Parking isn’t a new issue for game days on the Plains, with thousands of attendees and tailgaters crowding parking lots on and near campus. The high demand drives many locals to rent out spaces in their driveways and storefronts for upwards of $20. These inflated prices and low availability leave student workers – who are essential to the game day experience – with scarce opportunities to get close to campus by vehicle.
This year, the Iron Bowl will be held Nov. 25 in Jordan-Hare Stadium, with tens of thousands of spectators expected to attend. According to data from Sportico, in 2021, when the last Iron Bowl in Jordan Hare occurred, Auburn University Athletics garnered $106.7 million in revenue.
Outside the football team, on-campus businesses like the Auburn University Bookstore, Starbucks and the Melton Student Center Chick-fil-A and convenience store rake in thousands of dollars from students, tourists and game day attendees. Student workers play an integral role in connecting game day attendees to the game day experience by providing welcoming customer service.
With commerce booming on game days, getting to campus poses a challenge for student workers. Workers face road blockages, heavily congested traffic, inflated parking prices and large crowds when traveling to campus while still under the expectation of arriving on time.
Without student workers in the stadium and the student center, thousands of fans would go without food or drinks, leaving multiple fans dissatisfied and fracturing part of the university’s game day revenue. Without the ticketing information workers and the Foy workers who provide essential information to those curious about the game day schedule, ticket help and access, directions, parking help and other resources, fans in need are left helpless.
Although the Research Park, South Quad parking deck and Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine and Facilities lots offer free parking, only the Research Park and the Facilities lot are available for drivers without disabilities. Both lots open for parking at 8:00 a.m. on game days but fill up fast, leaving many student workers who work shifts closer to kickoff still looking for parking.
Student workers lucky enough to find free parking in either the Research Park or the Facilities lot face a lengthy trek on foot to the stadium and its surrounding buildings. For example, if a bookstore worker parked at the Research Park, they would walk approximately 40 minutes to the Haley Center.
Instead of walking, the student can use Tiger Transit. However, the transit only picks up in select areas on and off campus, with the free parking areas excluded. The student can try to use the bus stop at the VCOM building along the route, but when crowded with many fans, waiting for a bus with enough room is tedious.
For Olyvia Stone, junior in psychology who works at the Foy Information Desk on game days, getting to the student center on game days is difficult.
On jam-packed game days, Stone has to get up early for her 7:30 a.m. shifts, and once she finds somewhere to park, she usually walks 30 minutes to campus. She often tries to park closer in the RO lot but usually has to park off campus.
As a commuter student, she explained she has no choice but to use her car as transportation to campus. Because of the lack of parking, Stone – who gets paid $8 an hour – explained she buys a $45 parking pass from the Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center on some game days.
Stone’s coworker, Mason Abel, junior in history, also explained that parking is hectic for him. He often looks around for free parking and usually parks either in or across from the hayfields off South Donahue. Abel’s walk to the student center is approximately 20 minutes, during which he walks through tailgates, vehicle traffic and thousands of fans.
Student workers can also get parking closer to campus by purchasing parking passes. However, with many student workers making the state’s minimum wage of $7.25 an hour or a little over, some don't see the point in purchasing a $20+ parking pass since it takes almost a third of their income from their shift.
Close to Stone and Abel at the Foy desk is Ireland Brogan, sophomore in psychology who works at the Chick-fil-A in the student center. Brogan described her parking experience as "terrible," with her scrounging around for parking downtown on most game days.
Brogan explained that she drives around downtown most game days for free parking lots or decks. When successful, Brogan described her 26-minute walk from downtown as a "hassle."
Student workers like Brogan serve thousands of customers during their game day shifts and often have little downtime. After a full shift, exhausted student workers must return to their cars, wait in traffic, navigate road closures and sometimes deal with unruly fans or walk through unsafe areas.
Another issue student workers face during game days is that if they park in the wrong spots, they risk paying a ticket fee, being towed or getting wheel locked. According to Auburn University's Parking Services website, information on cars towed or wheel locked can be retrieved by coming to the office or calling their number from 10:00 a.m. until two hours after the official end of a game.
Student workers who miss the time window must wait until 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Sunday or call a different number designated outside their office hours. If they are commuter students and cannot pay the fine or miss the time window to pick up their car, they face uncertainty about returning to their homes after their shifts.
Stone and Abel agreed the Foy Information Desk workers only need four to five parking spaces on game days. Some workers say there is a parking pass for game day workers, but there is confusion on how to obtain it and if it includes football games. Some suggest providing passes in parking decks or lots to select workers who consistently work game days.
Thousands of students and fans will fill up Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday, leaving parking lots pushing their limits for Iron Bowl attendees. As the university is expected to profit highly, student workers still face not only the chaos of providing quality customer service but also the uncertainty of parking and the journey before and after their shifts.
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