Football fans will be welcomed to games at the University of Colorado at Boulder this fall under a new plan that emphasizes improved customer service as well as a commitment to reduce alcohol abuse and rowdy game-day behavior.
Among the initiatives will be an “ambassador” program to provide customer service and information to all fans as they proceed to the game, according to Athletics Director Richard Tharp. Tents will be set up around the campus, staffed with three or four ambassadors to greet people, answer questions and provide information about the game and CU-Boulder.
In addition to the campus ambassadors, a guest relations area will be located in the stadium between gates 4 and 5 near the ticket windows.
Current alcohol policies will continue, including no beer sales in Folsom Stadium and designated areas for tailgate parties.
However, the no-reentry policy will be revised to allow fans to leave and return to the stadium during the game. As usual, intoxicated persons will not be allowed entry at any time.
Security and ticket personnel wearing CU name badges will be trained in customer service techniques and will work to promote positive interactions at the gates prior to the games, Tharp said. A new “contact sheet” will be used to record any problem or complaint. The athletic department then can correct any problems at specific areas noted.
On game days, the stadium will be decorated with new banners and flags promoting the university.
“With this new approach, we hope to improve the overall atmosphere associated with attending a CU football game,” Tharp said. “Our focus will be to provide a special experience that will touch our campus visitors in a positive way.”
Reducing alcohol abuse and rowdy behavior also is part of the effort to enhance CUÂ’s game-day experience. Beer will not be sold in the stadium for the second year, under a moratorium instituted last fall in a campuswide effort to curtail alcohol abuse.
Police reported last fall the new policies resulted in fewer arrests, alcohol summonses, assaults and ejections from games compared with the 1995 football season.
Tailgate parties serving alcohol will continue to be limited to designated parking lots that carry university permits. This year, two lots with about 500 spaces and several smaller lots will have university permits for tailgate events. The two designated areas are lots 308 west of Fiske Planetarium and 402 on the south side of Regent Drive.
Space also will be available, weather permitting, in Kittredge Field, south and east of the residence hall.
Individual fans and small groups do not need to get permits for tailgate parties while using the designated lots. However, they will be required to obey state and local laws regarding alcohol.
No one under age 21 may be served alcohol. It is illegal to serve someone who is intoxicated, and alcohol served at tailgates must remain in the parking lot.