September 9, 2004
TO: Fans, Friends, and Supporters of LSU Athletics
FROM: Skip Bertman, LSU Athletics Director
On behalf of everyone at LSU, my thanks go out to LSU fans for arriving early, following our signs and being patient as we executed our plan to get over 33,000 fans through very restricted passageways on the west side of Tiger Stadium on Saturday.
It was clear that Tiger fans came prepared for the situation and had educated themselves on what to look for at the stadium. The fans were familiar with the portal system that was implemented to expedite pedestrian flow into the stadium, and they navigated the ramps and elevators to find their way to the upper deck.
In fact, we filled up the west side of the stadium before the east side was full. But please don’t get complacent over our first game success. We ask that you continue to arrive early and be patient as we continue this process for six more games.
PORTAL B
For those of you who entered at Portal B, don’t forget there are two entrances to that portal. One of the entrances faces the south and one faces the east. The south entrance to Portal B had quite a line beginning about an hour before kickoff, but the line at the east entrance remained short all afternoon.
SPORTSMANSHIP
From the reports we have received, our fans were loud, proud and classy before, during and after the Oregon State game. Our fans and visitors to our campus had a great time. Thanks for being the great hosts that you are.
KEEPING YOUR CAMPUS BEAUTIFUL
LSU has one of the most beautiful campuses in America, and a football game day can produce plenty of trash, debris and damage because of the number of vehicles and people. Please help us keep your campus clean.
Last year we did away with the cardboard trash containers and began to use the sturdy hard plastic yellow containers that you know see all over the campus. Please use those containers. We have “Litter Getters” who comb the campus picking up trash during the day, and they also have trash bags for you to use at your tailgate parties. Your help in bagging trash will make a tremendous difference in keeping our campus clean and getting it ready for the next week.
We enjoy seeing the tailgaters on the Parade Grounds because it is a site where kids have space to run and play. But no vehicles will be allowed to park on the Parade Grounds. At the Parade Grounds and throughout the campus, we ask that you park only in designated areas.
Also, please refrain from using glass containers on the campus. Broken glass creates a hazardous situation and can result in serious injuries. Use only plastic containers and bottles when enjoying your tailgating activities.
TIGER TRANSIT
The Capital Transit Corporation (CTC) and LSU teamed up to bring over 1,000 fans to campus via the Tiger Transit last week. For information on how you can use the Tiger Transit system, visit www.ctctransit.com or call (225) 389-8282.
PARKING
LSU fans did such a great job of heeding our advice to arrive at campus early that they beat our parking personnel to the punch. Many vehicles were parked in lots before our parking attendants arrived on Saturday morning, which means that many cars were not parked as efficiently as possible. This resulted in some lots being closed early because no more cars could park in those lots. Our attendants will be on hand earlier this week to make sure cars are parked in the appropriate manner.
RESTROOMS
With all of the preparations we put into a season opener, some things can’t be anticipated. Unfortunately two major water mains malfunctioned in the hour leading up to the game. While we have a small army of maintenance personnel on hand to tend to this 80-year-old stadium, this problem was not serviceable before game time. We had to shut down the water to several restrooms and concession stands. This problem together with the ensuing torrent of rain produced some very undesirable conditions. We apologize for these unfortunate circumstances and will continue to work to improve the restroom facilities in Tiger Stadium.
WHAT’S THAT STEAM?
We received numerous inquiries about the steam that was rising out of the southeast corner of the stadium. There is a large underground pipe near the visitors’ locker room that ties into the heating and chilling system for the entire campus. When there are heavy rains, water that reaches this hot pipe is heated and it creates steam that rises into the stadium. To correct this situation, that occurs only when it rains, would require major structural work throughout the entire southeast portion of the stadium. We will continue to work to address this problem.
We welcome your comments, so write to us at LSUvision@etigers.net. Although we cannot promise a response to every e-mail we receive, please be assured that every letter will be read. Thank you for your continued support of Tiger Athletics.