For a record setting 11th time, South Florida will play host to the final professional football game of the season as the NFL brings Super Bowl LIV to Hard Rock Stadium this Sunday – the first time the stadium has hosted the biggest game of the year in a decade.
Plenty of things have changed since the last time South Florida hosted a Super Bowl, from events being held across the city that include fan experiences in both downtown Miami and Miami Beach.
At the same time, security concerns both around the world and here at home have league officials on guard for the biggest game of the season and increased restrictions on what can and cannot be brought to the game.
As for parking, those traveling to the game are advised that a ticket to Super Bowl 54 does not constitute a parking pass – those items must be purchased separately through the NFL and can run anywhere from $120 to $360 depending on what your vehicle is.
Parking lots open five and a half hours before the game at 1 p.m. on Sunday and any car left in a parking lot after 1 a.m. on February 3rd will be towed, according to the league.
Gates open Sunday at 2 p.m., four and a half hours before kickoff, and fans are being urged to arrive as early as they can in advance of increased security presence.
Fans are allowed to bring in clear bags to Hard Rock Stadium – a common practice in the NFL and among major college teams in recent seasons – as long as the bag does not exceed 12” by 6” by 12”. Certain exceptions are in place for medical bags, but fans are advised that those bags will be searched.
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The NFL has released a list of items that are not allowed inside Hard Rock Stadium for Sunday’s game between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers – including such items as fireworks, strollers, laser pointers, recording devices and backpacks.
Security personnel could allow other items on the list in, but officials from the NFL and Miami-Dade Police say any item not allowed in cannot be checked at the stadium by security so fans are better off leaving any items in question at their hotels or in their vehicles.
Cameras and binoculars are allowed in as long as they have a length of less than six inches and the cases they come in are not allowed inside.