University of Nebraska-Lincoln buildings near Memorial Stadium will require NCard access the afternoon of July 31, when thousands of spectators and competitors will open the 2015 State Games of America at the stadium.
Lincoln is hosting the competition from July 28 to Aug. 2, with opening ceremonies July 31 at Memorial Stadium. Festivities on that day will begin at 4:30 p.m. with the ceremony at 7 p.m. A crowd of about 40,000 is expected.
Because of the event’s size, several university operations will operate like a football game day, including building access, said Christine Jackson, vice chancellor for business and finance.
During a typical football game day, there are challenges in the security of campus buildings used for academic, research and business operations. A common practice on game days is that all buildings near the stadium are locked roughly three to five hours prior to kickoff.
To accommodate the July 31 ceremonies, university buildings near the stadium will be locked at 3 p.m., which will allow the university to deploy staff to other security points.
On July 31, faculty, staff and student permit parking will operate normally, with the exception of the North Stadium parking lot (Lot 8), which will close for event setup. Traffic on Stadium Drive between T Street and the north entrance to the Nebraska Champions Club will close at noon.
Faculty, staff and students with existing NCard access to the exterior doors of buildings near the stadium will be able to gain access after 3 p.m. July 31, Jackson said.
“We ask for everyone’s help in keeping the buildings on City Campus, particularly those in proximity to Memorial Stadium or along the main pedestrian pathways to the stadium, locked and secured,” Jackson said.
