This post is related to the fan experience in the stands and are just some areas where UTEP could look to improve:
1.). Half-Time Show was a mess.
At half-time, UTEP brought out a couple of hundred little girls out onto the field to perform some dance routine. They marched into the stadium and got into position on the field. A Justin Timberlake song came on and the girls began their dance routine. After about 45 seconds the song suddenly stopped and the girls stopped not knowing what to do. The song then started all over again from the beginning, and the little girls restarted and began doing their routine from the beginning again. Then after another short 45 seconds or so, then the song just suddenly stopped again. The announcer appeared to just give up and said something like "let's have a round of applause". I was looking down on the field and Laura Rayborn was pissed off and yelling at the UTEP Staff. I can't say that I blame her. I don't know anything about their performace or preparation for this, but I imagine that it must have really sucked to have coordinated a number of practices for a couple of hundred kids, got them all matching white UTEP outfits, got all of them to the stadium, marched them out onto the field and put them into position, but then they couldn't perform their routine because a song couldn't be played and they all had to exit the field without completing their performance. Not sure where the issue was, but this was what UTEP's offered as it's half-time entertainment and it was just a very unorganized event.
2.). Promotional Giveaway was poorly executed.
There are only 4 ways for a fan to enter the Sun Bowl(North Entrance, Southeast Ramp, Southwest Ramp, and Southwest Stairs). I entered the Sunbowl exactly 40 minutes before the game started and entered at the Southwest Stairs as I always do. UTEP had advertised a free can cooler with a UTEP Football Helmet on it for the first 10,000 fans. I was at least one of the first 2,000 people there, yet there was no one giving out can coolers at my entrance. There had been someone there at the previous two games giving away items, but no one last night. While waiting for my Fiancee' to come out of the bathroom, I looked down and saw one guy giving out coolers at the Southwest ramp entrance. I walked down towards him but the poor guy giving them out wasn't prepared and the hand-out was going extremely slow, as he was having to grab a large "First Down" paper sign from one box, a small program from another box and then the cooler from another box, then he would hand that to one fan. Then he had to repeat grabbing each of the 3 separate items again and give it to the next fan. This was way too slow and not efficient when you have 21,000 fans entering your stadium.
This is just all about poor attention to detail from UTEP. If you are going to advertise a giveaway then: 1.) provide the giveaway at all four of your entrances. 2.) Provide more than one person to hand out the items at the entrances where you actually are handing out the items. 3.). Prepare your giveaway items in advance, so that they can be handed out efficiently and not "built" as fans are entering the stadium in groups.
3.). Student Section was maybe 1/10th full.
At some point, people have to be graded on results and UTEP marketing is doing an extremely poor job of getting students to attend football games, even though the Tickets are free for them! The student section has been poor for a while now, but last night was a complete embarrassment for UTEP.
UTEP marketing has an entire year to prepare for just 7 Home Games and these are the results?
On the positive side:
I was impressed with the "politeness" of the 21,000 people that did show up. Even as things grew more and more frustrating on the field, the fans in the stands groaned but handled themselves very maturely. There wasn't any booing in my section and even as people started to leave out of frustration, it was more of a "alright we're outta here, see you later" rather than the type of pissed off behavior that one would expect. I guess this could be veiwed as both good and bad, but ultimately it was just an odd politeness towards the team/situation.
The security in the light blue shirts was very welcoming. I remember the security guys used to wear yellow shirts, so I don't know if they changed companies in recent years, but this current group does a good job. When I arrived at the parking garage, the same guy from the first two games recognized me and welcomed me back. As we entered the game a young kid checking bags welcomed us to the stadium, and as we left another guy at the bottom told me "you guys have a nice night". I arrived before most people arrive and I left after most people had already left, so maybe that had something to do with it, but to still be personally and politely acknowledged on 3 separate occasions, by 3 separate individuals, is something positive that should be recognized from this group.
1.). Half-Time Show was a mess.
At half-time, UTEP brought out a couple of hundred little girls out onto the field to perform some dance routine. They marched into the stadium and got into position on the field. A Justin Timberlake song came on and the girls began their dance routine. After about 45 seconds the song suddenly stopped and the girls stopped not knowing what to do. The song then started all over again from the beginning, and the little girls restarted and began doing their routine from the beginning again. Then after another short 45 seconds or so, then the song just suddenly stopped again. The announcer appeared to just give up and said something like "let's have a round of applause". I was looking down on the field and Laura Rayborn was pissed off and yelling at the UTEP Staff. I can't say that I blame her. I don't know anything about their performace or preparation for this, but I imagine that it must have really sucked to have coordinated a number of practices for a couple of hundred kids, got them all matching white UTEP outfits, got all of them to the stadium, marched them out onto the field and put them into position, but then they couldn't perform their routine because a song couldn't be played and they all had to exit the field without completing their performance. Not sure where the issue was, but this was what UTEP's offered as it's half-time entertainment and it was just a very unorganized event.
2.). Promotional Giveaway was poorly executed.
There are only 4 ways for a fan to enter the Sun Bowl(North Entrance, Southeast Ramp, Southwest Ramp, and Southwest Stairs). I entered the Sunbowl exactly 40 minutes before the game started and entered at the Southwest Stairs as I always do. UTEP had advertised a free can cooler with a UTEP Football Helmet on it for the first 10,000 fans. I was at least one of the first 2,000 people there, yet there was no one giving out can coolers at my entrance. There had been someone there at the previous two games giving away items, but no one last night. While waiting for my Fiancee' to come out of the bathroom, I looked down and saw one guy giving out coolers at the Southwest ramp entrance. I walked down towards him but the poor guy giving them out wasn't prepared and the hand-out was going extremely slow, as he was having to grab a large "First Down" paper sign from one box, a small program from another box and then the cooler from another box, then he would hand that to one fan. Then he had to repeat grabbing each of the 3 separate items again and give it to the next fan. This was way too slow and not efficient when you have 21,000 fans entering your stadium.
This is just all about poor attention to detail from UTEP. If you are going to advertise a giveaway then: 1.) provide the giveaway at all four of your entrances. 2.) Provide more than one person to hand out the items at the entrances where you actually are handing out the items. 3.). Prepare your giveaway items in advance, so that they can be handed out efficiently and not "built" as fans are entering the stadium in groups.
3.). Student Section was maybe 1/10th full.
At some point, people have to be graded on results and UTEP marketing is doing an extremely poor job of getting students to attend football games, even though the Tickets are free for them! The student section has been poor for a while now, but last night was a complete embarrassment for UTEP.
UTEP marketing has an entire year to prepare for just 7 Home Games and these are the results?
On the positive side:
I was impressed with the "politeness" of the 21,000 people that did show up. Even as things grew more and more frustrating on the field, the fans in the stands groaned but handled themselves very maturely. There wasn't any booing in my section and even as people started to leave out of frustration, it was more of a "alright we're outta here, see you later" rather than the type of pissed off behavior that one would expect. I guess this could be veiwed as both good and bad, but ultimately it was just an odd politeness towards the team/situation.
The security in the light blue shirts was very welcoming. I remember the security guys used to wear yellow shirts, so I don't know if they changed companies in recent years, but this current group does a good job. When I arrived at the parking garage, the same guy from the first two games recognized me and welcomed me back. As we entered the game a young kid checking bags welcomed us to the stadium, and as we left another guy at the bottom told me "you guys have a nice night". I arrived before most people arrive and I left after most people had already left, so maybe that had something to do with it, but to still be personally and politely acknowledged on 3 separate occasions, by 3 separate individuals, is something positive that should be recognized from this group.
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