Ohio Stadium Security Changes

The Ohio State University Athletic Department has issued the following statement regarding new Ohio Stadium security precautions to be put into effect beginning with the Ohio State vs. Northwestern game on October 6, 2001.

Please allow for additional time, and extra 20-30 minutes, to enter Ohio Stadium prior to kickoff.
It will be necessary and appreciated for our fans to cooperate with the requests of security officers, ushers and ticket takers in a timely manner to avoid delays at all points of entry.
Al persons, including fans, media and Ohio State Athletics Department personnel, will be subject to search. No one without a ticket or credential will be allowed into the stadium.
The Ohio State Department of Athletics has enjoyed the complete cooperation of the Columbus Fire Department, OSU Police Department, Columbus Police Department, Franklin County, the State Highway Patrol, the American Red Cross and several other local and state agencies. The precautions that we are putting in place are simply in response to recent events.
No backpacks, fanny packs, coolers, bags, containers of any size, chair-back seats, televisions, cameras or hand-held radios will be allowed in the stadium.
No bags or totes containing clothing items of any kind will be allowed in the stadium.
Pagers, cell phones and small purses are permissible, as are binoculars if they are uncased and worn around the neck. /All purses are subject to search.
Appropriate apparel for the weather may be worn or carried through the gates.
Fans with special health and medial related problems should use Gates 9, 14, and 25. All containers and bags, however, will be subject to search. Only items required for health and medical problems will be permitted through the gates.
The stadium will be locked down at 5 p.m. Friday and will not open before 5:45 Saturday.
Anyone with an item which does not pass security measures will be asked to take the item back to his or her vehicle or dispose of the item. There will be no holding areas for such item.

Additionally, Geiger announced that Ohio Stadium, and for that matter all stadia in the country, are now no-fly zones. The days of banner toting aircraft and news helicopters circling Ohio Stadium are now over.

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