Letter from Scott Woodward Re: changes to Gameday experience

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To our loyal and dedicated fans,

When I came back home to LSU three years ago, what I was most looking forward to was reconnecting with the people. It is the people of LSU who make this place special: our student-athletes, our coaches and staff, the faculty on campus, the student body, and especially, you. Your passion and pride is unrivaled, and I am grateful for your support of the student-athletes in all 21 of our sports.

Throughout the past year, we have asked you to share your voices with us through numerous surveys – and you have participated. Thank you for taking the time to provide us with feedback through these avenues. As we prepare for the upcoming football season, we wanted to share how the survey information is being used to make a difference. As we seek to epitomize excellence as a department, we must regularly evaluate what we do and how we do it. The survey data you provide helps us with these assessments and assists us in making data-driven decisions. We have teams of staff members who meet regularly to address urgent items from the surveys but also to discuss long term, transformational changes.

Since last football season, committees of staff members have worked diligently to address specific areas of football game day and we are excited to share changes you can expect to see in and around Tiger Stadium in the fall. Our hope is that these changes will communicate our work to improve every aspect of game day, as well as offer guidance on best practices for you to consider as you make plans for this upcoming season.

Pete Maravich Assembly Center
Survey results indicate that one of the primary reasons our fans attend games is for the opportunity to socialize and the SEC survey results rank us in the top five schools for tailgating in the conference. This year, I am pleased to announce that the Pete Maravich Assembly Center (PMAC) will be open to the public to use the restrooms and seek relief from the heat. Beginning five hours prior to an evening kickoff, the PMAC will be open with live football games being shown on the video board throughout the day. The Tiger Band will perform in the PMAC after the Victory Hill Parade.

Mobile Tickets
Over the past few years, we have slowly phased in digital ticket for stadium entry. The SEC survey results indicates that nearly 80% of our fans are comfortable using digital tickets, yet around the same number use printed tickets to enter the stadium. Our goal over the next few years is to transition primarily to digital tickets, therefore we encourage fans to download their tickets prior to coming to campus and be ready to scan them as you approach the gate. For more information on mobile tickets click here..

LSU SportShop
This summer, the LSU SportShop near Mike the Tiger’s habitat was closed for renovations. We are pleased to announce that it will reopen in early August! You can look forward to an improved store layout and checkout area for your last minute game day needs!

LSU Sports Mobile App
Prior to coming to campus, I encourage you to download the LSU Sports Mobile App and download the content that will help you navigate campus and Tiger Stadium once you arrive. You can find concession locations, maps, team rosters, and pregame stats to prepare you to cheer on the Tigers to victory!

Concessions
Last year, you may have noticed new Walk Thru Bru’s in many of our venues that can be utilized for alcohol purchases. The feedback about these from fans has been overwhelmingly positive and we encourage you to utilize them whenever you can.

Aramark is prioritizing a service training focus and speed of service with staff in preparation for the 2022 football season. Like many businesses, there have been challenges with staffing and were unable to open all of our concessions stands at every 2021 game as a result. The Aramark staff is actively recruiting non-profit organizations who are interested in working games as a fundraiser for their organization. If you know of an organization interested in this opportunity, please fill out this form.

Internally, we have made changes to the flow of operations that fans will not see directly but will help us schedule stadium cleaning, deliveries, and set up more efficiently and effectively. Our customer service staff will also be utilizing the acronym “HELP!” to remember to say H ello, Engage our guests, Listen to understand our guests’ needs, take Pride in their work, and provide Lagniappe for our guests. To apply to work with one of our gameday staffs go to lsusports.net/jobs/

Experiencing a game in Tiger Stadium is a bucket list item for die-hard sports fans. The overall stadium atmosphere is the main reason that fans attend games and this is something that everyone inside the venue on game day creates together. The LSU Athletics brand is defined by generations of Tigers, united by purple and gold, and this is never more evident on Saturdays in Death Valley.

While the performance of our student-athletes on the field is orchestrating the stadium atmosphere, the performance of our students in the band are guiding the emotions of the crowd. In the SEC survey, our fans indicated the highest levels of satisfaction is with the Golden Band from Tigerland. The traditions and cheers led by the band and our incredible student section are what makes game day in Tiger Stadium a special experience.

Because of your unwavering support, there is no better atmosphere in college football than Tiger Stadium, and we are committed to making your game day experience better each year.

Thank you for the passion you bring to our venues and the pride you have in this place we call home.

Geaux Tigers!


Scott Woodward
LSU Director of Athletics

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The Aramark staff is actively recruiting non-profit organizations who are interested in working games as a fundraiser for their organization. If you know of an organization interested in this opportunity, please fill out this form.

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The traditions and cheers led by the band and our incredible student section are what makes game day in Tiger Stadium a special experience.

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Got excited for a moment that we were dumping Aramark

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I can deal with shitty ball park nachos and hot dogs, just don’t make me pay Ruth Chris prices for it

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Post-game traffic not addressed.

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The PMAC thing is a pretty interesting idea. I wonder how many people will use it.

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