OU introduces new stadium entrance policies
Fans attending Oklahoma home football games this year will be required to walk through metal detectors and adhere to a new clear-bag policy, the university announced Tuesday.
NORMAN — Fans coming to Oklahoma home football games this year will need to allow a bit more time to get through the gates and be mindful of the school’s new clear-bag policy, officially unveiled Tuesday.
The policies, which are similar to the NFL’s and OU’s three most recent bowl stops, cover all patrons at all entrances to the stadium.
A total of 107 metal detectors will also be used on fans entering the stadium after they were added for OU basketball last season.
“The safety of everyone in the stadium is paramount to us and that’s the reason we’re implementing these policies,” athletic director Joe Castiglione said in a statement. “These measures have become standard at many sports venues, and we have experienced them multiple times as our teams have traveled around the country.”
Clear plastic bags can be a maximum of 12 inches by six inches by 12 inches or a one-gallon clear plastic freezer bag.
The bags remain subject to search.
Non-transparent clutch purses no larger than 4.5 inches by 6.5 inches are allowed, as are bags necessary for medical equipment, though those bags must be searched at marked medical lanes. No other bags or purses — including diaper bags — will be permitted and each person is allowed just one bag.
There will be express lanes for fans not bringing bags.
Stadium gates will be opened two hours before each game, 30 minutes earlier than the previous time. Suites, club and loge boxes will open 2 ½ hours before kickoff.
The Sooners start their season Sept. 1 against Florida Atlantic.
Baldwin out for the season
OU coaches had hoped freshman cornerback Starrland Baldwin would be able to contribute this season after missing the spring recovering for a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
But earlier this week, Baldwin re-tore the ligament during a non-contact drill.
Baldwin will undergo surgery “in the next few days” and will miss the rest of the year.
“We liked what we saw from him early and we’ll be excited to get him back,” Sooners coach Lincoln Riley said.
Riley reiterating NCAA rules following UNC suspensions
Brand differentiation was a big part of OU’s recent move to the Jordan Brand, as only three other schools — North Carolina, Michigan, and Florida — are outfitted by the company. With that differentiation can come pitfalls, though.
UNC announced this week that 13 football players would be suspended for at least one game after they were caught selling school-issued, specialedition Jordan shoes, an NCAA violation. While Riley said he didn’t agree with the NCAA rule that banned selling gear, he said he’d made it a point to address the issue.
“You do and even more now because this Jordan stuff is so in demand,” Riley said. “One of the reasons we made the decision to go to it is because of that.
“These rules are tight. Twenty or 30 years ago, nobody cared about that stuff. It’s hard. I sympathize with the athlete a little bit on it because that’s their stuff . ... We push about equality. We can’t do what other students can’t do . ... Well, other students can go sell their stuff. I don’t agree with it, but it doesn’t matter. It is the rule. We’ve absolutely covered it, and we don’t expect any issues here.”