Response to Survey

Dear Football Season Ticket Members,
 
It is an exciting time on The Farm as the 2018 Stanford football season starts in two days. On behalf of Stanford Athletics, I want to make you aware of several changes we have made to enhance your gameday experience at Stanford Stadium.
 
In recent years, we have gathered feedback from Football Season Ticket Members (STM) through an annual survey. Nearly 30 percent of all football STM accounts provided input on the 2017 season from stadium arrival and departure to the in-venue experience. After careful analysis and deliberation, we made a number of immediate changes, as well as notes for future consideration.
 
We continually strive to increase fan attendance while understanding that the late notice of kickoff times is frustrating. In 2011, the Pac-12 Conference committed to broadcast every Pac-12 football game on national television to increase exposure and grow revenue for all 12 universities. The Pac-12's media partners, FOX, ESPN and Pac-12 Networks, select most kickoff times 12 days in advance -- and in a few instances six days before -- to determine the best matchup for each television slot. The Pac-12 recently added 11 a.m. start times to reduce the number of night games and is working with the Pac-12 universities and media partners to find additional solutions. Our 12-year television contract ends in 2024. Please know we will keep you top of mind during future negotiations.
 
If you drive to games, parking and tailgating are likely important elements of your overall experience. While many fans enjoy tailgating in the eucalyptus groves before the Cardinal takes the field, once the final whistle blows, some fans have trouble exiting the parking lots quickly. In 2016, Stanford Athletics partnered with the Stanford Police Department to implement a more efficient egress traffic pattern. We also increased staffing in the parking lots to control traffic and to help fans exit as quickly as possible. Since then, we have continued to meet with the university police department and local agencies to assess and make improvements for the safety of pedestrians and traffic flow patterns. As you return to The Farm, you will encounter some traffic congestion due to construction around campus, which may affect the flow of gameday traffic. Our advice is to arrive early, and if you leave right after the game ends, please allow for some time to elapse.
 
Your presence in the stands is a critical part of the team's success, so we want you to enjoy the in-venue atmosphere. An essential component of that experience is the ability for fans to stay connected and share their experiences through mobile technology. Accordingly, this summer we upgraded the Stanford Stadium's antenna system to provide better cellular and wireless coverage. Other in-venue enhancements include running more Stanford football specific content on the videoboards during timeouts and reducing the frequency of third-party sponsored content.
 
We know that the quality, price, variety, and availability of food and beverages found at Stanford Stadium continue to be another important part of the overall experience. We have worked closely with our concessions partner, including sharing all concessions-related feedback we receive from our fans, in order to improve the concessions experience. This season, you will notice new food and beverage offerings and price reductions on items like water and soda. In addition, credit cards will now be accepted at all permanent concessions stands.
 
We look forward to hearing from you as we continue to garner input through our annual year-end football STM survey. Again, thank you for your commitment to Stanford Athletics and for helping us to better your gameday experience. Go Cardinal!
 
Sincerely,
  
Bernard Muir
The Jaquish & Kenninger
Director of Athletics