Improving the game day experience

[jdub27]

1 hour ago, gundy1124 said:

I am hearing expanded tailgate times in Grand Forks this year.  This should encourage fans to go bigger and better with set-ups.

I would be really excited if they allowed vehicles to be picked up Sunday morning....

[ericpnelson]

28 minutes ago, gundy1124 said:

I am hearing expanded tailgate times in Grand Forks this year.  This should encourage fans to go bigger and better with set-ups.

The game by game tailgate passes makes sense.

Cool. We've never been stopped from going in earlier though.

[gundy1124]

3 hours ago, ericpnelson said:

Cool. We've never been stopped from going in earlier though.

Understood, but it's hard to market 'sneak in early'.  At least I think UND will market the times soon.

[southpaw]

Close parking in the tailgate lot within 45 minutes of kickoff?  Would that keep people from buying tailgate passes just to use as parking passes?

[CMSioux]

13 minutes ago, southpaw said:

Close parking in the tailgate lot within 45 minutes of kickoff?  Would that keep people from buying tailgate passes just to use as parking passes?

I like that plus it's not that safe to have vehicles driving down the tailgating lanes at that time with so many people running around. 

[GoHawks]

6 hours ago, jdub27 said:

I would be really excited if they allowed vehicles to be picked up Sunday morning....

I agree with this statement!

[BarnWinterSportsEngelstad]

5 hours ago, southpaw said:

Close parking in the tailgate lot within 45 minutes of kickoff?  Would that keep people from buying tailgate passes just to use as parking passes?

Even close the vehicle entry to the tailgate a hour before kickoff. With that if your going to tailgate and then get to your seat before kickoff,  your running short of time.

[gundy1124]

6 hours ago, southpaw said:

Close parking in the tailgate lot within 45 minutes of kickoff?  Would that keep people from buying tailgate passes just to use as parking passes?

I would take it further.  Close tailgating 2.5 hours before the game.  That way everyone will be there when the team walks thru 2 hours before the game.  And after the team walk you don't have to worry about your kids getting run over by folkes just parking.

[SiouxDini]

55 minutes ago, gundy1124 said:

I would take it further.  Close tailgating 2.5 hours before the game.  That way everyone will be there when the team walks thru 2 hours before the game.  And after the team walk you don't have to worry about your kids getting run over by folkes just parking.

Yes please.  Committee we know you're watching.

[geaux_sioux]

10 hours ago, gundy1124 said:

I would take it further.  Close tailgating 2.5 hours before the game.  That way everyone will be there when the team walks thru 2 hours before the game.  And after the team walk you don't have to worry about your kids getting run over by folkes just parking.

Absolutely. I totally agree. Team walk through needs to be an event and we can't have cars just showing up any time and rolling through the crowds of people.

[siouxforcefans]

On ‎8‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 0:02 PM, darell1976 said:

How about people selling food/drinks coming down the aisles to the crowd like at a baseball game. Less people wondering around the concourse in line for popcorn, and missing the action. 

Also a question for all: how much control does UND have when dealing with GameDay stuff in a building owned by the city?

Sorry, but I hate this idea.  Having people walking up and down the aisles is bad enough, but now you're suggesting they be there all the time?  At least most fans wait for the action to stop, but vendors are always moving, or stopped in front of you selling something, whether the ball is in play or not.  Drives me nuts watching football at other venues who do this (esp NFL. money grubbing stadiums).

11 hours ago, BarnWinterSportsEngelstad said:

Even close the vehicle entry to the tailgate a hour before kickoff. With that if your going to tailgate and then get to your seat before kickoff,  your running short of time.

I like it.  I like it a lot!

[Siouxperfan7]

On 8/10/2017 at 8:19 AM, CMSioux said:

Hopefully someone on the committee is monitoring here. Let's share some thoughts here.  

 

 

 

9 hours ago, SiouxDini said:

Yes please.  Committee we know you're watching.

Bubba Schweigert @BubbaSchweigert

Game Day Committee meeting today to help pack the Alerus Center! #pledgeyourloyalty#daybyday

 

I just replied to this tweet by Bubba with a link to this thread.  Hopefully he checks it out and brings up some of the ideas mentioned!!

 

 

[geaux_sioux]

21 minutes ago, Siouxperfan7 said:

 

 

 

Bubba Schweigert @BubbaSchweigert

Game Day Committee meeting today to help pack the Alerus Center! #pledgeyourloyalty#daybyday

 

I just replied to this tweet by Bubba with a link to this thread.  Hopefully he checks it out and brings up some of the ideas mentioned!!

 

 

He won't need to. Others are aware of it already.

[Siouxperfan7]

12 minutes ago, geaux_sioux said:

He won't need to. Others are aware of it already.

Well, it can't hurt!!  Glad to hear that there are people on the committee that are monitoring this thread.  There really are some pretty good ideas here.  

[WiSioux]

11 hours ago, gundy1124 said:

I would take it further.  Close tailgating 2.5 hours before the game.  That way everyone will be there when the team walks thru 2 hours before the game.  And after the team walk you don't have to worry about your kids getting run over by folkes just parking.

What about the people coming from out of town or who have kids activities before hand? They already paid for their tailgating spot and can't use it because the team wants to parade through? That's why it should be unassigned parking spots and assigned parking lots. If they're last to get there they tailgate at the back. Nobody is driving through the crowded parking lot.

[gundy1124]

4 minutes ago, WiSioux said:

What about the people coming from out of town or who have kids activities before hand? They already paid for their tailgating spot and can't use it because the team wants to parade through? That's why it should be unassigned parking spots and assigned parking lots. If they're last to get there they tailgate at the back. Nobody is driving through the crowded parking lot.

Leave earlier or park in back.  At some point the committee needs to look at the safety aspect of tailgating.  

I like the idea of reserved tailgating with a different color for each game, then set up a tailgate exchange so we don't have a bunch of empties.

[Siouxperfan7]

12 minutes ago, WiSioux said:

What about the people coming from out of town or who have kids activities before hand? They already paid for their tailgating spot and can't use it because the team wants to parade through? That's why it should be unassigned parking spots and assigned parking lots. If they're last to get there they tailgate at the back. Nobody is driving through the crowded parking lot.

2.5 hours it a bit extreme.  But I am in favor of closing it 1 hour before kickoff.  If you have a tailgate pass and are showing up 30 mins prior to kickoff, you aren't using it for its intended use.  But more importantly, you are driving in the most crowded part of the lot with thousands of people walking around that now have to avoid you because you are showing up late.  Not sure if this is a huge problem, but I have seen it happen.

[geaux_sioux]

This is just one of those things where the rules can't be all things to all people. Tailgating is supposed to be conducive for bringing a huge group of people together for a good time not about getting a parking spot. Life happens obviously so when people arrive close to kickoff they just have to be realistic about not being able to drive through the tailgate area.

[jdub27]

40 minutes ago, gundy1124 said:

I like the idea of reserved tailgating with a different color for each game, then set up a tailgate exchange so we don't have a bunch of empties.

What if it was more of a quasi-reserved tailgating? Set up 4-6 "zones" so that people are still in the same general area but people are at least closer together in each zone instead of spread out. Still might have some space at the back of a zone but I think it is at least a semi-compromise between first-come-first-serve and fully reserved.

[Siouxperfan7]

10 minutes ago, jdub27 said:

What if it was more of a quasi-reserved tailgating? Set up 4-6 "zones" so that people are still in the same general area but people are at least closer together in each zone instead of spread out. Still might have some space at the back of a zone but I think it is at least a semi-compromise between first-come-first-serve and fully reserved.

You would still have to have reserved spots in each zone.  I think that complicates things more than fixes them.  The solution to tailgating is to get people with tailgate spots excited about tailgating.  So much so that they are waiting in line to get in the lot when it opens.  We are headed in the right direction for fan interest for football.  The tailgate issue should improve as a result.

[jdub27]

2 hours ago, Siouxperfan7 said:

You would still have to have reserved spots in each zone.  I think that complicates things more than fixes them.  The solution to tailgating is to get people with tailgate spots excited about tailgating.  So much so that they are waiting in line to get in the lot when it opens.  We are headed in the right direction for fan interest for football.  The tailgate issue should improve as a result.

I agree with the overall resolution, it's just going to take a while to get there.

My proposal was more that you'd have a reserved "zone" instead of spot. Split the front lot into one or two zones and do the same with the back lot. You come into your zone and take the next available number of spots you have. The problem is that it becomes a jigsaw of sorts and you're trusting people not to take more spots than they have, which is the same challenge non-reserved spots would have. I witnessed first hand down in Fargo what happens when it is basically a free-for-all for people to park and tailgate wherever they wanted.

[Midwestern Hawk]

2 minutes ago, jdub27 said:

I agree with the overall resolution, it's just going to take a while to get there.

My proposal was more that you'd have a reserved "zone" instead of spot. Split the front lot into one or two zones and do the same with the back lot. You come into your zone and take the next available number of spots you have. The problem is that it becomes a jigsaw of sorts and you're trusting people not to take more spots than they have, which is the same challenge non-reserved spots would have. I witnessed first hand down in Fargo what happens when it is basically a free-for-all for people to park and tailgate wherever they wanted.

I have never understood why it is not first-come first serve.  Would be more of an event if the earlier the arrival the better the spot.

[jdub27]

10 minutes ago, Midwestern Hawk said:

I don't understand why it is not first-come first serve.  Would be more of an event if the earlier the arrival the better the spot.

Our group is almost always one of the first ones there, so I wouldn't have that big of a problem with it. That doesn't mean I don't recognize some challenges and complaints it would cause. The biggest annoyance would be the hassle that comes up when you end up in a different spot each week and having spending time letting various people know where you happen to be parked for that particular game (which is why I thought that a reserved "zone" vs. spot could be a sort of middle ground).  Also, there are groups that have been in the same spot for years and have customized their setup their particular area (for example 6 spots along the berm vs. 2x3 square in the middle, etc). As people start cherry picking their spots and how to set up, it starts causing a jigsaw effect and as you get to the back, there are still technically enough spots left, but they are spread out across the lot.

Obviously "first world problems" but no one way will be perfect and there are always issues with any sort of change.

[Midwestern Hawk]

1 minute ago, jdub27 said:

Our group is almost always one of the first ones there, so I wouldn't have that big of a problem with it. That doesn't mean I don't recognize some challenges and complaints it would cause. The biggest annoyance would be the hassle that comes up when you end up in a different spot each week and having spending time letting various people know where you happen to be parked for that particular game (which is why I thought that a reserved "zone" vs. spot could be a sort of middle ground).  Also, there are groups that have been in the same spot for years and have customized their setup their particular area (for example 6 spots along the berm vs. 2x3 square in the middle, etc). As people start cherry picking their spots and how to set up, it starts causing a jigsaw effect and as you get to the back, there are still technically enough spots left, but they are spread out across the lot.

Obviously "first world problems" but no one way will be perfect and there are always issues with any sort of change.

I have been to the Alerus where for one reason or another tailgaters don't show up.  Creates a strange atmosphere in the parking lot to say the least.

[SkoHawks]

Main problem for tailgating is to get more people doing it.  we can debate the perfect way to set it up now, but unless we pack the lot full of people, its kind of a failure any way you do it. I know we'll get there tho.

 

I'm kind of intrigued by the tailgate pass for every game and pass exchange concept. Maybe there is a way to track your groups passes/spots so that if your spot doesn't get used for X amount of games, say more than 2 reg season games, that your spot gets moved to the back of the lot for the first offense (meaning for the following season) then lose your priority for a spot all together the second offense??