COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Buckeyes have one win under their belts for the season, and are looking to make it 2-0 for their home opener against Youngstown State this weekend.
The Ohio State University Division of Police Chief Kimberly Spears-McNatt said her officers have had good practice preparing for emergencies this summer with all the major concerts. She said they have reached out to several other departments to make sure there are enough officers for safety.
Bella McConnell, a freshman at Ohio State, is planning on going to her first Buckeyes football game this Saturday. She said she feels safe with all the measures that the university police have put in place.
“I feel like just as a campus they do a lot to make sure we get around safely. We have the Lyft system,” McConnell said.
Spears-McNatt has worked hard on planning to make sure students like McConnell not only fee safe, but are safe.
“We want to make sure we are focused on safety while they are focused on the excitement of the game,” said Spears-McNatt.
With both Ohio State and the Columbus Division of Police facing staffing issues in the past, Spears-McNatt said having enough officers is key.
“So far, yes, we have what we need. We thank all our partner agencies, Columbus, highway patrol [and] Franklin County Sheriff’s Office."
She said they have also reached out to new law enforcement partners to make sure they have the staff they need.
“We have reached out to some of our suburban agencies, we have also reached out to our state universities to come to the stadium or around. It is all hands on deck,” Spears-McNatt said.
She said one major change this year is construction around the stadium. Cannon Drive and Herrick Drive will both be closed, which means game day traffic could be even tougher. She advises fans to plan ahead and have fun.
The chief also said another key is to download your ticket ahead of time.
With 100,000 of your closest friends all using your phones at the same time, it could be a struggle to get to your ticket.