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Mid-Missouri law enforcement agencies are preparing for larger crowds at this year’s Mizzou football games.

Officers held a meeting to strategize on how to keep traffic flowing and everyone safe and secure.

Members of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Boone County Sheriff’s Department and the Columbia and University of Missouri police departments are getting ready for larger crowds on Mizzou game days now the Tigers are part of the Southeastern Conference.  SEC fans have a reputation for traveling in large numbers to away games.  The larger crowds mean more traffic and an increased need for security in and around Faurot Field.

Columbia Police Chief Ken Burton said, “I think we will probably have larger crowds.  That’s what we anticipate.  It all depends on who the visiting team is.  We’re just trying to make it safe for everybody that’s concerned.  We get together and talk about it once a year.”

Burton said Tiger fans will need to patient at this year’s SEC home games.  Burton said everyone should allow a lot of extra time this year on game day when trying to get from Point A to Point B.

No one knows for sure what kind of impact the SEC fans will have on this year’s Tiger football games.  Law enforcement officers said they are ready for whatever problems the larger crowds bring to Columbia.

Security will be tighter on SEC game days on both the University of Missouri campus and in Downtown Columbia.  Police administrators are hoping for the best.

Burton said, “It’s a great group of people to work with.  We get along very well.  We work well together.  The highway patrol and the sheriff’s department, my department and the university police department work very, very well together.”

Head Football Coach Gary Pinkel and the Tigers said it will be a team effort to win against SEC teams.  Police officers said it will be a team effort to keep things under control on SEC game days.

The Missouri Football Tigers sold a record number of season tickets this year.

The Tigers surpassed their preseason goal of selling 45,000 season tickets by about 500.

The team sold nearly 40,000 season tickets last season.