The players may rest in the offseason. Sodexo Live! Experience Makers do not.
From Miami to Oxford to Gainesville, the months between football seasons are anything but quiet. Stadium kitchens double as test labs, concourses become construction zones, and training sessions fill calendars. While fans wait for kickoff, Sodexo Live! teams are already running a different kind of two-a-day: managing preseason prep for football while simultaneously serving concerts, tennis tournaments, baseball, and even hockey.
“It’s an ongoing process,” said Justin Wright, Sodexo Live! General Manager at University of Florida. “By July we’re already ramping up — placing special orders, lining up staffing, and making sure training is complete. When September arrives, everything is ready to go.”
Training Camp for 2,500
Staffing is the first mountain to climb. A football Saturday in Miami can require as many as 2,500 Sodexo Live! food and beverage staff — double or even triple what’s needed for concerts. At Ole Miss, 700 workers, many from nonprofits, fan clubs, and local organizations, fill concession stands. In Florida, students scan QR codes on bulletin boards to sign up for shifts, while high school hospitality programs provide hands-on experience.
“Community groups are a huge part of what we do,” said Ole Miss GM Paul Schertz. “Churches, clubs, and high schools come back every season. They take pride in making game day happen.”
Training starts well before the first snap. At Florida, Justin Wright certified more than 400 staff in alcohol service last season, teaching them how to spot underage IDs and manage service responsibly. Miami blends training into live shows — bringing new hires into concert operations so they can feel the pace of a crowd before stepping into football.
That mix of preseason “practice reps” and live-event experience creates confidence. “Game day should be the easiest day,” Schertz said. “If you’ve prepared properly, everything is already in place. Then it’s just about focusing on the fans.”
The Year-Round Balancing Act
For NFL venues especially, football is only one piece of the puzzle. Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium rolled from racing into the World Cup, then into concert season — all while quietly preparing for football.
“We used concert season to test recipes and tweak concessions,” said Zach Williams, Sodexo Live! General Manager at Hard Rock Stadium. “By August, our team had already run multiple live events, so football was simply the next step.”
College venues juggle in their own way. Ole Miss shifts from football to basketball to baseball in quick succession. Florida’s schedule is similar: volleyball, basketball, and baseball all overlap with football prep.
“It’s never just one season,” said Dylan Witt, Sodexo Live! General Manager at University of Florida. “We might be planning menus for a new grab-and-go stand while also catering a baseball game. That’s the reality — you’re building the next thing while still executing today.”
Menus With Momentum
If staffing is the blocking and tackling of stadium operations, menu development is the playbook that keeps fans excited.
Miami has pushed its culinary program into high gear. The cocktail menu jumped from 20 specialty drinks last year to 56 this season, each tied to specific clubs and suites. Pre-batched bottles, branded with custom labels, now allow suite holders to enjoy premium cocktails without a bartender.
On the food side, Sodexo Live! chefs have added live-action cooking stations and small-bite theatrics. Miami also launched a guest chef program, surprising premium members with national culinary talent on game days. One of this year’s boldest experiments: professional pizza makers handcrafting dough and firing pizzas to order in suites.
“You’re not just at a football game,” Williams said. “You’re at an experience designed specifically for you.”
Florida has leaned on balance — keeping traditional game-day food but adding healthy, modern touches. “We get feedback from both sides: some want nachos, some want vegan or gluten-free,” Witt. “So we make sure you can build the experience you want. Everything is familiar, but with a twist that makes it special.”
Even Ole Miss, known for its straightforward game-day culture, keeps refining. Pulled pork nachos remain a top seller, but the real focus this offseason has been transforming three stands into high-volume grab-and-go concepts.
The Grab-and-Go Revolution
Speed is currency on game day, and grab-and-go is changing the game.
At Ole Miss, the new stands have boosted throughput and sales. “Fans appreciate the convenience,” Schertz said. “It keeps the energy flowing, and it’s been a big factor in our record seasons.”
Florida has become a test case in rapid deployment. After opening its first grab-and-go market on the south end zone two years ago, athletics requested another on the north side this summer — with only two months to build. “Normally it’s a six-month project,” Williams said. “We’ll have it done in two. That’s how successful the first one was.”
Miami has gone even further, expanding from one autonomous market last season to eight this fall. Transactions take less than a minute, a dramatic improvement over 15-minute halftime waits. The ripple effect is powerful: die-hard fans can get back to their seats faster, while curious fans now have time to explore local partnerships like Lucky Chicken or David Chang’s Fuku.
Data-Driven Decisions
Behind the scenes, every new idea gets measured. Florida studies per-cap spending closely, noting that noon kickoffs drive higher water sales while night games encourage heavier food orders. Miami tracks transaction times and uses the data to fine-tune staffing. Ole Miss watches social feedback closely, with the athletic director joking that fewer concession tweets means a smoother season.
Surveys and fan feedback round out the picture. “When fans tell us what they love, we double down,” Schertz said. “When they ask for something new, we adapt quickly. That’s how you keep growing.”
Local Flavor, Lasting Impact
Local partnerships add a layer of authenticity. Miami showcases Michelin-starred chefs and neighborhood favorites. Ole Miss brought in a cinnamon roasted nut company and a café from downtown Oxford. Florida relies on campus groups, turning staffing into both community fundraising and workforce development.
These connections go beyond food. They tie Sodexo Live!’s venues to their communities, turning stadiums into year-round destinations.
Football’s Other Season
In many ways, the off-season is football’s other season — one defined not by touchdowns, but by prep lists, training schedules, and recipe trials.
Miami transformed concerts into culinary rehearsals. Ole Miss doubled throughput with grab-and-go upgrades. Florida compressed a six-month project into two.
And through it all, Sodexo Live! teams leaned on preparation, innovation, and trust. “Every season is an opportunity to raise the bar,” Wright said. “Fans see the game, but what they really experience is everything we’ve built around it.”
That’s the part fans don’t see — but they taste it in every slice of pizza, every specialty cocktail, and every lightning-fast grab-and-go transaction.
