With added security at football games, K-State suggests fans arrive early

Some friendly advice for Kansas State football fans: You may want to consider arriving early for games at Snyder Family Stadium this season.

An extra 15 minutes might help you navigate K-State’s new security protocol, which will feature metal detectors at every entrance.

“My suggestion for fans that have left their tailgates 30 minutes before kickoff is to now leave 45 minutes before kickoff,” said Casey Scott, K-State associate athletic director of internal operations and event management. “For the first couple games – until everybody gets used to it, and that includes our staff – they should come to our gates early and make sure they get through the bag check and metal detectors in plenty of time to get to their seats before the band show and kickoff.”

K-State is upgrading security this season, in part, to comply with new state laws prohibiting the carrying of concealed weapons into the stadium.

The Wildcats put considerable resources into their new security methods. Scott said K-State athletics purchased 63 metal detectors for $400,000, and enlisted the help of Whelan Event Security Services to bring in 150 extra security staffers for games.

“It is a significant investment, but we just felt that this was something we had to do to enhance the safety of our fans,” Scott said, “and make sure the experience our fans have at games is the best it can be.”

Though metal detectors will remind fans of airport security, K-State security will ask less of fans as they enter football games. No one will have to take off their shoes.

The main items fans will need to remove from their pockets are: cell phones, binoculars and cameras.

Items fans can keep in their pockets include coins, keys and wallets. Fans can also wear watches, jewelry, belts, jackets and hats through the metal detector.

Firearms, knives and other weapons are prohibited.

The clear-bag policy K-State implemented last season also remains in place. Clear tote bags not exceeding 12 inches in length or 6 inches in width will be allowed. So will clear, plastic storage bags. Small clutch bags not exceeding 7.5 inches in length are also permitted.

Scott said any fans with questions about K-State’s security policy can find more information on the gameday page of the school’s athletic website.

K-State had a trial run, of sorts, with its new security procedures at the football team’s Fan Appreciation Day earlier this month. Nearly 2,000 fans entered through a single gate on the stadium’s West side, and it went smoothly.

One thing K-State will see for the first time during the season-opener against Central Arkansas on Sept. 2 is longer re-entry lines at halftime. The Wildcats will continue allowing fans to leave the game and come back, as long as they do so before the end of the third quarter, but they will need to go through security every time they enter.

In past years, K-State allowed fans to come and go throughout the entirety of games, but Scott said security staff will need the fourth quarter to remove metal detectors and create wide exit lanes for fans.

“We have a pretty heavy exodus at halftime, and I don’t know what that rush is going to look like after halftime as we move forward,” Scott said. “There will be a learning curve. If fans go out at halftime, it may take them longer to come back in.”

This story was originally published August 25, 2017 at 3:37 PM with the headline "With added security at football games, K-State suggests fans arrive early."