• First game issues?

Posted: **Sun Sep 19, 2021 9:36 am**

Genuinely curious how things ran on the West Side yesterday? There were some opportunities on the east side for sure. Only two people scanning tickets, season ticket holder entrance was not even open. The line for concessions moving at a snails pace. Wondering if it’s a staffing issue or just knocking the rust off of the last almost two years. No matter what, was extremely happy to be back in Boone and looking forward to Thursday. #BeatMarshall

Posted: **Sun Sep 19, 2021 9:54 am**

East side was a joke. Long lines to get in, impossible to get to concessions. Lots of season tickets holders sitting around me were very unhappy. It looked like we were totally unprepared for the large crowd,

Posted: **Sun Sep 19, 2021 10:03 am**

The NEZ had issues. Entrance not staffed well. Not enough tables inside for eating. Food not ready when NEZ opened. Kids running around inside throwing footballs.
Beer not cold and ran out of water.

As I understand it, in the west stands the student section spilled into the concourse area and standing obscured the views of many in 206-204. No staff to keep isles open.

Posted: **Sun Sep 19, 2021 10:19 am**

This is happening at football stadiums across the country. AppState food services has closed three of their smaller dining options on campus because they need the staff at the larger ones in order to keep them running. Appalcart has closed routes because of no bus drivers.

The serge of construction building and premium resort services jobs paying $20 to $30 per hour has shifted employees out of low paying jobs.

Posted: **Sun Sep 19, 2021 10:23 am**

There were posts last week or two trying to hire people

Posted: **Sun Sep 19, 2021 10:44 am**

A friend had a Legend’s parking pass. Got there and was turned away. They told him Legend’s had been oversold! If I’m that season ticket holder (it was gifted to him), I’m beyond pissed. Guess that warrants a call to YC.

Posted: **Sun Sep 19, 2021 10:54 am**

no one at our gate west side checking bags. So back up just trying to get them in. I could have taken 1 chicken leg, 2 devil eggs, 3 ham biscuits and 4 waters in my wife's clear bag with no problem. would have saved 30 minute wait in concession line only to be told out of food.

Posted: **Sun Sep 19, 2021 11:04 am**

West side was no different. Only 2-3 gates open, huge backlog trying to get in. Concession lines blocking the concourse area. No staff to show people where their seats were. Saw very few EPI security people around the stadium . I thought they claimed the Luke combs concert helped them from an operational stand point, but I didn’t see it yesterday

Posted: **Sun Sep 19, 2021 11:49 am**

Agree on east side. It was one mass of humanity squeezing through two gates with 2 people scanning tickets and security looking at clear bags. No way I was going to get any concessions as the lines were ridiculous. I think that honestly our areas behind the seats were made way too small and it’s always been terrible. Did anyone else notice that twice stats were flashed up on the board and they were not remotely correct and said the same thing both times? Showed us with something like 304 yards passing and 4 yards rushing. How on earth does that happen? It isn’t mission critical but there wasn’t a single mention of scores from other games. Maybe they could not get an internet connection in the booth like in the seats.

Posted: **Sun Sep 19, 2021 12:24 pm**

I am generally more optimistic than most. And, perhaps it’s budget cuts, the fact that no company is fully staffed, etc.

But, other than our team and our video production team, what is going right? We had an opportunity to grow our fanbase yesterday. Between our parking “miscues”, issues entering the stadium (I had no problem getting in at the top gate on the East side. But, most people don’t know about it and don’t want to climb the hill further) and yesterday’s concessions issue. I don’t know that the casual fan will want to come back often.
A member of our party left in the first quarter to get water and did not come back until late in the 3rd quarter. This was repeated by the fans sitting in front of us, who wanted hot dogs and were ready to leave to get something to eat. There were long lines for the vending machines to get waters and eventually they ran out.
At the very least bring in portable water refilling stations and allow one bottle of water per fan to be brought in
Replays were sparse and never ran to full length. The game stats were put up twice and both were wrong. Scores from other games?

It is really embarrassing that we cannot get the basic in-game experience correct year after year.

We did do a good job with the in game recognitions, specifically with Jerry Moore.

Posted: **Sun Sep 19, 2021 1:31 pm**

West side only had 3 of 6 concession bays open.

That isn’t acceptable for 30k crowd.

Posted: **Sun Sep 19, 2021 1:41 pm**

It’s insane to me how poorly we handle concessions. I go to a lot of games at the Swamp and rarely wait more than a few minutes (5-10) tops for any concession. How they can do this with crowds 3x our size and we can’t is just unacceptable. We need to get better, it’s not rocket science.

Posted: **Sun Sep 19, 2021 2:48 pm**

I think yall are overreacting. Last year the largest crowd (5k?) was nothing like yesterday. I am willing to overlook these minor problems because it was a full house, at an App football game. I dont need much more than that.

Plus it looked to me like the bean counters way undercounted attendance. 30k …. ??? Chit. It seemed more like 40k to me. I walked around some at halftime and the walkways around the hill and under the bleachers were absolutely jammed.
I think they may have not counted the students. The student section was standing room only and even the aisles were blocked.

As to the App / State chant, my son noticed that the students did not know how to do the chant. Its a learned skill because they wanted to do it too fast. You have wait for the other side to respond. No one did it last year so there were no student leaders this year. That will change next game. Even college students can learn stuff!! I just know it!
And Marshall is in for a whoopin!!

Posted: **Sun Sep 19, 2021 2:51 pm**

East side concessions are laughable unless of course you're the one waiting in line 45 minutes for a bottle of water. Could have got beer no problem. Why not sell water in the beer stands? Why not sell bottomless sodas like at BOA Stadium with multiple filling stations? Are concessions really that difficult?

Posted: **Sun Sep 19, 2021 3:33 pm**

t4pizza wrote: ↑
Sun Sep 19, 2021 1:41 pm
It’s insane to me how poorly we handle concessions. I go to a lot of games at the Swamp and rarely wait more than a few minutes (5-10) tops for any concession. How they can do this with crowds 3x our size and we can’t is just unacceptable. We need to get better, it’s not rocket science.

The UF comparison got me thinking. Major programs with large fanbases sell a lot of season tickets and therefore can predict and prepare for attendance in the +/-10% range. We're so dependent on single game ticket crowd (which makes their decision based on weather week of). Our attendance ranges from 17 to 30K. It's got to be hard to plan gameday operations when the attendance swings 40% game to game.

Posted: **Sun Sep 19, 2021 3:51 pm**

appgrad95&97 wrote: ↑
Sun Sep 19, 2021 3:33 pm

t4pizza wrote: ↑
Sun Sep 19, 2021 1:41 pm
It’s insane to me how poorly we handle concessions. I go to a lot of games at the Swamp and rarely wait more than a few minutes (5-10) tops for any concession. How they can do this with crowds 3x our size and we can’t is just unacceptable. We need to get better, it’s not rocket science.
It was Parents Weekend...that is always a hot ticket...
The UF comparison got me thinking. Major programs with large fanbases sell a lot of season tickets and therefore can predict and prepare for attendance in the +/-10% range. We're so dependent on single game ticket crowd (which makes their decision based on weather week of). Our attendance ranges from 17 to 30K. It's got to be hard to plan gameday operations when the attendance swings 40% game to game.

Posted: **Sun Sep 19, 2021 4:10 pm**

booneboy92 wrote: ↑
Sun Sep 19, 2021 10:44 am
A friend had a Legend’s parking pass. Got there and was turned away. They told him Legend’s had been oversold! If I’m that season ticket holder (it was gifted to him), I’m beyond pissed. Guess that warrants a call to YC.

This is inexcusable.

Heard Gillin on the radio say they thought even a day or two before the game that they'd have more staff than they wound up having. Not sure what happened there.

But overselling spots reserved for YC members is a big no-no.

Posted: **Sun Sep 19, 2021 4:12 pm**

Guys the game was sold out in advance. Half of the concession bags were closed.

The excuses and rationalization are laughable.

If you’re going to sell 30k tickets provide the infrastructure to support it.

Some of those in attendance were first timers, we should go out of our way to ensure they have a positive experience.

Posted: **Sun Sep 19, 2021 4:27 pm**

Left the Mountaineer lot before 3, missed half of the first quarter. 35-40 minutes to go that short distance is not reasonable. The problem was the congestion at the gates with too few people to scan the tickets. However I will take that compared to last year with only a handful in attendance. I'm sure things will improve going forward or I will leave my parking space a little earlier. Hoping for improvement on Thursday.

Posted: **Sun Sep 19, 2021 4:30 pm**

9Steelman wrote: ↑
Sun Sep 19, 2021 10:54 am
no one at our gate west side checking bags. So back up just trying to get them in. I could have taken 1 chicken leg, 2 devil eggs, 3 ham biscuits and 4 waters in my wife's clear bag with no problem. would have saved 30 minute wait in concession line only to be told out of food.

If concessions are going to be such a problem, maybe they need to go the NASCAR route and let people bring in at least waters/sodas, if not snacks/food as well

First game issues?

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