2014 Super Bowl: Large crowds cause problems getting to MetLife Stadium

It's been a nightmare trying to get to the stadium on Sunday.

By Jon Benne@LordBenne Feb 2, 2014, 5:45pm EST

Super Bowl 48 has been utter chaos for crowds trying to get to MetLife Stadium. Swarms of fans caused mass delays in the transit stations in New York and New Jersey, with some fans waiting up to 90 minutes to board a train.

Lines up to an hour and a half at Secaucus train station to get to Super Bowl pic.twitter.com/FlsQNiUrs5
— darren rovell (@darrenrovell) February 2, 2014

Delays haven't been the only issue on Sunday. The packed crowds led to overheating, causing several people to collapse while waiting in long lines. Emergency workers had to force their way through the crowds just to help them. Stadium officials implemented airport-style security measures at the entrances to MetLife, but had to abandon them just to get people through the door in time. Fans excited about the game quickly turned sour, leading to chants of "New Jersey, your Super Bowl sucks!"

New Jersey Transit officials urged people to use their trains, anticipating a relatively low turnout, but they were mistaken. As of 4:30 p.m. ET, around 27,000 people rode trains from the Secaucus station to MetLife, shattering the previous record of 22,000 in a single day. They told fans to expect similar conditions after the game, but assured them that trains would not stop running "until every single customer who has a ticket" is transported back to New York.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told ESPN that the league is aware of the problem and expects things to slow down. "It's clearing up. Fans are here."