This year I have had two separate and entirely distinct experiences at Rice Eccles Stadium.
September 15, 2018: My first visit was for a disappointing 21-7 loss to the Washington Huskies, and I sat in the bleachers in the Northeast section of the stadium. Sight lines are great pretty much anywhere in the stadium, so that's not an issue. The food options at RES are good, though nothing too far out of the ordinary--basically just your standard dogs, phillys, pretzels and other traditional stadium fare (the REAL good eats are to be found in the Ute fans' massive pregame tailgating parties). However, the concourses of RES are always packed to the gills on game day, making it very difficult to get around at pretty much anytime during the game. Also, the team gear store is quite small, so again it can be a wee bit claustrophobic elbowing your way through a crowd just to get a new lid. Oh, and if you aren't a fan of long lines, don't even bother attempting to use the bathrooms between quarters or at halftime--it's just not right how long you have to wait. Finally, though I did both my undergrad and grad studies at the U and I am a big Utes fan, as a frequent traveler and visitor of stadiums and arenas around the country, I honestly and embarrassingly have to say that the RES crowd can be very inhospitable to opposing teams' fans (which frankly is just not right--it wouldn't be a great game without a good quality opponent, and I assume my fellow Utes fans would reciprocally appreciate not being treated like human waste when visiting an opposing teams' stadium, right?!? Let's keep it competitive AND classy Ute fans!).
November 10, 2018: This visit to RES was a bit more upscale, having been invited to a Suite to watch the Utes' thrilling 32-25 defeat of the visiting Oregon Ducks. As to be expected, everything on the Suite levels is a step above (or several steps above) the lower bowl adventure previously described. On this November visit, they offered a full turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes and veggies meal complete with pumpkin pie and apple cobbler for dessert (and even had optional hotdogs for those that still wanted the full-on stadium experience). The Suites are roomy and comfortable, offer TVs for keeping track of other games and scores, and provide a decent variety beverages (though Coke lovers take note--this is a Pepsi only stadium, despite the fact that Coke red and Ute red would seem to be a perfect marriage). One of the nicest perks of Suite life at RES are the bathrooms. In particular, there is NO WAIT. In fact, both times I used the bathroom during the game (maybe I had one too many of those Pepsi products), I was the only person in the bathroom. Unbelievable, right?!? It would be nice if the Suite floors included team gear shops (even a mini version), so you could get some Utes swag up there.
So, whether you are in the bleaches or in a Suite, RES is a good place to catch an exciting PAC-12 game, though the experiences can vary greatly once you get out and tour the facility. read more