The 2024 Fish Bowl will be different. Here’s what to know about security, other changes

Update: School district spokesperson Danielle Chastaine said via email Sept. 3 that five Tacoma Police Department officers and 10 or more members of the Mount Tahoma event staff will provide security at the event, in addition to the district’s two school safety officers, two of its security specialists and about 20 district administrators.

Chastaine also wrote that: “Tacoma Fire will be staffing an aid unit on site.”

As for the final cost for the Peninsula School District to use Mount Tahoma’s stadium: “The estimated cost to rent the facility is $1,500,” Chastaine wrote. “This does not include pay for the event workers Mt. Tahoma will provide. That is a separate budget item, but will be near the same cost that PSD would pay for their own event staff at Roy Anderson.”

Those who want to purchase tickets ahead of time can do so at purplepass.com/fishbowl .

Parking will be free.

Initial story: This year’s Fish Bowl football game will look a little different.

The annual game between rivals Peninsula High School and Gig Harbor High School will take place Saturday, Sept. 7 at 2 p.m. at Mount Tahoma Stadium, which is located at 4634 S. 47th St. in Tacoma.

It’s one of a few changes to this year’s game after tensions escalated at the 2023 Fish Bowl after one player was seriously injured. District officials weren’t able to find as many off-duty law enforcement officers as planned to work the 2023 game, The News Tribune reported , and multiple coaches told district investigators afterward that the atmosphere was dangerous.

A school district news release on Feb. 22 said Mount Tahoma’s stadium can seat 5,000 people, allowing the district to better accommodate the number of fans that turn out for the big game. Previously, the game was held at Roy Anderson Field at Peninsula High School.

Here’s what to know about this year’s game.

Logistics for fans

A district press release Aug. 30 said gates will open at 12:30 p.m. before the game kicks off at 2 p.m.

The game will be held on a Saturday afternoon, instead of a Friday night.

Peninsula High School fans can park on South Verde Street and Gig Harbor High School fans can park on 74th Street. There’s also overflow parking available in designated areas.

You can also listen to the game on the KGHP radio station’s website or watch online through the NFHS Network if you pay a streaming fee.

The district has several rules for visitors. On the “no” list: no tailgating, bags larger than 5.5 inches by 4 inches, open containers, outside food or drink, pets except for service animals, or artificial noisemakers. You also can’t have “full face paint, full face masks, hand-held signs, whiteboards, sticks, balls, frisbees, anything that discharges powder or smoke, or newspapers,” the release said. There’s also a zero tolerance policy for drugs, alcohol or weapons, and visitors are encouraged not to bring valuables.

On the “must” list: Middle school students must have an adult with them, and you must wear a shirt and shoes.

What will security look like?

Will security be stronger at this year’s game than in previous years? About a week out, the security arrangement was still being finalized.

District spokesperson Danielle Chastaine said last week that both of the district’s school security officers and many other Peninsula School District staff members will be present, and the district will let the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department know the event is happening so the department can have deputies in the area.

Chastaine wasn’t able to immediately share what the role of Pierce County Sheriff’s Department would be at the game and said she would check and follow-up with The News Tribune the week of the game.

Pierce County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Detective Courteney Bealko told The News Tribune via email Friday that the Tacoma Police Department was supposed to let the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department know by the end of the day if they would be able to staff the game. If TPD can’t staff the game, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department and Gig Harbor Police Department may do so instead, according to Bealko. Those conversations are in process with the district.

“’Any coverage of these type of events is paid off-duty work at the request of the school,” Bealko wrote. “If individually deputies have committed to work there is no way for the department to track that information.”

Last year, the district struggled to obtain law enforcement officers for the game after some officers said their pay for past security work was delayed or missing, The News Tribune previously reported based on public records. Gig Harbor Police Chief Kelly Busey was ultimately the only law enforcement officer present.

The district’s two school safety officers and three security specialists, who were former law enforcement or corrections officers, were also there, among other school district employees.

Public records showed the district planned to have eight law enforcement officers at the 2023 game: four Gig Harbor officers and four Pierce County sheriff’s deputies, The News Tribune reported.

Ticket prices

Fans can either buy pre-sale tickets before the game on purplepass.com or wait until gameday and buy them on-site. Here are this year’s ticket prices:

• Adult: $8
• Seniors, military and students without ASB cards: $5
• Preschool students and students with ASB cards: Free

Those prices are the same as last year, according to PurplePass .

The News Tribune reached out to the Peninsula School District to ask how much it cost the district to host the game at Mount Tahoma’s Stadium. Chastaine said she would need to consult the district’s chief financial officer and would follow up this week.

District spokesperson Kris Hagel told The News Tribune via email in February that the initial quote from Tacoma Public Schools to rent the stadium was a little under $2,000, but the cost was still being negotiated at that time.

More space to play, cheer and watch

Mount Tahoma’s stadium at 4634 S. 74th St. in Tacoma has been used in the past for state championship games and is approved by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association , according to the Feb. 22 release.

The release touted several benefits of playing the game at Mount Tahoma’s stadium. There’s more covered area, more space for fans and cheerleaders and individual boxes for coaches to call plays. Teams will also have locker rooms close to the field. The final bonus is “adequate parking, ample restrooms, and concessions,” according to the release.

There will “definitely” be more parking available than in previous years at Roy Anderson Field, according to Chastaine.

Will the district provide assistance with transportation to the new venue?

Chastaine said as far as she knows, the district doesn’t have any plans to provide help with transportation to the game.

Mount Tahoma’s stadium is about 13.1 miles from Gig Harbor High School or about a 20 to 30 minute drive, according to Google Maps. It’s about 16.6 miles from Peninsula High School or around a 20 to 35 minute drive. Both trips require crossing the tolled Tacoma Narrows Bridge.