BATON ROUGE — Fans attending Saturday’s football game between LSU and Florida in Tiger Stadium will experience increased security measures from uniformed police officers both inside and outside the stadium, LSU officials announced.
The gates to Tiger Stadium will open at 11:30 a.m., three hours prior to the 2:30 p.m. kickoff. Fans are encouraged to arrive early at the stadium.
Fans are discouraged from bringing backpacks, shoulder bags or any other type of bag into the stadium. These items will be searched as you enter the stadium. In addition, binoculars and cameras in cases will also be searched.
Those fans not bringing any bags into the stadium will be directed straight into the stadium, while those fans with bags will experience a delay in getting to their seats.
Prohibited items in Tiger Stadium include: ice chests, coolers, alcohol, glass bottles and cans, portable televisions, video cameras, poles of any size, and artificial noise makers of any kind.
Ice chests and prohibited items may not be left outside the gates of Tiger Stadium. They must be returned to your vehicle. Any items left outside the gates of the stadium will be thrown away.
In addition to the gates of the stadium opening early, the band will also march down North Stadium Drive at an earlier time. The band is expected to march down North Stadium Drive at noon and will be in place in the stadium by 12:30 p.m.
Parking permit holders are urged to be in place well before game time. The permit parking lots close to Tiger Stadium will be manned for the duration of the game. Vehicles will not be allowed into a lot without a proper permit. In addition, vehicular traffic on North Stadium Road, South Stadium Road and Powerhouse Lane will be prohibited until after the end of the game.
“A lot of time and effort has gone into planning this security change for Tiger Stadium,” LSU Athletics Director Skip Bertman said. “Our four local law enforcement agencies (LSU Police, Baton Rouge City Police, East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office and Louisiana State Police) have all come together and are working with us in this security effort. The procedures that we have set for the Florida game will be in effect for the remainder of the season.”
In addition to the increased security in and around the stadium, truck traffic (more than two axles) will be prohibited on La. 30 (Nicholson Drive) and River Road from the hours of 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Baton Rouge City Police and Louisiana State Police will be assisting at outlying intersections to re-direct that commercial traffic. Trucks will be re-directed to the Interstate.
For all other football games, truck traffic will be prohibited at least three hours prior to the game and at least two hours after the game at the same locations.