5 things to know about new Mosaic Stadium

After a little more than two years of construction, the new Mosaic Stadium is ready to be tested.

Tickets are sold out to Saturday afternoon’s football game between the University of Regina Rams and University of Saskatchewan Huskies. A total of 16,500 fans will be packed into the stadium’s lower bowl to watch the action on the field while getting a sense of what the new venue has to offer.

For those going to the game, 980 CJME has compiled a list of pertinent information so fans’ experience can be as pleasant as possible.

TRANSIT

Transit service will be free, beginning at 11:45 a.m. Buses will leave from the Southland Mall, Northgate Mall, Victoria Square Mall and Normanview Shopping Centre. A downtown shuttle will also be offered with two stops: one at the Delta Hotel at Saskatchewan Drive and Hamilton Street and the other at Victoria Park near Victoria Avenue and Scarth Street.

Buses heading back from the stadium will leave once they are full and service will end 20 minutes after the game.

PARKING

Drivers will be able to park at the current Mosaic Stadium, but space will be limited. Parking will also cost $10.

Elphinstone Street from north of Saskatchewan Drive to Dewdney will be closed to traffic from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

There will be no parking available for the game at Evraz Place. The only people who can park there are those with mobility challenges. The spots will be available just west of Confederation Park on a first-come, first-served basis. Drivers will need to enter through the Lewvan Dr. gate and display an accessible parking permit.

SEATING

Those who purchased tickets are asked to arrive early, since there is no assigned seating. Gates #2 and #3 at the north end of the stadium will open at noon, a full two hours before kickoff at 2 p.m.

“We’re asking people to come early to the game. We have enough boots on the ground to help people find seats and work through that process,” said Kim Onrait, executive director of city services and major projects.

FOOD/DRINK

A number of local vendors will be set up offering both food and drink, which includes both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

“I think that we’ve a really good, wide-range of food options for folks, something a little outside of what they’re used to,” said Graham Edge, vice-president of food and beverage at Evraz Place.

“We did a bunch of research around North America and we think that the fans may be demanding a little bit more and I hope we found it for them.”

While you can still get a traditional hotdog and hamburger, there are options out there for the more adventurous eaters.

“There’s the two foot hotdog with a pound of meat on it, and the double stacked burger at Coney Island, I think we’ve got sundaes on a stick and all sorts of fun stuff,” Edge explained.

Edge said these services would be similar to the ones you would find at a food truck or at the exhibition.

Vendors will accept cash, not debit or credit. However, ATMs will be available on the concourse.

SECURITY

The number of security personnel will mimic that of a regular Saskatchewan Roughriders game.

According to Rod Buckingham, who will be in charge of security at the event, there will be around 150 security personnel at the game.

The event will test an in-and-out policy. If fans enter through the gates and then decide to leave, they won’t be allowed back in.

Smokers will have a designated area.