Altercations between students and security post-game have added some controversy to the Cougars conference title win. | File photo/The Cougar
UPDATE – 10:07 a.m.: Contemporary Services Corporation, the company that employs security officers at UH events, has issued a statement about the altercations at Saturday’s game.
“Contemporary Services Corporation is aware of the events that occurred following today’s University of Houston football game,” CSC said in their statement. “Training is provided to CSC employees for responding to such situations. Any actions by CSC personnel that contradict our training, CSC’s other requirements or the law, are not condoned by CSC and will not be tolerated. We are currently performing an investigation of the events and will take appropriate action based on the outcome of our investigation.”
Original – 10:45 p.m.: UH students are expressing high levels of concern after a number of physical altercations between Contemporary Services Corporation security officers and UH fans after the Cougars 24-13 win over Temple University.
Following the end of the game, students began to rush the field to celebrate with the team, but some security officers stationed on the field took to using physical force to stop the students.
Saturday afternoon and evening, a number of videos emerged online of employees of CSC tackling students jumping from the student section to the field, including one guard tackling a student and punching him in the head.
Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Hunter Yurachek issued a statement on Saturday night about the videos and altercations.
“After viewing initial videos of today’s postgame activity, I am extremely disappointed and angered with the actions taken by employed by our security contractor CSC,” Yurachek said. “We are working with the University of Houston police to review today’s activities and will take swift and appropriate action including the termination of our current contract with CSC and any legal action deemed necessary.”
Student Government Association President Shaun Theriot-Smith commended the university on their quick action.
“The actions of the select security guards at today’s was unacceptable,” Theriot-Smith said. “I’m very pleased with how swiftly Athletics and the University has moved to fix this.”
Theriot-Smith did say that UH did not want fans to rush the field following the game.
“Since this was a AAC game, and not UH, the administration was adamant about asking fans to not rush the field at this game,” Theriot-Smith said.
He also said that this issue is about more than just the actions of CSC.
“I think a larger conversation needs to take place about sportsmanship and the behavior we demonstrate as a student body and a fan base,” Theriot-Smith said. “By and large, there is an incredible amount of class and professionalism displayed by this campus at sporting events. But we must do better to hold all of our peers accountable to that same standard. Let’s not tarnish the incredible effort and dedication of our players and staff by the poor conduct of fellow fans.”
This is DISGUSTING. This company needs the pants sued off them.
And the administration needs to be castigated for TRYING to keep the students off the field. They wanted support and enthusiasm and then try to stifle it. Athletics gets money from the students so let’em on!
as long as it’s safe, somewhat controlled, and we try to keep people from getting injured, I have no problem with this!
Like two games ago when the Prez told security to open the gates and let us down onto the field. Safe, still let us have fun!
Though, we should wait until the refs and the other team get off the field… Just out of respect… Though, when Temple cheered when our players were down, that wasn’t classy or respectful…
I didn’t even notice them cheering our injuries. Then again, that’s about how noticeable the Temple presence was at the game.
The university should be ashamed for their behavior. With thousands of students looking for part time jobs, they outsource jobs like these to a company so that some shareholders can profit off the success of UH. Then they create policies that attack students for showing school pride and enthusiasm towards athletics. We should be outraged even without the beatings.
It’s our stadium. Let us work there. Let us storm the field after the game.
CSC was advertising in the lofts.
If their is video, the employee should be fired and the student should sue. It is the only way to stop excessive force.
CSC is the same company that places these thugs for events at Reliant Park that work the rodeo and other events. Their employees are generally terrible, but there are always a couple decent ones in there.
I just saw the video on a national website. The security person punching the fan NEEDS to be arrested immediately by the UH police.
The fan that was beat need to hire an attorney and sue today!
Shaun Theriot-Smith is not a very good student representative for going after the students and saying the fans had poor conduct. The fans and students went down to the field after the game, not during and it happens at every major game in College Sports!!! Its a way for the students to be involved in the celebration, and I have heard many time UHPD told CSC to let the students go and Renu Khator invited them down to celebrate. What CSC did was bad either way they should have never used excessive force on anyone, that is the job of the Police if they deem necessary not event staff.