With less than three weeks left until the football season opener against the Washington State Cougars, Auburn athletics officially unveiled a number of changes to the gameday experience in and around Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Free parking spaces, new tailgating areas, five Momma Goldberg's at Jordan-Hare Stadium, 97 new flat-screen televisions and a ticket scanning system highlight a list of gameday improvements announced in a Monday afternoon press release.
"We've really made an effort to listen to our fans and respond with changes that we think make our entire gameday experience among the very best in college football," Director of Athletics Jay Jacobs said. "Our fans wanted more parking and tailgating opportunities, more choices at the concessions stand and better communication, so we are pleased to announce these improvements for the upcoming season."
The list of improvements is headlined by 2,000 new and free parking spaces around campus, which were announced in an open letter from Jacobs on June 28.
Auburn has moved or eliminated all temporary stakes along both sides of Donahue Drive. Stakes on the western side have been eliminated to allow curb parking, and stakes on the eastern side have been moved to create space for additional parking that will be available on 4 p.m. on Fridays before home games.
Starting at 8 a.m. on gamedays, fans will be allowed to park in new free lots located on the north end of the South Donahue hayfields and adjacent to the Medical Clinic on Lem Morrison Drive. Additional free parking with Tiger Transit access will also be opened up at the Facilities Division on West Samford Avenue.
New tailgating areas are also opening at the Intramural Fields and behind the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences building. The Intramural Fields spots can be reserved on a game-by-game basis starting Aug. 15, while the "Weagle Woods" area behind Forestry and Wildlife Sciences will be open to any tailgaters starting at 4 p.m. on Fridays.
Jacobs said in his open letter that the new parking and tailgating areas were "the beginning of (Auburn's) efforts to improve the gameday experience, not the end."
One of the new improvements is a new system that will allow fans to print tickets at home or transfer them to other fans. Instead of the traditional tear-off stubs, tickets will be scanned.
Auburn is asking fans to arrive at the gates early for the Washington State game, when the scanners will be used for the first time.
More improvements will be found inside the stadium, primarily in the area of concessions.
According to the release, a new Domino's Pizza kitchen has been built inside Jordan-Hare, and it will supply fresh-baked pizza to all permanent concession stands.
In addition to the new Pizza kitchen, food from Momma Goldberg's Deli will be featured at five different locations around the stadium.
Fans will find the updated concession offerings, which includes healthier options like chef salads and wraps, on the stands' new digital menu boards.
Those waiting in line at the concession stands or finding their way to their seats will be able to keep up with the on-field action on the stadium's new televisions. After years of smaller, old-style screens, Auburn has upgraded to 97 flat screens on the concourse.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
