LSU students cheer as LSU runs the ball in the first half of the Allstate Louisiana Kickoff between the Tigers and the Seminoles, Sunday, September 4, 2022, at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, La.

LSU students cheer as LSU runs the ball in the first half of the Allstate Louisiana Kickoff between the Tigers and the Seminoles, Sunday, September 4, 2022, at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, La.

Fans need to have a plan before they arrive at the Caesars Superdome for the New Orleans Saints’ home opener Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

That’s the message team and stadium officials are trying to deliver to avoid the hassles many fans encountered at the Florida State-LSU game on Sept. 4.

Construction at the stadium likely will alter the game-day experience for many fans this season and next, officials said. To that end, they recommend fans arrive earlier than usual for games, enter gates closest to their seat locations, be prepared for more crowded concourses, and expect relocated bathrooms and concession stands.

“Our goal is to create the best possible experience for our fans on game day, and we will do everything possible to make that happen,” said Ben Hales, the chief operating officer for the Saints. “(But) make no mistake, Saints fans and their guests will need to adjust their entry and exit habits.”

Here's the Know Before You Go information the Saints are sending to season-ticket holders to help them on Sunday... pic.twitter.com/UVLbvHIWTt

These issues mainly will affect fans sitting on the east side of the stadium, where construction work has created narrower concourses in some areas of the stadium and eliminated some bathrooms and concession stands. The same issue will occur next season, when similar work will be done on the west side of the stadium.

To compensate, officials have extended the perimeter of the stadium to include the plaza concourse outside the Dome, where tickets are scanned at security tents and temporary bathrooms and concession stands have been installed.

Likewise, the Bienville and St. Charles club lounges have been moved to temporary tents on the outdoor plaza concourse outside Gates B and H, respectively.

Because of the narrower interior concourses, officials are encouraging fans to circumnavigate the stadium on the outside apron rather than the interior concourses, where construction has created “pinch points” in traffic flow.

This new system created lengthy delays for fans entering the stadium at the Florida State-LSU game on a Sunday night, especially at Gate C outside Champions Square and Gate A along Poydras Street.

In response, officials have initiated plans to change ticket-scanning protocols and increase signage, messaging and crowd management staff on game days. Champions Square also will be included in the secured perimeter of the stadium to accommodate the large crowds that enter the stadium in that area.

Officials said nearly 80% of fans who attended the Florida State-LSU game entered the Superdome through Gates A and C, where research shows only 55% of fans enter Saints games through those gates.

“We do not expect the same level of entry challenges for Saints games,” Hales said.

Saints officials have notified season-ticket holders of the issues via email and included specific instructions for best entry points and ingress/egress patterns on the club's mobile ticket app.

“The most important takeaways for Saints fans are to download their mobile ticket before they arrive and review their personal game plan, to only access the stadium from the gate listed on their ticket, and to use the plaza exterior concourse to reach your gate,” Hales said. “Again, there is far more room to circumnavigate the stadium on the plaza exterior than on the interior.” When completed in 2024, the $450 million renovation project is expected to update the Superdome to modern standards, extend its lifespan for decades and serve as the linchpin to a new lease extension that will keep the Saints in Louisiana for another 30 years.

The four-phase project began in 2020 and is being implemented around the Saints schedule so the team can continue to play home games in the Superdome rather than relocating to another stadium.

"For the first time in the Dome’s 48-year history during a Saints-college football season, we are asking fans to enter and exit the Superdome at the gate noted on their ticket from the exterior plaza level concourse," Hales said. "With this change, there will be a new learning curve. The trade-off is an enhanced future game-day experience. in light of ongoing construction activities."

Email Jeff Duncan at JDuncan@theadvocate.com or follow him on Twitter at @JeffDuncan_ 

The New Orleans Saints have added running back Latavius Murray to their practice squad, the team announced on Tuesday.

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