Three weeks after University President Dave Frohnmayer asked them to recommend solutions to “unclassy fan behavior” at football and basketball games, Student Senators unanimously supported a “pro-classy advertising campaign” and several other possible measures Wednesday.
In an attempt to “create a safe, enjoyable game environment,” the campaign would include handing out “behavior pamphlets” with tickets, airing brief commercials at games featuring student athletes and coaches giving speeches before events, according to a memorandum from the Student Senate.
The issue arose in response to assaults and fires at Autzen Stadium and after bottles were thrown onto the field. The campaign targets only unruly students.
Senators voted to amend the proposed memo, eliminating the possible measure to “send letters home to the parents of students who misbehave.” The Senate said it would be “reluctant to endorse” more severe punishments, including fining violators, revoking student ticket privileges, increasing coverage of the issue in the Emerald and on campus radio station KWVA and adding security to levels similar of other universities of comparable size.
“It’s a good letter, I think, and it will solve a lot of problems,” Athletic Department Finance Committee Chairman Kyle McKenzie said in reference to the memo.
The ADFC, a group of five students who recommend the amount of student fees to pay for athletics tickets, will execute and dedicate its own resources, “coupled with whatever resources (Frohnmayer’s) office is willing to provide,” to implement whatever measures are necessary to stop unruly fan behavior, according to the memo.
The Senate discussed the issue at three Senate meetings, two ADFC meetings and one specially called meeting for a Senate-created ad hoc committee, where the final recommendation was drafted.
“We are confident that the students of the UO will be able to resolve this problem without significant intervention from the administration,” the memo states.
Senator Wally Hicks also suggested implementing the “technical foul” approach: “If the fans are acting like fools, the refs can issue a technical foul.”
That suggestion was not included in the model.

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