Gameday Experience

[1983 Cotton Bowl]

My son and I happened to be in Dallas this past weekend so we attended the game. First time I've been back to Ford in several years. I was immediately reminded of how much I hate the concourses there. They are way too small. And when its a big crowd its like a mosh pit trying to get to the concessions or the bathroom. Bathrooms were disgusting as usual, but that's just kind of a stadium thing IMO. Stood in line for 15 minutes to get two bottles of water (once we figured out where the line actually started and the general mosh pit ended; hard to tell in that cluster). Not great, but at least we got the water. I hear other people weren't so lucky.

As it so happened, the weekend before I attended Oregon-BYU at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. Now I know it's completely unfair to compare AAC SMU with P-5 Oregon that has also been lavished billions of Uncle Phil's dollars. But let's just say that the experience there vs. Ford was night and day. I would like to see some major improvements made to Ford b/c it sux when its a full house. I hope they do.

To be fair, however, we can't blame ole SMU for the weather. And it was SWELTERING in those stands. That alone made it a rough experience.

[SoCal_Pony]

When all is said and done it all leads to Turner's office. Like any big or small organization. The very top. This has been going on for 30 something years so why get upset now? Nothing will change until the head guy is replaced with the RIGHT "leader". This is just another reason why no conference is considering SMU nor will ever as long as we are what we are.

Pretty funny, when Joseph Hoyt does his expose on Hart and the gameday fiasco, i plan on responding to him & saying the exact same thing……

Turner needs to go

SMU is now ranked #71 in US News

[mtrout]

How big is the bureaucracy at SMU? Does anyone know the administrator to student ratio?

All this money coming in to universities, my hunch is the administration is bloating. Inexcusable not to have a buttoned up game day operation.

Have not counted exact numbers of admins, but I feel confident that no university in the US has more diversity officers per capita than we do.

The scariest part is that none of our athletics admins ever played a college sport. Well to be fair I think one guy might have been on the baseball team…

[ponyboy]

And yet if we’d won, there would be no whining.

[sail420s]

And yet if we’d won, there would be no whining.

I would be whining. I left in the 2nd quarter because the lines for water were too long and I was getting dizzy and felt like I was about to pass out. I had no problems with the restrooms or the concourse. Those are all issues at all big games. I got back to my tailgate with shade, a huge fan, and cold water. I instantly felt better. The heat is out of SMU control. The lack of planning is 100% on the AD dept.

[mtrout]

I didn’t notice and of these problems ~10years ago when we played a&m, baylor, teceven when we added the extra seating. Maybe just because it wasn’t 95 degrees?

[Bergermeister]

I didn’t notice any of these problems

You were not paying attention or you sat in the meatball enclosure. It was a true clusterphuc. And the A&M game was not a full house. Nobody sat in those "extras" at $90.00 per.

[Nedward]

Story will be out later today.

[PlanoStang]

I remember the inaugural game at Ford when it was 107. Not too much of a problem getting bottled water, and getting free fill ups at the drinking fountains.

At least it was a 6 or 6:30 game time, and the sun was starting to set.

[Nedward]

I dislike bad publicity for SMU. But a had been stated ad nauseum here, this isn't the first time, the 5th time or the tenth time.

If this shames enough people maybe we see some changes. But I am skeptical.

[Hoofbeat83]

I dislike bad publicity for SMU. But a had been stated ad nauseum here, this isn't the first time, the 5th time or the tenth time.

If this shames enough people maybe we see some changes. But I am skeptical.

Likewise, but anything that brings attention to poor management by the President and AD is fine with me.

[Illa J]

https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/smu-mustangs/2022/09/29/recipe-for-disaster-smu-gameday-experience-fails-fans-in-rivalry-sellout-versus-tcu/

Pretty detailed article on the utter failure that was the TCU/SMU game experience. As if more reasons were needed for Little Ricky and RGT to go.

The Dallas Morning News corresponded with approximately 100 fans who attended the game. With similar descriptions, fans painted a picture of a hot and humid mid-day kickoff, with a high of 95 degrees at noon, made worse by a lack of shade inside Ford Stadium and a lack of accessible water for fans who needed it. The concourse – inherently tight – was overcrowded with those seeking shelter from the sun, and by long concession lines that were lengthened by a lack of readily available supplies and internet connectivity issues.

SMU Athletic Director Rick Hart sent a tweet out the next day apologizing for difficulties with concessions, pledging to work with vendor Aramark, who handles facilities services at SMU, to resolve the problems and encouraging fans to bring unopened water bottles to fill at fountains inside the stadium.

Thank you @SMUMustangs being part of a record crowd at Ford Stadium. We apologize for difficulties ordering/receiving concessions. We will continue to work with @Aramark to improve service. Fans can also bring an unopened water bottle and refill at water fountains. #PonyUp

— Rick Hart (@AD_RickHart) September 25, 2022
Hart declined to speak for this story, instead referring to a nearly 800-word email SMU Athletics sent to The News in response to specific questions and anecdotal descriptions from fans in attendance.

“There were aspects of our game day experience on Saturday that fell short of our shared expectations, and we apologize for that,” the statement from SMU athletics began. “We – our staff and our game day partners ­– thought we were prepared to meet the demands of the day, but the combination of a record crowd on an unseasonably hot day at a time that did not provide any shade in the seating bowl stressed our systems and infrastructure. Now that we have experienced the culmination of these factors, we can aggressively work to address them.”

In Saturday’s game, alum Brooks Thomas saw a chance for SMU to show it could handle a crowd of nearly 36,000 people. He thought of it as an audition: for potential new fans, for a Power Five conference potentially watching, and for overall reputation. After the game, he called it a failed audition.

“These things get broadcast,” said Thomas, who prefaced his remarks by saying he loves the school and wants improvements rather than utter bashing. “You don’t hide those things under the rug. We’re auditioning in every facet of the experience: from the academics, to the product on the field, to the product the fans experience off the field in close proximity to the field. It was disappointing.”

[Illa J]

(duplicate post, my bad)

[mtrout]

That article is all over the place.

Here are a list of things to actually fix
1- MAKE WATER AVAILABLE so you don't have to treat 30 fans for heat illness

I brought an empty clear cup (which I had to debate security about taking in) in but didn't see anywhere to fill it up other than trying to find a water fountain in the jam packed concourse (which I gave up on).

All the other problems talked about in this article will be automatically fixed by lower attendance, cooler weather, and maybe teaching the agents at the gates how to NFC scan a ticket.

[Webmaster]

And yet if we’d won, there would be no whining.

Of course I would be complaining.

Imagine going to a restaurant, paying a premium, leaving a generous tip, and then receiving something completely different from what you ordered. That's what happened to me with the sEATz food delivery, and I can't even get the courtesy of a response (much less a refund) from them and now it's almost a week later.

Guess I don't have any other recourse but to dispute the charge. I would have paid for what we did receive, and I would have let them keep the tip too.

But that was only one of my issues with last week's debacle.