NFL, members of Congress alarmed by drone incidents over packed sports stadiums

A drone that flew over the Ohio State-Maryland football game was the latest in a string of drone incidents that have raised alarms at the NFL and in Congress.

When a drone was spotted over the Ohio State-Maryland college football game Saturday, officials quickly suspended the nationally televised contest and pulled the players off the field.

The interruption was brief — the drone flew off, and police tracked down and arrested its pilot, who told them he lost control of his newly bought craft as it meandered over Ohio Stadium in Columbus. He faces multiple criminal charges, but police said they found no evidence of malicious intent.

Still, the incident — the latest in a string of drone incursions over stadiums — was closely watched by executives at the NFL, other major sports leagues and members of Congress. They say it underscored a huge security vulnerability — made worse by gaps in federal law — that they fear could result in a catastrophic loss of life.

“We’re concerned about somebody who would use (drones) in a nefarious way and drop a grenade that would do considerable damage and possibly kill individuals,” said Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., who chairs the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Stadiums and other outdoor venues, often protected by layers of security on the ground, are mostly defenseless from an attack or mishap from above, security officials told NBC News. Even as the Russia-Ukraine war has demonstrated how easy it is to weaponize small, off-the-shelf drones, U.S. law grants only the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security the authority to jam and take down rogue aircraft, and officials say those agencies don’t have the resources to cover most major sporting events. They send counter-drone teams to the Super Bowl and the World Series, but not to regular games.