Big changes in store for UA fans this fall before, during Bama home games

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WBRC) - Some big changes in store for Bama fans this fall, and they are starting this weekend when the Crimson Tide hosts Middle Tennessee State. The changes include road closings to new stadium opening times to concession stand efficiency.

We’ll begin with the roads. UA officials say around 30 streets will be closed-off four hours before kick-off before every home game. It used to be three hours before the game.

The reason is UA leaders say research has shown them that fans are arriving earlier than before and this is an effort to improve fan safety. And there’s more - the stadium gates will open two hours before kickoff instead of two-and-a-half hours. UA says the majority of fans were coming in the stadium during that two-and-a-half hour window, so they wanted to tighten it up a little on the efficiency side of things.

“In the interest of fan safety, there is a lot more fans coming earlier, tailgating all day ... just to create a safer environment in the core of campus around the Quad and around the stadium ... just cutting them off a little bit earlier. By three hours before the game, usually most fans are here, so we’re trying to bump them back a little bit to create a safer environment in there,” said Nick Frenz, UA Associate Director for Event Management in Transportation Services.

In addition, Bama fans will also notice more self-checkout options with the concession stands. Again, UA officials say this is a move to create a more efficient workflow and not rely so much on staffing, which has often been an issue in the past.

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