Overseers of security at two weekend, sold-out football games in Cincinnati say it's going to be business as usual for their employees and fans.
"We're concerned, but we're not panicking by any means," said University of Cincinnati Police Chief Gene Ferrara.
The calm demeanor comes despite a security bulletin issued by the FBI and Homeland security about terrorist interest in attacking stadiums, entertainment venues and hotels.
The warning went out to police agencies across the country Monday as investigators pursued leads in possible bomb plots in Denver and New York.
Officials stressed they know of no specific plots, but urged law enforcers and private companies to be vigilant.
Similar alerts have been issued quietly every year since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
They traditionally come as Major League Baseball (MLB) teams head toward the playoffs and World Series – and as National Football League (NFL) and collegiate teams begin their regular schedules.
UC plays Fresno State at noon on Saturday at Nippert Stadium on the Clifton Campus. The Bengals and Steelers tangle Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium. Both games are sold out with the collective crowds expected to top 100,000 fans.
"We're going to do what we've always done," said Chief Ferrara. "We may do it to a higher degree, but we haven't instituted any new procedures."
Chief Ferrara said that executing a security plan means combining the threat level with a site's vulnerabilities to determine the risk that has to be managed.
"Our vulnerabilities are no different now than they were the year before," he said. "The threat level might be a little bit higher because we're getting larger crowds – thanks to Brian Kelly and his team – but, that's the only difference."
Officers will be on duty at Nippert Stadium before and during the game. Security cameras will be monitored for unusual activity.
"It's pretty much what we've always done," Chief Ferrara added.
Students attending an outdoor campus cookout prior to Wednesday's start of classes didn't seem overly concerned about the alert.
Freshman Aaron Garth said it's at the bottom of his priority list right now.
"I'm more worried about getting to class tomorrow, finding where my classes are and making it there on time," he said.
Both Garth and fellow freshman Nate Aydt said they plan to attend Saturday's game and won't be worrying about the warning.
"I'm not going to let it ruin my chance to have fun," Aydt stated. "I'm really not going to worry about anything happening to us."
Nobody from the Cincinnati Bengals organization is talking about what security steps will be taken Sunday.
However, since the terrorist attacks of September 2001, extra precautions have been taken at every National Football League (NFL) stadium.
Fans quickly got used to expecting checks of their bags and pat-downs as they entered the stadium.
Some might believe they're designed to detect alcohol, but they're actually in place to uncover more serious and potentially dangerous problems.
