Stadium curbs rowdiness with breath tests

By Chris Williams - Associated Press Writer     Sep 19, 2009

At Memorial Stadium

At Kansas University, alcohol use is permitted during the three hours before kickoff and during halftime at football games in designated tailgating areas.

Alcohol is not allowed in Memorial Stadium, and if a person is found consuming alcohol in the stadium, at a minimum, the alcohol will be taken away, said Jim Marchiony, KU associate athletics director.

Further penalties are assessed on a case-by-case basis, he said. Unruly behavior can result in expulsion from the stadium.

? Students who get kicked out of a University of Minnesota football game for drunken rowdiness won’t be allowed back next time unless they pass an alcohol breath test at the gate — one of the most extreme attempts yet by colleges to curb misbehavior in the stands.

The new Check BAC policy applies to the 10,000 student season-ticket holders and is modeled after a program started five years ago at the University of Wisconsin.

It is aimed primarily at fans who get blitzed at tailgate parties before entering the Golden Gophers’ brand-new TCF Bank Stadium. The sale and possession of alcohol are banned at the 50,000-seat stadium, unlike the team’s former home, the Metrodome, which is off campus and not owned by the school.

“If people come in with a buzz on — there will be tailgating — that’s fine as long as their behavior doesn’t interfere with those around them,” said Jerry Reinhart, Minnesota vice provost for student affairs. “Then there will be trouble.”

The policy has drawn few complaints from fans.

Patrick Day, a junior who skipped tailgating at the home opener last Saturday to get in line for a good seat in the unreserved student section, said: “I think if you’re terrible and puking, then are you really enjoying the game? I’ve been puked on before. You know, that’s just not necessary.”

Nine people were ejected during the first game, and one drunken fan was taken from a tailgating lot to detox. Seven of those 10 were students who must now pass a breath test to attend future games. The number of students kicked out Saturday was about the same as usual, the university police department said.

Minnesota drew up its policy after disturbances at other college stadiums and a pair of riots that broke out on its own campus after the Gophers won national hockey championships in 2002 and 2003.

PREV POST

WWII cannon tested, ready for Saturday's KU game

NEXT POST

33574Stadium curbs rowdiness with breath tests