Did anyone watch the game from "The Rock Garden"? Its an interesting idea. Do they have access to the rest of the stadium? Any comments welcome.

You don't have access to the rest of the NEZ facility but I believe you can leave to venture to other parts of the stadium. I was on the other side but it looked nice over there and some food/beverage is included with the price.

DomCrosetto wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 22, 2021 8:47 pm

You don't have access to the rest of the NEZ facility but I believe you can leave to venture to other parts of the stadium. I was on the other side but it looked nice over there and some food/beverage is included with the price.

It seems like a cool idea but honestly I'm not sure what the appeal would be for someone who wants to watch the game on the field. At that level, other than when the game is very close to the endzone on the NEZ side, it would be hard to tell what's going on.

mikeyosef wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 23, 2021 4:56 am

DomCrosetto wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 22, 2021 8:47 pm

You don't have access to the rest of the NEZ facility but I believe you can leave to venture to other parts of the stadium. I was on the other side but it looked nice over there and some food/beverage is included with the price.

It seems like a cool idea but honestly I'm not sure what the appeal would be for someone who wants to watch the game on the field. At that level, other than when the game is very close to the endzone on the NEZ side, it would be hard to tell what's going on.

Seems like a cool place to hang out pre-game but the worst seats in the house once the action starts. No thanks.

Not my cup of tea to watch a game from that point of view but it seems like a nice money maker for our athletic department which is something most G5 departments could use right now.

I was down there as we have tickets in NEZ. We went back and forth, I liked it a lot. Great energy that will only get better with time. Plus the team entering the stadium and coming back in is awesome to be that close to the team. I would give it a thumbs up but many on here will complain and be 1/2 empty about it as usual.

appswin1 wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 23, 2021 7:57 am

I was down there as we have tickets in NEZ. We went back and forth, I liked it a lot. Great energy that will only get better with time. Plus the team entering the stadium and coming back in is awesome to be that close to the team. I would give it a thumbs up but many on here will complain and be 1/2 empty about it as usual.

Do you know if the ticket holders in that area have access to the East/West sides of the stadium?

I believe they can but have to get a wrist band and have your tix to re-enter.

appswin1 wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 23, 2021 7:57 am

I was down there as we have tickets in NEZ. We went back and forth, I liked it a lot. Great energy that will only get better with time. Plus the team entering the stadium and coming back in is awesome to be that close to the team. I would give it a thumbs up but many on here will complain and be 1/2 empty about it as usual.

I watched the 1st quarter from down there. It is neat being field level when the team come out. I get that it isn’t everyone’s thing, but I really liked the vantage point from the NEZ seats. My gf loves football, but she said that watching the game from the NEZ ruined watching it on TV for her.

I was in the Rock Garden for the Game Saturday. I thought it would be a new cool experience when I purchased my tickets. Like most of the experiences from the 1st game, I'm sure it will get better. Went to 3 different gates, each time they would tell us we needed to go to a different area. When the last guy told us we needed to check in at the "Rock" entrance (which is where we started) my wife lost it. After a few minutes, Doug Gillan walked by, asked to help, and took us down to the area. He was very personable and I was super impressed because I'm sure he had more important things to deal with. The area was nice and free bottle water and soft drinks were available immediately. Beer was on sale but ran out early and had to be restocked. Food was brought in by Mellow Mushroom so not having to wait in line at concession stand was worth it in itself. You could not go into the NEZ but those with NEZ badges could come into the area. There were a few tv's showing other games had access to our very own set of porta-johns. The crowd on our side of the garden was not as energized as we would have liked. My wife and I like to meet fellow mountaineers, high five, dance, and sing with the band. As someone mentioned, the play on the Hill side of the field we watched on the scoreboard, play on NEZ side was incredible. You are right beside the players as the run onto the field which was nice and even had a few high fives from band members before they performed. I like the concept and would probably do it again in the future.

The NEZ seats have the best POV as you see the routes develop, holes open and defense reacts. My wife who is not a big football fan raved about the angle.