Construction

Construction is a given on campus, and this year’s construction will impact the gameday experience for many fans.

Work continues on the new art school on East Campus. I believe this construction was already underway last year, but the lot below the Performing Arts Center is still unavailable. If you have any questions about parking or similar topics, visit the Gameday Gameplan Web site.

The biggest change will be the work on the Tate Center expansion and addition. A large parking lot adjacent to Sanford Stadium (at the site of the former Stegeman Hall) is unavailable during this construction. The project will create an underground parking deck on top of which the Tate expansion will sit. This construction will especially impact the DawgWalk. While the lane from Lumpkin Street to the stadium is still there, there is much less space in which to congregate and move around. If you’re planning on being part of the DawgWalk (scheduled for 5:05 p.m.), allow extra time to get around the construction and find a place.

Concessions

• Moe’s and McAlister’s Deli will open locations in the stadium. Moe’s will be in the west endzone concessions, and McAlister’s will be up on the 600 level.
• Stadium souvenir cups will honor Larry Munson this season with a set of seven cups featuring seven of his most famous calls.
• For more stadium-related shopping and eating enhancements, read this press release from the University.

Characters

Finally, congratulations to my friend Thomas Lanford for well-deserved recognition in the Atlanta paper today. He puts an incredible amount of work into hosting a tailgate party for each game, and a group of some great people has been built up and sustained for some ten years now around his generosity and effort. While they might not all have the culinary chops of Thomas, many of us have those people in our tailgating groups that hold things together. They might cook. They might be the first ones there at the crack of dawn to grab the traditional spot. They might open up their RV as home base for the day. We wouldn’t enjoy nearly the gameday experience we do without these people. Football season is in part a chance to reunite with some friends we see all too infrequently, and the reunions begin this weekend.