Athletic Department Thanks Fans For Cooperation

Sept. 24, 2001

Dear Clemson Family,

We at Clemson, as well as other Americans across the nation, have been tested in the wake of the tragedies that occurred on September 11 in our nation. Our vulnerability has been exploited, and we must adapt to new and better methods to ensure our safety. The security for buildings, airports and sporting events where large numbers of people gather has become more important than ever. We already have and must continue to tighten security, even at the cost of certain conveniences that we have taken for granted. We would like to thank you for your cooperation last Saturday while attending the Clemson versus Virginia football game. This was certainly not a typical week for game-day preparations. Each individual who had weekly assignments to do to get the stadium ready was met with new and challenging procedures to follow.

The Clemson administration, the FBI and other areas of law enforcement from across the nation took great steps to ensure the safety of everyone attending the game. These steps did not go without a few bumps and miscommunications along the way on Saturday. Security measures of this magnitude had never been taken at a Clemson University event. The overall objective was that of safety for the entire Clemson family–the players, coaches, staff, and fans.

The Clemson Athletic Department would again like to thank you for your patience and cooperation with the security personnel who worked the gates and the game on Saturday. These men and women came together from various law enforcement agencies to ensure your safety. Any inconvenience was a small price to pay for your safety. This was a learning process for them as well as for Clemson University. We will work to continue to provide safety with a minimal amount of disruption to your normal game-day activities.

In the weeks to come, safety will continue to be on the minds of everyone. We look forward to your return to Memorial Stadium for Homecoming weekend on October 20. Along with members of Security and the University, we will re-evaluate all security issues from this past weekend’s game and will disseminate the necessary information through the appropriate media outlets.

Sincerely,

R. W. Robinson Athletic Director