BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State welcomes Wake Forest to Kidd Brewer Stadium at 3:30 p.m. on Black Saturday for the first-ever football game between the Mountaineers and Demon Deacons in Boone.
With a great crowd expected, it will be one of the busiest morning/early afternoon commutes in Boone history. Please allow plenty of time to travel to Kidd Brewer Stadium safely and make plans to arrive early. Your patience will be helpful and much-appreciated in making it a great day for everyone involved.
To help all guests prepare for their game day experience, the App State athletics program is providing a comprehensive list of stadium and game-day experience enhancements that are new or improved. The list includes:
Clear Bag Policy
Appalachian State's home opener in 2017 kicked off the implementation of a clear bag policy (
full info here) for all ticketed events in Kidd Brewer Stadium.
The policy is intended to enhance patron safety and expedite entry into Kidd Brewer Stadium by reducing the time required searching bags at stadium gates. This policy aligns with other clear bag policies from NCAA FBS institutions and the National Football League.
Appalachian State University athletics encourages all fans to adhere to the new clear bag policy and leave unauthorized items at home or in their cars.
Gate Openings
Stadium gates will open Saturday at 1:30 p.m. (approximately two hours before kickoff) for all ticket holders and at 1:15 p.m. specifically for Student Yosef Club members. Please enter at the gate noted on your ticket.
The ticket plaza will open at 12:30 p.m., and player will call will open at 1:30 p.m. Photo IDs are required to pick up tickets.
Parking Adjustments/Opportunities
There will be check points at the upper and bottom portions of Stadium Drive that will be accessible by Yosef Club permits only.
In an effort to accommodate the need for additional handicap parking spaces, parking for App State football fans with a valid, state-issued disability parking tag is now available at the Hill Street parking lot. There are twice as many available spaces this year, and a shuttle will continue to run from the Hill Street lot before and after the game.
For more information on expanded handicap/ADA parking,
click here
General Parking Opportunities
In addition to on-campus parking lots and decks, the town of Boone has information that's available by
clicking here.
Game Day Timeline
• Campus parking lots will open at 9 a.m. on Saturday.
• The Mountaineer Walk will be held at 12:15 p.m.
• The ticket plaza and will call windows will open at 12:30 p.m.
• The stadium gates will open at 1:30 p.m. for ticket holders and 1:15 p.m. specifically for Student Yosef Club members.
• Player will call will open at 1:30 p.m.
Game Day Enhancements
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ADDITIONAL STUDENT SECTION/GENERAL ADMISSION – Similar to last year's Miami game, the student section/general admission has been expanded with a standing-room-only area in the south end zone. This will allow a limited number of students on field level close to the action, while accommodating as many students as possible. Space will be first come, first serve.
The bleachers installed in front of Owens Field House are larger than ever before in 2017, providing 300 more general admission seats than previous setups.
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MOUNTAINEER WALK — Join the App State cheerleaders and the Marching Mountaineers for the Mountaineer Walk at 12:15 p.m. at the tunnel exit, where they will be waiting to give the team a loud boost as they make their way in
between Newland and Trivette Halls and on into the stadium parking lot.
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PREGAME FESTIVITIES – Get to your seats early as the game balls are scheduled to be delivered to midfield by skydivers during the pregame show, weather permitting. There will also be fireworks that coincide with App State taking the field right before kickoff.
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STADIUM CONCESSIONS — In addition to the
improved concession options that were available in 2016, there are two new food vendors inside Kidd Brewer Stadium this year.
A food truck from The Cardinal, which is known for offering classic American road food with fresh ingredients, will be parked on the walkway near the new scoreboard and spectator hill.
J&J'S Hawaiian Ice will have a location near the main ticket gate.
A food truck from All Thai'd Up (ice cream rolls and smoothies) will be outside the East gate plaza.
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VIDEO BOARD — Philanthropic funding through A Mountaineer Impact, A Drive for Excellence has provided Kidd Brewer Stadium with a new video display, new ribbon displays and a custom audio system integrated with the video system.
The football display is three times the size of the previous video board and the largest of its kind among the Group of Five conferences with 2,500 square feet to feature 13HD technology from Daktronics. The board in Kidd Brewer Stadium measures 50 feet high by 90 feet wide for the overall scoreboard, with the new LED display measuring more than 37 feet high by 67 feet wide. The display includes more than 2 million LEDs and features a 13HD pixel layout for crisp, clear imagery with wide angle visibility and industry-leading environmental protection.
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MERCHANDISE – Official Black Saturday game day shirts will be available in the concourse near the glass doors that lead to the Appalachian Athletics Center elevators.
An additional souvenir stand outside of The Rock, adjacent to the ticket plaza, was put in place last year for your shopping needs prior to the game. Clear bags that meet the guidelines for entry into Kidd Brewer Stadium will be available. You can also purchase what the App State coaching staff wears as an expanded selection of merchandise has been added to include Nike sideline gear. You will also find larger quantities of shirts, and larger sizes to ensure plenty of merchandise is available.
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ATMs — There are new ATMs available inside Kidd Brewer Stadium to give fans more options on game days, and an ATM is also located at the ticket plaza.
• Game Day Promotions
Saturday will be Black Saturday at Kidd Brewer Stadium. Official Black Saturday game day shirts will be available in the concourse near the glass doors that lead to the Appalachian Athletics Center elevators.
The remaining promotions for the 2017 home schedule are:
• Homecoming is scheduled for the Oct. 7 home game against New Mexico State.
• Family Weekend is scheduled for the Oct. 21 home game against Coastal Carolina.
• Heroes Day is scheduled for the Nov. 9 (Thursday) home game against Georgia Southern.
• Senior Day is scheduled for the Dec. 2 home finale against Louisiana.
• Student-Athlete Protection
In order to enhance the privacy and protection of its student-athletes, Appalachian State has partnered with Appalachian Regional Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Center (AppOrtho) to provide a pop-up medical tent on the Mountaineers' sideline.
