Issues were reported at the onset of the football season regarding the app required for student entry into UW athletics events. The app, titled Wild Bunch, scans a QR code at the gates for event admission.
Assistant UW Athletics Director David Primus, said that while the number of students having issues percentage-wise seems small, the number of students those percentages represent merits attention.
“The number was far too high at the first football game (near 20 percent of students), 12 percent of students at the Oregon game and down to less than 4 percent of students at last Saturday’s game vs. Hawai’i. While the percentages themselves are not ‘high,’ they translate to a large number of students,” Primus said.
Primus said that the athletic department is aware of these issues and is taking steps to address them.
“The change to have all students enter through Gate four (east side of the stadium, next to the ticket office) starting at the Oregon game has helped a great deal,” Primus said. “Not only can we ensure better connectivity at that spot for the scanners, but we also are able to help students having any issues loading the app and verify students who should have access to enter the game.”
Primus said that there are further actions being taken to attempt to resolve further issues.
“We are also working with the app developers to rectify the issues we’ve identified. Password reset in particular doesn’t work for some students,” Primus said.
Many students enjoy the luxury of convenience that the app offers.
“I have had success with the app and like that, I don’t have to go and get a ticket before every game but rather I can just show up and show them on my phone, it makes it a lot more convenient,” Collin McArthur, a junior studying Spanish education, said.
However, McArthur notes that there are some issues that need to be addressed.
“There are loopholes as well because people can take screenshots of their access code allowing them to help friends and others get in that may not otherwise have access to it,” McArthur said.
Joseph Swanson, a junior studying secondary education/social studies, said that he has experienced problems with the Wild Bunch app.
“The first time I had to use the app when entering upon War Memorial for UW’s home opener, it did not want to load up my scan code. It held up the line for some time before the gentlemen scanning told me to just enter,” he said.
There is a slight frustration on why the app is needed when the original method of student game admission was adequate.
“I understand the idea behind the app and its intended use to get into home sporting events, but I believe that if something isn’t broken, then why fix it?” Swanson said.
Primus said that his office will continue to improve the game entry experience.
“We continue to solicit feedback from students via our interns, ASUW leadership and surveys we send out to students,” Primus said.
