Many moons ago, while I was an undergraduate at Wake Forest University, notable sports victories were celebrated by students by “rolling the Quad.” Dorms would empty as undergrads sprinted toward the tree-lined Quadrangle, armed with rolls of toilet paper. Crowds would then proceed to “TP” the branches of the stately magnolia trees. Athletic victories for the Demon Deacons were rare in those days, so this quaint custom was an irregular event.
Yet celebrating college sports victories has, in the words of TV chef Emeril, “kicked up a notch.” At the close of the Dec. 3 football game between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State (OSU), delirious OSU fans swarmed the field. The in-state rivalry is an annual match-up known as “Bedlam.” That label is well-earned.
The game had national college football implications, but the after-game stampede also has clear risk-management implications. About a dozen people were injured in the process. Some were trampled, while others jumped down a 15-foot drop to get to the field.
Rushing the field—or, in the case of basketball, the court—has become a bit of a tradition in college sports after a signature or milestone victory. That milestone may become a liability and risk millstone, however, for the college or university that allows it to happen.
Doubtlessly, there will be a wave of lawsuits against Oklahoma State University, alleging negligence in security and crowd control. Plaintiffs may argue that such a swarm was reasonably foreseeable, and that the university either could or should have taken more preventative steps. The university will try to show that it took reasonable precautions.
This episode has a number of risk-management implications, not just for colleges but for all of those who manage special events. These events can be football games, rock concerts, or Black Friday retail specials.
Questions to consider:
- What are some reasonable precautions for colleges and universities to consider taking, in preparation for such eventualities?
- Is such a fan stampede reasonably forseeable by the school?
- What responsibility do the fans play in assuming risk of injury when they swarm the field or take a leap off the stands?
Unfortunately, in many cases, the rush to the field may only be surpassed by the rush to the courthouse.
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