Gameday Experience

[PlanoStang]

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.”

Oversized, and hyped up hit piece. Possibly with an agenda to sabotage our attempts to graduate to a P5 conference. How did the DMN get the contact info for 100 fans? We seemed to be set up during a situation when there will be some failures, and heat related issues!

Some of this though is well deserved, and reminds me of some of Doepey’s fiascos.

[ALEX LIFESON]

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.”

Oversized, and hyped up hit piece. Possibly with an agenda to sabotage our attempts to graduate to a P5 conference. How did the DMN get the contact info for 100 fans? We seemed to be set up during a situation when there will be some failures, and heat related issues!

Some of this though is well deserved, and reminds me of some of Doepey’s fiascos.

To answer your question about access to 100 fans, Twitter was exploding Saturday night and Sunday after the game with complaints. Joseph Hoyt of the Dallas Morning News, asked people to contact him, if they would like to go on record, obviously many did.

[Nedward]

Joseph Hoyt has no agenda to undermine SMU. Somebody is confusing him with that piece of garbage Bret Vito.

The horrible GameDay experience was relevant news and he respectfully asked via Twitter people to PM him their experiences.

I doubt we would have gotten even that half assed statement from SMU if not for that article. Ricky would have been content with his short tweet saying they were talking with Aramark and you can bring in an empty bottle. Amazing next step action plans!

[PK]

Joseph Hoyt also peruses sites like PonyFans and other SMU oriented web sites, so he didn't have to look too hard to get what was going on with the fans.

[Nedward]

Thx PK. Sounds like he's doing his job as the designated SMU reporter.

[SoCal_Pony]

Joe, if you can hear me, i think you do a great job of following / reporting on SMU Athletics.

This particular piece was respectful and balanced…maybe too balanced for my liking as I wish he’d been harder on Rick.

Of course, I also wanted him to ask sonny harder questions as well, but such is life.