Auburn asks its fan base what can be done to improve the game day experience and comes up with (1) more free parking; (2) more tailgating areas; (3) more staffing for tailgate areas; (4) increased lights, transit pickup spots and restroom availability for the tailgate areas… well, you get the idea.
And now it’s Georgia’s turn.
“We’re pleased to introduce several changes to our gameday experience based on feedback from our fans and evaluations by our staff,” Director of Athletics Greg McGarity said, “We feel like these new opportunities will continue to help us make Saturdays between the hedges the best gameday experience in college football.”
Don’t burn any couches yet. When the big new developments include $8 all the Coke you can drink cups and more Sonny’s BBQ stations, they’re not exactly a cause for celebration (unless you’re Sonny, I guess).
Although maybe this one is worthy of appreciation:
The new digital ticketing process will allow fans to easily transfer tickets online and to print-at-home capabilities, reducing the need for in-person will call opportunities on gamedays.
They’re making it easier for us to dispose of our North Texas tickets. So we season ticket holders have that going for us. Thanks for listening, Greg!
Get The Picture 
Wait what? Isn’t Sonny a Bull Gator? Couldn’t we get some real Q in Sanford?
LikeLike
Compared to the rest of the league, the food in Sanford is pretty weak. Not that I eat there a whole bunch (I take my pre-game tailgating pretty seriously), but really, we are way behind here.
LikeLike
I’m glad to hear they finally acquiesced to my request for an 8-lb bucket of popcorn.
I love being in Sanford Stadium. I love being present in the moment. I love seeing the guys come out of the tunnel, and I love being able to see/hear/feel the stuff that doesn’t translate or get covered with the tv coverage.
But, game weekends are a grind. They are exhausting, they are increasingly expensive, and when the schedule has mostly duds, it doesn’t feel as worth it as it once did. Adding all-you-can-eat items to the menu does not make it feel more worth it. I have all I can eat at home.
LikeLike
I think your complaints are universal. Add the current number and length of TV timeouts and the live game experience has become almost tedious.
LikeLike
I wonder which fans they are listening too.
LikeLike
Evidently the ones who get really thirsty at games.
LikeLike
They need to ban that sugar honey iced tea! I have never seen so many fat people as I did they last time I was at a game. Children, students, young people, old people….people in little electric seats and wheelchairs, what a terrible state of affairs. You cannot get to a restroom unless you are on club level. I am going to have to sit in the red seats on the 50 for the SC game. If it is at night…..we’ll have to watch it from Lake Rabun, cause I have to have a clean available bathroom when I need it!
LikeLike
Don’t laugh…we are heading to Death Valley in a little over a week. They ran out of ice last time we were there. You can’t take the fundamentals for granted.
LikeLike
During the second quarter. On a day so hot that Clemson’s center puked on the ball on the first snap. I remember.
LikeLike
Greg should have taken this opportunity to ask everyone to try not to step on the grass and stick to the sidewalks if at all possible.
LikeLike
That’s a great list, loaded full of some stuff they’re already doing and other things geared toward generating more revenue (partnership with StubHub, more concession revenue, etc.).
LikeLike
There is that new parking hotline. They can tell you where all the unavailable parking spaces are.
LikeLike
Bottomless Popcorn Bitches!!!
LikeLike
Auburn’s making some nice changes. Most improved award goes to Mercer. Last year, no football. This year, football and tailgating/beer anywhere there’s grass on campus, as well as open container downtown on gamedays: http://www.mercergameday.com/
LikeLike
We are so friggin far behind other programs when it comes to gameday experience that it’s not even funny. What’s worse is that it’s SO OBVIOUS what could be done to fix it. Auburn’s changes could go a long way to improving things in Athens.
Maybe one day they’ll realize that the best way to get into someone’s wallet is to stop focusing on clever ways to get into their wallet and start focusing on things that will make them enjoy themselves. When will they learn? Sometimes I feel like they actually WANT to make the gameday experience less enjoyable.
LikeLike
You cannot let them, (they) control your experience. They, by the way are the Von Trapp Family in the Sound of Music. That’s what I told my Children when they ask who “they” were.
LikeLike
That may be the most genius anti-snark shutup device ever built, JRD. Extra points for the weirdness.
LikeLike
Honey, you ain’t seen nothing yet. I have 99 shades of crazy going on.
LikeLike
lol
LikeLike
I moved back to athens one year ago. The arrogance of the university, the athletic department, and the police is heartbreaking. Milking the golden goose. It won’t last…
LikeLike
Although I love living there !
LikeLike
McGarity needs to get his cheap ass to Tuscaloosa at the Quad and see the air conditioned bathroom trailers ( with attendants to clean them), the wired tailgate slots so folks can plug in TVs,etc, and custodial staff that comes by through out the day to take trash away and replaces the plastic bags. NO trash left by the Bama fans. You can’t tell me UGA has lazier litterers than Bama.
LikeLike
Wow. That sounds awesome.
LikeLike
It is my dear….it is. First class all the way, especially at the Alpha Chi Omega house. Tailgate dining in the dining room with white table cloths and Ms Mama doing the cooking. The main entrance to Bryant Denny is just 50 feet from the front door.
LikeLike
As far as the tickets, if you can transfer them electronically doesn’t that open up the possibility of paper tickets that actually aren’t valid on the black market? Would suck to drop some money on a paper ticket on game day that won’t even get you in the gate.
LikeLike
Yep. Buyer beware. Either buy directly from someone you trust or buy on a site like Stubhub that guarantees tickets purchased on their site.
LikeLike
Yes…I’d be very careful buying tickets on the street. That said, Stubhub will have a record of who sold the tix electronically and then turned around and sold (or gave away) the paper tix.
LikeLike
Greg, you are doing great work. The $100 scoreboard greeting is pure genius.
You will be hearing from Jere soon on how to implement my latest fundraising and cost saving ideas. They include:
1. The $2 per minute charge on the Gameday Parking Hotline;
2. Ticket scanners that deny entry for fans not buying their tickets directly from the University;
3. Elimination of the Will Call windows;
4. Immediate transfer and resale of season tickets from any UGA ID cardholder attempting to enter at a non-student gate;
5. The best location for the 32oz souvenir cup and popcorn refilling station;
6. The Green Initiative’s new food recycling program at Athens-area Chick-Fil-A, Papa Johns, Sonny’s, & Subway locations;
7. Additional beverages, snacks and hot dogs to be sold in the stands by our suspended athletes;
8. The Green Initiative’s new water recycling program for the Misting Stations;
9. UGA Bookstore ads close captioned during the rap songs;
10. The new Student Awards program funded with an increase in the student activity fee; and
11. Our new admission fee to The Dawg Walk.
I am confident these changes will be enthusiastically accepted by our loyal fan base as “Another Bulldog Point of Pride”. Keep up the good work.
Your friend, Mike.
LikeLike
You know why they are doing the free refills on the fountain drinks? So that they can sniff your cup and have a police officer waiting to throw you out of the stadium/arrest you if they detect a hint of bourbon or rum in your cup. Another $making idea from the powers that be in Athens that just enhances the fan-friendly atmosphere.
LikeLike
Hey, Senator –
They said they’d be offering jumbotron messages for sale at $100 a pop or something. Can we all throw in and put the following message up there?
“This ten seconds of freedom from annoying in-game jumbotron racket is brought to you by Get The Picture”
LikeLike
And once again I am not sorry in the least I let my tickets go this year. I’ll have 60″ of HD goodness and all the free cold beer I can drink next Saturday night, Go Dawgs!
LikeLike
Oh, Jesus. You said “next Saturday night.”
Be still my palpitating, hopeful, doubtful heart.
LikeLike
“Oh, and remember…next Friday is Hawaiin shirt day!”
LikeLike