SMU announces 2014 Gameday upgrades

DALLAS (SMU) – With the first home kickoff fast approaching, SMU Athletics today announced another round of changes aimed at improving the gameday experience on the Hilltop.

One notable change for fans will be at concessions, where beer and wine will now be available. Following a safe, successful and popular trial run at Moody Coliseum last season, SMU will add beer and wine to the concession offerings at Ford Stadium starting this fall. As at Moody, sales at Ford Stadium will utilize a controlled, responsible model. The guidelines and procedures can be viewed here. SMU is part of a growing trend in college athletics, as seven of its current American Athletic Conference mates sell beer and wine in public areas. A concessions map is available here. In addition, starting this season, each fan can bring in one unopened bottle of water.

Another new addition will be the Social Media Center located near Gate 2. The new area will feature two 47-inch monitors and will be powered by Tagboard. The center will allow Mustang fans, students, student-athletes, coaches and alums to see the whole conversation taking place around SMU Athletics in one place, aggregating posts from Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Vine and Google+. Fans can join the conversation by simply adding #DeclareSMU to posts on their preferred social media networks.

Fans may also notice SMU’s employment of a new customer service and security team, Andy Frain Services. AFS delivers “world-class service” beginning with customer satisfaction. Their top priorities are fan safety, security, and positive interaction with customer service representatives.

SMU will also expand and promote the use of "GuestAssist," a communications service which enables one-to-one text messaging between Gerald J. Ford Stadium guests and stadium operations personnel. "GuestAssist" enables fans to ask questions about game-day information and/or report concerns regarding behavior through the convenience of their cell phones. Stadium operations personnel can monitor and respond to guests' gameday inquiries on a real-time basis and if needed, dispatch support, security, etc. to the guests' location.

Continuing its efforts to provide the best in athletic facilities, SMU made significant upgrades to the Stadium Club in 2014. The improvements to the nearly 700-seat area included new stadium seats, bar stools, new carpet and granite countertops. The Stadium Club also has a new point of sale system in order to provide patrons with more efficient service.

To get to and home from the game, SMU fans can now use Uber, the fast-growing ride share company that connects passengers with drivers through the use of a mobile app. Located in the parking lot of Highland Park United Methodist Church near Ford Stadium, Uber’s pick-up station will feature numerous drivers lined up after each game to provide transportation to SMU fans. New users can even get a $20 discount on their first ride with promo code SMUTAMU.

This is the second straight season of game experience updates. In 2013, The Boulevard, chosen by Southern Living as one of the South's top tailgates, added a new attraction - Mustang Alley. Located on Binkley Avenue, east of Bishop Boulevard and west of Ownby, Mustang Alley is anchored by the Good Sport Patio sponsored by the Mustang Club and SMU Athletics, which provides sports fans a place to catch all the college football action before heading into Ford Stadium to see the Mustangs. The spot has multiple TVs, food and beverages for thirsty tailgaters. Mustang Alley also has vendor booths and a kids' area with inflatables. Mustang Alley opens to the public three hours prior to kickoff.

Single-game tickets for SMU games are available here.