With Super Bowl XLVIII less than two months away, NFL fans and league higher-ups continue to make their respective preparations for what has become a very intriguing event, and not just because it's the biggest football game of the year. Taking place inside New Jersey's MetLife Stadium - which serves as the home ground for the New York Giants and New York Jets - the 2014 Super Bowl could be impacted by significant winter weather and since the stadium does not feature a roof, the teams playing for the top prize may be forced to battle weather elements not normally experienced during the final game of the season.
In addition to having to plan around the possibility of snow, freezing rain and high winds, fans set to attend the game will now have to figure out how they'll partake in pregame festivities since the Super Bowl committee recently announced drastic changes to the setup. While most fans enjoy barbequing, having a few beverages, playing music and spending time with friends before going to see their favorite teams play, many of these activities will not be allowed at MetLife Stadium leading up to the Super Bowl kickoff. With only 13,000 parking spots available (instead of the usual 28,000) to those who own a parking pass for the event, the usual tailgating - which sees fans take up more than one parking spot for tailgating items at times - will be banned.
"You will be allowed to have food in your car and have drink in your car, Super Bowl committee CEO Al Kelly said recently. "And provided you're in the boundaries of a single parking space, you'll be able to eat or drink right next to your car. However, you're not going to be able to take out a lounge chair, you're not going to be able to take out a grill, and you're not going to be able to take up more than one parking space. And it'll all be watched very carefully."
Along with not being able to partake in the usual tailgating experience, folks attending the game will not be able to walk to the stadium or be dropped off by car, unless the car service remains in the stadium and has a parking pass allowing the car entry into the grounds. 80,000 tickets are expected to be sold for the game and even though there seems to be multiple restrictions focusing on travel, ticket holders will still be able to get to MetLife Stadium via the Fan Express, a charter bus that will take passengers from nine different locations to the field for $51. N.J. Transit also serves as another travel option for those with the ability to access public transportation.
"Nobody's going to be dropped off by black car," Kelly said. "You can have a black car, a green car, a white car, a red car as long as you have parking, and the car needs to stay on the premises the entire time. You cannot walk to the Super Bowl. You can get your hotel to drop you off at one of the New Jersey Transit locations or get the shuttle to take you to a Fan Express location, but you cannot walk."
New Jersey Transit plans to feature the 'Super Pass' option, where visitors will have the opportunity to purchase an unlimited ride ticket through the week of the Super Bowl for $50. The ticket will be valid on all modes of NJ Transit and becomes a nice keepsake.
"We are connected by two tunnels and a bridge and we've got to move a lot of people during Super Bowl week and the day of the game," New York Giants co-owner Jonathan Tisch and co-chair of the Super Bowl host committee said. "Some 400,000 people will descend upon the two states. Some 80,000 people will be able to enjoy the game in person. But because of the restrictions that we're aware of, there are only 14,000, 13,000 parking spaces. Car services will not have access to the facility, so the drop-off points that they use during the season for the Jets and the Giants are not going to be available."
Super Bowl XLVIII kicks off on Sunday, February 2, 2014 and will become the first Super Bowl played outdoors in cold weather.
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