New app developed to help curb game day confusion

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CW/ Grant Nicholls

With students, tailgates and food trucks seemingly everywhere on game days in Tuscaloosa, fans are left to maneuver through the packed streets to get where they need to be.

Fans could agree to meet on the Quad, but they might not know where. They may be told to take the Crimson Ride to get there, but then they may not be able to find the bus routes. They are stuck swapping between the Maps app while also trying to locate UA bus routes.

The University has provided a possible solution to this game-day confusion in one convenient app for students, fans and families: the UA Gameday app.

With the new app, fans can view traffic and parking information, maps to find their way around campus, shuttle routes, a schedule of events and the best restaurants and entertainment in Tuscaloosa.

“The app will certainly help in terms of fans’ preparation before they get to campus so they can eliminate the anxiety and questions they have before getting to the game,” said Davis Blair, a member of the Bruno Event Team that put together the UA Gameday App. “When fans leave their house they will know exactly where they are going to park, where they are going to tailgate and what is going on the day of the game.”

On game days Tuscaloosa can also be overwhelming when trying to decide what to do and where to go for students such as Halle Herson, a freshman majoring in criminal justice.

“Since there are so many different tailgates that happen on campus, it is hard to decide which one to go to, especially being a freshman,” Herson said. “The UA Gameday app allowed me to view what tailgates were going on and where they were.”

Perhaps one of the most stressful parts of game day is the parking. Fans from out of town do not have to worry about parking in specific color zones, whereas students have a parking pass that limits them to certain spots.

“For students, it shows where you can park corresponding to your tag decal on campus,” said Dalton Holladay, a junior majoring in management information systems. “I used the app on game day because the map is [so] easy to follow that anyone can use.”

With its many functions, Blair said the app is a good tool for informing fans what they can expect to see on game day.

“The goal of our app is to make sure fans are informed before they arrive on campus so that fans do not have to worry about things like parking, stadium information and shuttles when they get to the game,” Blair said.