Football: Preparing to open – new parking plans include free shuttle service 8/31/12

Tim Buckley, The Advertiser, August 31, 2012

Ragin Cajun fans enjoy tailgating before the UL Troy football game at Cajun Field Saturday, Oct. 8, 2011, in Lafayette. (Photo by Brad Kemp/ bkemp@theadvertiser.com)

The impact of Hurricane Isaac in Lafayette will mean a change in parking plans, including a free shuttle service, for some fans attending UL’s 2012 season-opening football game Saturday night against Lamar.

But it shouldn’t dampen the atmosphere for a crowd expected to approach sell-out size at 31,000-capacity Cajun Field, an athletic department staffer suggested Thursday.

Tailgating areas are "pretty saturated," UL Associate Athletics Director of Internal Affairs John Dugas said.That and a high number of high school football games rescheduled from tonight to Saturday because of this week’s storm could lessen the number of those partaking in Cajun pregame activities.

"But I think when it comes to game-time we’re gonna have a packed house," Dugas said. "I’d be surprised if we don’t have at least 30,000 people."On the heels of a 9-4 2011 season that ended with a New Orleans Bowl over San Diego State, coach Mark Hudspeth’s Cajuns have sold more than 10,000 season tickets for a six-game slate in ’12 that opens with Saturday’s 6 p.m. game against the Southland Conference-member Cardinals.

Beyond a potential impact on tailgating, Isaac also has prompted a change in overflow parking plans for Saturday.Due to an increase in Ragin’ Cajuns Athletic Foundation fundraising this year, west-side parking at Cajun Field is exclusively reserved this year.

"That’s the effect of Coach Hud and a successful football program," Dugas said. "So there’s not many free parking spots within Cajun field fences now."In fact, there are only about 1,200 free, general-admission spots available on a first-come, first-served basis in the north and east Cajun Field lots.

Previously, overflow parking was available in a lot behind the Hilton Garden Inn on West Congress Street.But with excessive Isaac-related rain, that lot is not available this week."Because of the hurricane," Dugas said, "we had to come up with another plan."

Parking also will be available at the Cajundome, Blackham Coliseum and Bourgeois Hall, until those lots fill up.

But overflow parking also can found in four lots at South Louisiana Community College, where another roughly 2,500 free spaces will be available — and where the free shuttle service will run.

Vehicles will enter the SLCC lots by taking Bertrand Drive to Devalcourt Street.

Beginning at noon Saturday and continuing after the game, the shuttle busses — run by university Parking & Transit, and paid for by the athletic department, according to Dugas — will transport fans between SLCC and Cajun Field."It probably will not be that big of an inconvenience for fans," Dugas said.

"For a lot of our elderly fans, and those who can’t get around a lot, that actually is going to a benefit for them."The more we thought about it," Dugas added, "it’s a really good option."

It’s also an option that perhaps could be available for other games this season, on an as-needed basis, Dugas said.A few other parking- and tailgating-related issues of note:

» Fans will only be picked up at designated spots in the SLCC lots.» Fans can walk to Cajun Field from SLCC if they choose, but must use a route designated by University Police;

» An RCAF parking or tailgating pass is required to enter the reserved west side of Cajun Field, including the gravel lot, even to drop off tailgating supplies;» Re-entry into reserved Cajun Field parking and tailgating lots is prohibited; and

» Motorized carts are prohibited.Meanwhile, several other changes — many of them brought about by crowds averaging 29,171 in 2011, up from 17,383 the prior season and 3,947 per game more than the 1977 school record for attendance — are in store for this season at Cajun Field.

At each of the stadium’s five entrances, Dugas said, "we have maxed out our staff "» so that we can move in everyone as quickly as possible."Two air-conditioned restroom trailers for female fans, each with three rooms, have been added to the stadium’s south end.

And to improve guest services, UL’s concessionaire, Sodexo, has set more than 100 points of sale for food and beverages in the stadium — including item-specific stations, and some with specialty food beyond the basic hot dogs and hamburgers."Everything is a lot more spread out," Dugas said. "The lines move a lot quicker "» Things are more organized."

Moreover, electricity at the stadium will be maxed out and a donor has provided generators for supplemental power.

"We are doing everything we possibly can," Dugas said, "to make sure when fans order a Coke it’s cold, and when they order a pizza it’s hot."