SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Sept.1, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — Utah Athletics is planning a tribute to deceased student athlete Ty Jordan at the opening Utes football game Thursday.
Jordan, a freshman from Mesquite, Texas, lost his life on Dec. 25, 2020, less than a week after concluding a freshman season for the Utah Utes.
The popular 19-year-old athlete died of an accidental gunshot wound in Denton, Texas, where he was visiting his home. Police there conducted an investigation and determined that Jordan accidentally shot himself.
Utah Football tweeted Wednesday: “To our amazing fans: We ask that all of you remain in your seats during the break between the first and second quarter, and the break between the third and fourth. We have special tributes planned for Ty Jordan and we would love for you to help us honor him.”
Utah Athletics will be welcoming fans back to Rice-Eccles Stadium on Thursday, as well as officially opening the Ken Garff Red Zone.
“Utah Football game days return to Rice-Eccles Stadium this week, as the Utes’ season opener is scheduled to kick off at 5:30 p.m. MT on Thursday against Weber State,” the U announced. “With capacity expanded to 51,444 with the addition of the brand-new Ken Garff Red Zone at Rice-Eccles Stadium, the Utes are set to establish a new single-game attendance record, while providing tremendous new premium seating and amenities in the newly-enclosed south end section of the stadium.”
The addition of the Ken Garff Red Zone at Rice-Eccles Stadium also connects the east and west stands at the concourse level, providing a complete wrap-around concourse for the first time, the University said.
“With kickoff scheduled for early evening on a weeknight, and classes in session, as well as a number of new processes to embrace — including the implementation of digital ticketing and parking — fans are encouraged to arrive at the stadium early to allow for extra time to get parked and enter the gates.
“All UTA transit is free to ride for ticket-holders by displaying a valid game ticket, including the new postgame bus service from the stadium to the Court House TRAX station. For more information please visit UTA.com.”
To help inform fans and provide the best experience possible, Utah Athletics has launched a Gameday Information page that covers the most important topics related to fans’ experience attending Utah Football games. The page includes informational videos and helpful links to Utah Tickets, the Rice-Eccles Stadium website and other resources.
In accordance with state law, the University is not requiring attendees of University events to wear masks or to prove vaccination status. However, consistent with the University’s messaging, Utah Athletics is strongly encouraging fans to wear masks when attending games, in the interest of health and safety.
Digital Tickets and Parking: Tickets and parking will be scanned on game day using the ticket holder’s mobile device. They also may be transferred to others via email. To ensure a successful introduction to the new digital ticketing system, fans are encouraged to have their tickets and parking passes downloaded to their wallet on either iPhone or Android devices, and ready to present upon arrival at the parking lot and stadium gates to expedite the entry process. Step-by-step instructions for the process have been delivered to season ticket holders via email and may be accessed online by logging in to a season ticket holder’s account and selecting “Manage Tickets” from the pull-down menu, under Tickets.
It is also recommended that fans plan to arrive early to allow extra time for the entry process. Those who are not equipped to utilize digital ticketing are encouraged to contact their ticket office representative at 801-581-8849 to learn about alternative solutions.
Parking Lots: New in 2021, parking lots will open five hours before kickoff, with the exception of the tailgate lots. A parking map can be found here.
Free Transit Rides: Ticket holders may ride all UTA transit vehicles for free on game days by showing a game ticket, now displayed digitally on a mobile device. For more information please visit UTA.com.
Cashless Concessions: To reduce touch points and increase efficiency with concessions sales, Rice-Eccles Stadium will introduce cashless concessions transactions. All sales will be completed using credit cards or mobile payment apps.
Gates: Stadium gates will open two hours prior to kickoff.
Clear Bag Policy: Rice-Eccles Stadium will continue to utilize a clear-bag policy, and the stadium will introduce no-bag lines at all major gates to help expedite entry for those not bringing a bag into the stadium. Only clear bags, up to 12 inches by 18 inches, will be allowed inside the stadium. No bags, purses or duffels may be brought into the stadium.
@UtahGameDay Twitter: The Utah Athletics department has created a designated Twitter account to disseminate real-time information to fans attending games, and to receive instant feedback to help solve issues, answer questions and improve fans’ game-day experience. Please follow @UtahGameDay.
A very limited number of Utah Football season tickets are still available by visiting utahtickets.com, and single-game tickets can be purchased here.
