The Return: SAFETY AND FUN ARE NO. 1

BY MARK MOSCHETTI- CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Now. It’s. Real.

With planning and preparation winding down, excitement and anticipation are ramping up at the University N of Washington with the kickoff of the 2021 football season inside a fan-filled Husky Stadium almost here on the calendar.

That season opener, set for Saturday, Sept. 4 against the Montana Grizzlies, will be the first time since the Apple Cup on Nov. 23, 2019, that fans have been allowed inside the stadium. Last fall’s four home games were played without fans because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

“Championship fans are essential to a championship program,” UW Athletic Director Jennifer Cohen said on June 22 when the school announced a return to 100 percent capacity for this fall. “We have a great home schedule this year, and we can’t wait to have our loud, passionate and loyal Dawg fans back in Husky Stadium.”

That home schedule includes seven games. Along with Montana, the other non-conference contest is set for Saturday, Sept. 18 against Arkansas State.

Highlighting the Pacific-12 Conference home slate are visits from Oregon on Saturday, Nov. 6, and the Apple Cup against Washington State on Thanksgiving Friday, Nov. 26. Laying the groundwork for a full reopening has been a meticulously thought-out, ongoing process that kicked up in earnest last spring with the season-ticket renewal process.

While that was in progress, UW Athletic Department staff delved into a multitude of other things, ranging from plans for tailgating (it will be allowed, with safety protocols in place) to solidifying public transportation options to Husky Stadium for fans who can’t or don’t want to drive to the game.

Throughout that process, the emphasis was always on following state, local, and school health guidelines, and that will continue to be the emphasis when the gates to the stadium swing open on Sept. 4. “The only certainty along the way has been uncertainty,” Jason Butikofer, the Athletic Department’s Chief Operating Officer, said during a springtime interview. “Our north star is ensuring a safe environment and that we follow all protocols.”

Department officials got to do a dry run of sorts earlier this year. As restrictions on gatherings gradually were eased, a small number of fans, which were limited to family and guests of UW athletes and coaches, were permitted at home events, including spring football. “It was exciting and energizing to have fans at games in person,” Butikofer said at that time.

The Huskies are planning to operate express buses on football game days from key Metro Park & Ride locations. In addition, Sound Transit’s Link Light Rail now operates all the way to Husky Stadium from Angle Lake, Sea-Tac Airport, Tukwila, the Rainier Valley, Beacon Hill, downtown Seattle, and Capitol Hill.

One noticeable new element for fans at home games will be the sale of beer and wine during games throughout the stadium. That announcement was made on Aug. 10. Previously, those beverages had been available only in premium seating areas and in designated beer gardens. However, it will not be allowed in any of the “Dawg Pack” student sections.

“We have consistently heard feedback from our fans that this amenity would benefit the fan experience on game day, and we have carefully monitored the successful rollouts for (baseball and softball) and at basketball games,” Cohen said in a school statement.

All ticketing will be mobile-only. Fans will need to download tickets to their mobile device prior to arriving at the stadium. In addition, all concessions inside the stadium will be payable only with a card. Parking at the stadium also is going cashless, and fans will need to use the pay-by-phone app to purchase parking in select lots on central and west campus. The water taxi in Husky Harbor also will be going cashless.

The Zone, which will have music, food trucks, and interactive photo booths, opens two hours before kickoff. It is part of Husky Stadium and requires a ticket for entry.

Each of the seven home games also will have a specific theme, starting with The Return for the Montana contest on Sept. 4. Among the other themes, Homecoming is set for Oct. 20 against UCLA.