FSU Football Fans Advised to Make Early Arrival Part of Game Plan
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. –– As the Florida State University Seminoles gear up for the first of seven home football games this season, FSU police are reminding football fans that their own game day strategy should include getting an early start to Doak Campbell Stadium.
The first home game will be Saturday, Sept. 4, when the Seminoles take on the Samford Bulldogs. Kickoff is at noon.
“Football fans should arrive early to enjoy pre-game activities and camaraderie, and, of course, to help keep traffic stress-free,” said FSU Police Chief David Perry.
As in the past, Tallahassee Police Department officers will staff the intersections surrounding the stadium before and after home games. All stadium parking traffic must use Pensacola Street. Westbound traffic on West Jefferson Street before, during and after home games will not have access to stadium parking. While traffic direction will not be changed prior to games, post-game traffic will be routed one way eastbound on Pensacola Street.
Because of construction on Gaines Street, post-game traffic patterns have been modified to help fans parking in Lot 14 (Intramural Fields) get back on the road safely and efficiently. This year, Lake Bradford Road and Orange Avenue will be used to direct drivers south away from the stadium, then toward Monroe Street and Capital Circle to I-10. Those parking in Lot 14 will have the opportunity to enjoy extended post-game tailgating to ease any potential traffic jams.
Saint Augustine Street will be used exclusively for the Spirit Express Shuttle operated by Annett Bus Lines. Fans are encouraged to park at the Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center or nearby state parking garages and take the shuttle to the stadium. The cost is $5 per person round trip; children under 12 ride free. The shuttle service begins two hours prior to kickoff.
Handicapped parking will be located in the Civic Center, where specially designated shuttles will be available. On the FSU campus, every lot has designated handicapped spaces. For information about handicapped and disabled parking in a Seminole Booster-permitted lot, call FSU Parking Services at (850) 644-5278 or the Student Disability Resource Center at (850) 644-9566 (voice) or (850) 644-8504 (TDD for the D/deaf).
Golf carts without official authorization and required placards won’t be permitted in or around the stadium.
The “Garnet and Gold Goes Green” recycling program and its volunteers will have 15 recycling stations set up in the lots surrounding the stadium. Police are also emphasizing the safe disposal of all charcoal.
For security purposes, all football tickets have barcodes that must be individually scanned before each fan is permitted to enter the stadium, and no one will be allowed to re-enter the stadium once he or she exits. To provide extra protection for children and the elderly or disabled in case they become separated from family members before, during or after the game, Perry said the FSUPD will, upon request, provide color-coded ID wristbands marked with seat and contact numbers. Patrons interested in this service can stop by the Police Substation located at Gate C on game days.
The student general seating policy is as easy as 1-2-3:
* Only ONE seat per person, first come, first served; no saving seats.
* The stadium opens TWO hours before kickoff; suggested entry gates for students are K, L and M. Students must have their FSU ID with them to enter with a student ticket.
* All lines outside the gates open THREE hours prior to kickoff –– no lines may form prior to that time; no tailgating in line; no holding places in line for friends.
Once inside the stadium, all fans must follow these rules:
* No outside food and beverages; coolers, ice chests, ice bags, large backpacks, umbrellas, large flags or banners on sticks; no beach balls or passing people over fans’ heads
* No smoking except in designated outdoor areas of gates B and L
* No baby carriages or chair backs too large for a single seat
* No alcoholic beverages (Possession of alcohol in the stands will result in ejection and possible criminal charges.)
“Safety matters at Doak,” Perry said. “We want to encourage all of our game day visitors to report safety issues or suspicious activity immediately to law enforcement. The idea is that if you see something, say something. Stadium vendors will wear visible shirts with a number to text if there are safety concerns. Fans can text keyword ‘fsufan’ and message to 35842.”
Fans also may call (850) 645-JERK if there are any problems with unruly or abusive behavior in their section. Law enforcement officers will respond promptly and take appropriate action.
Preparations for home games begin well before each matchup, and university police will begin closing off roads and posting “no parking” signs in various locations around the stadium the afternoon prior to game day. Fans who park in prohibited areas, such as landscaped areas and sidewalks, are subject to being ticketed or having their vehicle towed. In addition, the stadium will be closed at 2 p.m. on the day before each home game. Stadium drive will close at 5 a.m. on game day and Coyle E. Moore Athletic Center will be closed to fans two hours before each home game.
For information all season on game day policies and procedures –– including maps of traffic routes, parking lots and Spirit Express Shuttle locations –– fans should visit the FSU Police Department Web site and follow the game day link.
CONTACT: FSU PD Maj. Jim Russell
(850) 644-2900; jlrussell@admin.fsu.edu
