Jun 19, 2013 08:59 AM EDT By Staff Reporter, UniversityHerald Reporter

The University of Oregon is planning to limit the size of seat cushions one can bring to the Autzen Stadium. Cushion size has been restricted to 17 inches after receiving constant discontent from fans who complained about bleachers getting too crowded.

Julie Brown, the university spokeswoman said that of late there have been complaints about extra-wide cushions occupying far too much space at the stadium and the Hayward Field that feature bench-style seating. 

Generally, spectators bring their own cushions and portable seats to watch the game comfortably and avoid getting their backs and bottoms, damp on rainy days. Some of the cushions are so large that they take up most of the benches leaving many spectators without seats.

The new amendment has been made to manage seating areas in the stadiums.

"Seat cushions come in a variety of sizes, and to ensure enjoyment for all attendees, we want to be specific about allowable dimensions," said Brown. "The rule amendment is intended to provide more clarity about the dimensions of space that is currently allocated for capacity seating."

They also said that cushions must be no deeper than 10 inches. If the cushion has a backrest, the size must not exceed 19 inches. They also want to install checking stalls at the entrance gates to ensure that the cushion size matches the proposed requirements.

The proposals were submitted at a public hearing on July 17 at the Eugene campus. If approved, the rules would come into effect, starting this football season.

"The proposal is to standardize the size of the cushions or the chair backs that people are bringing in Autzen Stadium," said Craig Pintens, senior associate athletic director. "We obviously are confined to a specific space in the bleachers. We've actually marked off the number of inches you can sit in, and unfortunately we have some fans that are bringing in chair backs and seat cushions that are a little bigger than that. Obviously, if everybody did that, we would lose some seating capacity.

Pintens said that the proposal has been developed to maximize fans' enjoyment.

"We want to make sure they have a great fan experience, and if the person next to them brings a big chair and they're feeling pretty squeezed in, that wouldn't be a good fan experience."

Last week, the National Football League prohibited fans from carrying seat cushions to its 32 stadiums. The league feared that the cushions could be a potential hiding for deadly explosives.

See Now: Covert Team Inside Newsweek Revealed as Key Players in False Human Trafficking Lawsuit