Frat row plans for game day at TCF Stadium

Frat row has special plans in place for home games at TCF Bank Stadium this fall, but the excitement will be dampened by concerns over controlling swarms of fans.
Greek houses near the stadium will see an increase in pedestrian and vehicular traffic during games, University Chief of Police Greg Hestness said, although exactly the largest potential problems on Greek Row during game days remain to be seen.
“They’ve raised a good point as far as the night parties and events with people that want to, ‘crash the party’ so to speak,” said Hestness. “I just can’t say at this point how free from our other responsibilities we will be to deal with the wider campus area.”
Greeks, too, are aware that they need to have a plan in place. Jake Schwartz, vice president of public relations for the Interfraternity Council and member of Sigma Chi fraternity, said increased activity will cause a need for additional security, which the houses will try to deal with themselves.
“I wouldn’t necessarily expect police parked outside ready to go, but there will be higher security,” said Schwartz. “The Interfraternity Council has talked about wearing safety shirts so that people can come to us and realize that we are wearing the safety shirts and that we can help them.”
At a Feb. 18 meeting regarding stadium plans, police officials suggested that Greek houses with extra concerns could hire private security like they occasionally do for other events.
On homecoming, the IFC, Panhellenic Council and Student Activities each spent $800 to have three shifts of private security, which Sarah Shook, president of the PHC , said was an option being considered. PHC and IFC plan to beef up security at maximum traffic times before and after games.
“Panhellenic and Interfraternity councils are working on risk management policies and events that will allow us to be proactive rather than reactive on game day,” Shook said.
Students and passersby will also be kept busy on game days, Schwartz said. IFC and PHC plan on hosting philanthropies each home game day, which typically include a charge at the door for food and, occasionally, entertainment.
Houses on the same block will pair to host them and the philanthropy will rotate blocks each game, Shook said.
While Schwartz said the Greek community wants to keep the experience positive, he is also concerned about security.
“You always want to keep those concerns in the back of your mind,” Schwartz said. “You never want to forget that they can appear wherever.”