These bags issued by the NFL will be one of a few options for carrying items in and out of an NFL stadium beginning next season.
REPORTING FROM PALM BEACH, FLA. — “We’re trying to harden our facilities,” said Mickey Farrell, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, when addressing the new security procedures that will be instituted by the National Football League in the upcoming season. The first test of the new rules will probably be the Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio, he said.
Farrell was one of the speakers on a “lessons learned” panel here during the Florida Facility Managers Association meeting June 16-18. His revelation was that the NFL has decreed fans will be limited in what they can bring inside NFL stadiums on game day to what can be carried in a clear plastic bag, 12 inches by 12 inches with an base not more than six inches wide.
Big bags, large purses, backpacks and even seat cushions are now prohibited, according to a policy change announced during League meetings. Instead, fans can bring in only items if they’re in clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bags. One-gallon ziplock freezer bags and small purses or clutch bags are also allowed.
The new rules are part of the NFL’s All Clear policy, which aims to improve security and shorten line wait times at NFL stadiums.
The NFL is planning to sell clear plastic tote bags that match the size requirements, some emblazoned with the NFL Shield or specific team logos. They currently have 500,000 on order from China, Farrell told FFMA attendees. Target Stores have also jumped on board, with plans to roll out clear plastic bags suitable for sporting and public assembly events in the near future, Farrell said.
The biggest threat to safety is the crowds before coming into the venue, Farrell said. “We’ve focused on nothing getting in, even staffing the air vents. We’ve spent a lot of money, but not on the people outside the gates. The NFL will address that with the new policy.”
During the annual NFL security meeting held in Ft. Lauderdale last month, the planned policy was addressed at length, Farrell said. The NFL will have a massive public relations campaign to educate the public on the new policies closer to the beginning of the season.
Stadium managers were advised to create a buffer zone between the security checkpoint and the ticket gate. People will be allowed to take unwelcome items back to their cars well before even getting to the ticket taker. Farrell is estimating the Bucs will have to add 50-60 personnel to staff those outer gates and to increase the bike patrol. The overall cost will depend on how busy the building is, and the teams in the venue, but “it will cost less than a lot of things we’ve done,” Farrell said. He’s guessing $2,000-$2,500 in additional game day expenses for the Bucs.
Teams will give out the NFL bags early in the season for those who manage to make it to the stadium without knowing about the policy. Later, and even soon at Target, bags will be available from the teams, possibly even sponsored bags, though there will be rules about size and number of logos applied to the clear plastic. Those who do not want to buy a bag can use gallon baggies, much like it works at airports.
NFL security experts also emphasized changing the drill from game to game. “You do not want to be consistent,” Farrell said. “You don’t want anyone to see patterns developing.”
The majority of stadium managers, including Farrell, who have discussed the NFL’s plans have indicated they plan to do this at every event. It will be easier because they can piggyback on the NFL’s big PR campaign. Closer to September, the word will be out and there will be no stopping the progression.
“By the time we get to Monster Jam in January, people will know,” Farrell said of plans to make this a permanent part of stadium policy. “We’re in a different world now.”
The concept alarmed some in the FFMA audience. Bill Powell, Feld Entertainment, asked about how it will impact other Feld events, other than Monster Jam, like Disney Live which draws moms and toddlers with bottle bags. “It isn’t going to work to use a clear bag. Please look at that judiciously for family shows,” Powell said.
Extensive research has been done with the fan demographic in mind, Farrell said. The NFL has been going down this path for quite awhile, well before the bombs carried in backpacks that caused mayhem at the Boston Marathon. The clear plastic bag dimensions are substantial enough to handle most fan needs, even Moms.
“We will implement it at all events to keep it consistent,” Farrell said. “There are large gaps in keeping fans safe and there is a lot of exposure in those crowded gate areas.”
There seemed to be a general consensus that plastic bags at sports and entertainment venues may become as common as baggies at airports, impacting arenas and theaters as well as stadiums. Some elements of the plan are already being adopted by other sports. At American Airlines Arena, Miami, during the NBA Finals, searches were moved away from the building, almost to the street, to create clean areas.
Allen Johnson, Amway Center, Orlando, said his venue tried wanding but it was labor intensive and intrusive. So they invested $100,000 in magnetometers and stopped wanding altogether.
Asked if these new security procedures would possibly decrease the cost of insurance, Farrell saw that as unlikely. Tragedies like Boston mean what can happen is in back of everyone’s mind, including insurance agents’ thinking.
In a follow-up interview on the new NFL policies, Mark Miller, GM for SMG at Reliant Park in Houston, noted, “We’ve been looking at addressing bags for some time.” He received the NFL directives last week and is working with his team to develop a plan to meet the new guidelines.
“The League initiated this new rule and we plan to be compliant,” he said. As for fan reaction, Miller said, “It’s like anything else, you have a new change in policy and fans take a little while to adjust, but I don’t think this will prevent people from enjoying themselves.”
The decision to ban most bags came during the Committee on Stadium Security and Fan Conduct meetings at the NFL’s annual League Meetings in May. The league also plans to continue to implement its pat-down policy, wanding and screening all guests who come in the stadium.
“There will be a secondary perimeter around the stadium where security personnel will check for prohibited items or bags being carried toward the stadium so those situations can be corrected immediately,” reads a document released by the league to teams, outlining the new policy. “This establishes a protected buffer area for fans in plaza-level areas and at the queues for stadium entry.”
Binoculars, phones and cameras are also allowed in the stadium as are blankets for cold weather games “by tossing them over a shoulder or arm as they do in Green Bay. They can be easily screened carrying a blanket into the stadium,” explained the document.
Interviewed for this article: Mickey Farrell, (813) 350-6507; Allen Johnson, (407) 440-7070; Jeffrey Miller, (212) 867-2010; Mark Miller, (832) 667-2000