Facilities director: Enforcement, order to be emphasized at stadium

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – An increased police presence and renewed emphasis on parking enforcement in the lots surrounding Ross-Ade Stadium should make for a more orderly and enjoyable experience for fans attending the Purdue-Iowa football game on Saturday (Oct. 8).

"The Notre Dame game and a few other big games always account for a large number of incidents and problems, but the game this past Saturday exceeded what we have seen in the past," said Steve Simmerman, assistant athletics director for facilities and game management. "We are moving swiftly to correct the staffing issues and enforcement issues that led to the negative experience for some fans."

Enforcement of parking and tailgating rules tops the list of steps to address some of the problems experienced on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. Before and during the Notre Dame game, event management staff and police encountered problems with inebriated fans and fans ignoring parking rules, including parking in lots the night before the game.

Rules listed on the back of parking permits state that the permit is valid the day of the game after the lot opens at 7 a.m. for all lots except for D and T on the Ackerman Hills golf course, which open at 8 a.m. Vehicles parked to reserve spots the night before the game or before the lot opens in the morning, even if the permit is in the vehicle, will be towed when the lots are cleared before gates open. The lone exception is the RV lot, where roughly 100 recreational vehicles park overnight.

After fans drive into the lots, they will be directed into lines and to parking spaces. In recent years, disrespect for parking attendants and disregard for rules printed on permits has made for disorder in many lots, Simmerman said.

"We are returning to a system in which our game-day staff and uniformed police will direct people to a specific place to park, with vehicles butted up to each other along the white lines in the lots and on the golf course," Simmerman said. "We will work with fans on the footprint of tailgate setups so that emergency vehicles can get through."

Inside the stadium, where isolated incidents of unruly fan behavior resulted in injury to other fans, police will move quickly to stop fans whose behavior threatens others.

"The photo in the paper told the story: Someone threw an object that struck a fan in the head," said Jay Cooperider, associate athletics director for communications. "Outside the stadium, if you do that and are seen doing it, you are taken to jail and charged with assault. If we catch you, the same will happen in Ross-Ade."

During the Notre Dame game, more than a dozen people were ejected from the stadium after officers witnessed them throwing objects. Another 11 were arrested on alcohol-related offenses.

Simmerman said the hurling of objects was the worst symptom of out-of-control fan behavior, but that fans who were drunk and drinking infringed on the rights of others trying to enjoy the game.

"We intend to refocus our energies on protecting the rights of ticket-buying fans to enjoy the game without interference from those who would deprive them of that," he said. "We will be more vigilant at the gates and will deny admittance to obviously inebriated fan. And we will turn away fans who try to bring in alcohol."

Inside and outside the stadium, stepped-up rule enforcement will result in vehicles being towed and unruly fans being ejected, Cooperider said.

"In the lots, those who try to ignore game-day staff and police and park where they please will be ticketed and towed" he said. "We obviously don't want to do that, but we will get a handle on this situation."

More than 8,000 cars are parked for each game in permit and pay lots. Of that number, 2,000 are ordinarily parked in just two lots — D and T. Because of haphazard parking on Saturday, 200 fewer cars than capacity were parked in D and T, and many were sent to park at the intramural fields and as far away as the airport.

"We have an obligation to our fans who buy permits to make sure they have a spot in that lot," Simmerman said. "The only way to do that is go back to parking in spots designated by staff in the lots and filling the lots from front to back and side to side."

Sources: Steve Simmerman, (765) 494-3143, (765) 479-3708

Jay Cooperider, (765) 494-3197, (765) 427-2221

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