U of I Police detail traffic, safety protocols at football games this season

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — Fighting Illini football kicks off its season Thursday night against Eastern Illinois. Ahead of Memorial Stadium hosting fans for its 100th anniversary season, university officials want people to be aware of the traffic and other safety procedures that will be in place around the stadium.

Road closures and parking

On game days, authorities will form a square of closures that surrounds Memorial Stadium. Peabody Drive, Kirby Avenue and Fourt Street will be closed to all traffic while First Street will remain open only to cars that have parking passes in Lots 31 and 37 (immediately north and west of Grange Grove). No traffic will be allowed on First south of Irwin Drive.

In addition, Kirby Avenue is closed east of Oak Street, forming a temporary T-intersection at Oak and Kirby.

Security measures

Abigail Kepp, the Communications Coordinator for the university’s Division of Public Safety, said there will several practices and protocols in place ensure safety after attendance at football games grew over the last few years:

• Use of EOD K9s — K9 officers will continue to sweep Memorial Stadium, vehicles and pedestrians inside the perimeter around the stadium.
• On-site meteorologist — the University of Illinois is bringing back an asset that was introduced last football season. A meteorologist from the National Weather Service of Central Illinois will be in the command post each game to monitor the weather before kickoff and throughout the game, allowing for early storm detection and evacuation procedures if necessary.
• Drone usage — UIPD will be using drones to provide aerial support in and around Memorial Stadium. They aren’t new for this year, but usage is being increased for this year.
• Drone detection — Only UIPD drones will be allowed in and around the stadium. Personnel have software that can detect and locate unauthorized aircraft flying around the stadium, as well as whoever is operating it. Kepp said unauthorized drone usage has had minimal impact on past games, but they are trying to prevent a situation where a game would be delayed due to an unauthorized flight.

“Gameday safety is a collaborative effort between the Division of Public Safety, the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics, stadium security and other area public safety agencies. The shared goal for the adjusted and additional safety measures is to continue providing a safe experience for everyone in attendance,” Kepp said. “We want to thank all of our public safety partners, including Champaign Police, Urbana Police, Champaign County Sheriff’s Office, Illinois State Police, Illinois Secretary of State Police, Mahomet Police, Parkland College Police, Rantoul Police, University of Illinois Springfield Police, Urbana Fire, Champaign Fire, Arrow Ambulance, and I-EMS.”

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