When we finally got to the downtown stops, the Florida fans who were all pre-gaming at the downtown bars somehow jammed into our train and were 3 sheets to the wind singing all of their Florida songs.

Leaving the stadium on a high after the big win made the return ride bearable but that was a 1 and done TRAX ride for me. Those TRAX trains are so full that I don’t know why I hear people always recommending to others to park down the hill somewhere and ride TRAX up to the stadium…there’s no room to get on at that point. They definitely need to run at least triple the amount of trains on Gameday IMO…it’s ridiculous!

[ProudUte]

I will probably get some thumbs down for this. But, I hate it when some people (the minority) come into the game totally plastered. They don’t know up from down and can at times become obnoxious. One game, a guy behind us was so drunk, he vomited all over my son and me. Another game, a lady close to us would moon the crowd each time the opponent scored.

I go to the games to watch football. I have no problem with fans drinking at the tailgate events before the game. But, …

[Tony (admin)]

This will end up on CB…. LOL.

[ProudUte]

It’s not just a Utah football thing. Admittedly it’s not a BYU thing. However, everywhere I have gone to games there are some overly drunk fans that take away from the game. The worst one was at a Utah State game in the early 1980s. But, I have seen it at Cal, Oregon, Michigan, Florida, etc.

[CityCreekUte]

Asshole fans are asshole fans. I think people being wasted is just kind of a way of making an excuse for themselves. Plenty of people are drinking enough to be buzzed and not assholes and plenty of people who don’t drink at all are still assholes.

[MDUte]

I will say though…one of the funniest posts I’ve ever seen on here was someone said, “I’ve been going to football stadiums for road games my whole life and not once have I ever had someone pour beer on me. If it’s really true that Max Hall’s parents had beer poured on them at both RES and Arizona’s stadium, they must be the biggest douche bags of all-time for that to happen” Hahahahahaha!!!!

Proud- I’m with ya…if people are getting so drunk before the game that they’re vomiting (especially on your son…I’d be so p**sed) and are way beyond having any control, that simply shouldn’t happen….UNLESS Max Hall’s family is nearby and then I say unload baby! That’s my one exception haha!

[alUmnUs]

That’s okay. They don’t need to get drunk to become obnoxious assholes.

[SemperUte]

I’d love to see an improvement on the video boards regarding in-game data and national/conference scoreboard. I’ve visited other stadiums where after a play they’ll show stats from those involved in the play real time. And others where there’s a continuous scroll feature showing other game scores both nationwide and conference. These are easy changes and things that you’d get at home on the couch if you didn’t go to the stadium.

I sit in the NWEZ and you can never get cell service there. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve tried to look up stats on players/teams from the game we’re watching and we can’t get it. You have to wait until they show the very basic stats between quarters or until postgame to get that info. Even worse when there’s a big game going on at the same time that impacts the conference or national race – you get a couple of updates during the game but otherwise it’s a black hole until you exit the stadium and have cell service again.

[Tony (admin)]

I wonder if the lack of reception is because of physical location and lack of coverage, or if it is a factor of having 50,000 people using up the bandwidth.

[homer]

As someone who DVR’s multiple games while attending Utah home games, I don’t want other scores easily seen or updated.

It would ruin the rest of Saturday football, at least for me.

I would like running game stats. I like seeing yards gained, first downs TOP, etc

[UteNamedOg]

P**s troughs. Really get that feeling of a traditional stadium.

[Phatmanandy]

-For me I would love adding a lighting system. There have been countless away games that I’ve been to where the lighting pregame ignites the crowd, combine that with a better intro song, a la “VT with Enter Sandman” and we would be golden. I would love to see “Seven Nation Army” intro as the team is walking out to the field, lights going on and off in red colors would just fire me right up.
-In addition they have to do something about the wifi! I feel that we, the fans are pretty avid and want to post pictures, videos, etc., to socials but we can’t even rattle off a text due to poor service.
-I don’t get too bothered about the bathrooms, I go right when I get there and then when I leave, refuse to get up during the game. But I know it’s a big issue for a lot of people so would love to see improvements there.
-I would love to see a secondary walkway to the upper level, like the ramps that they have at UW. I would also love to see some concession stands up there as well, I think that would alleviate some things on the main concourse.
-The two scoreboards at the North end are too small now. I DONT want to see one large one blocking our “UTAH” on the fieldhouse but would love to see an upgrade to the two.

[AlohaUte]

I’m with you on pump up intro song and lighting, but definitely not Seven Nation Army. Great song, but so over done by every school everywhere. We can find something more unique. Like maybe the opening to the sing Blind by Korn or Bro Hymn by Pennywise.

[UteManX]

Hail to the King from Avenged Sevenfold with the start building it up, or our time is now by Gojira. I do not know how anyone cant hear those two tracks and not want to get stuff done.

[MDUte]

Totally agree with everyone about the need for a better intro song the team runs out to. I get that Whitt’s an 80’s hair band fanatic and so I don’t mind the Motley Crue “Kickstart My Heart” song…I just think we can do a lot better.

Maybe this is one that doesn’t change until it’s Scalley’s time and he puts his stamp on things. But I’d love for Utah to have it’s own iconic hype song like “Enter Sandman” that the crowd goes wild to. And as mentioned before, add in an LED light show for night games to the team entrance and that would be a chef’s kiss!

I will say that I know music is such a subjective, personal thing. But it seems like whenever I’ve seen the topic of intro songs come up or ideas for QB intro songs like what we do for Cam with Bad Moon Rising (which is totally awesome btw)…but whenever people start throwing out their ideas for new song ideas, I’m always amazed at how many people throw out song ideas that I’ve never heard of and I”m assuming 90% of the population aren’t familiar with either. You can’t get 55K people pumped up and going wild to a song that only sliver of the population would know or like…it’s got to appeal to the masses. Just an observation that’s always baffled me.

[GameForAnyFuss]

Worst part of the game day experience: Half the people not showing up until after the 1st quarter.
How to fix it: Hell if I know.

Actually, I had an idea once. It would not be legal in any way, but a guy can dream, right? The idea: At the end of the 1st quarter, assigned seating goes away. Anyone who wants to sit in your seats can have them. If you show up late and someone is in your seats, you just have to find your own somewhere else. I bet that knowing they’d lose their seats on the 50 and have to sit in the NEZ with the unwashed masses would get the bluehairs there on time.

[MDUte]

I think they should shut down the Tailgating lots an hour before kickoff. Sound off a big “RED SIREN” signaling to all of the Tailgaters to start making their way over to the stadium. That would help out a lot IMO.

And if they did this, I would think the tailgaters would be fine with it because they are already getting up there early to tailgate. It’s not like the crowd of people who complain that the football game is already such a big time commitment with everything they have going on with Saturday kids leagues etc. The tailgaters are the ones who aren’t under any time constraints. So if they all knew that things were getting shut down an hour before kick-off, I don’t see how that would be a big deal. But I’m sure those of you who are part of the tailgating crew will chime in and correct me on this…

[Jim Vanderhoof]

Great idea MD! Half full stadium at kickoff is my biggest complaint. Drunk fans a close second. If you can’t walk to the stadium you’re not going to make it through the game. It has nothing to do with your religion or if you drink or don’t drink. Common courtesy to fellow Ute fans.

Maybe some honey buckets in a few spots for restroom lines.

[Gilly Boy 94]

Ban the stupid flags on poles from being in the stadium! I sit in the northwest corner and there is such a concentration of flags being waved after each Utah touchdown, I literally can not see the extra point play, despite many of us yelling ‘put down the damn flags!’ It’s frustrating. If we must have flags, can we at least wait until after the extra point is scored??

[2008 National Champ]

less TV timeouts, shorter replay breaks

[UtahUtesRock]

For it’s me it’s the way the school and law enforcement direct traffic out of the game. I understand it’s gonna take time when you go to events. It’s just that depending on where you are they can make you wind clear back in the opposite direction or wait for what seems like forever for them to empty out certain parking lots while backing other areas up.

[NarfUte]

We don’t have enough giant Japanese drums playing at halftime

[bopahull]

Having people look down on we North Endzoners. NEZ forever, GO UTES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MDUte]

What?! Who looks down on the NEZ?? Behind the MUSS, that’s the next best section of fans!

I’ve always thought the NEZ needed to brand their section the “Red Sea” like the Raiders “Black Hole”.

[Author]

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