Large crowds, screaming fans, and long lines are common sights at a Bowie football game. As the joyful fans cheer for their team, the safety of the audience is a major concern.

As of August 2018, all bags and purses at home AISD athletic events are required to be clear and transparent in an effort by the AISD Athletic Department to ensure student safety.

“There wasn’t a committee that was put together to create this new policy. Our Athletic Director wanted to improve the safety at all the central facilities,” AISD Athletic Department Area Athletic Coordinator Jarell Routt said. “We have always been focused on safety.”

In addition to purses, the new policy does not allow backpacks and various other bags. To find out more specific information about which bags are allowed, click the link here.

“When it comes to what we would like to get out of implementing this new policy, [we want] to have our student-athletes and visitors to have a safe environment to celebrate the talents of our student-athletes,” Routt said.

Haley Coldsmith is a sophomore at Bowie High School who has been attending Bowie games since her seventh-grade year.

“I think bag checks are okay, but a clear bag is hard to find unless you want to pay for a plastic bag,” Coldsmith said. “I think they should just enforce bag checks so the security guards see what’s inside your bag and not everyone at the game.”

Bags used at AISD athletic events must be clear and no larger than 12 by 6 inches with a logo no larger than 4.5 inches tall by 3.4 inches wide.

“While we want to ensure the safety of our facilities, we don’t want this to be a barrier to visiting and supporting our student-athletes,” Routt said.