As football fans flocked to The Swamp on Saturday to watch the Gators kick off their 110th season, they were met with new safety measures.
Along West University Avenue, road closures snarled traffic near Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. At the entrances to the stadium, police officers enforced UF’s new clear-bag policy, which limits the types of bags fans can carry inside.
Both initiatives, aiming to increase gameday safety, will last for the rest of the season.
Stephanie Petrakos, a 23-year-old UF science in management master’s student, said finding parking on game days is hard enough, but the closures made the process more infuriating.
From three hours before the 7:30 p.m. game until about 10 p.m., blocks between Northwest 17th Street and Gale Lemerand Drive were closed to vehicle traffic.
“It’s just a lot more difficult,” she said, adding that she had to plan ahead to find a parking spot near her friend’s Midtown apartment.
Flávio Carvalho, a 21-year-old UF statistics senior, said his family couldn’t enter the stadium for violating the new clear-bag rules.
As his mother and aunt waited in line, a police officer warned them they could not enter the stadium with their purses.
“He suggested we could buy a bag or that we hide our bag in a bush or something,” Carvalho said. “Eventually my parents just bought a clear bag.”
He said he believes the new policy will create longer lines for the first few games.
“Since not everyone knows about the policy, it might inconvenience a few people at first,” he said. “Next time, we’ll just leave our stuff at home.”
