Louisville AD Vince Tyra Announces Enhancements to Correct Game Day Experience
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - It was far from a smooth game day experience for fans at Louisville football's home opener against Eastern Kentucky, but Athletic Director Vince Tyra is taking steps to ensure it does not happen again.
In an email to season ticket holders Tuesday morning, after a thorough review with operational partners CSC and Centerplate, Tyra announced a bulleted plan to fix the various concessions and ticketing problems that plagued fans in the 30-3 win over EKU. It included:
- Activate 25 in-seat vendors who will accept cash.
- Accept cash at select concession stands on the concourse and those stands will be clearly identified.
- Anticipate a 40% increase in point-of-sale locations over Saturday.
- Transition four (4) concessions stands to beverage-only (serving water, soda, and beer) within the concourses and they will be labeled accordingly.
- Centerplate’s IT department is actively working with point-of-sale payment partners to determine root cause of credit card processing delays on Saturday and provide resolution.
- Centerplate and UofL's IT department are conducting a networking overview in effort to improve speed of service and throughput.
- Activate all concourse water fountains to be open and operational. Free cups will be available for fans at concession points.
- Additional staff and supervisors provided for training on scanners
- Additional supervision will be provided at each gate for trouble shooting and guest services
"Home games are exactly that, a representation of our house, and maintaining that sense of pride in how we host our fans and our guests is a value we take to heart," Tyra said in the email. "Improvement is a dynamic goal---one that never ends--and we are committed to working through these challenges to provide the best experience possible for you."
During Saturday's win, numerous concessions and ticketing problems arose for fans. Stadium entry points and concession windows were severely limited, creating extremely long wait times. Many fans reported that credit card machines could not process their cards, and that amenities such as soap and water fountains were not available.
"Simply put, last night did not meet your standard or expectation, and certainly did not meet ours," Tyra said in an email to season ticket holders on Sunday. He revealed Tuesday morning that out of the close to 1,000 subcontractors needed for the game, only 250 showed up.
Kickoff for Louisville's next game against UCF is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 17 at 7:30 p.m. EST at Cardinal Stadium.
(Photo of Vince Tyra: University of Louisville Athletics)
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