BOISE, Idaho — Boise State Athletics is looking to make some significant changes to the fan experience at Friday’s home football game against San Diego State.
Long concession stands were a problem at the first home game against UT Martin on Sept. 17. Boise State junior Ben Helland said he got in line when halftime started and did not return to his seat until almost the end of the third quarter.
“The lines went past one of the exits and covered all the bathrooms entrances and exits,” Helland said.
Boise State Director of Athletics Jeramiah Dickey said record concession sales contributed to long lines – an issue they are determined to fix at upcoming games.
“We have to figure out, you know, the flow of the stadium and really work through our facility and the opportunities that we have in it,” Dickey said.
Dickey said concession lines are longest during the third and fourth quarters of the game. To help streamline the process, Boise State preordered 20% more food and drinks.
Bottled water will now be available at every concession stand and kiosk throughout Albertsons Stadium, according to a Twitter post from Boise State Athletics. Fans will also have the option of more grab-and-go options.
With a sold-out stadium, Dickey said having enough staff makes all the difference. Normally, they anticipate 300 stadium workers. At this season’s home opener, they had 100.
“Last year, it was easy to point to COVID,” Dickey said. “And this year, we're out of COVID, but are we still dealing with some of the ramifications of the workforce?”
To help address the shortage, Dickey said they are bussing in workers from Las Vegas for Friday’s game. Additional staff will also help decrease wait times to get into the stadium.
He said planning ahead is the best way to enjoy the game. This includes people getting to the game early on and for those planning to drink alcohol, receiving their wristbands right at the beginning.
To decrease congestion, Dickey said making sure people enter the stadium at the correct gate is also important.
While Helland said he enjoyed the game overall, he is looking forward to some improvements – both for the actual game and the experience.
“Better on offense better on defense, that would be really nice,” Helland said. “For [concessions], probably a little more staffing, a little more or organization for the lines.”
A sentiment shared by other students as well.
“[The game] was great,” sophomore Eli Hughes said. “But there’s always things that you could do better.”
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