When it was announced earlier this year that football games would be held on UWF’s Pensacola campus, students were overjoyed. However, there were also some questions about the university’s plan to accommodate the thousands of people that football games attract, specifically as it pertains to the parking situation.

With the season kicking off this weekend, Associate Athletic Director Garron Lucius provided students with some important information to answer their parking-related concerns. Since last spring, athletic directors and organizers have been working alongside parking services and the police to figure out a plan for the game day rush.

Lucius explained that last year’s home game allowed organizers to see how football games can work on campus. “Luckily, last year, we played one football game on campus and that gave us a really good idea of the way we want to operate,” he said.

Athletic directors are expecting about 6,000 people to attend each game, including around 2,000 students. Students who live on campus in residence halls are encouraged to walk from their dorms to the game.

UWF is prepared and ready for the influx of thousands of people for football games. A map of all the available parking lots for game days has been released.

“All of our parking spots here on campus will be $10 cash only, and you’re not going to have more than a five-minute walk to the game,” Lucius said. Visitors will pay for their parking spot at their lot on game day.

Lucius wants students to know that the anticipated crowd will not disturb them from doing the tasks they normally do on campus. To avoid interrupting students’ class schedules as much as possible, lots will be closed on the Friday night before the game day.

“We will close down the lots with the police on Friday nights, around midnight,” Lucius said. “They’ll go through and start putting barricades around the tailgating parking lots around Pen Air Field, Argo Village, and the Field House; they will close those down on game day, which will give us probably 1500 parking spots.”

The tailgating lots will open four hours prior to kickoff, allowing students and visitors alike ample time to get excited for the game.

It is important to note that not every parking lot on campus will be utilized for the football crowd. “We still have more than half of our lots around campus that will still be available for people wanting to go to the library or to their residence hall,” Lucius explained.

Students should view the campus football parking map to see which lots are designated for game attendees. Game days will only occur five Saturdays out of the year, with the possibility of more if the Argos make the playoffs. Organizers want home games to be a fun and positive part of living on campus, and not an inconvenience. “We don’t want to make it inconvenient for folks, we want them to be happy that football is on campus,” remarked Lucius.

UWF students with a valid student ID can claim one free ticket to a UWF football game. One thousand free tickets are given to students every game week in the Commons.

For more details on the upcoming season, including schedule and ticket information, visit goargos.com.