This year, The University of Alabama has seven home football games. These games have staff ranging from security to pedestrian control to Boy Scouts.
“Event staff and ushers are recruited and managed in house through a local temp agency. Event Operations Group provides the [stadium] gate security staff,” said Cathy Andreen, director of media relations. “We also use the Event Operations Group and local Boy Scout troops outside the stadium for parking lot security, credential checkpoints, public parking and pedestrian control.”
These one-day contracted employees have many different jobs and vary in number, Andreen said.
“Event staff (about 350 in number) serve as ticket takers, gate attendants, stadium staff (elevator operators, cart drivers, etc.),” she said. “Usher staff (about 175 in number) serve strictly in usher role. EOG staff (about 275 in number) serve as bag checkers and other various roles related to stadium security and ushering. EOG and Scouts in duties outside the stadium number around 500.”
The company the University uses for a majority of its gameday event staff, which is based out of Pelham, Alabama, serves a variety of events and corporate clients.
According to Event Operations Groups website, “EOG operates from two separate divisions. The security division includes event security, uniformed security and executive protection. The event management division includes event staff, ushers, ticket takers, guest services, transportation and parking attendants.”
The University utilizes both of EOG’s recourses to help control not only the amount of fans at a home game, but the safety of the fans as well. UAPD works closely with EOG and neighboring police forces to help prevent accidents as well.
According to the UAPD website, “During home football weekends, the University of Alabama Campus can easily become a community of over 100,000 people. Patrol officers take on several different responsibilities during these events including crowd control, lost children/parents, traffic control and any number of enforcement situations.”
Once in Bryant-Denny Stadium, the gameday staff participates in additional roles.
A contracted company called Centerplate manages concessions and the University does not utilize volunteers in areas inside the stadium, Andreen said.
Maria Keener, a junior majoring in mathematics, works in the stadium club area for another food service called Southern Foodservice during gamedays.
“I am assigned the nacho/salad table, where basically I make sure that the food items on the table remain full and stay clean. I work in the Stadium Club Area with about 10 to 15 other people,” Keener said. “I started training about a week before the first home game of this season, and I enjoy it very much.”
