How will Syracuse try to avoid fan pileup that occurred at Clemson game?

[Eric15]

and here we go. Let’s sterilize football attendance at the dome. Now we will have an over reaction like everything else in this day and age.

How/why would taking some practical crowd control measures to make people safer "sterilize football attendance?" If anything, I wouldn't be surprised if some people that were stuck in 15-20 minutes of gridlock are actually afraid of going back if something isn't changed.

 

[Eric15]

She now thinks you're my mistress.

"Upside": you could discuss SU history with SWC for hours
"Downside": he's a dude

 

[FrancoPizza]

"Downside": he's a dude

Not that there’s anything wrong with that, unless the age gap is too great.

 

[SWC75]

My wife had to ask me why I was laughing so hard at my phone. She now thinks you're my mistress.

If you don't tell her, I won't.

 

[Chip]

"Upside": you could discuss SU history with SWC for hours
"Downside": he's a dude

Yeah, but..

Ah, forget it.

 

[FrancoPizza]

when it's freezing and wind is whipping on top of the hill in late November, I can see why people would want to enter wherever is closest to where they're coming from.

This. Quickest way to piss off the fanbase is to tell them they can only use 1 gate. Some of you need to listen to how ridiculous that sounds. If that's the best idea we can come up with that should tell you how dysfunctional the situation is. Fans may have put up with suffocating concourses in the 80s and 90s but that was before smart phones and home entertainment became serious competition. An improving product on the field will help to an extent, but the overall fan experience is more crucial than it was the last time the team was any good in the 80s-90s. If the administration thinks expanding the concourses is not a priority then they need to at least build a secured outdoor perimeter for fans who just want to get some fresh air and escape the crowds. That's the cheap option but it would be a good start until they can come up with the $ for phase 3.

 

[Cusefan69]

This issue is more concerning because you also have a mix of children and families with drunk fans and college kids. Very fortunate something serious didn’t happen. A few drunks, bumped shoulders, some beer muscles and next thing you know things go south.
Not going to bang the drum about dropping coin to expand out walls but this shouldn’t be rocket science either. Part of the problem is people turn into Sheeple in events like that. Some common sense and paying attention should help a bit with the issue. If you see a crowd not moving, crazy concept...don’t walk into it, find another path.

 

[Chip]

It's no big deal to walk around the outside of the dome to get to a certain gait when the weather is nice. But when it's freezing and wind is whipping on top of the hill in late November, I can see why people would want to enter wherever is closest to where they're coming from. Shutting down a few concession stands for 15 minutes isn't a big deal.

Yeah but this only happens when there are 45k plus attending a game. So if you go to that closest gate when you’re freezing you’re still going to stand in a long line outside. Why not spend another 3 minutes in the whipping wind to go to a gate where you can get inside faster.

 

[FrancoPizza]

Yeah but this only happens when there are 45k plus attending a game. So if you go to that closest gate when you’re freezing you’re still going to stand in a long line outside. Why not spend another 3 minutes in the whipping wind to go to a gate where you can get inside faster.

No guarantee the other gate will be faster. When it gets that nipply out, some people would prefer to stand in line and huddle up from the wind then continue to be on the move.

 

[upperdeck]

at most bball games there are on avg 10-20K less than the clemson game.. far less coming from skytop so that end of the quad is much quieter getting in and more spread out walking in to each corner. once inside though it congests down at the other end.

 

[sufandu]

Yeah but this only happens when there are 45k plus attending a game. So if you go to that closest gate when you’re freezing you’re still going to stand in a long line outside. Why not spend another 3 minutes in the whipping wind to go to a gate where you can get inside faster.

Depends on who you are. Some people walk faster/have more endurance. Maybe the young people should do just that while the old timers go tomthe closest gait. That would be a nice compromise but would require common sense.

 

[dooey139]

Simple solution would be having someone monitor the concourse. When you get the logjam, shut down the gate and tell people to go elsewhere. My brother was stuck in this nonsense.

 

[Macky44]

This probably sounds trivial, but one thing causing this is they don't mirror the same concessions on each quadrant of the Dome on each floor. I go halfway around The Dome and to a different level of my seating to get certain foods at times that can't be purchased near me.

 

[gmoney44]

Anyone that tries to dismiss what happened as 'not a big deal' should have their head examined. I'll also wager that they weren't one of those who were trapped in that situation.

anyone walking around the concourse 5 minutes before kickoff to the Clemson game should have their head examined. Especially those with kids.

 

[cuse309]

The pile up is avoided by getting to the dome well before kickoff. Our 20,000+ fairweather fans tend to try and maximize their time outside of the dome, and show up just minutes before kickoff, only to complain about how much of a cluster 他妈的 it is.
I go through gate G about 25-40 minutes before kickoff, and rarely have to wait in line more than 5 minutes.

 

[Consigliere]

This. Quickest way to piss off the fanbase is to tell them they can only use 1 gate. Some of you need to listen to how ridiculous that sounds. If that's the best idea we can come up with that should tell you how dysfunctional the situation is. Fans may have put up with suffocating concourses in the 80s and 90s but that was before smart phones and home entertainment became serious competition. An improving product on the field will help to an extent, but the overall fan experience is more crucial than it was the last time the team was any good in the 80s-90s. If the administration thinks expanding the concourses is not a priority then they need to at least build a secured outdoor perimeter for fans who just want to get some fresh air and escape the crowds. That's the cheap option but it would be a good start until they can come up with the $ for phase 3.

I've been to many arenas where the designated entry gate is enforced. As long as it's communicated properly and the fan base understands it is for safety and efficiency reasons I honestly don't see the issue unless there are weather issues. Honestly, why wouldn't you want to walk 100 yards outside rather than in absolute grid lock?

 

[Pyle]

The pile up is avoided by getting to the dome well before kickoff. Our 20,000+ fairweather fans tend to try and maximize their time outside of the dome, and show up just minutes before kickoff, only to complain about how much of a cluster 他妈的 it is.
I go through gate G about 25-40 minutes before kickoff, and rarely have to wait in line more than 5 minutes.

We left skytop 90 minutes before kickoff. Go to the quad in 15 minutes. We got in line immediately for security. Got my ticket scanned almost 1 hour later and wasn't walking into the dome until 15 min before kickoff. This wasn't about people waiting too long. They changed their entrance policies before the biggest game in 20 years and didn't handle it well. The lines trying to get in from the quad were ridiculous. Walk around where? With the crane in the way you were basically forced from the quad into one of 3 lines and they were ridiculously slow and long.

 

[SU68]

This probably sounds trivial, but one thing causing this is they don't mirror the same concessions on each quadrant of the Dome on each floor. I go halfway around The Dome and to a different level of my seating to get certain foods at times that can't be purchased near me.

True. If you want a hamburger/cheeseburger, you have to go to the stand by Gate E. If you want ice cream, there are only two stands on the lower level.

 

[FrancoPizza]

Honestly, why wouldn't you want to walk 100 yards outside rather than in absolute grid lock?

Because walking another 100 yards outside in -20 windchill is not happening.

 

[Consigliere]

Because walking another 100 yards outside in -20 windchill is not happening.

And that happens for how many football games each season?

 

[FrancoPizza]

And that happens for how many football games each season?

The problem extends through basketball season.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

The Dome is a mess pre game, end of quarters, and end of game. Most people will enter from the quad. So most people will look to enter there. I have tried walking around before the cranes went up and it is a log jam outside the Dome. Forcing people to a gate will just change the problem from the inside to the outside.

Without extending the concourses, IMO they should create a grand entrance / food court. Make it two levels. Everybody enters into a grand hall that is built outside the Dome and connects via corridors. People can then go to their appropriate level, even via escalators!!!

There will also be a food court on each level and this will be the only spot for food. That will open up the concourses. Small items can be sold by vendors walking within the stands.

Keeping things as is with concessions, especially when they are inefficient, will never solve the problems.

 

[PhatOrange]

we went in 30 minutes early and used a different gate. no issues what-so-ever.

 

[Consigliere]

The Dome is a mess pre game, end of quarters, and end of game. Most people will enter from the quad. So most people will look to enter there. I have tried walking around before the cranes went up and it is a log jam outside the Dome. Forcing people to a gate will just change the problem from the inside to the outside.

Without extending the concourses, IMO they should create a grand entrance / food court. Make it two levels. Everybody enters into a grand hall that is built outside the Dome and connects via corridors. People can then go to their appropriate level, even via escalators!!!

There will also be a food court on each level and this will be the only spot for food. That will open up the concourses. Small items can be sold by vendors walking within the stands.

Keeping things as is with concessions, especially when they are inefficient, will never solve the problems.

Agree with all of this. Given time and money. I've talked to people who were caught in this crunch though and they were literally frightened. Beyond the congestion there was pushing and shoving and the potential for something truly tragic had someone fallen in the midst of that. If there is anyway to potentially alleviate the risk, particularly without much expense and minimal effort to implement, while more elegant options are developed there is no choice here. Rationalizing that it was a once every ten year event doesn't cut it for me.

 

[Consigliere]

The problem extends through basketball season.

So what should be done with some immediacy to mitigate the risk? Or should SU simply rationalize that it was a once in a decade occurrence and ignore the potential for a serious incident?