Iowa tweaks Kinnick Stadium entry process after first game with metal detectors

IOWA CITY — One week after the first Iowa football game with metal detectors at Kinnick Stadium, Iowa is making some further tweaks to reduce lines for fans entering the stadium.

One change involves the metal detectors themselves.

“They’re adjustable in terms of what they detect, and so the sensitivity is going to go down a little bit,” Iowa athletics director Goetz said on Thursday. “And I think that’ll help with the flow. Certainly isn’t going to impact safety at all.”

Goetz is turning to an idea she saw when attending this year’s Olympics in Paris to help with the issue of some lines being longer than others.

“We’ll have some tennis stands around with some individuals on the tennis stands with bullhorns that can say, ‘Hey, please try another line,’” Goetz said. “They did it in a really fun, loving way at the Olympics. … We’re going to test that out, and hopefully we’ll have some entertaining individuals in those stands.”

Last Saturday’s 40-0 win over Illinois State marked the first game with the new security procedures. Last week’s game was a sellout, as will be Iowa’s game this week against Iowa State (and the other five remaining home games this season).

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com

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