Amid a mounting number of concerns and complaints from fans who showed up to Memphis football's home opener at the newly renovated Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, Tigers athletic director Ed Scott vowed
to "do better."
In a statement posted on social media on Sept. 7 — two days after Memphis defeated Arkansas State 42-24 in front of an announced sellout crowd of 45,632 — Scott said Tigers fans deserve "a first-class game day experience" but acknowledged the athletic department did not deliver that for everyone.
“... We recognize that our first home game fell short of that standard in several important areas," Scott's statement reads in part. "We heard your concerns about parking, stadium entry, concession lines and other aspects of the game day experience, and we take that feedback seriously.”
Scott began responding to fans' grievances on X before the game against the Red Wolves had gone final. In response to one fan's post that lines at concession stands in the stadium were "100 people deep," Scott replied, "We will do better."
The discontent ran a wide gamut: poor traffic flow outside the stadium, not enough bartenders at Landers Plaza concession stands, and a scoreboard inside the stadium that read "2N QUARTER" (instead of "2ND").
Some fans posted they bought tickets in Section 901, only to find out upon arrival that their assigned seating did not exist.
"I was pissed about that," Scott posted on X in response to one fan. "We have to do better for our single game folks and season ticket members. That’s not acceptable!"
Scott continued addressing the grumbling on social media on Sept. 6, before formally issuing a statement the next day.
“As an athletic department, we own our responsibility to deliver a great experience from the moment you arrive at the stadium until the moment you leave," Scott's statement continued. "We are already working closely with the City of Memphis, Oak View Group and Sodexo Live! to evaluate what happened and make immediate improvements."
Scott wasn't the only one to step forward and accept accountability.
“There are a lot of things we’ve got to clean up. I promise you, we’ll get it fixed," Tigers coach Charles Huff said during his postgame press conference. "Don’t let the punch list put a damper on what we did tonight. Don’t let the punch list put a damper on how far this program has come in seven months, nine months. Don’t let the punch list put a damper on what our leadership is trying to do for this city, this university and this athletic department."
In his statement, Scott said he and the athletic department will not make excuses for the issues.
“A sellout crowd in a newly renovated stadium presents unique challenges, but we will not use that as an excuse," he said. "Our expectation is simple; we have to do better. We are identifying what needs to change, putting solutions in place and holding ourselves and our partners accountable for delivering a better experience each time Tiger Nation walks through the gates.”
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com, follow him @munzly on X.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis AD Ed Scott vows to make 'immediate improvements' after home opener
