Stadium Roof Will Be Closed For Super Bowl

ARLINGTON (AP/CBSDFW.COM) - The retractable roof at $1.3 billion Cowboys Stadium will be closed for the Super Bowl.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said Monday the decision was made well in advance of the Feb. 6 game so the league could have a "singular focus" on logistics.

The weather in Dallas-Fort Worth could be good enough for an open-air game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers. But there's also a risk of freezing temperatures.

The Cowboys opened the roof when they had 105,121 for the first regular season game at their new stadium in 2009. Attendance could surpass 100,000 for the Super Bowl, but only about 93,000 will be inside the stadium.

Stadium Tours

If you want to see the stadium but don't want to mess with the game, you could always take a tour.  You now have the chance to see what's going on behind-the-scenes before the big game.

That's thanks to Super Bowl-specific stadium tours now underway at Cowboys Stadium. And these aren't your day-to-day stadium tours.

Todd Fleming with Legends Hospitlaity says your $40 tour ticket puts you in places most fans will never see.  You'll get a hands on experience in both the AFC and NFC locker rooms, NFL interview rooms, access to the field and oh yes, even the cheerleader locker rooms.

ESPN Moves In

Over in Fort Worth, Sundance Square is being transformed into ESPN's broadcast headquarters for Super Bowl XLV. Sundance Square president and CEO Johnny Campbell says a 25,000 square foot stage will showcase downtown Fort Worth to the world.

On Main Street between 3rd and 4th there will be a demo football field as ESPN walks through various plays. Campbell says the ESPN exposure will help future business for Sundance Square.

Can You Hear Me Now?

Both AT&T and Verizon have beefed up their capacity inside and outside the stadium. Meredith Adams with AT&T says they've spared no expense to improve it's network.  She says they've enhanced the network by 150 per cent and added double the number of cell sites within the stadium.

Galleria In On The Act

Galleria Dallas is getting into the Super Bowl spirit.  The Super Bowl XLV logo is now on the ice of the mall's famous ice rink.  An artist painted the logo last night after the mall closed.

(Portions Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)