Welcome back! It’s go time.
Here’s a primer on what to do to have a great football weekend from entertainment to our favorite places to feed (and hydrate) our faces. But before we get into all that, here is the No. 1 thing to avoid. Don’t be that guy who holds up the dadgum line because you didn’t download your mobile tickets and parking beforehand.
Our tech-savvy readers have already downloaded theirs, Easy Peezy, as virtually every ticketed event in recent years has required mobile tickets. But for the rest of us who have lived under a techno rock, or who aren’t concert goers, downloading tickets into a smart phone “wallet” sounds to me to be a daunting/dreadful process.
It really isn’t. I did it for gawd’s sake.
While my wife and Bob may tell you I’m “technically challenged,” I prefer to think of myself as technically empathetic to those of you who are resistant or challenged.
When I downloaded my first ticket today, guess what? I found I had 19 expired mobile tickets in my wallet dating back to the 2022 Cheez-It Bowl in Orlando, when Oklahoma’s Gavin Sawchuck – who is now a Seminole, rushed for 100 yards against a good FSU defense that night. The other used mobile tickets included the games against LSU, a Florida home game, the game in Dublin, and Regional and Super Regional softball and baseball games.
While this mobile ticketing is new to Doak, it is not new to FSU or to me.
So if you haven’t done it yet, just do it.
Here’s a link to explicit instructions for I-phone and Android users.
They post a phone number for those of us who need special help, armed with patient people who can guide you today so that come Saturday you’ll look like the master of your universe.
While I was at it, I put all my parking passes into my Apple wallet, too. And that’s critical to a happy Saturday for us all.
Each parking pass is color coded. Mine is green. So as I approach Doak, I’m told to follow the green signs. At some point the people directing traffic will see my green pass and point me to my lot in that green zone.
Be sure you prepare ahead of time for your sake and for my sake because I don’t want to be stuck in traffic because you didn’t prepare hard enough for gameday. We’re all in this together.
Should you have a malfunction, be sure you know your lot number so the police can get you to the lot, where an attendant will have a report of everyone who is assigned to that lot.
While the mobile ticketing isn’t new, the mobile parking is at Doak Campbell so be a good Boy Scout and come prepared.
Speaking of preparation, hats off to the Booster and ticket office for their efforts in nudging, then bludgeoning us with emails, texts and even a robocall from Jeff Culhane to get us prepared for gameday. I was at a business lunch when my phone rang, I looked at who was calling and it said Athletic Director Michael Alford, so I answered and said, “What’s up?” thinking it was AD Alford with something important. Then I heard Culhane’s voice telling me to download my tickets and, even though I hung up, the call was one more effective reminder.
After more than a dozen emails, several texts and phone calls from my ticket rep, and the bait-and-switch call from Culhane, we can only hope the FSU football coaching staff has been as deliberate and repetitive in the preparation of their charges before gameday.
Get to the game early?
Will there be screw ups among us? You bet. There will be some folks who won’t heed the pleas. I guarantee you. And there will be a knucklehead like me who will misplace their phone or whose battery will run dry (either is likely) who will need assistance. In addition to personnel at the gates to assist, the ticket office has set up two additional, portable will call windows, one on the West side by Gate C, one by the Dunlap Champions Club, to go with the will call window on the East side by Howser Stadium.
Reduce your stress and get to the parking lot early and, by all means, get to the gate an hour or more before kickoff, not only to see the pregame show but to tour the new west side grandstands where there are full-service bars with television screens to enjoy.
Why is mobile ticketing important?
Having served 19 years with the Boosters and the ticket office, I know change isn’t easy for some of our season ticket holders, which makes life more difficult for the operations staff. So what about this mobile ticketing makes the juice worth the squeeze?
Explain the why, and we’re more likely to buy in.
“We are making it more secure and faster at the gate by eliminating conflict at the gate,” said Jack Chatham, in his 11th year as Assistant Athletics Director for Ticket Operations.
This mobile delivery uses an NFC (Near Frequency) technology rather than a barcode reader, which is more secure and provides better gate efficiency than the print at home or paper ticketing.
Why?
Print-at-home tickets were easy to lose, and the barcodes became hard to read at the gate after riding around in pants pockets during three or more hours of hot tailgating. And the bar code readers also struggled to decipher the codes on screen shots when the mobile device had a cracked screen or a brightness issue.
Each of those situations required gate attention to sort it out, which caused lines to back up and increased anxiety. And it wasn’t uncommon for those lost print-at-home tickets to be found by someone who sold them, gave them to another person, or used them to enter the stadium before the actual ticket holder reached the ticket office for help.
Those routine issues, as well as more nefarious matters — including counterfeiting — are eliminated with this Near Frequency technology, which recognizes only one ticket holder per ticket. And that’s why if you want to exchange some of the tickets assigned to your account to another person, you cannot just send them a screenshot of the tickets. You must transfer those tickets through Seminoles.com.
Once you transfer the ticket, that ticket becomes assigned to the other person’s email address, and is negated from yours, once that person downloads that ticket into their mobile wallet. At that point, the ticket is activated and eliminates the possibility two people will show up to the gate with the same ticket.
If you transfer a ticket to another person, be sure they know to download the ticket before they get to the stadium, where the WiFi isn’t always dependable.
Now for the fun stuff
Now that we’ve covered the important stuff, let’s get on to the fun stuff. The Osceola will not have a gathering this weekend as we’ve focused our attention on building the site and producing content for you to read. We certainly will have gatherings later at upcoming games, but for those who would like to get together this weekend, I’ll let you know where I am likely to be throughout this piece.
The party starts at 5 p.m. at Potbelly’s, where comedian and FSU graduate Bert Kreischer returns to where his stand-up comedy career began.
As a six-year undergraduate, Rolling Stone named him the No. 1 partier at the No. 1 party school in America in a six-page feature “The Undergraduate.” Kreischer’s comedy isn’t for the whole family as his storytelling recounts collegiate misadventures that inspired National Lampoon’s film “Van Wilder.” His most popular story is about how he earned the nickname "The Machine” while inadvertently helping the Russian mafia rob a train while on an FSU college trip to Russia.
I so want to see the bare-chested storyteller but a previous engagement won’t allow it.
Soccer and Volleyball are on the road this week so, other than the BIG GAME, this article is mostly about entertainment options and most of those in the vicinity of College Town. For those of you who are looking for options, let me turn you on to an excellent app called Music Local, which you can download and find all the band schedules in Tallahassee. There are 28 options on both Friday and Saturday after the game, including: Bowden’s, the Sound Bar, Salty Dawg, The Corner Pocket, Fish Camp, The Blue Tavern, The Brass Tap, The Getaway Bar and Grill, Barrell Proof Lounge and a Friday Block Party at Bannerman Crossing.
And for the beer enthusiasts, Tallahassee has become synonymous with breweries including Oyster City, The Hub at Feather Oaks, Proof, Amicus, DEEP, Ology and Lake Tribe.
FSU-Alabama weekend calendar
Friday, Aug 29, 5 p.m. - Bert Kreischer Comedy Show, Potbellys, reserved seating $47.
Since I can’t get to Potbelly’s on Friday night, I’m planning to go to Madison Social on Saturday at 10 a.m., where Kreischer and fellow comedian Tom Segura will be bartending.
Friday, Aug 29, 6-10 p.m. - College Town Block Party on Madison (dual headliners – SPANKthe80s and MOONLIGHT)
Count me in to relive the neon-colored, hair spray-infused glory of the 80s. SPANK the80s, bills themselves as the nation's premiere 80s tribute band, and promises to bring “the era of excess back to life with the best songs of the decade and an over-the-top visual spectacle.”
Friday, Aug 29, 9 p.m. - The Zach Miller Band at Bowden’s in College Town. Hope to see some of you at Bowden’s for more music and pre-game football discussions.
Sat., Aug 30, 10 a.m. - Comedians Bert Kreischer and Tom Segura bartend at Madison Social. Kreischer and Segura are co-owners of Por Osos Vodka. $18 pitchers of Mimosa’s with brunch kickoff the day.
Sat., Aug 30, 10 a.m. - Tallahassee Downtown Market, 115 E. Park Ave Market offering seasonal produce, baked goods, crafts, flowers and live music by Brian Durham and Chris Skene performing
Gameday Timeline
Whether heading to the stadium or watching from home, check out the Florida State gameday page to enhance your viewing experience. The gameday page offers links to live gameday stats, to the radio broadcast with Culhane, the ABC television broadcast, a digital game program and more.
Official FSU events for those making the pilgrimage:
The lots open at 8 a.m. and there’s a full day of activity planned in College Town and around Doak Campbell Stadium.
8 a.m. - Parking lots open
9 a.m. - CBS Sports HQ Broadcast LIVE near Gate K
11:30 a.m. - Ticket Office at Howser opens (Will Call location)
12:30 p.m. - Gates A - G and M - L open
1 p.m. - Legacy Walk starts at the Heritage Fountain - should be electric!
1:20 p.m. - Skull Session with Marching Chiefs at Howser is a must see and can be combined with the Coca Cola Tailgate below and the Legacy walk above
1:30 p.m. - Gates J, H, and K open (a great time to enter, look around and relax before the storm
11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. - The Ford Fan Fest on Langford Green closes one hour before kickoff. Find activations and giveaways provided by FSU’s official partners. Seminole Sportshop pop-up shop for the latest apparel and accessories.
Voice of the Seminoles Jeff Culhane and special guests LIVE from the Truist Radio Stage starting 2.5 hours before kickoff. Food trucks serve food and beverages before the game.
11:30 a.m. -2:30 p.m. - Coca-Cola Tailgate Village at Howser Green. A free tailgating area for fans at Dick Howser Stadium. Bring your own food or select from a limited menu at the concession stand located next to Howser's Right Field Gate. Lots of fun with face tattoos, inflatables, tailgating games and an FSU Kids Club activity table. Pick up your 2025 schedule posters at the marketing tables.
3:10 p.m. - Marching Chiefs Pregame Performance
3:15 p.m. - National Anthem + Army Flyover
3:30 p.m. - Kickoff of the Florida State vs. Alabama Game
#GoNoles Videoboard Feature
Post gameday photos on Twitter/X, Facebook and Instagram using #GoNoles to be featured on the videoboard throughout every home game.
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