On Friday, Sept. 25, 2026, Berkeley High School’s varsity football game against Arroyo High School was stopped in the third quarter after multiple fights broke out in the stands. Police promptly responded, and although officers did not find a gun, the Berkeley Fire Department responded as well, assessing at least one person for injuries. In response, BHS principal Juan Raygoza emailed BHS students, families, and the broader community to announce stricter admissions policies for all future home games. BHS students must now present a physical school ID. A strict no-bag policy is to be enforced, tickets must be purchased online, and only students from BHS and the opposing team are allowed to enter.
While these policies may help BHS administration identify and regulate on who enters the stadium, restricting access alone won't address the broader issues that result in school violence. A school culture that equates school spirit to violence is at the root of the problem. If BHS administration wants to prevent similar incidents in the future, it must go further than only making entrance requirements stricter, and should shift to consider how they can make school spirit safer through promoting positive behavior. With the establishment of new policies, a potential impact on school spirit was observed the following week. On Friday, Oct. 2, fewer than 100 students were seated in the “student section” of the varsity football game, compared to the hundreds that had been in attendance the week before.
A physical ID requirement, no walk-up tickets, and previous violence likely all contributed to lower attendance. Rules meant to make games safer may inadvertently be making them emptier, sacrificing school spirit and support for BHS athletics in the process. Focus on fostering a safer student section should not come from only stricter regulations, but rather an additional emphasis on shifting the culture by both students and BHS administration.
Removing the option of checking bags for attendees is a small precautionary measure that is misguided and ineffective when it comes to encouraging a safe and supportive crowd at school events. Another aspect of BHS culture at school spirit events is the normalization of substance use before attending school events. Widely attended sports games are especially notorious for being hostile environments, due to the clouded judgement and decreased capacity for risk assessment that intoxication causes. BHS administration should not ignore the use of breathalyzers as a potential solution to substance use. If BHS administration wants games that are both safe and full of school spirit, they must look for effective policies and work closer with students to address the violence that has become synonymous with school spirit at BHS.