Louisiana State University will continue to build upon improvements made last year to its football game-day experience in the hopes of furthering attendance gains.
According to the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report, LSU Sports Properties, the athletic department's multimedia rights holder, is in the midst of a multiyear agreement with Dallas-based Blockparty to provide premium tailgating at Tiger home games. Beginning last fall, fans could purchase tailgating packages ranging from $600 to $1,800, depending on tent size and opponent, with season packages available from $3,900 to $8,175. In just once season with Blockparty, which handles tailgating availabilities for at least 10 other collegiate and professional sports entities, LSU boasts the "fastest and greatest adoption rate of any such tailgate in college athletics," according to LSU senior associate athletic director Robert Munson.
"We expected the growth would be slow at first, but when we got into conference play and big home games, we were able to sell properties out” for games against Georgia and Alabama, Munson told the Business Report.
Fan experience enhancements in 2018 also included adding an additional tailgating zone that included activities for kids, a video board and concessions; adding wine to the menu for the new Tiger Stadium beer section, which had maxed out on its 800-person capacity the first three home games of the season, as well as charging stations and another video board; and offering a more-flexible football season ticket package.
The result was a boost in attendance at Tiger Stadium. Though official NCAA figures aren't yet available, it is believed that LSU saw an average increase of 2,000 fans per game last season, which would likely rank LSU fifth nationally in terms of home attendance.
LSU hopes to maintain the momentum by adding more live music to game days this fall.
