A Systems Approach to Improving the Spectator Experience at Collegiate Football Games

As ticket sales and student attendance for University of Virginia (UVA) home football games decline, the university must find ways to engage fans with the football program. The following technical evaluation used a systems methodology to improve the customer experience for Scott Stadium spectators, with the additional hope of paralleling an improvement in the school’s football community. Taking a three-pronged approach, the analysis focused on traffic, in-game experience, and website design. A ride-along and interviews with the University Police Department (UPD) yielded observational data regarding game day pedestrian and vehicular traffic. The UVA Athletics Department provided ticketing data. Concessions numbers supplied by Aramark, a student survey, and the team’s observations from game days offered information regarding in-game experience. The research team’s examination of the department’s digital presence gave an analysis of the website design. The interview data and analysis of patron and vehicular traffic patterns indicated that a paucity of signage, GPS directions that only route drivers to prepaid parking, and a dated traffic plan contribute to pregame traffic backups. Investigating ticketing statistics showed that tardy students and inefficient distribution of stadium staff create sparsely attended kickoffs and entrance bottlenecks. An assessment of the game day website revealed a User Experience (UX) design that hinders fans from finding parking, concessions, and general information efficiently. Analysis of concessions data revealed that stadium staff fail to make student-preferred food items available in multiple convenient locations. Finally, the survey data revealed that many students leave before halftime, find the in-game entertainment in need of improvement, and attend games to fraternize with friends rather than watch football. Due to these results, the primary traffic recommendations involve increasing parking signage during game days and an updated traffic plan. To improve the in-game experience, suggestions include prioritizing student-preferred food items, rearranging event staff at entrance gates, incorporating incentives that encourage students and fans to arrive early and stay late at games, and updating in-game entertainment to shift student focus to on-field activities. Finally, recommendations to restructure the game day website include reducing text by utilizing images and bullet points, highlighting critical content through bolding and underlining, and grouping similar information with panels and icons.