Last weekend I was sure I was going to die.

I was to meet my end in a crowd of hundreds, sandwiched between a large, drunken super-senior with obscenities written on the back of his shirt and a pack of girls wearing too much face paint and too many pom-poms in their hair. A sea of blue and white closed in on me.

I could taste the panic in the air as I searched for a way out.

And then people started to push.

I, along with thousands of excited students, waited eagerly and impatiently to get to my seat at a portal of the student section at Beaver Stadium. But I sure wasn't willing to die for it.

The excitement and the energy from Penn State student fans are outdone by few.

But when so many people are left unregulated by any force of authority and crammed into such a small space for such a prolonged period of time, panic can and does ensue.

It's only a matter of time before someone gets seriously injured or killed.

And, unfortunately, this wasn't the first time I've experienced this kind of ordeal. The atmosphere of this year's Michigan game closely mimics last season's Ohio State home game.

University Police Assistant Director Tyrone Parham said he noticed the crowding issue at the Northwestern game in September. Because every other section of the stadium has assigned seats, the congestion is its worst for the student fans, he said.

At every game I've been to there has been some sort of delay, albeit some more pronounced than others. What would happen if someone were to shout "fire" or bomb?"

Anything could happen. And history shows that mob mentality can be fatal.

Stampedes at popular sporting event venues happen all the time.

The eagerness of fans and excitement of a win can quickly turn catastrophic. Five people died last year after fans rushed to exit the stadium at a World Cup qualifying match in Iran. In the deadliest soccer disaster of African history, 126 people were killed after hordes of people broke into a stampede.

There are few differences between Beaver Stadium and these soccer venues.

Its size is comparable to professional stadiums, and the sheer number of people who attend the games can get astronomical. It's no stranger to the zeal of its fans, evident in last year's Ohio State game when students rushed the field.

In the mix of excitement and panic, it's fortunate that no one was hurt or killed.

Ensuring the safety of thousands is by no means an easy task. The University Police, local borough police and stadium officials have their hands full from before the game starts until well after. Their role during the games is an indispensible one.

But with so many people contributing to the security force, why has this issue been overlooked?

The significant crowding that I've experienced is a serious oversight on the part of stadium security officials.

It's a major problem that deserves a much closer look.

People should feel safe when they attend games at Beaver Stadium, no matter what section they're sitting in.