Why did they move the student tailgating section?? It was rocking.
Probably liability reasons. I walked by the old student tailgate several times encountering many students that were blackout level drunk. I had to help one girl who was so drunk she couldnât walk from falling into oncoming traffic.
The old student tailgate looked like a ton of fun and I would have been all about it when I was a student but for Phil Dubious and the universityâs risk management people it was probably a bit too much if you are trying to limit underage drinking, fights, and sexual assaults on campus.
Phil Dubois was Toby from âthe officeâ
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I think there are a lot of factors here, not limited to beer sales in the stadium, weeknight games (which are great for TV exposure but hard for office workers) and the still very young culture of football at Charlotte.
For one, we are limited with parking options due to where the stadium is located which is not going to change.
Second, as a green jacket level donor (since before football) there is zero incentive - ZERO - for me to give more to athletics at this time. I park in CRI3 which is a great location that is easy to get in and out of and a short walk. The next level of giving gets me to CRI2 which doesnât seem any better on any level so itâs not much of a carrot. The level I want - gold next to the stadium - is a significant step up in donations that I am not sure I want to commit to. So while I like my lot, the environment is just ok but there is not a good in between lot for me to target and result in a higher donation.
Lastly, the program is still very young so while we are building tradition, very little exists. We are Virginia Tech fans because my wife worked there for a while and we went to games often and they know how to tailgate. Not only did we have friends that hauled a 10x14 storage shed on a trailer - called The Hokie Hut - to games but they had an RV lot for overnight parking, longer hours, a culture of winning and many surface lots all around the stadium. But most importantly was I never met someone at the games that were not legacy students whoâs parents or grand parents went to school at VT. You cannot replace the environment of 25 year old alumni tailgating that grew up doing it as a kid.
While we are building this, it takes time. Tailgating in my lot is the best ever and still pretty bland considering that there is never a car closer than 4 spaces away from me which feels odd and limits interactions.
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The recent attendance and participation from the student section should help with future attendance and interest in tailgating. It takes time to build a fan base but having students involved is huge. They seem to be having a good time which will hopefully bring many of them back after graduation. As they grow older and bring their kids to games it will start to snowball. It just takes time. Having a good place for them to tailgate is definitely something that needs to be addressed.
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As much as I loved that student tailgate, we are always going to have a very unique problem in this regard with starting football in the age of the Internet. I am absolutely positive that the crime rate increased on fall saturdays at UNC Charlotte the day we introduced football. Not only is there an increased number of drinking tickets, but there was more theft and other, more devious, drinking related crime. I have been to student tailgates in lots of places. I have seen it all, and I mean I have seen it all. I know this is not unique to us, but it is new to us.
This happens literally everywhere, but where it has been almost tradition in some places, it is and was new here. It is always going to be a challenge for administrators to look the other way at something that is guaranteed to make the data that reflects them look worse. The challenge is going to be finding a creative solution where kids can be kids in a controlled environment. And the unfortunate reality is that we are going to have to control it more than others.
This post is not intended to be wet blanket, but I do genuinely believe that some do not understand the scope of the issue. Administration cannot simply look the other way while crime rate explodes. I loved the student tailgate as a student, but I also saw some things in there that were downright scary. Those of you that know me know my story from spring game 2015. If you donât, happy to tell you about it in a non-public forum.
Correct.
Thatâs my bigger issue, is that weâre flung out all over the place. Limiting tailgating to 1/2 lots would consolidate us and create a better environment.
But also, you have the money side so Iâm not sure how you balance that.
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clt says good luck finding a bojangles that actually has bo boxes
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Wish we could let the students tailgate in one of the CRI lots. Large lot and close proximity to the stadium. Iâd give them Lot 3 (long skinny lot next to Motorsports). Problem would be where to relocate current FSL parking holders. We have so much land tho around that area and behind EPIC. Wish we could just get some large lots somewhere.
I will never be one of those guys with a huge setup but we do need more people with them spread around. And we need the people in gold to actually tailgate!!! Every game I walk up and see spot #42 (corner spot near grass on the student side) empty and if I had the cash, would just call Mike Hummer and donate to get that specific spot. Too many gold spots open and unused when you walk in 20 minutes before kick off is a real bummer. Thanks to the students for creating a great environment indoors!!
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Stoopid student activity center built for cmc and science building for toby Dubois killed the black lot tailgate scene. Jeez
The black lot was ok but I think some give it too much credit too. Yes it was close but it wasnât always full and I wonder how many of those fans are still around?
For me, the black lot wasnât a great fit but was definitely more social. The problem is we canât just have one lot as the place to be. The environment should exist all over campus and UCity on game days.
If the Normbulance is the only well known tailgate then we have an issue. No offense to those guys but we need more of them in more lots. Thatâs how we build the culture.
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Gotta disagree schollie. The Black Lot was really the best option weâve had. To me, it was a great place. Could see tons of old Friends and had room. But I get why itâs gone and no use crying over spilt beer
At Tennessee there is no single best place for Tailgating and they have fans spread across lots and decks both on and off campus. Itâs really a lot like our setup⌠There are just a ton more fans tailgating. And I think that is all that really matters. You need more people to make that setup work, or you have to condense the ones you do have to the lots closest to the stadium to achieve that kind of atmosphere.
Here is a link to their on campus tailgating lots map:
It reminds me a lot of our setup.
clt says we have momentum, the students are great, no hurricanes so farâŚ
just need some Saturday games
One thing we need to get on board with is tailgating everywhere on campus. At Clemson they have people parked everywhere. Small lot or patch of grass is good enough. Our facilities throw a fit though if you park on a blade of grass.
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Come on now. Everyone knows the Black Lot ruled.
We had a blast there and it was right by where the team marched down to the stadium. We parked the first few years beside Matt Johnsonâs parents in front of the deck and enjoyed their company.
What we really need is longer hours at the tailgates and a good place for the students. The flood plane was a good area for them but they tend to drink too much too fast so there is that issue but what college doesnât have that problem.
How about some bands playing some good old R&R and/or country music.
Are we handling student tailgating like other schools do? Well, not Charleston Southern, because that was sad, but most schools. I probably would have gotten hammered when I was a student, but now I see that needs to be moderated somewhat. It should be possible to have a great time and still remember the game.
Yeah! But like you I would have been no different than students today and would have drunk way too much. I did that without a football team in the 70âs.