How Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium renovations will affect Memphis football gameday experience
What's going to be different about Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium this season? A lot.
Memphis athletics released a guide on Thursday afternoon for fans planning to attend Tigers football games at the stadium, which is in the midst of a $220 million renovation. While parking and tailgating will be mostly unchanged, there will be changes to the fan experience.
Demolition for Phase 2 of the project has been completed, so there's no danger for fans attending games. Here's a quick look at what fans can expect this season.
How stadium entrances will be altered
The west side of the stadium is mostly demolished, but there are still some chairback seats in the lower section on that side of the field. There's now a 20-foot wide walkway to help fans get around that area of the stadium, and barricades have been set up to block access to the area of the stadium that is undergoing construction.
The concourse will still be operational, so fans will be able to walk around the entire stadium to get to their seats.
Most of the gates will still be open, but Gates 4 and 5 will not be operating during the renovations. Gates will open 90 minutes before kickoff, and students will now enter at Gate 6 instead of Gate 4.
Parking and shuttle services will be unchanged, university officials said. Tailgating won't be affected in a major way, and the Tiger Walk — when the team arrives 2.5 hours before kickoff — will still take place on Tiger Lane on the stadium's west side.
In-game features at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium
Memphis will continue with the "Release the Tigers" tradition, where a featured guest presses a button to open a door and send the Tigers onto the field before the game. That started last year and included guests like Tigers legend DeAngelo Williams, WWE Hall-of-Famer Jerry "The King" Lawler and former Memphis mayor Jim Strickland.
Games also will feature an "enhanced fireworks and cryo for the new Tiger team runout and Memphis touchdowns." While fans will be on the east side of the stadium, the Tigers will still use the west side for their home sideline.
Memphis kicks off its 2024 season when it hosts North Alabama on Aug. 31.
Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on X @thejonahdylan.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: How Liberty Stadium renovations will affect fan experience in 2024
