If you enjoy shorter concession lines, improved food offerings, and friendlier prices during Saturday’s Toledo-Texas Southern game at the Glass Bowl, extend your thanks to Augusta National Golf Club.

It was on a visit to the hallowed grounds last spring that UT athletic director Bryan Blair saw first-hand the impact of efficiency and affordable pricing. When he returned to Toledo, ideas were hatched about the upcoming football season.

“It was transformational for me,” Blair said about his Masters experience. 

But changes to concessions are only a snapshot of what Blair and his team have in store for 2023.

There’s a new tailgate area for students located just south of the Glass Bowl. A kid zone with inflatables and other family-friendly activities targets the younger demographic. The mid-field sections on the home side will be equipped with 600 new chairback seats. Every subset of the fan base was targeted in brainstorming sessions.

UT wants to engage with the community, build fond memories for all visitors, and boost enrollment. Athletics can be impactful in all three areas, which is why Blair implored his lieutenants to have a wow element associated with pre-game, the game itself, and post-game.

“Let’s face it,” Blair said, “football on our campus is one of our biggest regular events. It’s the main revenue driver. It’s a big opportunity to engage alumni. Sometimes it’s one of the only reasons why our alumni come back. It’s a big piece of the student experience. There are probably four or five key motivators behind why you want to put on a good experience. We tried to address them all.”

Blair and deputy AD Al Tomlinson used last season to observe game days and make tweaks. The athletic department and other university stakeholders spent the offseason digesting what happened in 2022, figuring out what they wanted to see in 2023, and how to implement it.

“Anybody in this community, whether you’re a future Rocket or a long-time alum, there should be something during a game day that you take away as, I really enjoyed that part,” Tomlinson said. “Every part of the day.”

There was not an attendance problem, as UT has led the Mid-American Conference in attendance in each of the last five seasons. The objective was to enhance the game day experience to draw more fans in and to be proactive in an era where the product on television continues to improve.

The changes start before the game kicks off by attempting to liven up the tailgate scene. The Rocket Walk has been emphasized to create a raucous atmosphere in Lot 10. There will be additional fireworks and pyrotechnics when the team enters the stadium. Leaning into the social media age is a priority for UT so there will be spaces set up to share photos on the platform of your choice. During basketball season, the athletic department found that the biggest return on investment with students came when they were on Instagram.

Some of the changes are being kept secret until game day.

“We’re going to give you a reason to come to our stadium, and when we get you here, we’ve got to make that experience as frictionless as possible,” Blair said.

Mobile ordering with designated pickup lines for food and drinks is part of that. There will be special Rocket Hour pricing prior to games, what UT terms “pocket friendly” pricing with all items $5 or less at permanent concession stands, increased specialty foods and desserts, and a reduced point-of-sale fan ratio from 475 to 1 to 275 to 1.

Jason Davis, the senior executive chef of Rocket Dining, allowed a few Blade reporters to sample some of the new items — turkey legs, buffalo and barbecue wings, Philly cheesesteak, walking tacos, and cinnamon rolls. The consensus opinion is that fans will be impressed with any of the six options. There will also be food trucks, Big C’s BBQ, and a Treu House Beer trailer.

Prior to the pandemic, college football had its most noticeable dip in attendance on record. At home, there’s a commercial break. Tomlinson doesn’t want that to translate to the stadium. The action should never stop. He calls it bonus coverage.

“It’s getting harder every year [to compete with TV], but it’s really hard if you look at it from the standpoint of, I’m going to deliver the same thing that the TV can deliver,” Tomlinson said. “You can only get that game day experience by being in the stadium. You can’t replicate the atmosphere from your couch.”

The Barstool experiment last season at the Bowling Green game was eye-opening for Toledo, because it provided proof of concept that if students are involved in the shadow of the stadium, they’re more likely to enter the Glass Bowl and do so with energy and vigor.

Students will have a designated tailgate area in the same vicinity as the Barstool setup, tailgate giveaways each home game, the addition of Rowdy Row, another basketball season success story, and the third quarter will be dedicated to them through on-field promotions, video board visibility, and contests.

“We’re trying to create an environment that isn’t just about a football game, it’s about community and our city locking arms,” head coach Jason Candle said. “I’m all for that. Anybody who’s on board with the Rockets, I’m on board with them. I’ve always been that way and will always be that way.”

And he has a promise for those at the Glass Bowl on Saturday: “We’re going to enhance their experience with a good victory,” Candle said. 

That’s music to Blair’s ears — perhaps Rocket Man or U of Toledo — because selling tickets and galvanizing community support is easier when the Ws are piling up.

“But it’s a lot bigger than winning,” Blair said. “For example, last year was the first time we led the MAC in attendance in men’s basketball in a while, but it wasn’t the first time they won a lot in Savage. Winning is part of the equation, but a lot of it is the creativity, the experience you provide, and how to invite people to your venues. Quite frankly, that’s an area we still have a lot of work to do.”

First Published September 6, 2023, 5:37 p.m.