FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Razorbacks are back on campus for the first home game of the season Saturday, Sept. 14 at 3:15 pm.
The festivities start off Friday night with a Hall of Honor ceremony at the Walton Arts Center and Big Red’s Rooftop Bar opening to fans.
Senior Associate Athletic Director Kevin Trainor said this year brings a variety of new concession options at the stadium, including more grab and go options.
Parking
For fans planning to head to the game, Trainor said one of the most important things to remember before coming to the game is to download their tickets before arrival. With so many people using the internet at once, it might be difficult to download them at the stadium.
Derek Bell drove his red Cybertruck and Hog tailgate trailer onto the field at N Razorback and W Maple. He arrived a full day before Saturday's home opener to guarantee his tailgate spot.
"We call ourselves bacon memories. I think we started in 2005, and a lot of friends and family have been a part of it. Watched our kids grow up. We got pictures inside the trailer of all the years. And actually, one of them is taking their first tour at the university today, which is pretty cool," Bell said.
Though, even the longtime fan has to find a parking spot nearby.
"There's a lot of very generous people that actually have their front yards across the way that they actually use charge anywhere from 20 to 50 bucks, and we usually drop a pin and tell our visitors where they need to park," Bell said.
Residents like Susan Hall watch fans fill the neighborhoods near the stadium every football season. Her in-laws built their home just off Cleveland St in 1950. Hall says her neighbors previously used their yard to help put their grandchild through college.
"They parked about 200 to 250 cars on their land, and they were out there telling them exactly where to park. And when we first moved back here in the 90s, they were charging $20 a spot. By the time they quit, they were charging $50 a spot," she said.
Hall said that her neighborhood typically charges $50-$60, but that she doesn't participate. She adds that some runoff any fans looking to park on their property but that she doesn't mind the visitors.
"We were all students once, and let me tell you, when I was 18 and 19, I was just as clueless as the rest of them. So I don't expect them always to know what to do," Hall said.
The University of Arkansas and the City of Fayetteville do provide spaces to park with shuttles driving fans to the stadium.
To handle gameday traffic and safety, Cpl. Allen Porter said the University of Arkansas Police Department will have nearly 300 officers on the hill helping out. Law enforcement agencies from all over Northwest Arkansas and the River Valley will be assisting in filling those spots. While they say traffic is dense before the game, they see the most gridlock after.
"If I could ask that they carpool, that would be excellent. That would free up more space," Cpl. Porter said.
Bag check
Another thing to note is that the stadium has a clear bag policy, and bags will be checked at the gate. This year brings some changes to gameday parking, as the university renamed parking lots. Trainor suggests fans with parking passes familiarize themselves with the new parking lot numbers ahead of time.
Traffic
When it comes to the heavy traffic, he emphasized the importance of planning ahead.
“You need to have your game plan,” Trainor said. “Know which route you're going to take. There are traffic patterns beginning three hours prior to game time, so some of those roads you may usually take during the week may not be going that direction.”
Trainor suggests going to the Razorbacks website to plan out your route.
As always, Trainor said he expects the first home game to be full of excitement.
“It's family weekend at the university, so we'll have a lot of parents and families of students here at the U of A,” Trainor said. “We expect a big student crowd. It's going to be a beautiful afternoon. The Razorbacks are back on campus, and we're excited for it. There's just a vibe that happens on campus when there's a home football game. It's really a celebration for the university and for the state.”
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