By Harry Minium
NORFOLK, Va. – The best advice I can give to the 22,000 fans who will attend Old Dominion's football opener Friday against Virginia Tech is something you might have heard as a kid from your parents: get there early.
And once you do, go check out Kaufman Mall, a place where you can get the experience of tailgating without having to drag stuff out of your car, cook and clean.
If you're not familiar with Kaufman Mall, it is several acres of open space that extends from Hampton Boulevard to the Webb Student Center. It's a short walk from the south end of the stadium at 49th Street.
There is a beer garden as well as food vendors, a giant-screen TV that will carry the best of college football and a band that will play near the ODU lion fountain. There are also dozens of chairs in which to sit.
Plus, there's entertainment for your kids – there is a plethora of bounce houses, and plenty of room for them to run around.
There will be a live band at every home game. This week it's The Finns, the North Carolina-based rock and roll band that also blends a bit of country music into its performances.
One can't-miss event for ODU fans – the football team holds its pregame Monarch March from the Webb Center to S.B. Ballard Stadium at 4:45 p.m. It's always a pretty awesome moment when the Monarchs emerge from Webb Center, for players, coaches and the fans.
The Monarchs march into the stadium at the South gate, where they all touch the head of an ODU lion before heading inside.
The band and cheerleaders also gather to perform at the Kaufman Mall fountain about 45 minutes before game time.
I advised getting there early because this game is being played on a Friday and there are often traffic jams on Hampton Boulevard on Friday afternoons.
Fortunately, ODU is closing its campus at noon and opening all football parking at 3 p.m., four hours before the Hokies and Monarchs kick off. That means all tailgate lots are opening four hours before the game, as usual.
There is a Virginia Tech alumni event on Kaufman Mall, and I know we don't need to say that you should treat our guests with courtesy and welcome them to our campus. So many Tech alumni in Hampton Roads are also ODU fans.
After all, ODU was founded in 1930 as the Norfolk Division of the College of William and Mary and VPI.
ODU and Tech fans interacted congenially in the three previous games, with fans sharing food and drink in the tailgate lots. The hospitality between the two groups was amazing at two games in Blacksburg and four years ago in Norfolk.
Let's make it four in a row and counting.
ODU and Tech play each of the next 10 seasons, counting Friday.
Following are some reminders and updates on what's new at S.B. Ballard Stadium
PUBLIC PARKING
If you don't have a parking pass, your best bet is to head to one of the two parking decks on either side of Chartway Arena, located on Hampton Boulevard between 45th and 43rd streets.
They are a short distance from the stadium – I park there and it's a five-minute walk to S.B. Ballard Stadium. Best of all, the parking there is free.
There will be additional parking in open land in front of the new Health Sciences Building, which is under construction, off 43rd Street. Parking there is also free.
I wouldn't advise parking in the Larchmont, Lamberts Point or Highland Park neighborhoods unless you want a parking ticket. Parking isn't allowed throughout much of those neighborhoods unless you live there. Carefully check the street signs if you do choose to park there.
WILL CALL
Will call is located at the Southeast Gate adjacent the Silver Lot. It will open around 3 p.m. Gates to the stadium open at 5 p.m., half an hour earlier than usual.
CLEAR BAG POLICY
A reminder that ODU has a clear bag policy. You may bring in a small bag, a maximum of 4.5 inches by 6.5 inches, and a wallet, but anything larger must be stowed into a clear bag. And everything will be searched before you enter the stadium.
The cheapest and easiest way to pack your stuff is to pull a one-gallon, resealable clear bag out of your kitchen and use it. The ODU Bookstore also has clear bags and some of them are actually kind of fashionable.
Questions about our clear-bg policy? Refer to the Q&A section in the story below.
ODU CLEAR BAG POLICY
WHAT'S NEW
The general public will be allowed to purchase beer and wine for the first time this fall. ODU has been cautious about allowing alcohol sales at athletic events, but after a successful test run during men's and women's basketball, the University is extending sales to football games.
For reference, Scope and Harbor Park have allowed beer and wine sales for years. Virginia, Virginia Tech and JMU do as well.
Mixed drinks aren't allowed in the stadium except for premium seating areas, such as the Priority Automotive Club or The Deck. And you can't bring alcohol into the stadium – it must be purchased from vendors inside the stadium.
ODU installed cup holders in the 5,474 chair back seats. The cupholders are supersized and will hold the large stadium cups in which soft drinks are served.
All of the 482 chair-back seats in the Cox Business Loge Lounge premium seat area in the south end zone have been replaced. And as has been the case since 2009, every loge seat has sold out.
You'll also notice new branding in the stadium. This is ODU's first season in the Sun Belt Conference and all Conference USA signage and logos have been replaced.
Incidentally, if you're a Virginia Tech fan and attended the Hokies' first game at ODU in 2019, prepare to be impressed. ODU spent $71.5 million upgrading old Foreman Field into a modern stadium.
Both sidelines were torn down and rebuilt and fan amenities are so much better.
TICKETS
There are a limited number of tickets to The Deck premium seating area available for Virginia Tech. Located on the second floor concourse on the West Side (ODU bench side) of the stadium, fans can partake in an all-you-can-eat buffet with soft drinks and a cash bar and mingle in an area set aside for Deck patrons.
For information, contact Justin Ross at 757-683-3360 or jross@odu.edu
Deck ticket holders also have good seats in the stadium. But the Deck area on the concourse offers an unobstructed view of the field and the TowneBank scoreboard. I did a walk-through of The Deck recently and it's a pretty cool place to watch a game.
As long as they are available, Deck tickets are $1,000 for the season, $350 for the Tech game and $150 for each of ODU's other five home games, including the Nov. 12 season finale against James Madison.
OTHER QUESTIONS?
Email me at hminium@odu.edu or hit me up on Twitter at @Harry_MiniumODU
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