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OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCENovember 16, 2015Gene SmithChief StoneColumbus, Ohio Q. Is this inspired by what happened in Paris? GENE SMITH: Yeah, we're trying to make sure we have a safe environment. And in light of the things that are going on around the world, we had a meeting this morning with Chief Stone and his team. We've talked about this in the past, just haven't gotten to the point to implement it. This is certainly an appropriate time to do that. We do need your help. As Jerry said earlier. Obviously, this is pretty quick, and we have a certain culture with our fans relative to what we've allowed them to bring in the past. We really need your help to get the word out. When you have 108,000 people, and a good core of them are fans we can get directly to, but there are a lot that we can't get to. So we really need your help through all your different communication platforms to let our fans know about this new policy so they don't encounter any challenges when they come to the stadium. Q. I was talking to a security expert today that was saying stadiums like Ohio State and that size should begin to start looking at wanding and metal detectors. Do you think we're up to that point now? What is your feeling about that? GENE SMITH: I'll turn that over to Chief Stone. From my perspective as your athletic administrator, we're always looking at different things that we might need to do. We've stayed away from that in the past. As you know, the NHL last year implemented that policy. So we looked at it a little bit and the size of our stadium and what it would take to do. We just haven't moved to that point. But that's something we've always got to think about and talk about, but I'll let the chief respond. CHIEF STONE: We use a multi-layered approach to security. We utilize private security, we also use additional athletics department personnel and public safety personnel to ensure the safety of the fans that are entering the stadium and also in the parking lots as well, tailgating. Q. (Indiscernible) explosives coming in the stadium? CHIEF STONE: Well, we are increasing measures and this new bag policy is one that will make the fans more safe. Q. What measures are being taken on the approaches to the stadium, streets, you mentioned parking lots, but those areas where there will be vehicular traffic primarily as opposed to pedestrian traffic or crowds? CHIEF STONE: We set up a buffer zone, so there won't be any large vehicles entering into that buffer zone larger than the size of a van. Any vehicles entering the buffer zone to set up is only by approval, pre-approval, and those vehicles are still checked and swept for bombs. Q. Where will that buffer zone be? Can you describe the location, the area, the borders? CHIEF STONE: I'd prefer not to describe those particular locations. Thank you. Q. Flying back from Chicago there were a lot more restrictions than there were Friday morning. No books in the seat pocket. Can't go to the bathroom until the person who is in there takes a seat. I assume that's going to be every airline. Was all of this stepped up directly after Paris? It seems like this is a reaction to what happened, right? GENE SMITH: I think it's going to be a way of life. We all can go back to 9/11 and what occurred to all of us with TSA traveling and going to your comments, and I think going to the question over here that kind of ties. As we move forward, we'll continue to look at other things that we may implement. So, yeah, I think this is a direct result of what's going on around the world. We're trying to respond to that. Make sure we add additional measures beyond what Chief Stone and their team does. But, yeah, I think this is the beginning of different changes that you'll see down the road. Q. It's always kind of so much is dedicated to keeping people from bringing stuff in. Like at the Browns game there are thousands of people lined up to go through the security. Is that what you're going to deal with that? GENE SMITH: Yeah, we'll do our best with that. This is an effort that requires everyone's help. This is not just on public safety, not on athletics, this is on the customer as well, the fan as well, we need you, if you see something, say something. So I think as we progress over time, Bill, you're exactly right, our challenge with the earlier question that ties to what you said about going to wands at the entrances or going to the metal detectors like they have in the NHL, we're slightly larger than the Cleveland Browns stadium. We're slightly larger than nationwide arena, 108,000 people. And if you look back to our last game at home, I know Mike Penner's here. He can probably give the exact numbers. But because of the game that was on television that they were watching in the parking lot, the number of people we had to bring into the stadium in that short window of time, was the largest number of people ever brought into The Shoe in that short window of time because everybody's watching that game come to an end and then they rush the gates. So people are thinking we're having a late arriving crowd where actually the crowd was there, they just weren't inside yet. So we have some challenges and we'll continue to learn and implement new things as we move forward. But we do need to implement this policy now, and this will be helpful in a big way. It will help all of our people at the gates. Q. To follow up that same situation this week with Penn State and Michigan playing right before. Have you given thought to avert that to announce to everyone to come inside, watch the previous game on our big screen up to the point where it's not starting? GENE SMITH: Good idea. We'll list that. No, we have not. But one thing to your point, it's funny you mentioned announce. One of the things we learned from the Buckeye Fest concert that we're trying to install for next year is speakers outside of the stadium. If you remember we had the weather issues on Sunday with the Buckeye Fest, and we had no way to communicate with people in the parking lot the gates are going to open earlier and blah, blah, blah. So we're going to implement speaker systems throughout our parking lots. So to that point, that's something we'll keep in mind. Great idea. Q. Gene, the release says that this is policy for Saturday. Do we know if this is the policy beyond Saturday? GENE SMITH: Probably will be. When we started this morning talking about it and thinking about this through a series of conversations, we felt that this was, because we talked about it before, this was the right time to do it because of where we are in our world, but also we'd probably keep it going in the future because we're implementing it now. So we need to begin to socialize this with our fans, teach our fans, get them prepared for it. Frankly, a lot of our fans are used to it. Because if you followed us to a bowl game, this is what you dealt with. So for a good portion of them, it won't be new. If you went to the team up north and went to their stadium or you went to the Michigan State stadium or Penn State stadium, you encountered this. So we're a little bit behind in this regard, so, yes, I think this would be what we'll continue to implement in the future. Q. Should people plan on maybe arriving early? Will they take that bit longer to get in? GENE SMITH: I love you. You're taking care of my closing statement. The earlier you come, the better. We're going to pay -- I should turn this over to Chief Stone. We're going to pay a lot more due diligence at gate, so it might take you a little longer to get in. So the earlier you come, the better. So we'd encourage people when the gate's open, come on in. Chief, I don't know if you want to comment on that or not? CHIEF STONE: I'd like to make the point that we take security here very serious. We work with local, county, state and Federal public safety partners to accomplish the mission, and that is a good point. I would encourage the fans to come early and adhere to the new bag policy, and we'll get them in smoothly and have a family fun event, and go Bucs. Q. On a pure personnel standpoint, how many more personnel will be involved from a security standpoint, and what will be the increasing cost in providing that elite level of security? CHIEF STONE: You'll see an increased presence of uniformed personnel and K-9 units and there will be other assets that you may not readily see. We'll worry about the cost later. Q. Just for you guys though logistically, how many more people would be involved in round terms? CHIEF STONE: That number I'm not going to disclose. Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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