New football game rules have been implemented for fans for the 2024-2025 season because of past disturbances at events in Central Ohio that have occurred.
Athletic Director Eli Goldberger said these new rules were specifically designed to keep everyone safe at athletic events.
There are a few new major rules: purses larger than 5”x8”x1” will no longer be permitted into the game unless approved for a designated purpose, those who leave the venue during a contest will not be allowed re-admittance back into that venue, and an adult must accompany elementary students or younger children to gain entrance into an athletic contest, he explained.
Goldberger said he developed the plan with Director of Facilities and Operations Harley Williams and the athletic board. These rules are now being established due to disturbances at other schools such as violent events, he added.
“We met after there were incidents last year in central Ohio where there were shootings at high school football games,” Goldberger said.
Williams explained they researched the rules of other schools and professional facilities to create this new set of rules that will hopefully increase the safety of athletic events.
“We are making sure we are doing the best we can to keep people safe,” he added.
Williams explained the new rules will be enforced by the athletic staff working the event and there will also be police officers in case of rule violations. Additional security will also be provided at large athletic events, such as rivalry football games to ensure everyone’s safety, he added.
Students and adults used to be able to re-enter the event by simply showing their ticket, but after the football game on Sept. 13, some issues occurred which prompted changes to the rule to not allow re-admittance during any point of the game, Williams said.
“We tried to do this, we wanted it to work,” he explained. “It just doesn’t make sense for us to say we are about safety, security and protecting people when we let half of the place run outside of the campus where we can’t provide supervision.”
Goldberger is in full support of these new rules and believes they will make Bexley a better place.
“I think anything we can do to make our community safer is a good thing,” Goldberger said.
Senior and student section leader Abby Waterman explained she thinks the new rules may be useful, but she finds them confusing.
“I think maybe instead of not being able to bring a bag, they could check your bags instead,” Waterman said.
Sophomore football player Charlie Berlan fully supports these new rules.
“I think they are very helpful and help keep people safe,” Berlan said.
