Author: David Bennett

FM Issue: March/April 2017

In the summer of 2013, the National Football League implemented a clear bag policy to increase security efforts and improve bag screening processes. The policy states that large bags must be clear plastic and are limited to 12” x 6” x 12” in size. Gallon Ziploc (or similar) bags are acceptable under this policy, and exceptions are made for medically necessary items after proper inspection. Small clutch bags do not have to be clear, but they cannot exceed the approximate size of a hand.

Colleges and universities across the country studied how the NFL rolled out this policy and over the past few years many have adopted similar policies. I spoke with two representatives from different universities that recently implemented policies very similar to the NFL’s, to gain insight on the logistics, communication, and success of the rollouts.

The University of South Carolina introduced a clear bag policy in August of last year, first at soccer, then football and basketball. As of last month, this policy spread to all ticketed sporting events hosted by the university. Their policy mirrors the NFL’s policy and will be mandated across the Southeastern Conference (SEC) for the 2017 football season.

Shawn Burke, assistant athletic director for operations and facility management, said that the implementation process so far has been successful, and should continue as it is rolled out to spring sports. The main reason for its success, Shawn indicated, was due to the communications and PR teams. There was a concerted effort that began earlier in the year to inform and educate the community and hopefully avoid any issues. The teams used as many tools as possible to spread the word before the seasons started, inclusive of press releases to local news outlets, email blasts, web, and social media.

Specifically, on football game days, signs were posted in parking lots, at shuttle stops, and along sidewalks and roadways upon approaching Williams-Brice Stadium, to educate anyone that may have missed the messaging in advance, especially visiting fans who may be from out of town and/or unfamiliar with the policy. The University of South Carolina Athletic Department also optimized a sponsorship opportunity and had Coca-Cola branded clear bags to give out if necessary. Premium ticket holders received these bags in advance, and others were distributed on an as-needed basis by volunteers, who would catch people with an unapproved bag on the way to the stadium. The fans could transfer their belongings to the clear bag, return their unapproved bag to their car, and enter the venue, without causing backups or confusion at the gates.

Clemson University also implemented a clear bag policy last year at Memorial Stadium and Littlejohn Coliseum, the venues that host their football and basketball programs, respectively. This policy also mirrors the NFL’s policy and was chosen after studying and considering different policies from other professional sports leagues and other colleges and universities that had bag restrictions in place. Ben Houston, assistant director of athletic event management, considers their implementation a success and also credits communication and public relations to be critical factors in that success. Most of the fans arriving at the first game were aware of and followed the policy properly.

Clemson’s plans differed from South Carolina’s in a few ways. First, they provided one free bag per season ticket account that could be picked up in advance, or at the games. Second, they provided a “Bag Amnesty Truck” near the stadium, where people could check bags that were not approved to enter the stadium, instead of returning to their cars. If a fan was turned away from a gate because of their bag, they were directed to this truck where they would fill out a form with their contact information, and receive a claim ticket to use to retrieve their bag. All bags were subject to search and would be swept by the EOD team prior to the game. The truck would be locked during the game, opened briefly at halftime, then be open for roughly 45 minutes after the game. If a bag was left, which Ben told me was rare, the fan was contacted using the information they provided. If the bag was still not retrieved, it was turned over to the police department as lost and found. The largest number of bags checked was roughly 100 at the beginning of the season, and only about 15 by the end of the season. Most of the people that used this service were visiting team fans that did not have a clear bag policy at their school’s stadium.

Overall, communication is key when implementing any changes to the game-day experience, especially if it changes what a fan can or cannot bring. The focus should be on education, fully explaining what is and is not permitted and why. This information should be distributed early and often, on as many platforms as possible. There is no guarantee that these efforts can reach everyone, so a backup plan should be in place, whether that be free clear bags, or a secure place people can check a bag. If you are considering a similar policy at your venue, reach out to your peers. We all have something we can learn from each other, and this research and preparation helps to ensure our fans will have an enjoyable and safer experience.

David Bennett, CVP, is event + facility operations manager at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia.