It’s Almost Time – Razorbacks-Ragin Cajuns

Razorbacks-Ragin Cajuns – Practice and Game Day Notes

FAYETTEVILLE – The University of Arkansas football team continued practice on Thursday in preparation for its season opener on Saturday against Louisiana inside Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Head coach Bret Bielema spoke to the media after practice about his outlook on the past two days.

“I liked the tempo that they had, especially yesterday,” Bielema said. “Today we kind of backed off, went half-pack and went into game rehearse situations both in the kicking game and offense-defense. I thought yesterday, full-padded practice, our last real rodeo where we really grinded and worked, was probably one of our better practices of the year, so that was very, very exciting. I’m excited for Saturday to get here.”

Bielema spoke about the anticipated heat on Saturday.

“I don’t know if it’s going to cause us to play more guys, but it’ll definitely force us to play more players early,” Coach Bielema said. “We’ll meet tomorrow as a staff. We kind of put the process in motion on Wednesday as a group and figured it out who we’d want to rotate in on our second series, depending on how the first one goes, offense-defense, special teams-wise as well. You’ve got guys that maybe you thought they could handle being an offensive or defensive starter in addition to playing one or two groups on special teams, you know, maybe a kickoff and a punt team. Maybe that’s not going to be the case if it’s 100-some degrees out there.”

Instead of fans yelling during the opponent’s third down, it has been proposed that fans start to “woo.”

“I hope it works, first off,” Bielema said. “Actually, that was suggested to me by a former grad that I think had put some thought into it…I think I’ve been in so many stadiums that the crowd definitely pays an advantage, and obviously we’ve got some of the most passionate fans in the world of college football, really in the world of athletics. I’d love to see them having the chance to affect the game because it is a no-huddle offense, so there’s a lot of communication at the line of scrimmage. The more difficult we can make it, the better off we’ll be.”

More on New Traditions Started for Razorbacks-Ragin Cajuns Game

For Razorback fans attending Saturday’s football season opener against Louisiana at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, there are a variety of new ways to get involved, including in helping welcome Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema and the team to the field with a new team entrance sequence that includes a traditional Hog Call just minutes before kickoff.

Shortly after the Razorback Marching Band forms the “A” in the north end zone, fans will be asked to join the band and cheerleaders in a Hog Call. As the cheer concludes, Coach Bielema and the Razorbacks will burst through the “A” to take the field. As the band and spirit squads clear the field for the start of the game, a special kickoff video will be played on the video board to help maintain the fan excitement during the interval before the opening kickoff of the game while utilizing some of the program’s most time honored traditions.

The new kickoff video will make its debut on Saturday, but fans can get a sneak preview on Twitter by following Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Jeff Long (@JeffLongUA). On Friday at Noon, Long will tweet out a teaser of the video that will be used on game day.

Coach Bret Bielema is also encouraging Razorback fans to help out the defense when the opposing team faces third down. By utilizing the abbreviated Hog Call Razorback fans have traditionally used on kickoffs, the third-down cheer will help raise the noise level in the stadium in a way unique to the Razorbacks. As the opposing team’s center stands over the football, fans should start the “Woo” of the Hog Call and hold until the snap of the ball. At the snap of the football, fans should finish the Hog Call with “Pig Sooie.”

Even before they make it to the stadium, fans have a chance to show their Razorback pride with “Big Red Friday.” Fans are encouraged to wear their Razorback Red and send in their photos to neveryieldphotos@gmail.com. Photos will be used for a photo album on Facebook and re-tweeted on @ArkRazorbacks.

Social media also offers some additional opportunities for fans to get interactive at the game. Thanks to Lodestone technology, fans can tweet @ArkRazorbacks with the hash tag #HogFans to see their photo on the big screen at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Fans can also tweet @ArkRazorbacks with the hash tag #NeverYield to see their tweets on the video board.

What You Need to Know for the Razorbacks-Ragin Cajuns Game

There are many events surrounding Saturday’s season-opening football game against Louisiana inside Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.

The game begins at 3 p.m. and will be broadcast on FSN, which is Cox channel 27 (2027 in HD) in Northwest Arkansas, DirectTV channel 676 (676-1 HD), Dish Network channel 416 (5416 HD) and AT&T U-Verse channel 754 (1754 HD). For more information on the broadcast, contact your cable or satellite provider. For those outside the FSN viewing area, the game can be seen on ESPN3.

Saturday marks the first game in the season-long celebration of the 75th anniversary of Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. The celebration features in-stadium signage as well as highlights and top moments from the stadium’s history featured on the second-largest on-campus video board in the country.

The team is scheduled to arrive for the Hog Walk, which begins north of the stadium at the top of Lot 44, at approximately 12:45 p.m. on Saturday.

The weekend begins Friday with volleyball and soccer in action. The volleyball team is hosting the Arkansas Invitational and faces Northwestern State at 11 a.m. and New Mexico at 7 p.m. Fans can use their Louisiana game football ticket to get into either Friday volleyball match for free. The Razorbacks play their final match of the Arkansas Invitational on Saturday, facing UMKC at 1 p.m. Admission is free to that match for everyone. The soccer team, currently 2-0 to open the season, hosts St. Louis at 7 p.m. on Friday.

The Broyles Center Museum will be open Saturday from 8 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. The Fred W. Smith Football Center will not be open on game days this season. The Hog Heaven store located in Bud Walton Arena, as well as the Bud Walton Arena Museum, will open at 9 a.m. and close at kickoff. Fans who make purchases at Hog Heaven on game day can bring the clear checkout bags from Hog Heaven into the stadium.

The AT&T Gardens Fan Zone, which is free to the public, opens at noon. The AT&T Gardens Fan Zone offers inflatable games for kids, televisions and food and drink vendors. A pep rally featuring the Razorback Marching Band and Spirit Squad will take place at 12:45 p.m., and a DJ will be on site to provide music following the pep rally. As part of the AT&T Gardens Fan Zone, fans have access to the large “Holding Pen” pavilion in the Gardens on game day. The pavilion will provide seating and several large televisions for fans to watch other college games before the Razorbacks take the field. Saturday’s honorary captain, Zac Painter, is scheduled to sign autographs in the Fan Zone from 1:30-2 p.m. For Gazebo rental information in the Gardens, call 479-575-6055.

With extremely high temperatures expected throughout the day, including at kickoff, fans are encouraged to hydrate properly. Should anyone need assistance, first aid and AED stations are located around the stadium and can be found in the 2013 Football Fan Guide.

Football Fan Guide
The 2013 Football Fan Guide is now available for fans at ArkansasRazorbacks.com. The guide provides helpful information on parking, shuttle service, prohibited items (including but not limited to bags, except those necessary for childcare or medical conditions or purses no larger than 14 x 10 x 10, backpacks, video cameras, camera bags and still cameras with lens length exceeding 6 inches), a stadium diagram as well as stadium information and amenities. Services available again this year for fans include Child Locator ID Bracelets and a Stadium Texting Service. More information about these services and many others can be found in the guide.

Bag Policy
This policy reflects the university’s ongoing commitment to recommendations from the Department of Homeland Security. “Except for bags required for child care or medical conditions, all bags, back packs, fanny packs, camera and binocular cases or other similar items and purses larger than 14″ long (side-to-side) x 10″ wide (front to back) x 10″ deep (top to bottom)  are prohibited.  All purses allowed into the stadium will be searched.  Containers measuring 14″ long x 10″ wide x 10″ deep will be placed at each entry to Donald W.  Reynolds Razorback Stadium, shuttle pick up locations and selected parking lots. Purses that do not fit into the container will not be permitted inside the stadium.”

Tailgating Policies
Your cooperation and consideration of all tailgating policies, which can be found in the 2013 Arkansas Football Fan Guide, will be especially helpful as it pertains to one parking space/one car, no tents permitted in a parking space and adherence to the policies about the installation and size of tents. Setting up tents, awnings and similar equipment for tailgates may commence at 5 p.m. on Friday. Reminder to tailgaters, that tailgating setup and activities in parking lots and on university property is not permitted prior to 5 p.m. on Friday. The items must be taken down and removed by noon on Sunday. If a tent is placed before 5 p.m. on Friday, it will be removed and can be picked up from lost and found through Facilities Management, which can be contacted at 575-5050.

Victory Village
The University of Arkansas Athletic Department features Victory Village, a reserved tailgating area near Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, for all Fayetteville home football games. The Athletic Department established the program, which is coordinated by Intents Party Rentals, to provide fans a convenient, worry-free tailgate experience close to the stadium. There are several basic packages offered that include set up and tear down, along with multiple add-on options, lending to an individually tailored, carefree gameday tailgate. Fans needing to drop off larger items for their reserved space can begin to do so six hours before kickoff and continue until four hours prior to kick.

Victory Village is comprised of two areas, a Victory Village North located above Lot 44 by the John W. Tyson Poultry Science building, and Victory Village East located across Stadium Drive from Lot 44 on the Administration Hill. Spots in Victory Village can be reserved on a single-game or season-long basis. Tailgating in Victory Village will only be permitted with a reservation. Victory Village is sold out for the Texas A&M and South Carolina games, with a few spots remaining for the Louisiana, Southern Miss and Auburn games. For more information, contact Intents Party Rentals at 479-251-8368.

Counterfeit Tickets and Parking Passes
The University of Arkansas is reminding fans about the risks of purchasing and using either counterfeit tickets or parking passes. Both game tickets and parking passes are distributed by the UA Athletic Department and the Razorback Foundation. If fans have any doubt about the validity of their game ticket or parking pass, they can visit the UA Athletic Ticket Office on Razorback Road to verify either during regular business hours, between 8:30 and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. On game day, they can visit the Ticket Office at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium’s Gate 1 starting three hours prior to kickoff. Further, those suspecting they have a counterfeit ticket or parking pass in their possession should contact UAPD to report this as soon as possible. The UA Athletic Ticket Office would also like to remind fans that any persons attempting to enter the stadium with a counterfeit ticket could be denied admission and subject to an investigation. Also, any person discovered inside the stadium with a stolen or counterfeit ticket will be escorted out. Additionally, to protect the integrity of valid parking passes and parking space on game day, parking attendants will be stationed at lot entrances and will be stopping vehicles to mark each parking pass as the vehicle passes through. Any persons attempting to enter a lot with a counterfeit parking pass could be denied admission and subject to an investigation. Also, any vehicle discovered inside a lot with a counterfeit parking pass will be removed from the lot.

Travel to the Stadium
Fans are reminded that if you are parking in lots South of Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, it may be best to enter campus off of I-540 at Martin Luther King (Exit #62). If you are parking in lots North of Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, it may be best to enter campus off of 1-540 at Wedington Drive (Exit #64). As a reminder, traffic control begins four hours prior to kick. The pre-game and post-game traffic routes can be found in the 2013 Football Fan Guide at ArkansasRazorbacks.com.

Fan Code of Conduct
Razorback fans are the best of the best. They model this by loudly supporting the Razorbacks and displaying respect and good sportsmanship toward the visiting team and visiting fans. The NCAA, SEC and UA have assigned a high priority to assuring athletic events are conducted in a safe and enjoyable atmosphere which promotes good sportsmanship by spectators, student-athletes and coaches. We request your cooperation by supporting the participants, officials, those around you, and event management in a positive manner and treating others with courtesy and respect. Refrain from throwing objects onto the field for any reason. Do not enter the playing areas at any time, unless directed to do so in an emergency situation, including after-game celebrations.

General Public Parking
Public parking is limited on campus on game days. Pay parking is available at the Harmon Avenue Parking Garage located north of Center Street on Harmon Avenue. There is a $10 charge per vehicle for parking and spaces are available on a first come, first serve basis. Free off-campus parking is available off of Razorback Road near Baum Stadium. A shuttle service is provided beginning four hours prior to kick-off.

Reserved Parking
A majority of the parking lots around Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium are reserved for Razorback Foundation members. For more information about reserved parking, please contact the Razorback Foundation at (479) 443-9000 or visit razorbackfoundation.com

ADA parking
ADA parking is available on a first come, first serve basis in a designated area in Lot 56, located on the corner of Martin Luther King Blvd. (6th Street) and Razorback Road. Overflow ADA parking is available at Baum East. A state-issued license plate or hang tag will be required to enter the designated ADA parking areas in each lot. A shuttle is available from both lots and drops off/picks up at Gates 1 and 8 (both on the west side of the stadium) and Gates 14 and 16 (both on the east side of the stadium). Because of the high demand for the shuttle service from Lot 56 and Baum East, ridership is prioritized by those patrons who have a disability and one caretaker for riders needing additional assistance. There is no fee to ride the shuttle.

*Please note that it is against the law to use an ADA parking permit unless the person to whom the permit is issued is in the vehicle. State laws will be enforced and the disabled person issued a license plate or certificate, shall, upon request of any police officer or any other person authorized to enforce parking laws, ordinances, or regulations, present to that officer or authorized person the photo identification card, drivers’ license with disability endorsement, or other authorized documentation establishing the person’s disability (Arkansas Rule 2007-7).

Courtesy University of Arkansas Department of Athletics