Fans reminded of MT Blvd
construction; some tailgating areas relocated
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — With a new season
set to get underway Saturday against Alabama A&M, patrons and fans to
Middle Tennessee football games can expect some noticeable changes to game day
operations, including bag checks at the gate and relocation of some tailgating
areas.
Perhaps
the biggest change patrons will see this season is before they even get to the
game.
Middle TN Boulevard
construction ongoing
Construction
on Middle Tennessee Boulevard to the west of campus has closed some of the
routes fans may have taken to games in the past.
“[The
construction] will slow down the flow of traffic in and out of campus,” said
Kortne Gosha, MT associate athletic director of operations. “I’m telling anyone
I come in contact with to avoid Middle Tennessee Boulevard from the corner of
Greenland to Main. It is going to be extremely slow and extremely congested.”
The
Middle Tennessee Boulevard construction has also created a slight change in
parking. In the Greenland Drive parking lot to the north of campus, patrons can
park there for $10 per game. BRAA members with the Greenland or RV passes will
also be able to park there.
“Due
to the Middle Tennessee Boulevard construction, people are going to gravitate
to get as close to the stadium as they can, so the Greenland lot may fill up a
little bit quicker,” Gosha said. “For our patrons, it’s just a good note to
leave five or 10 minutes early coming to the game and enjoy some of the pregame
festivities.”
Changes to some
tailgating areas
For
fans that are looking forward to tailgating this season, there is a change
there, as well.
In
the past, patrons were able to tailgate in the cove between the Tom Jackson and
James Union buildings and Middle Tennessee Boulevard. However, this season that
area is not available for tailgating. Patrons can instead head to the
President’s lawn, the lawn at the Wood-Stegall building along Alumni Drive or
to the grass area next to the Greenland Drive parking lot and Middle Tennessee
tennis courts. All of these areas are free and on a first-come, first-served
basis.
The
Greenland tailgating area will be split into 50 30-by-30-foot plots. Patrons
can use them on a first-come, first-served basis and can pull their vehicles
right into the space and pop up a tent if they so wish.
“That
will be new for a lot of the people who are tailgating in that area, but they
will see our lined plots out there,” Gosha said. “We think the Greenland grass
tailgating area will be a vibrant area for patrons this year.”
Bag checks at the gate;
no weapons allowed
Once
fans get to the gates to get into the game, they will see another change. For
the first time this season there will be bag checks at every entrance to Floyd
Stadium. This will be standard bag check and not a clear bag policy.
All
bags 14-by-14-by-10 inches and smaller will be allowed into the stadium, and
every bag will be checked before patrons are allowed to enter. There will also
be separate lines for those without bags.
“Security
and safety is our no. 1 priority,” Gosha said. “We have collaborated with
Murfreesboro Police, University Police, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the
Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security and a division of the FBI
to talk about game-day security and some of the logistics in getting people in
and out.
“We
do know the first time or two will be different for our fans, but we hope and
anticipate it will not slow down our lines for getting people in.”
There
will be A-frame signs placed throughout the tailgating areas and stadium
entrances telling patrons what they can and can’t bring into the stadium.
While
a bill was signed by Gov. Bill Haslam earlier this year allowing guns on
college campuses in Tennessee, they will not be allowed in any of Middle Tennessee’s
athletics facilities.
“There
are no weapons of any kind, carrying permit or not, within any athletic venue
on campus,” Gosha said. “Part of that is to make sure all of our fans are
secure and safe at every opportunity when they come on campus.”
Raider Town changes
Another
tweak to game day involves Raider Town. For the 2016 season, Raider Town will
open at 4 p.m. and will be located near Floyd Stadium in the
Gate 3 area, which is easy access to the stadium so fans can enjoy all the
pre-game festivities. Raider Town is free to the public and will
feature different vendors, food trucks,
give-a-ways, inflatables, and music.
With
all of the changes to game-day operations for Blue Raider football games,
patrons are asked to be patient with traffic and encouraged to have a fun and
safe game-day experience. For any questions or concerns, please contact the
Middle Tennessee Ticket Office at 615-898-5261.
For reasons of safety,
the following items are NOT PERMITTED in Floyd Stadium:
- Alcoholic beverages (exceptions are the
suites, outdoor suites and Hendrix Club)
- Bottles
- Cans
- Food
- Coolers
- Video cameras
- Laser pointers
- Artificial noise makers
- Umbrellas
- Backpacks
- Shoe bags
- Fireworks
- Weapons or any other items deemed
dangerous or inappropriate by security or game management
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