Before entering Memorial Stadium, be clear on NU's new clear bag policy

A new public safety program, called Wear Red-Be Clear, kicks off with the Sept. 2 football season opener against Arkansas State. Ticket holders will be required to carry most personal items in a clear bag before being allowed into Memorial Stadium. Exceptions include medical equipment and devices.

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You may want to cut your tailgating short at next Saturday’s season-opener against Arkansas State so you don’t get hung up in the security line outside Memorial Stadium and miss the kickoff.

And travel light, too.

That’s because of a new public safety program, called Wear Red - Be Clear, which begins with the Arkansas State game and requires ticket holders to carry most personal items in a clear bag.

Under the clear bag policy, each fan is allowed to carry one large plastic bag “either the 12” by 6” by 12” clear bag or a one-gallon Ziploc-style bag, plus a small clutch purse that’s 4.5” x 6.5”, according to a news release from Nebraska’s athletic department. “The small clutch (purse) allows privacy for small personal items and can be easily searched.”

The new guidelines are being introduced in the name of safety and are aimed at encouraging fans to bring only “necessary items.” The National Football League and many universities have adopted similar policies in recent years, including Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, Northwestern, Penn State, Purdue and Rutgers from the Big Ten, the athletic department said.

The University of Kansas is also doing the same thing this year.

Nebraska season-ticket holders were scheduled to receive one clear bag with their tickets.

Here are a few specifics about the policy:

*Not everything needs to go into a permissible bag. Fans can carry in their pockets or jackets such things as keys, make-up, phones, wallets and personal care products, the release said.

Ticket holders can carry a blanket, and binoculars and cameras without the case.

“We are limiting only the type of bags carried into the venue, not permissible items that are brought to a game,” the athletic department said.

*Medically necessary bags or equipment -- especially if they don’t fit in a clear bag -- will be allowed, although still subject to inspection and tagging by security. Those security services will be provided at Gate 11, Gate 15, Gate 16A and at premium level lobbies.

For questions about medical equipment or other needs, call the Nebraska athletics office at 402-472-1003.

*Bags covered with patterns or oversized logos jeopardize the screening process and will not be allowed.

Prohibited items include backpacks, fanny packs, diaper bags, computer bags and non-approved seat cushions and chairbacks. Seat cushions must be no more than 16 inches in width. Large seat cushions that have back rests, metal fastenings, pockets and other compartments are not permitted, the university said.

Fans carrying bags that do not meet the new criteria will be turned away and asked to return their belongings in question to their vehicle or put them in a permissible bag. Fans parking in remote lots or taking alternate forms of transportation should review the policies before trying to enter the stadium, the university said.

Nebraska’s clear bag policy is being implemented for all ticketed athletic events. For more information, go to Huskers.com.

Question, comments, story ideas? Reach Big Red Business writer Steve Rosen at sbrosen1030@gmail.com.