As part of a new security initiative, Camp Randall will only permit clear bags and small clutch purses on its grounds during University of Wisconsin football games.
The policy was the result of an annual security policy review process the UW Athletic Department and UW Police Department participated in conjointly.
Camp Randall security will allow clutch purses no larger than 6.5 by 4.5 inches, one gallon clear plastic storage bags and 12 by 6 by 12 inch tote bags, according to a statement released by the UW Athletic Department.
Any clutch purse larger than 6.5 by 4.5 inches will not be allowed into the stadium, Clear backpacks, tinted totes and other opaque bags will also be denied.
People with medically necessary items and equipment, as well as diaper bags, will not be banned from the stadium as part of the clear bag policy. These items will be searched thoroughly and tagged by stadium officials.
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Daron Jones, UW Athletics spokesperson, said the clear bag policy will improve the security checks both inside and outside the stadium on game days.
“The clear bag policy will reduce the overall number of bags entering the stadium, thus reducing the number of searches that need to be performed by security staff,” Jones said.
Transparent bags also tend to have fewer pockets than traditional bags, so the new policy will hopefully allow for a more efficient and thorough search process, Jones said.
One added benefit to the expected efficiency as a result of the policy is an expedited entry process into the stadium, Jones said.
Lambeau Field, along with the home stadiums of nine other schools in the Big Ten conference, have pursued similar security policies for their home football games, UWPD spokesperson Marc Lovicott said.
Despite these changes being so close to home, Lovicott said they did not experience any pressure from other organizations to pursue the same policy at Camp Randall.
“UWPD and UW Athletics are always looking for ways to keep our venues safer, and that includes exploring best practices and seeing what other sporting venues are doing,” Lovicott said. “While there was no pressure put on us or UW Athletics, we all collectively felt like the time was right to adopt a clear bag policy.”
The clear bag policy will be implemented for Friday’s game against Utah State University.
