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For some reason, someone in your organization found it appropriate to locate your student section (”Blue Zone”?) directly behind the section designated for the visiting team’s fans. I can see how there really may not have been much anaylsis of that decision, and, in a normal world, probably seemed fine.

Good letter. Next time, send it to the newspapers as well. Colleges won't ever admit to a problem until the community is aware of it.

A few years ago, Tennessee football fans attending the game at Florida were, year after year, seated in front of the student section, where they were spit on, hit by debris, and generally harassed. Fans were physically roughed up within clear view of security personnel. We're not talking teenaged fans. Middle aged women were subjected to the taunts, shoves, spitting, bottle throwing, etc., and a mob rule was in place in the stands and leaving the stadium.

Years of complaints went unheeded until UT Athletic Director Doug Dickey sent a letter to the Fla AD telling him that unless Fla made some changes and enforced security for UT fans, he would not return to the Swamp and would cancel the game. The prospect of losing 95,000 ticket sales and the scandal that would be associated with a public review of safety at UF was apparently enough to cause UF to beef up security and relocate the visitors' seats so that they were not sitting in front of students. Bottom line is that when they were forced to react, they found all kinds of things they could do to make the game safer for the fans.

I don't resent anyone being a fan of their team, and I don't understand people who hate opposing teams or fans. We're all there to have fun.