Security Sweep Underway At Sun Life For Orange Bowl
SUNRISE (CBSMiami) – The finishing touches are underway at Sun Life Stadium for the 2014 Discover Orange Bowl Game between the Clemson Tigers and the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Efforts to paint the field actually takes quite the crew. They put out hundreds of gallons of paint to just the end zones and the process, from start to finish, takes about two days.
Security is already in place to make sure things run smoothly and, better yet, safely. This year Miami-Dade Police's Bomb Squad has an extra tool which attendees will drive over as they enter the parking lot.
The cameras give them an eye of sorts from beneath, enabling them to see underneath every car or truck that enters the stadium.
"You get a clearer picture. It helps us. It certainly is a better tool to use as opposed to mirrors," said MDP Lt. Jeff Smidinger.
Inside the stadium a dog, named Bo, is sniffing around for anything suspicious. Friday's matchup is Bo's 8th Orange Bowl—and his last as gets ready for retirement.
Typically locker rooms are under lock and key, but CBS4's David Sutta was able to get a sneak peak.
In the Buckeye locker room, all the helmets were lined up. Sutta also noticed plenty of shoes, some size 15, others size 18. "You need big shoes for a big game," said Sutta.
Friday night's matchup is considered one of the biggest bowl games this year. TV ratings are expected to be high—though ticket prices are not.
Ohio State sold or gave away just half of their tickets. They gave the other half back to the Orange Bowl to give to military families.
Clemson went the discounting method, selling tickets for 40% off face value of parking tickets. If you purchased four or more tickets, they threw in free fanzone passes and parking.