Law enforcement officials tweaked their football gameday procedures this year, including a new punishment for of-age students caught with open containers of alcohol.
These violations are common during football games, and in the past a person received a notice-to-appear citation that required him or her to appear in court for the misdemeanor charge, Lt. William Gainey of UPD's special services division said.
Now, people who are at least 21 years old will get a civil citation instead - a consequence that carries a $200 fine but not a mandatory court appearance.
Exceptions to this policy, which was changed by the State Attorney's Office, may be made depending on the circumstances, such as if a violator is uncooperative or belligerent, he said.
More policy changes this year include employees and vendors with access to the stadium on gamedays receiving background checks, Gainey said.
"In the past, we've always made sure that employees have the proper credential or wristband, but this season we're taking it a step further," he said. "It definitely adds an extra level of security for Gator fans and people working in the stadium."
There is a key rule that hasn't changed this year but is important for fans to remember at the end of every Gators game, according to Gainey: If fans jump over the lower wall onto Florida Field during games, they will be arrested and taken to jail.
Leaping onto the field is a misdemeanor offense for disturbing a school function.
Few occasions bring a larger police presence to the UF campus than a Gators football game.
On gameday, about 300 law enforcement officials from University Police, Gainesville Police and the Alachua County Sheriff's Office make up the force keeping the event running safely and smoothly, Gainey said.
Some of those officials ring the field during game time to keep fans off the field.
There are officers checking fans to ensure they aren't bringing prohibited items such as strollers, umbrellas and coolers into the stadium.
There are detectives dressed like the hordes of UF fans in Gator garb milling about campus watching for suspicious people or activities.
There are special units like the bomb-disposal and K9 teams searching for potential explosives.
"When you have so many people there, just out in The Swamp and on University Avenue, it is assuring to know that there are police officers there kind of making sure that everything is going OK," said Jennifer Cephus, a junior advertising major at UF.
She said it was comforting to know that police were patrolling the area, ensuring she and other young women were safe in a situation where some people can be intoxicated and unruly.
With officials handling a wide variety of safety issues on campus, most of the important safety risks for football games are covered.
The UF season opener against Florida Atlantic University was a busy one for police officers, Gainey said.
During that game, there were numerous ejections from the stadium and arrests.
This may have been due to the game's evening start time, which gives tailgaters more time to party - a development that often translates into more more work for law enforcement, he said.
