Updated 9/8/2006 3:58 AM ET

By Andy Gardiner, USA TODAY

Five years after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, colleges and universities across the country continue to improve the security of their football stadiums, assisted by grants and guidance from the Department of Homeland Security.

Not every school has used federal funds to augment its security measures, but a check shows many top programs using some of the $18 billion made available by the DHS since 9/11.

Nebraska has installed metal detectors at some entrances to Memorial Stadium. Oklahoma and Ohio State have purchased surveillance cameras. Michigan has increased its corps of dogs trained to detect explosives and added security personnel and two-way radios. Texas plans to add measures in the next year.

"We have seen a phenomenal advance in planning and preparedness around athletic events (since 9/11)," says George Foresman, undersecretary for preparedness for the DHS. "It's one of the bright spots as we reflect back."

Federal guidelines require that 20% of the available monies be distributed by state governments, with the remaining 80% awarded by local officials.

LSU used a state grant to install a campuswide communication system that includes a command post in the press box at Tiger Stadium, LSU spokesman Michael Bonnette said. Florida installed surveillance cameras inside and outside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium with funds through the Alachua County Sherriff's Department, said Chip Howard, associate athletics director for operations.

"Florida is a premium example of how this ought to work with collaboration between county and university law enforcement," Foresman says. "LSU shows how a state grant involving the wider campus can include the athletic arena."

Homeland Security ready to assist colleges, sports venues if needed

One arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's efforts to safeguard the country is the Infrastructure Protection Division (IPD), which works with states to identify potential terrorist targets and provide technical assistance on how to combat them. These targets could range from major chemical facilities to national celebrations, such as the Fourth of July.

In the middle of this mix are athletic events and arenas, which were identified as viable marks in a DHS planning scenario.

"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that anytime we have a mass gathering we have to be aware and be prepared," says George Foresman, the DHS undersecretary for preparedness. "The Super Bowl and the (NCAA men's basketball) Final Four are two examples of where we might become involved."

The "hard" part of the IPD assistance could include erecting fences or installing X-ray machines and video surveillance. The "soft" element provides training in screening and threat-assessment techniques.

"University security already looks at a full range of hazards, from weather issues to medical emergencies to criminal incidents," Foresman says. "Now, in post 9/11, we're giving them the tools to be ready for a terrorist threat."

Some football stadiums at major programs hold more than 100,000 fans, and the detonation of a car bomb outside a stadium is one of the specific possibilities the DHS has studied. Last October, a University of Oklahoma student in Norman detonated a 3-pound bomb 200 yards from Memorial Stadium — filled with 84,000 fans — and died in what was ruled a suicide.

"We look across a broad spectrum of critical sectors: shopping malls, financial centers, major power sources," Foresman says. "Large stadiums and major sporting venues fall into that category, and they are very much on our radar."

The DHS has established a priority classification, the highest of which is a national-security special event (for example, the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City). There are three additional categories under which authorities can request federal assistance.

Foresman would not give specific examples for these divisions but said 20 to 40 events were assisted by the preparedness task force last year. These included the Bowl Championship Series title game between Texas and Southern California at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., the Super Bowl in Detroit and the men's basketball Final Four in Indianapolis.

Saturday's college football game between No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Texas in Austin has not been given special status.

"Unless we had specific intelligence in the system indicating a threat, this would not be something that would draw extra attention," Foresman says.

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