Rolling Out the Red Carpet welcomes game-day guests

There may not be any paparazzi or designer gowns, but the red carpet treatment for fans at Badger sporting events offers plenty of friendly faces.

Rolling Out the Red Carpet is a University of Wisconsin–Madison sportsmanship initiative born out of a student-led effort in 2003 that responded to numerous complaints about aggressive fan conduct.

The multifaceted campaign, which works closely with the Wisconsin Alumni Association and the Homecoming Committee, aims to make both visiting fans and the Badger faithful feel welcome at UW sporting events.

The most visible parts of the program are the Student Fan Ambassadors (SFA), sponsored by Associated Bank. Adorned in bright green vests, the Fan Ambassadors stand at various spots around Camp Randall Stadium to greet fans, assist visitors and hand out player cards, licorice coupons and sports schedules.

“Sportsmanship has become much more of something in people’s minds,” says John Finkler, director of guest services. “By having this program, we’ve raised awareness of the need to welcome visiting fans and be good hosts.”

For the first time, Fan Ambassadors will be run as a student organization.

“We thought it was important to give it some standing on campus, as opposed to it being an athletic department operation,” Finkler says. “We’re really dependent on students for the Saturday game-day work, and we thought it would help with recruiting and working with other student organizations.”

Finkler and SFA coordinator Natalie Sciano are hoping to work with 15-17 ambassadors who commit to working several games throughout the season.

“There’s kind of a learning curve with where you need to be and what you need to do, so the more somebody does it, we think the better they get,” Finkler says.

Sciano is about as good as they get. She started as a Fan Ambassador as a freshman. Now a junior majoring in genetics with a certificate in business, she is ready to take over.

“I think it’s about just being there supporting your team,” she says. “It’s your school. You do everything for it.”

In addition to a pregame snack, Fan Ambassadors receive a complimentary game ticket in regular seating.

Sciano and Finkler hope the program, now beginning its sixth season, continues to grow and become more visible.

This summer, UW–Madison participated in the Big Ten Sportsmanship Video Conference 2009, where Finkler chatted with representatives from Ohio State University, Penn State University and the University of Minnesota, whose new program this season will be similar to Rolling Out the Red Carpet.

While the ambassadors take care of visiting fans, visiting team liaison Tom Tierney accommodates the visiting team.

Tierney, who is also a lecturer in the School of Business, began his volunteer post a few years ago after the football team played a game at West Virginia and got the red carpet treatment from their liaison. On the plane ride home, the Badgers decided they needed to create the position at Camp Randall.

“My game-day experience is making sure everything I do contributes to the visiting team leaving with a feeling that they were well-treated,” he says.

Tierney contacts the visiting team the week before the game to let them know he’s available. He personally greets the equipment truck and the team when they arrive the Friday before the game.

On game day, Tierney escorts the coaches to and from the press box in golf carts at halftime, and he also assists them before and after the game. He also escorts the vendor of the team’s postgame meal through stadium traffic to wherever the team wants to eat.

During the game, he is on the sidelines in case the team runs out of towels or needs anything else.

“I have no clue where the towels are, but I know who does,” Tierney says. “That’s really the key to this position. It’s really wonderful for them to have that one contact person rather than trying to scramble around.”