Photo by: Margaret Mower/Utah Athletics
Game Week Fan Guide Presented by Utah 360: Stripe the Stadium vs. Idaho
8/31/2026 3:02 PM | Football, General
Preseason No. 21 Utes host Vandals for first home game of the Morgan Scalley era
SALT LAKE CITY—The preseason 21st-ranked Utah Utes begin the 2026 season on Thursday, Sept. 3, when the Idaho Vandals visit Rice-Eccles Stadium for a 7 p.m. kickoff. This historic night will be the first home game for the Utes under new head coach Morgan Scalley, who made his debut as Utah's head coach in last year's Las Vegas Bowl win over Nebraska on New Year's Eve.
The season opener is the Utes' annual MUSS Appreciation game, and fans will Stripe the Stadium in red and white corresponding with their seat locations. Thursday's game will be televised on ESPNU.
Fans can find everything they need to plan their game day and manage their tickets and parking passes on the official mobile app of Utah Athletics, Utah 360.
The season opener is the Utes' annual MUSS Appreciation game, and fans will Stripe the Stadium in red and white corresponding with their seat locations. Thursday's game will be televised on ESPNU.
Fans can find everything they need to plan their game day and manage their tickets and parking passes on the official mobile app of Utah Athletics, Utah 360.
- Be early, be loud, and arrive with your digital tickets and parking passes already downloaded to your smartphone wallet.
- Enter the stadium by 6:15 p.m. to be in your seat for pregame festivities and team introductions.
THURSDAY'S HIGHLIGHTS
- Stripe the Stadium: Utah fans are encouraged to Stripe the Stadium in red and white according to the section in which a fan is seated. Ticket holders have received specific information about which color to wear for their section, and a map can be found here.
- MUSS Appreciation: The Mighty Utah Student Section turns 25 this season, and the students will be honored Thursday for the incredible support they give to the program. The annual MUSS Appreciation Game will feature prizes and giveaways for MUSS members in attendance.
- LED Lights: Fans will enjoy an updated lighting system that was installed in the stadium this spring to enhance the fan experience. Instant-strike LED lighting will be in use to highlight key moments such as the Tunnel Walk, pregame hype, touchdowns and field goals and quarter breaks.
- Moment of Loudness: Introduced in 2021 this new tradition has become a galvanizing display of unity in celebrating the Utes' "Family on Three" mantra in honor of departed Utes Ty Jordan and Aaron Lowe, and will be updated for the transition into the Morgan Scalley era. The videoboard feature that accompanies the tribute in the third/fourth quarter break will be updated to feature prominent Utah Football alumni who played with Ty and Aaron emphasize the importance of family within the program.
- Cauldron Lighting: The game-day lighting of the 2002 Olympic Cauldron outside Rice-Eccles Stadium will move from the first/second quarter break to pregame. It will be lit with 42 minutes remaining on the pregame clock, accompanied by fireworks and a blast from the cannon, Ute Thunder II, as a unifying signal for Utes fans to start making their way into the stadium for pregame entertainment in the countdown to kickoff.
- Pregame DJ: The stadium DJ will now operate within the Mighty Utah Student Section to enhance the pregame energy, as The MUSS celebrates its 25th anniversary this season.
- The football program also will unveil several new surprise elements for fans to enjoy, related to the Tunnel Walk and Team Run-Out, as well as the players' traditional Utah Mili.
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— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) August 21, 2026
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UTAH 360 MOBILE APP
The Utah 360 app is your one-stop gameday home. Download it here. Fans can manage their tickets, order concessions from their seat for express pickup, and use other features to maximize their game day experience including stadium maps and navigation, parking details, tailgating guides and a Game Day Planner, as well as news, video content, stats, schedules, rosters and more.GAMEDAY.UTAH.EDU
Fans can also use our Gameday website to plan everything from transportation options, parking, stadium entry, stadium policies and services, concessions options and fan behavior expectations.THE ARRIVAL
Fans are encouraged to welcome the Utes to Rice-Eccles Stadium on game day by gathering outside Gate L on 500 South by 4:35 p.m. to meet the team buses.PREGAME FESTIVITIES
Make plans to be in your seats by 6:15 p.m. to enjoy pregame entertainment counting down to kickoff, including a performance by the "Pride of Utah," the University of Utah Marching Band, before the team's run-out onto the field amidst of the roar of the anticipated sellout crowd, which would be Utah's 96th in a row, dating back to 2010.MOBILE CONCESSIONS ORDERING
- Find "RiceEcclesWiFi" and and follow the prompts to connect to the network. Open your Utah 360 app and find food and drink maps.
- Mobile concessions ordering and the Pepsi refill stations speed the concessions process. Fans can order ahead from any concession stand in the stadium through the Utah 360 app and pick up their order with ease.
- Two dedicated mobile order pickup stands (Stand 32 on the east side and Stand 15 on the west) serve mobile orders only, allowing fans to skip lines, grab their food quickly and return to their seats without missing the action.
GRAB-AND-GO CONCESSIONS
- Rice-Eccles Stadium offers grab-and-go concession stands, one located on the west side near the main stadium stairs at Gate D and one behind Portal 42 across from the Red Zone Store near Gate L. Both stands allow fans to quickly grab popular game-day snacks and check out using AI-powered touchless checkout. This is a fast and convenient way to get a snack and be back watching the game quickly.
SECURITY SCREENING AND ENTRY PROCESS
- Stadium entry processes have been streamlined to improve both speed and safety.
- Tickets are now scanned first, using NFC-enabled technology, allowing fans to simply tap their phone to the scanner, then proceed through the weapons detection system and security screening.
- Remember the clear bag policy!
ADDITIONAL FAN SERVICES
- Rice-Eccles Stadium offers two lactation pods, one on the west concourse, and one on the east.
- Item of the Game for both the Red Zone Store and Concessions.
- Game day parking passes can be purchased for Lots 27, 32, 39 and 46.
STADIUM WIFI NETWORK
Search for the "RiceEcclesWifi" network and follow the prompts to connect to the network.DIGITAL TICKETS AND PARKING PASSES
Tickets and parking passes will be scanned on game day using the ticket holder's mobile device. They also may be transferred to others via email or text message.- To ensure a successful experience with digital ticketing, fans must have downloaded their tickets and parking passes to their smartphone wallet before arrival to present at the parking lot and stadium gates to expedite the entry process.
- It is also recommended that fans plan to arrive early to allow extra time for the entry process and not miss any of the action on the field.
- Check out our Digital Ticket Guide here.
STADIUM GATES
Stadium gates open two hours before kickoff. To speed the process for entry into Rice-Eccles Stadium, fans are encouraged to arrive early and to review the most efficient route from their parking lot or the TRAX station and determine the most appropriate stadium gate for entry. All main stadium gates also feature a no-bag line for express entry. See a gate map here.STADIUM SERVICES AND POLICIES
- A-TO-Z FAN GUIDE
Rice-Eccles Stadium's services, policies and things to know before you go can be found here. - CLEAR BAG POLICY AND NO-BAG EXPRESS LANES
Rice-Eccles Stadium operates on a clear-bag policy and offers no-bag lanes at all main gates to help expedite entry for those not bringing a bag into the stadium. Only clear bags, up to 12"x18", will be allowed inside the stadium. No bags, purses or duffles may be brought into the stadium except for small clutch bags no larger than 6.5" x 4.5". - WATER BOTTLES
One factory-sealed bottle of water per person (1 liter or less), is permitted in the stadium. Bottled water may not be frozen. In an effort to be sustainable, empty personal water bottles, (1 liter or less) will be permitted, and the stadium offers water bottle refill dispensers throughout the stadium. A map can be found here. Glass water bottles will not be permitted. Additionally, all fountain drink dispensers at concessions stands will offer drinking water on one of the valves. - CASHLESS CONCESSIONS
To reduce touchpoints and increase efficiency with concessions sales, Rice-Eccles Stadium has implemented cashless transactions at all concessions stands. All sales will be completed using either credit cards or Apple Pay and Google Wallet mobile payment apps.
FAN BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS – WE ARE UTAH!
The safety of student-athletes and spectators is a top priority for all Utah Athletics home events. We ask all fans to be respectful and responsible when attending our events and create a home-field advantage for our teams in a way that also shows class and sportsmanship toward visiting teams—that "We are Utah!". The FanUP initiative exists to define the expected fan behavior at our home venues and is centered around:- Supporting our Utes and welcoming visiting teams and their fans
- Promoting a family-friendly experience
- Enjoying the game responsibly
- Cheering loud and being Ute Proud!
- Reporting fan behavior issues by texting 'FANUP' to 69050
PARKING LOTS
Parking lots open five hours before kickoff, with the exception of the Signature and tailgate lots, which open at 6 a.m. A parking map can be found here.- Parking Passes can be purchased on arrival in Lots 27, 32, 39 and 46.
- Tailgating is only allowed in designated lots.
- Alcohol, RVs, trailers and tailgating are not permitted in Lots 15, 18 or 19.
- ADA Parking (ADA Lot and ADA Shuttle Stop) has moved from Lot 14 to Lot 27, off Wasatch Drive north of the Eccles Broadcast Center. Shuttle bus runs from this lot, and TRAX station is adjacent to the lot.
- If seated on West side of stadium, TRAX is recommended
- If seated on East side of stadium, Shuttle Bus is recommended
TRANSIT
In addition, rides on UTA buses, TRAX and FrontRunner trains are free for ticketholders by displaying a valid game ticket, including the new postgame bus service from the stadium to the Court House TRAX station. For more information please visit UTA.com.OTHER TRANSPORTATION MODES
- SPIN Scooters are also available on campus.
- Ride-share (Uber/Lyft) drop/off and pickup location is along University Street, on the east side, between 250-400 South, just northwest of the stadium.
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