NC State will institute new tailgatering rules this season

Posted Monday, April 24, 2006

 E-mail this page    Printer-friendly page

Raleigh, NC - North Carolina State University football fans can expect to see a few tailgating rule changes in the upcoming season. The changes are designed to ensure everyone can have fun in a safe and friendly environment.

Chancellor James L. Oblinger convened the NC State football task force in the fall in response to complaints from fans that some of their fellow fans’ tailgating had gotten out of hand. The task force was made up of students, faculty, staff, and representatives from the Wolfpack Club and the Alumni Association.

“What we’re saying to our fans is: Have fun and behave,” said Dr. Tom Stafford, vice chancellor for student affairs and co-chair of the task force. “We want everyone to have a good time and be respectful of everyone else’s right to have fun and enjoy the games.”

The rule changes recommended by the task force and accepted by the chancellor include:

1. Establish and enforce listening levels for music.

2. Require that tents remain contained within the allocated parking area of a tailgating group and that they are flame-retardant.

3. Prohibit beer kegs in any stadium parking areas including vendor or university-sanctioned events.

4. Require that fans carry a picture ID in accordance with university regulations.

5. Engage the Wolfpack In The House (WITH) program as a sportsmanship initiative to assist in publicizing the rules and promoting good behavior in the tailgate lots and inside the stadium.

6. Encourage tailgating participants to bag their own trash and leave it at the parking bumper.

The NC State Board of Trustees will vote on the keg provision during its April 28 meeting. The other changes do not require board approval.

“No set of rules and guidelines will be effective without our fans’ support and cooperation,” Oblinger said. “I am asking all of our fans to take appropriate steps to bring a positive atmosphere to football game day. We can cheer the Wolfpack, be respectful of each other and be great hosts to our guests.”

Oblinger tabled the committee’s recommendation to establish pat-downs of the ankles, wrists and small of the back, an approach used at National Football League stadium gates and at the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte.

The committee also considered eliminating the practice of allowing fans to leave and then return to the stadium, but recommended the practice be retained for the 2006 season.

Oblinger said he will reconvene the task force after the season “to consider whether the changes have been effective in altering the culture of football game day, and whether further changes are needed.”