Iowa AD warns of longer waits at Kinnick due to staff shortage, ticket changes

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - During a press briefing ahead of the University of Iowa’s first home football game for 2021, the school’s athletic director said that various factors could contribute to a slower gameday experience for fans.

Gary Barta, speaking on Tuesday, noted that fans at Kinnick Stadium should expect longer waits in most situations on Saturday, like entering the stadium or at concession stands. The stadium usually has between 500 and 1,000 employees on a given gameday, but Barta said that they were struggling to reach just 500 employees for this week’s game against the Indiana Hoosiers.

“We certainly encourage people to start coming into the stadium earlier,” Barta said.

The change to mobile ticketing only for entry into the stadium may also add to wait times at gates, according to Barta. He said that the number of entry points increased to 94 from 84 in 2019, but strongly encouraged fans to have their ticket loaded into their mobile device before arriving at the stadium. Barta said there will be help stations set up, and that everybody who has a legitimate ticket will be allowed in.

More information about the mobile ticketing process was available from the school’s website.

Concession stands and parking lots will no longer accept cash for payment, potentially adding some wait time at concession stands as they have switched to card-based payments instead. Barta said that change was partially made in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Hawkeyes face the Hoosiers at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. Barta said about 2,500 tickets were still available for the game as of Tuesday. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.

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