(U-WIRE) BATON ROUGE, La.'When NCAA schools open their gates for football this weekend, stadiums everywhere will be surrounded by a greater sense of security with more police officers and inspections taking place as fans walk in.
At the nation's second-largest stadium on the campus of Penn State, officials have requested local airports and the Federal Aviation Administration to prohibit banner planes from flying over Beaver Stadium.
Penn State is also encouraging fans to show up early with parking lots opening at 7 a.m. for the 12:10 p.m. kickoff against Wisconsin.
'The safety of our fans has always been and will continue to be our top priority at every Penn State home football game and athletic event,' said Tim Curley, Director of Athletics.
At the University of Michigan, security measures will be 'enhanced,' said Bill Bess Director of Public Safety.
Bess said while staffing for this weekend's game with Western Michigan is still ongoing, fans should not expect to see more uniformed officers in the tailgating area.
'We try very hard to be visible throughout the stadium and you'll see that ... to a greater degree than you have in the past.'
SEC spokesman Aaron Jordan said the conference is leaving it up to the member institutions about what steps they will take to guarantee safety.
Jordan said he believes fans will cooperate with the slow lines at the gates this weekend, understanding the caution is for each individual's safety.
'If you watch the TV or read the newspapers people at the airport and major league [baseball] games are saying, 'It's taking longer and I'm glad,'' Stickles said.
