This fall, the Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA), North Texas Athletics (UNT) and Denton Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) have partnered together to launch the 2014 “Mean Green Game Day” promotion, an all-new experience that seamlessly connects the DCTA A-train, merchants in downtown Denton, the Mean Green Tailgating Village and Apogee Stadium via complimentary Mean Green Game Day Shuttle transportation.
The 2014 Mean Green Game Day Shuttle will launch on Saturday, September 6, during the first North Texas football game vs. Southern Methodist University. The free shuttle will operate during all North Texas football home games during the 2014-2015 season, providing easy travel to and from North Texas football games with no worries about traffic and parking hassles. Mean Green Game Day shuttles will run every 15 minutes and are complimentary for the general public; however, passengers must pay regular fare for DCTA Connect bus and A-train service.
“We’re excited to be a part of this momentous effort to support North Texas athletics and the community, as well as help boost game day attendance,” said Kristina Brevard, vice president of marketing and communications for DCTA. “During this promotion we expect to see new passengers on our systems, and hope they’ll become regular DCTA passengers in the future.”
It’s easy to ride the Mean Green Game Day Shuttle. Passengers hop on the DCTA A-train, arrive at the Euline Brock Downtown Denton Transit Center (DDTC) and board the free shuttles from the DDTC, to the Mean Green Tailgating Village and pedestrian bridge that leads to Apogee Stadium. The buses will also stop at locations along the Downtown Denton Square so passengers can visit Denton restaurants, shops and bars before or after the football games.
Local businesses in Downtown Denton are also hopping on board for the new Mean Green Game Day experience. Many of these businesses have become “Game Day Champions,” sponsoring this new campaign to engage with Mean Green fans, University of North Texas alumni, the Denton community and visitors from around the DFW metroplex.
“Our vision for Mean Green Game Day is connecting the dots for a complete Denton experience on home game days,” said Kim Phillips, vice president of the Denton Convention & Visitors Bureau. “We anticipate UNT alums reconnecting with their alma mater and many visitors discovering Denton’s vibrancy and cool sense of place.”
In addition to providing complimentary shuttle service, the new Mean Green Game Day experience aims to fill Apogee Stadium. The momentum for Mean Green Game Day has been steadily growing due to North Texas’ exciting nine-win season in 2013 and winning the 2014 Heart of Dallas Bowl.
“We rolled out a few trial runs last year in order to see how this service would work most efficiently and were really impressed with the results,” said Hank Dickenson, deputy athletic director of North Texas Athletics. “But, what really proved this should happen on a grand scale was the outstanding ridership experienced during the Heart of Dallas Bowl. The Denton CVB was a great partner to us, and the support we received from downtown merchants and DCTA has been extremely gratifying. This is truly a win-win situation for everyone.”
