Kennesaw State University seems to have learned something about their new football fans: They don’t love waiting in lines.
The school announced Tuesday that it's making some changes to the way folks will get into Fifth Third Bank Stadium, including metal detectors and early gate opening times.
Interim athletics director Matt Griffin said that the first home game of the season against Tennessee Tech (a win) was great — mostly.
“We did, however, hear from patrons regarding long waits at the gate. The safety and satisfaction of our guests are our top priorities,” Griffin said in a statement.
There will now be walk-through metal detectors at “high-traffic gates” and staff will use metal detection wands at all other gates of the 8,300-seat stadium.
The university has purchased 15 metal detectors at $6,500 each, “including installation, setup and training,” said KSU spokeswoman Tammy DeMel.
The detectors are funded by revenue generated from the stadium and will be used for basketball, graduation and other stadium events, she said.
Before the start of this year, Kennesaw State enacted a "clear bag" policy, meaning fans can only bring one-gallon plastic freezer bags and clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bags that are not larger than 12" x 6" x 12" into the stadium. The rule still stands, but now there will be a separate line at Gate B for those without bags to expedite getting into the stadium.
Also, stadium gates will now open 90 minutes before kickoff, which is 30 minutes earlier than before, the school said.
That new schedule will be in place for the game Saturday against North Greenville University.
There will also be more security staff members to clear up some of the congestion and improved signage to show folks where to go, KSU said.
In other news:
About the Author
