Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Football Team Will Move to East Side of McAndrew Stadium
09/10/2003 | 12:00:00 | Football
Sept. 10, 2003
Beginning with Saturday's game versus Murray State, the Southern Illinois University football team will move to the East sidelines of McAndrew Stadium, athletics director Paul Kowalczyk announced Wednesday.
Kowalczyk said the primary reason for the move is to advance the cause of sportsmanship, noting that the team's most boisterous fans reside on the East side, in close proximity to the visiting team.
"As our fan support at football games continues to improve, we are taking a proactive approach to crowd control," Kowalczyk said. "There's been a lot of national attention on matters of crowd control, and we're doing our part to ensure the safety and enjoyment of all the participants."
Kowalczyk said there have been no cases of disturbances between SIU fans and the visiting team, and the move is simply a precautionary measure.
"We'd rather our fans provide positive support for our team," he said.
Head coach Jerry Kill agreed with the measure and said the move will also help communication between the coaching staff in the press box and on the sideline.
