Sports

San Diego State University had arguably the worst stadium opening of all-time


Just looking at this photo makes me feel hot.

Just looking at this photo makes me feel hot.
Picture: beautiful pictures

Triple-digit temperatures, but no shade to be found. It sounds like the lyrics of Alanis Morissette’s, “It’s ironic,” but for San Diego State football fans, it’s a reality, a lifetime nightmare.

SnapDragon Stadium opened on August 19, 2022, but its first regular-season football action took place last Saturday when the Aztec team opened their season against Arizona. However, the excitement of the opening day quickly turned to chaos as fans began to simmer in the 100+ degree heat and 67 percent humidity (at kickoff), look for any shade they can find to keep cool.

It was a pathetic opening game. A few days later, SDSU athletic director John David Wicker held a press conference to address concerns surrounding SnapDragon’s debut.

Despite all the heat, Wicker said, “I think the building performed very well. I think everyone was able to enjoy it as much as possible. I think they really enjoyed the shade available on the East and West sides.”

Based on vitreous reaction and wrath from video Before that, it seemed Wicker had downplayed the fan reaction to Saturday’s experience. So should he care more, or are the fans in the video overreacting?

I reached out to someone who was at the game and experienced the event first-hand. Sean O’Connell was attending his first ever college football game at SnapDragon Stadium last Saturday. Accompanied by his girlfriend, who used to work in ticket sales for SDSU, the two were seated in the top bowl, fully exposed to the sun and all its glory.

When asked how difficult it was to find shade, O’Connell told Deadspin, “It was easy, if you didn’t want to be in the stands. Pretty much everywhere, outside of your seat, had shade.

“We probably sat in our seats for only one quarter before it became too unbearable,” O’Connell continued. “We were in the upper bowl, and the amount of breeze you get up there isn’t too terrible, but also it’s super hot air getting blown on you so it’s very little respite.”

Follow, almost every inch of shade is used. People huddled in every nook and cranny to try to avoid the light. While that may be experiential for some fans, O’Connell explains that’s not necessarily the case.

“Most of the crowd I saw were just people trying to find a seat somewhere in the shade,” he said. “There is a decent amount of shade but seating is limited to benches and the concrete platform beneath the steel columns. If you’re not sitting, you’re still in the shade, but can stand or just sit on the floor.”

TikTok goes viral The video also claims that “ice and water became scarce throughout the stadium.” According to O’Connell, that is not the case. “They don’t have many water stations that provide free water. Maybe they had two or three people all over the stadium, not a lot, but I had no problem getting water,” he said. “I actually tried to go get a beer, and they ran out of beer, so I said ‘Okay. So can I get a glass of ice water? ‘ and they gave me a free metal souvenir mug with ice and water in it. I also had no problems after getting the water. In fact, most of the people I see walking around have bottles in their hands.”

The access (or lack of) to A/C is a legitimate issue. Outside the gift shop, there are no air-conditioned public areas. That said, O’Connell and his team were able to use a few connections to get into a private room with A/C for a “small portion” of the game.

O’Connell acknowledged medical emergencies that occurred during the game. “It’s probably one of the only times I’ve seen so many people escorted on stretchers,” O’Connell said, adding that while water always seemed to be available, not everyone knew where to find or get it. country. when given the opportunity, this can lead to many hospitalizations and medical emergencies that have occurred in the game. “I saw about three or four people on a stretcher with heat exhaustion being escorted by the EMT, and then maybe another four or five people who had just been checked by the EMS service. I think that’s a pretty high number of people who can’t stand the heat. “

When asked how SDSU could have handled the situation better, O’Connell told Deadspin, “A retractable awning is the obvious answer, but I don’t know how far that would be possible. Just some ways to get more shade for the mid to top levels.

“There’s something in the inflatable tent, with capes inside,” he said. “There are only two of them that I’ve seen, but a few of them would definitely help a lot.”

A few more fog stations seemed like a pretty quick and easy fix for San Diego State. However, I don’t expect we’ll see any changes as we approach the team’s next game this Saturday. Not just a quick turnaround, but during his press conference, Wicker explained that people are predicting “79 and rainy” weather for SDSU’s tilt to Idaho State. That said, Wicker also claimed he had no idea the opener at home would be so hot until that day. The school didn’t prepare for the worst and as a result, many fans didn’t have a great experience. If they let that happen two weeks in a row, they will officially lose the trust their fans can have in them.

If Wicker and the SDSU athletics staff have learned anything, they should have some fog plants, extra water bottles, and fans on hand in case the weather is unpredictable again. Getting ready for a hot and rainy day is better than expecting rain and getting the sunshine you’re not ready for. Hopefully SDSU can learn from its mistakes, and maybe next year, there will be more shade in the seating area.



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