New safety protocol to be in place for Hawkeye football home opener

Hunter
08/16/24

With just about two weeks before the first home football game of the season, the University of Iowa has announced new safety protocols for admission.

The Daily Iowan reports beginning this season, all gates into Kinnick Stadium will be equipped with special walk-through metal detectors. The change will allow fans to get inside the stadium quickly while also ensuring a safer game-day environment. The system will also be used inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena for indoor events.

The university previously implemented a policy that required fans to bring clear bags to games so they could easily be flagged by security. That policy still stands, but with the metal detectors, security will no longer have to search each bag, making entrance to the stadium quick and easy.

Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director Marcus Wilson said at Iowa football media day that fans won’t need to take their wallets, keys and cellphones out of their pockets ahead of moving through the detectors. They’re designed to flag heavy metals usually associated with a weapon.

The university has now partnered with Best Crowd Management for assisting with customer service, ticket scanning, and ushering. They replace Contemporary Services Corporation. They’ve also partnered this season with KultureCity, a non-profit that assists individuals with sensory processing disorders to also enjoy the Kinnick experience.