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LSU announces increased game-day safety measures ahead of Saturday's LSU-Alabama game
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BATON ROUGE — LSU on Monday announced increased game-day safety measures ahead of Saturday's LSU-Alabama game, including the establishment of a committee dedicated to enforcing and implementing further safety measures.
The changes, System President Wade Rousse and Chancellor Jim Dalton say, came after Oct. 17's Mississippi State game when multiple fights broke out near the Enchanted Forest, Pentagon and Greek Theater. East Baton Rouge Parish deputies used pepper balls to disperse the crowds following the fights.
LSU leaders have established the Football and Tailgating Steering Committee to serve as the school's central coordinating and oversight body for planning, management and improvement of home football game-day activities.
The committee includes the President and Chancellor as well as the Associate Vice Chancellors for Campus Safety, Athletics executives, LSUPD and representatives from the Office of Emergency Preparedness, Student Affairs, Greek Life, Parking and Transportation, Facility Services, Alumni Engagement and University Communications. Advisory members include the university’s General Counsel, Risk Management, EMS, contracted security and external law enforcement partners as appropriate.
"Tailgating is about football. We cherish the seven Saturdays when we gather as a community to celebrate our tailgate traditions before cheering on our Tigers to victory," President Rousse said in a statement. "While tailgating is embedded within the fabric of our community, we must remember it is a shared privilege that mandates a safe environment focused on one event, the LSU football game."
Traditional tailgates can include food, beverages, tents, grills, televisions and personal or consumer-grade music at a reasonable volume, but cannot involve activities that require university approval, like publicly promoted events with bands and DJs that obstruct pedestrian or emergency access or disrupt campus operations.
Unauthorized large-scale gatherings will be prohibited. These, LSU says, include large crowds of people that create unsafe conditions or obstruct emergency access. Organizers of such events will be "shut down immediately if advertising is brought to the university’s attention ahead of game-day."
The new security protocols also require student tailgates to break down one hour before kickoff. Starting this weekend, LSU says, a sweep will be made to ensure all events have wrapped up and attendees have moved into the stadium or gone home.
No additional tailgates will be allowed during and after the game except traditional tailgates.
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