Post by aggiejazz on Jun 8, 2009 8:12:21 GMT -5
Gamezone: S.C. State creates paid area for tailgating
By LEE TANT, T&D Staff Writer Sunday, June 07, 2009
Bulldog football fans are going to need a ticket if they want to get close to Oliver C. Dawson Stadium on game days this fall.
South Carolina State University is implementing a policy establishing a “Gamezone” surrounding the stadium where patrons will have to pay for parking and must have a ticket to gain entry.
President Dr. George Cooper said the zone will generate revenue for the university during tight financial times. In addition, he believes it will cut down on loitering and get more fans into the stands.
Board Chairman Lumus Byrd said more fans need to go inside the stadium, which has the capacity to hold 24,500 people, instead of tailgating.
“The (football) program is well funded but poorly supported. We have to start running this like a business,” he said.
A fenced-in perimeter will be placed around the zone. It will extend from the Chestnut Street side of campus to the end of Mitchell and Felton Fields.
Five kiosks are going to be outside of the zone where tickets can be purchased. Special parking passes for the zone must be purchased in advance. Cars entering from Russell and Magnolia streets will be charged $5 to park on campus.
Athletics Director Charlene Johnson said a no-ticket, no-entry policy will apply.
Fans inside the zone that choose not to go inside the stadium will have the option of watching the Bulldogs play on a video screen, Johnson said.
State Rep. Jerry Govan, D-Orangeburg, an S.C. State alumnus, thinks any policy should keep local supporters in mind.
He says that will not only boost fan loyalty but “build support for other areas of the university.”
Trustee Dr. Shirley Martin echoed Govan’s sentiment, saying S.C. State should market the football team locally.
She opposed the zone idea during Thursday’s board retreat, calling it “a mechanism to alienate people.”
Fellow trustee Lance Wright said other schools, such as the University of South Carolina xnd Clemson, employ similar practices with their parking around stadiums.
“It’s a part of football,” Wright said.
Meanwhile, trustee Dr. Walter L. Tobin thinks the change should bring more control to the games. During his years attending Bulldog games, he’s noticed many people are there just to be there.
Tobin is one of the founders of the STATE Club, a non-profit organization that supports Bulldog athletics.
Johnson said she met with STATE Club members and hasn’t received any negative feedback on the zone.
Calls to several STATE Club members were not immediately returned.
Incoming S.C. State National Alumni President Nathaniel Howard supports the zone idea. He feels fans should support the team by purchasing a ticket.
T&D Staff Writer Lee Tant can be reached by email at ltant@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-534-1060. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.
THE NEW RULES
A perimeter called the Gamezone will be established around Oliver C. Dawson Stadium extending from Chestnut Street to the end of Mitchell and Felton Fields.
To enter the Gamezone, a patron must purchase a ticket to the football game.
Anyone entering campus from the Pinkney/Russell streets or Magnolia St./U.S. 601 will be charged $5 to park on campus outside the Gamezone. Faculty, staff and student decals will be honored only at these entry points.
Fans coming into S.C. State by car from Buckley/Russell streets, Buckley/Goff streets or Chestnut Street/Highway 21 Bypass can purchase a season parking pass to park at Mitchell or Felton Fields for $75. Additional parking in the Gamezone is available for $10 on a first-come, first-served basis. Different parking prices will apply for Homecoming. Every person in a vehicle must have a ticket.
By LEE TANT, T&D Staff Writer Sunday, June 07, 2009
Bulldog football fans are going to need a ticket if they want to get close to Oliver C. Dawson Stadium on game days this fall.
South Carolina State University is implementing a policy establishing a “Gamezone” surrounding the stadium where patrons will have to pay for parking and must have a ticket to gain entry.
President Dr. George Cooper said the zone will generate revenue for the university during tight financial times. In addition, he believes it will cut down on loitering and get more fans into the stands.
Board Chairman Lumus Byrd said more fans need to go inside the stadium, which has the capacity to hold 24,500 people, instead of tailgating.
“The (football) program is well funded but poorly supported. We have to start running this like a business,” he said.
A fenced-in perimeter will be placed around the zone. It will extend from the Chestnut Street side of campus to the end of Mitchell and Felton Fields.
Five kiosks are going to be outside of the zone where tickets can be purchased. Special parking passes for the zone must be purchased in advance. Cars entering from Russell and Magnolia streets will be charged $5 to park on campus.
Athletics Director Charlene Johnson said a no-ticket, no-entry policy will apply.
Fans inside the zone that choose not to go inside the stadium will have the option of watching the Bulldogs play on a video screen, Johnson said.
State Rep. Jerry Govan, D-Orangeburg, an S.C. State alumnus, thinks any policy should keep local supporters in mind.
He says that will not only boost fan loyalty but “build support for other areas of the university.”
Trustee Dr. Shirley Martin echoed Govan’s sentiment, saying S.C. State should market the football team locally.
She opposed the zone idea during Thursday’s board retreat, calling it “a mechanism to alienate people.”
Fellow trustee Lance Wright said other schools, such as the University of South Carolina xnd Clemson, employ similar practices with their parking around stadiums.
“It’s a part of football,” Wright said.
Meanwhile, trustee Dr. Walter L. Tobin thinks the change should bring more control to the games. During his years attending Bulldog games, he’s noticed many people are there just to be there.
Tobin is one of the founders of the STATE Club, a non-profit organization that supports Bulldog athletics.
Johnson said she met with STATE Club members and hasn’t received any negative feedback on the zone.
Calls to several STATE Club members were not immediately returned.
Incoming S.C. State National Alumni President Nathaniel Howard supports the zone idea. He feels fans should support the team by purchasing a ticket.
T&D Staff Writer Lee Tant can be reached by email at ltant@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-534-1060. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.
THE NEW RULES
A perimeter called the Gamezone will be established around Oliver C. Dawson Stadium extending from Chestnut Street to the end of Mitchell and Felton Fields.
To enter the Gamezone, a patron must purchase a ticket to the football game.
Anyone entering campus from the Pinkney/Russell streets or Magnolia St./U.S. 601 will be charged $5 to park on campus outside the Gamezone. Faculty, staff and student decals will be honored only at these entry points.
Fans coming into S.C. State by car from Buckley/Russell streets, Buckley/Goff streets or Chestnut Street/Highway 21 Bypass can purchase a season parking pass to park at Mitchell or Felton Fields for $75. Additional parking in the Gamezone is available for $10 on a first-come, first-served basis. Different parking prices will apply for Homecoming. Every person in a vehicle must have a ticket.
