Next Friday, the University of Texas Longhorns will play Ohio State University for the Cotton Bowl, the semi-finals in the NCAA football playoffs. Security for the game is being reviewed after a driver plowed through a New Orleans crowd on New Year's, killing more than a dozen people. Federal authorities describe it as a terrorist attack. The suspect showed sympathizes with ISIS, an Islamic extremist group, per law enforcement.
The Sugar Bowl was delayed a day because of the attack. The Cotton Bowl remains on schedule at AT&T Stadium. Arlington Police say they know of no threats to the game at this time.
Tens of thousands of people will swarm into Arlington's entertainment district for the game between the Longhorns and the Buckeyes.
"I can tell you this, that our security group analyzes every single event that happens," said the Mayor of Arlington, Jim Ross.
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Mayor Ross told NBC 5 they are not making their security plans public but local police, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and Federal law enforcement agencies have been busy behind the scenes.
"This is a regional effort. I think the key thing that is important to remember is that Arlington doesn't do it alone. There's no city in the country that does it alone," said Ross.
In a statement to NBC 5, the Vice President of Communications for the Cotton Bowl, Scottie Rodgers, wrote, “In lieu of what happened in New Orleans, we are in the process of reviewing our security measures and protocols for our game to ensure the safest possible experience.”
Ronnie Padron from Remote Risk Management has worked on many events like the Cotton Bowl but is not contracted for this specific event. He tells NBC 5 that some likely questions security officers are asking are: whether to add more drones and air surveillance, if more security scans are needed for employees and VIPs, and if they need to change parking and traffic plans.
"The way that bags, if they're even let in at all, are scrutinized because now we have those clear bags you can let in. But after an event like this, you might not let any bags in. There's a lot of adjustments that need to be made in a short amount of time," said Padron.
Visitors, Padron said, will likely see more K-9 units, local police, and tactical teams to make people feel safer.
"The terrorists or the people that are attacking these locations, they just have to be right once. We have to be right all the time. We have to scan everybody that comes in. We have to scan every card that comes in the package," said Padron.
