Football season is just around the corner in Iowa City, and Iowa Athletics is prioritizing security this fall.
Beginning with the 2024 season, all gates into Kinnick Stadium will be equipped with special walk-through metal detectors. The change will allow fans to get inside the stadium quickly while also ensuring a safer gameday environment. The system will also be used inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena for indoor events.
Previously, the university employed a clear bag policy that required fans to bring clear bags to games so they could easily be flagged by security. The policy remains intact, but security will no longer have to search each bag, saving plenty of time in the process.
“Unlike what you see at the airport, you’re able to walk right through these metal detectors without taking out your keys, phone or wallet,” Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director Marcus Wilson said at Iowa football media day on Friday. “You keep everything in, including your clear bag, and you walk right through that.”
Wilson said the detectors would create more efficiency and not create delays for fans, but clarified the change was ultimately made to keep up with best security practices.
The idea for the metal detectors was prompted by their use in professional sports, including the NBA and the NFL. Both leagues require detectors throughout all of their venues.
Wilson said 16 Big Ten institutions have introduced the technology in recent years and that the SEC mandated the use of them back in 2018. He said the tech is not required by the Big Ten.
The new technology is designed to flag heavy metals that would usually be associated with a weapon, Wilson said. If the detector does flag someone, then that person would undergo a second screening. Wilson added that glasses containers did create some false flags, but that no other objects were causing issues.
The detectors are part of Iowa’s new partnership with Best Crowd Management, which will assist with customer services, ticket scanning, ushering, and other management functions. Wilson said fans won’t be seeing the same yellow shirts worn by employees of Contemporary Services Corporation, or CSC, which was Iowa’s previous partner.
Even with a new look, Wilson said Iowa’s security staff hasn’t seen a decline.
“From a staffing standpoint, at this point before the season, we’re in a better position than we’ve been in probably the past five years so I’m excited about that,” Wilson said.
Additionally, Iowa partnered with KultureCity this season. KultureCity is a nonprofit organization “dedicated to promoting sensory inclusivity and accessibility for individuals with sensory processing disorders,” according to its website.
Wilson said KultureCity typically works with individuals who have autism, post-traumatic stress disorder, or dementia. The partnership will require staff training as well as four guest service stations located along the concourse. These stations will provide free sensory bags on a checkout basis.
Wilson said other schools such as Michigan State, Alabama, and Notre Dame have created similar accommodations, and all it took was some simple conversations to create a gameday environment that everyone can enjoy.
“It makes a really positive impact with minimal effort,” Wilson said. “It really promotes an inclusive environment here at Kinnick.”