Kyle Field showcasing new technology, ways to stay hydrated

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – The official return of Aggie Football is a day away, and the excitement throughout Aggieland is electric. Texas A&M Athletics is expecting nearly 100,000 fans for Saturday’s game, and season tickets are already sold out.

For those watching the game from the stands, they can expect to see new technology in Kyle Field. Chris Park, the deputy athletics director, said fans will be able to get food and drinks faster through Mashgin technology this season. It can be compared to self-checkout at the grocery store.

The SEC is now allowing liquor sales in the concourse, so that technology will also be used to serve alcoholic beverages.

“For all those things, let’s make sure we also drink a lot of water,” Park said. “It’s going to be hot.”

Fans are allowed to bring one sealed bottle of water into Kyle Field. The size doesn’t matter. More gameday guidelines can be found here.

There will also be several ways to hydrate in the stadium. More than 187,000 bottles of water will be available for purchase in the stadium Saturday. In addition, fans will have access to nine free refillable water stations called Water Monsters.

“On the northeast and southeast side of the stadium, you will find over 30,000 bottles of water that will be handed out as fans walk in,” the assistant athletics director of game management Erin Jones said.

Another new addition to Saturday’s game will be a “TP” logo on the field. It stands for Terry Price, a longtime Texas A&M coach who passed away in June. Price’s logo will also be seen on the back of the players’ helmets all season.

“A great tribute to not only a fellow coach, but he was also a player here as well,” Jones said.

Whether you’re experiencing the game in person or from afar, below are ways you can prepare.

Parking & Traffic

There are a lot of parking options offered near Kyle Field that can be found on Destination Aggieland. Debbie Albert with the Texas A&M Transportation Institute recommends pre-paying for parking so that your gameday experience can be smooth.

If possible, she recommends parking near where you’ll go after the game.

Before heading to the game, Albert said to be patient on the roads. A lot of traffic is expected on Wellborn Road Saturday starting at 4 p.m.

Albert expects FM 2818 to have heavy traffic post-game. That’s why she recommends using Highway 6, Texas Avenue and Villa Maria.

Shuttles

Shuttles are a great resource to get to Kyle Field Saturday, and they can be utilized in both Bryan and College Station.

Free shuttle will be running a continuous loop from the Roy Kelly Parking Garage in Bryan to the Memorial Student Center (MSC) at Texas A&M. They’ll run three hours pre-game, throughout the game and one hour post-game. More information can be found here.

In College Station, Century Square is offering free gameday shuttles. The pick-up and drop-off zone is between Century Square and Lot 34. They’ll be running three hours before kick-off, during the game and two hours after the game.

Century Square gameday information can be found here.