Badger football fans attending Saturday’s season-opening home football game challenging the University of Central Florida will likely notice more than just the renovation changes to Camp Randall.
“Rolling out the Red Carpet,” a campaign initiated by University of Wisconsin student groups such as Wisconsin Alumni Student Board and Associated Students of Madison, will attempt to create a more positive atmosphere toward visiting fans during football, hockey and basketball games.
The campaign was developed following the 2003 football season as a response to numerous complaints received in letters and e-mails from visiting fans addressed to various UW officials — including UW Chancellor John Wiley — referring to “pretty serious incidents,” according to Wiley. The incidents include both physical and verbal abuses of visiting fans.
One of the most noticeable aspects of the campaign may be the presence of volunteer student “Fan Ambassadors,” who will be visible around the stadium wearing green shirts to greet visitors of other teams and welcome them to Madison, according to Wiley.
“[Fan Ambassadors] are basically there to help counter the insults yelled at the [opposing team’s supporters by problem UW fans],” Wiley said.
Also central to the campaign are public-service announcements to be played on the video screens of the new scoreboards. The videos include coaches, players and Bucky Badger in humorous situations to discourage negative fan behavior and offer examples of a positive host school, according to a UW press release.
“We want to keep Camp Randall a tough place to play with energized, creative and noisy fans — yet treat visitors with respect,” Wiley said.
One of the complaints during last football season, which came in an e-mail received by Wiley from an Ohio State University fan, said, “for the first time ever, I was fearful for my safety.”
Other complaints stated that fans had such a bad time, they would not visit Camp Randall or UW in general again, as reported by the Badger Herald in January.
UW senior Gina Pignotti, who helped in the efforts, said when she read the e-mails, she was disheartened.
“We wanted to help curb the verbal and physical abuses [toward visiting fans],” Pignotti said, adding that any changes will most likely be gradual, but even if just one visitor will feel more welcome, it will be worth it.
ASM Chair Emily McWilliams said that although it is important to have a certain degree of showmanship and that the program is a good overture, “a billboard and brightly colored vests won’t curb a bunch of drunk kids.”
“It’s a nice gesture and it could never be a bad thing to make out-of-town people feel more welcome to our campus,” McWilliams said. “It shouldn’t be done in a way that could squash the fans. As long as rules aren’t imposed, it’s a good thing to do.”
The “Rolling out the Red Carpet” campaign was brainstormed and created over a six-month time period by a combination of students, athletes, staff and alumni, according to the press release.
