Several University of Wyoming football fans are expressing frustration after facing long lines at last weekend’s home opener against the University of Northern Iowa Panthers.
The Cowboys notched a convincing 31-7 win over UNI on Saturday to go 2-0 on the year.
As the Cowboys look ahead to a major matchup against the 20th ranked University of Utah Utes this Saturday, fans and university officials are hoping for a smoother fan experience after several fans reported trouble just trying to get through the stadium gates.
Ticketing Troubles
Tish Hill attended the game with her husband Murray and said they were not lucky enough to beat the lines heading into the stadium. She told Cowboy State Daily that security officials at the stadium entrances were allowing fans to enter unchecked to speed along the lines.
Though she had attended many Cowboys football games throughout the years, she said she had never experienced such long lines.
“There were lines everywhere and whoever was checking people in was going really slowly so we went from one gate to another looking to see if there was one without a line,” she said. “We could hear that the game was getting ready to start and people were starting to push, it wasn’t good at all.”
“If we got in there 30 minutes early, we probably would have been fine, but who does that?” she added. “We were there 15 minutes before the game and there were just floods of people waiting to get in.”
Tish said she used mobile tickets on her phone and did not have any problem getting checked in, though she noticed others ahead of her experiencing difficulties.
“I know there are older people that have problems with apps and things like this, but those people can print tickets,” she said.
Murray Hill described his experience of entering War Memorial Stadium as a “hot mess” and estimated the line he was in stretched 200 yards.
“It was a mess, man, and it was just moving so slow,” he said of the line to enter the stadium. “It was incredibly slow. We missed kickoff, we missed the runout, we missed a lot of things.”
Murray estimated there were four ticket takers at his gate to accommodate the thousands of fans in attendance. He said that at his next game, he would arrive much earlier to avoid a similar experience.
Season ticket holder Sally Ann Shurmer arrived two hours early and had no problem getting into the stadium. But from the confines of the stadium, she said, she saw the lines form and frustration mount.
The mix of paper and digital tickets, Shurmer suggested, may have been to blame for the long lines. She said some fans told her that one of the entrance gates was closed, further contributing to the hold up.
One fan who typically sits in front of her at games, Shurmer said, had waited over 45 minutes in line to enter the stadium on Saturday.
“I certainly hope that they get whatever the problem was rectified,” she added.
Better Communication
University of Wyoming Associate Athletic Director Nick Seeman told Cowboy State Daily the gate which was closed last week will be opened to fans this weekend. He pointed to a late arriving crowd, and a lack of education for staff using new ticket technology as main contributors to the slow lines.
He promised the university would increase staff for the coming Utah matchup and encouraged fans to arrive early to the game. Seeman also said the university plans to release an “instructional campaign” on Thursday which will hopefully guide fans through a smoother entrance process.
“We have been using mobile tickets for several seasons,” he wrote in an email. “We are aware of the issues with mobile ticketing at the home opener and are working on rectifying the situation with an instructional campaign for fans over the coming days via email, social media and GoWyo.com.”
“We are committed to a first-class game experience for our fans,” he added. “We encourage our fans to arrive as early as possible and have their mobile tickets downloaded.”
Major Upgrades
The university last fall announced the start of a project to renovate the west side of War Memorial Stadium, which it estimated would be completed in 2026. It estimated the project to cost a total of $84.9 million.
“The renovation will aim to improve fan experience, with a host of new amenities and game-day enhancements,” it wrote. “Enhancements include improved seating, wider rows, and improved concessions, restrooms, lighting and a new press box/media area.”
War Memorial is the oldest stadium in the Mountain West Conference.
Jackson Walker can be reached at walker@cowboystatedaily.com.
