Texas vs LSU Game Reveals Security Issues at Stadium

One of the biggest college games that occurred at UT in the last decade, revealed the university may not be prepared to handle large crowds of students.

• By Sherelle Black
• September 11, 2019

After thousands gathered at the Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin to see the University of Texas at Austin face off against Louisiana State University, UT is now facing backlash over student safety issues that occurred Saturday.

The issues began when several fans trying to get into the student section stampeded through the gates, reported The Dallas Morning News.

UT told Big Ticket holders, which are $175 tickets for students, to arrive early as the ticket does not guarantee admission.

The anxiety of potentially not getting into the game, mixed with students not forming lines outside the gates before they opened, were part of the problem UT senior Emily Severe told DMN.

“Everybody pushed up against the gates until the staff came out and put tables out for bag check,” Severe said. “It felt like ACL (Austin City Limits) and you get to the front and everybody starts pushing forward. It was completely unorganized.”

When the gates opened, the staff were completely overwhelmed with the stampede and were not able to check tickets or bags of the people who pushed their way through the gates.

In a statement, UT Athletic Director Chris Del Conte said, “We are aware of the concerns about safety regarding the entrance into the stadium and crowding in our student sections at last Saturday’s big game. Our fans' safety is paramount to us, and we appreciate those who reached out and certainly hear your concerns. We do believe that the enormity of the game combined with the circumstances surrounding the south end zone construction project presented some new challenges that we had not previously faced.”

Del Conte said the university as well as campus safety and security partners will be finding solutions prior to UT’s next home game on Sept. 21 against Oklahoma State.