Sodexo Live! Kicks off college football season with new hospitality offerings

Sodexo Live! is set to celebrate the 2023 college football season with stacked new menus, new local partners, and other hospitality and premium service offerings to bring heightened excitement to the fans and athletes that its culinary teams will feed across the 10 universities the company serves.

“Creating a memorable, 360-degree fan experience is our top priority in collaborating with our venue partners, and this year is no exception as fans will have so much to look forward to,” says CEO Belinda Oakley of Sodexo Live! North America. “From creating menus for new VIP seating, to expanding offerings by bringing in new local businesses, our team of Experience Makers have put great effort into putting forth a reinvigorated hospitality program this year.”

Here are highlights for the 2023 season from seven of the client universities…

Michigan Stadium has a new local partnership with Motor City classic Buddy’s Pizza that will be available in the suites and general concourse.

Michigan Stadium, The University of Michigan

There’s a new local partnership with Motor City classic Buddy’s Pizza that will be available in the suites and general concourse. Meanwhile, new suite menu highlights include…

• a baguette filled with falafel, oregano scented oven dried tomato, grilled eggplant, portobello mushroom and pickled red onion with herb peppadew chutney;

• build-your-own chicken, beef, and cauliflower shawarma with toum (a Lebanese garlic sauce), small wedge tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion and thinly sliced lettuce;

Related:University of Nevada, Reno transforms campus dining experience for 2023-24

• muffuletta sliced Dearborn ham, salami, mortadella, provolone and olive on muffuletta bread;

• Big House corned beef brisket;

• desserts like apple cranberry cupcake trifle, keto lemon blueberry chia pudding and Sanders chocolate bumpy cake

One of the new menu items I Michigan Stadium suites is keto lemon blueberry chia pudding.

David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, The University of Kansas

New local partners include Uplift Coffee, which offers specialty coffee and beverages, and Biggs BBQ, menuing burnt ends, pulled pork, BBQ mac ‘n cheese and other comfort foods. There will also be new and improved grab-n-go stations, a happy hour at football games for the first hour after gates open through 30 minutes before kick-off featuring various discounted items, and expanded menus featuring bratwurst, footlong hot dogs, Chicago dogs, specialty “dog of the game” options and chili cheese dogs.

Cardinal Stadium, The University of Louisville

Two new minority-owned local business partnerships are on tap: Cheezy Does It, which specializes in fried mac and cheese balls and has already operated its food truck across the stadium for multiple seasons, will now be moving inside the stadium with its own outpost; and Barry’s Cheesesteaks, with owner Barry Washington expanding his business by bringing the concept’s stacked, authentic Philly cheesesteaks to the stadium.

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Cardinal Stadium will also be one of the first in college football to offer premium field seating in which boxes will offer the best views and have fans right in the action. The Turf Seats include amenities such as a premium parking pass, pre-game and post-game field access, an all-inclusive food and beverage menu curated by Sodexo Live! Executive Chef Richard Shoop and in-seat waiting service.

Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, The University of Mississippi

Additions for 2023 include new local food truck partners Wingz and Things, G&G Fries and Busy Bee, while the Jack and Coke footlong hotdog (a hot dog served with sauteed onions, made-in-house jack and coke cause and fried onions) joins the Jack and Coke chicken sandwich. There’s also a twist on the classic corn dog with Shark Bites featuring a funnel cake with hot dog bites.

Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and Gary Condron Family Dining Hall, The University of Florida

A first for The Swamp is the new Grab N Go Gators outpost on the general concourse that will offer classics like hot dogs, pretzels, water, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages for fans looking to get back to the action of the game as fast as possible. For athletes, there is an expansion of additional pre-and-post game meals, including the use of a catering on-the-go e-vehicle for the varied sports teams across campus.

Huskie Stadium, Northern Illinois University

Guests can look forward to classic fan-favorite menu items as well as a few new local offerings, Chicken Salad Chick as well as Cotton Candy. Additionally, to help speed up the purchasing process and get fans back to watching the game faster, Huskie Stadium will remain a completely cashless venue.

Hancock Stadium, Illinois State University

Fans can purchase tickets for a premium area with a “Bud Light Build-A-Bar” serving Anheuser Busch products along with soda and water. The ticket includes seating under a tented area with a front row seat to watch the game. Also, in addition to the gameday classics, new menu items include loaded Mac & Cheese and tacos in three varieties

Football fans can also look forward to Sodexo Live!’s culinary creations again this year at Harvard University’s Harvard Stadium, University of Alabama, Birmingham’s Protective Stadium, and at Hard Rock Stadium for University of Miami football games.