Why are college coaches escorted by police?

If you often watch college football on Saturdays you have likely noticed the trend of coaches being protected by several police officers or state troopers.

This leaves many finds wondering why college football coaches need these policemen and women with them.

This is especially confusing because in the NFL you will notice the coaches are never surrounded by state troopers as they make their way across the field at the end of a game.

The reason college coaches have state troopers at their side is for protection from the fans who often rush the field. Additionally, some state university stadiums are state property which means it is up to the troopers to run security in the venue.

Protecting the coaching staff

The main reason you are going to see college football coaches with police or state troopers is for protection. You will notice each time these police officers are with the coach there is a crowd nearby.

Entrances to the stadium as a college football coach often feature tons of fans cheering and hoping for autographs. These situations can get quite rowdy which is why it is safe to have some protection nearby.

Some college football fans argue that it is a status issue and coaches want to be seen as important people. After all college coaches have not always been escorted by police officers into the stadium on game day.

Though you could argue that the increase in the size of college football as a whole has made these games more dangerous for important people such as head coaches.

When games conclude it makes sense that the coach has state troopers with them. College football is a sport in which rushing the field after a victory is incredibly common.

On some occasions, fans have even rushed the field before the game was completed.

Once the game comes to a close there are generally hundreds if not thousands of people on the field if the crowd decides to rush it.

In order to keep the coach from getting mobbed by fans he is going to need some sort of security. The state troopers or policemen are going to create space for the coach to get through the field and make their way to the locker room.

If coaches were to try and walk the field without any security it would be tough for them to make their way through. This is especially true if the coach is older or not as able-bodied.

State-owned stadiums

In college football, there is always going to be some security but it is not always going to be state troopers.

Many schools use the local police force in order to act as security for their home games. Though for many schools local police can be used due to the size of the school or the ownership of the stadium.

At massive schools like LSU, state troopers are needed due to the sheer number of rowdy fans that are going to be at the game.

Additionally, at state-owned schools, it is up to these state troopers to run security at a state-owned stadium.

This is one reason you will notice NFL teams will never have state troopers escorting them. Head coaches in the NFL will often have security with them but they will not be uniformed state troopers as NFL stadiums are not owned by the state.

Who pays for the state troopers and police at football games?

Now that you know why there are police and state troopers at college football games you may be wondering who picks up the bill.

The vast majority of schools in college football are going to be responsible for paying the bill of the police and troopers at the event.

Police forces will generally bill the school for their time spent at the game. Since these games are such a big money maker for the college security is just another expense they must pay to keep the show running.

That’s all o police escorts for college coaches learn why coaches wear headsets during the game or why there are stickers on college football helmets.