New tailgating procedures at Central Michigan University will include a limit of six beers or one plastic pint of alcohol per person and prohibits external speaker systems.
A committee made up of students, administrators, faculty and police performed a comprehensive review of the entire process, adjusted tailgating procedures and defined current policies through the spring and summer, said Senior Associate Athletic Director Derek van der Merwe.
In July, Director of Public Relations Steve Smith said the limitations on alcohol would be difficult to enforce. Athletics Director Dave Heeke said security will be looking at what people bring into the lot.
• Limit of six beers or one pint per person
• No external sound systems
• Parking passes required
• Enter checkpoints for pedestrians and vehicles
• Countdown clock and siren to announce kickoff
“We hope students will be responsible,” Heeke said.
The student tailgating lot, 63, was more than doubled and vehicles will be broken up and dispersed throughout. To increase safety, cement barriers will maintain an emergency lane at all times.
“The injury rate increased last year, which demanded emergency response,” Heeke said.
In order to enter lot 63, vehicles must have parking passes which can be purchased at the Athletic Ticket Office for $6 prior to game day and $10 on game day.
Heeke said there are between 350 and 400 passes available.
“We encourage students to buy them in advance,” he said.
Entry points look significantly different and tailgating will have a larger presence of security personnel; state, county, city and campus police for crowd control, Heeke said.
Vehicles will enter and exit at two points in the lot, and students walking to tailgate will have to pass through five to six pedestrian checkpoints.
Security at the entrance checkpoints will look and see what students and vehicles are carrying into the lot, said CMU Police Chief Bill Yeagley.
Vehicles must remain in the lot until the start of the third quarter to halt a continual flow in and out of the lot. Heeke said there also will be a quicker push to get students out of the lot once the games begin.
Student Responsibility
In enforcing the new procedures, Yeagley hopes students will understand what is expected of them.
“Part of our plan is making sure everyone knows the rules before they get there,” he said.
If police see violations, people are subject to being asked to leave, he said.
“Our hope is that people make good decisions. I don’t anticipate in any way these rules making more problems,” Yeagley said.
In addition to heightened security, Heeke said the committee looked at ways to maintain and improve the game day environment.
In tents spread throughout the lot, there will be four food vendors stationed throughout lot 63 at CMU’s first home football game Sept. 19 against Alcorn State, including ARAMARK and three local vendors.
There also will be a countdown clock to kickoff and a siren to signal the start of the game.
“We didn’t want to lose the atmosphere,” Heeke said. “We have one of the best game day atmospheres in the (Mid-American Conference).”
Increased family parking will be available in lots 73, 72, 71, 70 and 61, Van Der Merwe said. Student overflow will be in lot 59 near Broomfield Road.
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Lindsay Knake
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I am really wondering how they are going to enforce the alcohol limit and are they also going to limit it in the other lots? It seems almost impossible to track how much one person brings in for themselves. Are they going to check everyone’s driver’s license if someone walks in with a 30 back and is with five people?
Athletics Director Dave Heeke said their “hope is that people make good decisions ‘ and that he doesn’t “anticipate in any way these rules making more problems,” probably because there won’t be anyone in the student lots. Yes, tailgating is full of drinking and thousands of students packed into a small lot, but that’s what made Central Michigan University unique. The students could still tailgate outside of the stadium, instead of on the tennis courts (MSU) or around the whole campus (WMU).
The problem may no longer be in the parking lot if these rules do get enforced, but CMU has always had trouble with attendance and this is not going to help it (even with the new Adidas jerseys).
Say goodbye to your game day atmosphere!
Sounds like all good things to me. The alcohol limit is going to be really hard to enforce and is just going to encourage people to drink more heavily before they go to the game, but it’s a nice try.
The thing I really like is prohibiting the external speakers. Frats blasting their crappy music was one of the worst parts of tailgating. It’ll be nice to be able to go and enjoy the game day without that
wow, I cannot believe this. CMU has the best tailgate in the state. It never seemed like there were that many issues at tailgates and if there were they were all handled. It’s sad to see this change. Students loved the music and being able to all be in one place at one time having a good time.
While this new policy will more than likely create less problems in the tailgate lot itself, there will be more problems on the rest of campus and the surrounding town. People will just stay at their own places and drink larger amounts of alcohol and then attempt to get the football field by either driving or walking across streets while intoxicated. While pretailgate drinking in previous years occurred, most students waited until they reached the lot to consume their beverages. At least when we were all crammed in the lot it was easier to police and prevent situations but now it will spread throughout all of mount pleasant. As far as the speaker rule it seems like a good idea until someone finds a way around it
This is ridiculous!
As far as increasing stadium attendance, CMU just shot themselves in the foot. Six beers? Do they think that after six beers people will be satisfied to stay for the game? If anything they’ll want to leave A.S.A.P. to go drink at home.
Also, no music? How about no stupid plane flying around the stadium on opening game days, wasting fuel, money, and creating disturbing environmental noise. Or how about no sandals, tank tops, leather jackets, skirts above the knee, etc.
Five to six pedestrian checkpoints? What is this, Baghdad? I just want to drink some beverages, have some fun and go to the game. Every year this is getting more and more absurd. I do agree with the music though. If I see one more dude in a popped collar jamming Kanye West, I’m going to puke.
Join my facebook group DON’T CHANGE CMU TAILGATE.
Just bring in 6 40oz beers. Thats about the same amount as a case of beer. Pack the beer on some ice and bring a cup and everything will be fine.
This is absurd. People who actually want to go to the game will go to the game. You can’t force them in.
The only problems occur when some idiot throws his glass bottle in the air, it shatters and someone wearing sandles steps on it.
As for an alcohol limit…please. There is no way to enforce that unless you set up aluminum detectors around the perimeter of the parking lot.
As a CMU alum I recall when the tailgating lot was grass and dirt. The environment then was about fun…having some beers, maybe acting a little crazy, and showing your school spirit. No one died, the youth of Mount Pleasant were not corrupted, and there was this unique CMU experience of camaraderie and student fellowship. Students could even listen to the game with friends on the radio and cheer on the Chips RIGHT IN THE YOUR LAWN CHAIR IN THE LOT. It was a festival-type atmosphere! There was no rush to “pound beers” before the game started. There was no “Police Officer Push”. The students weren’t hidden away from the main entrance of the field.
I understand that things change over time, and I understand the need for student safety, and so on. Students pay a handy sum of money to be a Chip and generally speaking these are good kids who are adults. And unless you are completely naive you can acknowledge that the college experience is more than just attending classes and events. Let ‘em have a little fun back there. The sum of a student’s experience dictates whether they contribute money as an alum, whether they recommend this college to friends back home, and whether they send their own kids to CMU.
Every year I come back for the homecoming game, and I try to support the school in a number of ways. In a recent year I was rounding up some college friends to head into the game when a CMU officer slapped a can of beer out of my hand and swore at me before we had even exchanged a single word of conversation. It was then I realized…it’s just not the same CMU. I don’t know where the school is headed, but reading these draconian rules I’m afraid it’s not toward “common ground” with students.
I cannot believe the people that sat around a conference table and put this crap together actually thought that what they were doing would ENHANCE the environment at Kelly Shorts Stadium. I think that the negative effects of these regulations will be seen in the first game when the student section is half-empty.
No, you cannot force students to go to the games, but when I was having a good time with my friends at the student lot before the games, it only made sense to walk into the stadium and enjoy the game. Now that we will likely be staying at our apartment across town to party, finding appropriate transportation to the stadium afterward may just be too much of an inconvenience.
Good Luck to CMU with these changes. I hope I am wrong, but there is little to like about these regulations.
i see no way that this can increase the game day atmosphere, as stated in the article cmu has one of the best game day atmospheres in the MAC if not the NCAA, but the more appropriate word would be “had” 5-6 check points, cement barriers, increased security (and i am not sure where the money for all the police over time is going to come from)i want to feel like i am going to a football game, an event to build the bonds with in the student community, no to visit death row. i for one, as an alumni bleed maroon and gold but am seriously questioning whether or not i want to make the trip back for homecoming now i dont want to come back to feel like i am constantly being watched and having every sip i take counted i want to go back and beable to, even if just for one day relive some of my best college experiences which were gathering with 1500 of my closest friends to support my beloved chippewas. so, incase this outcry falls on deaf ears please give my best to the gestapo on oct 10th
6 40’s. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist.
As someone who has ushered CMU football games, it’s been sickening to have students coming through the gate so drunk they could barely walk, throwing up, and other crap associated with binge drinking. Yes, the 6 beer limit will be hard to enforce but since it appears that the students can’t “police” themselves, they leave others little choice but to make decisions for them that is in the best interest of everyone who want to attend football games without being subjected to idiotic behaviors by students too drunk to realize what they’re doing. Just my 2 cents…for whatever it’s worth.
I was around at CMU when tailgating was in what is now the Alum lot. My second year it was moved to what is now lot 63, which used to be a big dirt lot. It’s where all the really unlucky freshmen had to park (and barely anyone did). It really was the apex of the tailgating experience then.
I’ve come up for every single homegame since I finished school (we’re talking 6 years here) and I’ve supported the local economy while I was up there. These rules blow my mind. More of the same from people running the show, who think they know best for everyone.
For anyone who has seen or been to an MSU tailgate it’s obvious that this new moronic policy is going to do nothing more than encourage tailing and drinking OUTSIDE of official areas. Last year one of the fraternities attempted to get an alternate tailgating party going away from the stadium. From what I remember everyone I knew just made fun of them, writing them off. This year, will all this nonsense about limits on the atmosphere, that sounds damned attractive.
Quite honestly, with the hoops I’m going to have to jump through this year just to tailgate, I’m not sure I’m even going to come back up.
Fun police! Put away your fun! Don’t get caught with your fun out!
This is going to cause huge problems with the student population. I hope the administrators and security are prepared when the students revolt against these insane policies.
well they didnt say nothin bout weed!!
6 cans o beer and a doober will do me juuuust fine!
Wow. Um. I’m just glad I went to CMU and graduated from CMU when I did. Tailgaiting at CMU was sooooo much fun. Not only that, the games were very fun to watch as well! All these extra rules this so-called “committee” came up with to “enhance gameday experience” are very unnecessary! My question is who were the students that were involved with these rules? It’s like did MADD come in and disguise themselves as the students and administration?
Well, I’d be repeating what everyone has been saying so I think I’ve made my point. Yet, I will say this…I feel sorry for future students, cuz at this rate they will not experience true gameday at Central. Next thing you know they’ll be telling the marching band to keep it down!
students getting rowdy? The only students I seen get rowdy were the ones who had Officer Hard Ass slap beers our of their hands and knocking over their 5ths when they tried to put tops on them to store them away in the coolers.
So we’re going to have more gestapo nazi bs out of them. Great. Glad to see my school values me as an alumni. Especially when I personally had a run in with an officer who was harassing my mother in law who was waiting for my wife to get back from the bathrooms. Yeah real professionals. Making arrest threats to make a 60 year old woman do what you want. Must make you feel like a big man pushing around kids and old ladys. Anyone ever notice that PROTECT AND SERVE is never seen on cop cars anymore?
And from what I understand there were also students that had a hand in this change of rules. Thanks traitors
If we want these rules to change, I see a really easy and quick way for that to happen. Nobody go to the first home game (I mean, it’s Alcorn State anyway).
What will happen if the announced attendance is 10,000 or less? 4 years ago, the athletic department was begging people to come to the games in order for CMU to continue being considered at Division 1-A status (they put up signs all over campus telling people “we need you to be counted”). And this is the way the student body is repaid? I promise this will have a negative impact on the attendance, and we’ll be back to where we were years ago when students didn’t show up. I would think that message would be loud and clear that the student body does not appreciate this new policy.
I’m also I graduated this past spring, because those new rules are absurd. I didn’t care for all of the music being played at the different spots, but it helped create a fun atmosphere. And if you don’t like it, feel free to walk another 7 vehicles down to hear an entirely different type of music. Last year they weren’t even enforcing the glass rule (there was no Bud Light Lime in cans at the time), and now they expect to go to this? Yeah, right.
Pros: The emergency lane and getting rid of the external speakers (some people just need to stick school and rid themselves of hidden DJ aspirations), and the siren is a nice touch
Cons: Long lines, parking passes (I swear CMU is always tryna make a buck somewhere), and just as everyone else mentioned, it seems that more partying and drinking (more underage drinking as well) will spring up somewhere else…So I guess the whole city be on police lock down
And it would be nice if they enforced clothing. I get so tired of seeing girls walking around with swimsuits. And not just at the home game, even at the games following in the cold weather. It just looks dumb. And yes I am aware it is a double standard for the guys with the painted chests. But even some of them could cover up.
As has anyone noticed they would increase parking for the game…what about the rest of the school year for those paying $16,000+ to attend only to not have a spot?
I fail to see why this is a bad thing. It’s not like the university is telling people they can’t tailgate. Rather, they’re trying to ensure people don’t get blind drunk and act like idiots.
I’ve got an idea, let’s shorten the tailgating time period to 15 minutes. We could make it a 1 beer maximum. Maybe we can also eliminate swear words because you know there are sometimes kids nearby. You know what, maybe CMU should also dictate which books I am allowed read…and decide for me which artists are lewd and which are acceptable…and decide for me which ways are appropriate for me to express myself.
I respect for this small group of students who appear to be making these decisions..and your committees and your sensible ideas about ensuring people don’t get drunk. But I think maybe you’ve gotten a little too comfortable with someone making your decisions for you in life. College is your chance to EXPERIENCE. It’s up to ME how many drinks I choose to have! Just like it’s up to YOU not to attend the tailgating event if it’s not your cup of tea, and it’s up to YOU to ignore idiots who have had too much to drink. CMU can’t shelter you from every unpleasant thing you might have to experience for the rest of your life.
I’m not saying this hopefully, but I would not be surprised if an alternative tailgating event catches on. And that party will rage much longer and harder than the tailgating. CMU better be careful or they may have a mini-MSU on their hands. Homecoming Riots 2009 would be an unfortunate event, but it’d be collateral damage that could be traced directly back to this ridiculous decision. I’m not saying I’d tip a car over or burn a couch, but I’d smile knowingly by god.
Its going to take a long time to fund the medical school… Maybe they should raise the cost to $1000.
>In order to enter lot 63, vehicles must have parking passes which >can be purchased at the Athletic Ticket Office for $6 prior to >game day and $10 on game day.
>Heeke said there are between 350 and 400 passes available.
I find it funny that all of you “fans” are predicting attendence will drop due to these new rules. Attendence will be fine if people like you realize the important issue is the game, not getting wasted before hand. Stop being selfish and just follow the rules (which, by the way, are not that bad). It’s a sporting event, not a party. We’re in college now, so grow up.
If there is more imposed on the students then lets have one imposed on the Athletic department. They have been woefully irresponsible in providing bathroom facilities in the student lot. Then students get ticketed for relieveing themselves between cars because they have no choice. This is a sanitary issue the department should be called out on. There should be twice as many porta pottis. Lets makesome noise about this.
I love the complaints. Most of them are from people who probably don’t go to the games, or at least don’t stay for the entire game.
Compared to many other schools our tailgaiting it a mess. Go to a CMU road game and what you usually hear from CMU students is how lame the other team’s tailgaiting was. That’s because they do more than just binge drink.
I cannot see this ending well.
Knowing police mentality, they’re probably gonna be pretty strict about the alcohol limits at least the first time around (remember, six beers OR a pint, whichever one you hit first…have fun throwing away three of those six 40oz’s you bought thinking you’d be sneaky). This means that not only are large numbers of people going to get turned away at the checkpoint for bringing in too much alcohol, but virtually everyone who is under 21 (read: 65-70% of CMU’s student population) is going either going to be heavily discouraged to go in, turned away, or worse cited on the spot for possession, along with any over-21 students with them. All these people that get turned away have nowhere to go but home…oh wait, that grassy knoll where Mainstage was at looks like a cool place to drink that’s nearby! Or how about that track behind the SAC? Or heck, let’s just rip a page from MSU’s book and get trashed at the tennis courts! Point being, alcohol limits and checkpoints are not going to stop people from getting trashed on gamedays at college-the drinking will simply go elsewhere, probably in places that will be much harder for police officers to keep order in than in a tiny parking lot with it’s back against a football stadium.
I do like the emergency lane idea though, and the siren will definitely be cool (I don’t even know how many times I’ve missed the first quarter because I was too drunk to remember the kickoff time). I’ll miss the frats blaring crap-ass music into the aisles, but they’re all probably already installing systems within their trucks that’ll put the speakers on their hitches to shame. I can’t say for sure that these rules are going to make attendance nosedive, but depending on how strict the checkpoints are it could be exceedingly plausible.
tailgate deerfield anyone? anyone who isn’t pissed about these dumbass rules didn’t actually participate in tailgate. “its not a big deal you dont have to be drunk to enjoy a cmu game.” hey, assholes! no one said that, tailgate is not a lets sit around and play badminton party, its a lets drink, play loud music, and have fun. whoever said rules are made to be broken must have skipped forward in time to hear about these ones.
For all of you saying just bring 6 40’s: YOU CANT BRING GLASS!!!!! Do it live Chips!
How bad was it that these changes need to be made? I am an alum in my 30’s and come back for at least 1 game a year and have never seen a problem. I tailgate with a large group of friends (half of whom are skipping homecoming this year because of this) every year and it is fun. We have some beers, listen to terrible frat music, go to the game, and have a blast. Kids are still gonna drink too much, now they will be all over Mt. P instead of in one concentrated area. This increases the danger, decreases attendance, and will be a loss of revenue to the community. This should be more about the local economy. Each person who comes from out of town spends hundreds of dollars for the weekend. Who cares about the $6 for a parking pass, we had to pay every year anyways. This isn’t a source of revenue, it decreases it by limiting it to 350-400 passes. Some things are good though: No glass, Emergency exit, and I guess the external speakers. If its really a problem you can move 50 feet and hear something else. You can’t please everyone, so don’t piss off a large majority to please just a few! FIRE UP CHIPS!!!
The rules are mostly there for safety–less alcohol leading to less medical emergencies. I think it’s pretty sad when one has to equate fun to how drunk they are–if you cannot have fun sober, or with a responsible amount of alcohol in you, that’s pretty sad. The rules do not say alcohol is not allowed, and some of the amount of alcohol people feel “deprived” by not being allowed to take in the game, given the 3 hour or so time frame, is enough to result in alcohol poisoning, dependent on both your sex and weight, or even death–fun, eh?
Either go tailgate, have some responsible fun, and go to the game, or stay home/got to the bar and get trashed–decide whether you’re really at the game to support your school or be made fun of because you can’t walk straight. People are always going to find ways around rules, but this seems aimed more at creating a fun but safe environment for those who view the Saturday college football game as an all-day experience, not an extended power hour. People already walk to the game with good buzzes or inebriated, and if they cannot realize that driving this way is a bad idea, there is a worse problem than “harsh” rules.
You can make a sweeping generalization that this will dramatically decrease the attendance because all the “die hard” fans will need to find someway to have “fun”; you can also make a sweeping generalization that this will dramatically increase the attendance because the hesitant, “I’ve only heard horror stories about tailgates and the people there,” students know that at least *some* of these horror stories will be curtailed.
The CMU SS are back. It seems every couple of years they try something new to control the tailgate madness. You think they made changes this time. Wait until MSU comes to town. Unfortunately they like to punish all for mistakes made by few. It’s just another step in line with Obama’s socialist plan. The next time around they will be telling us that we cannot boo the play on the field because everyone is a winner!!! It’s just like the NCAA and there pre – game hand shake!!! That has to be one of the phoniest things I have ever seen. Anyone catch the Boise State, Oregon game last week!!! Teams don’t like each other nor do they need to. The respect is earned on the field.
I have been off campus now for just about 15 years and throughout my years since graduation I have continued to tailgate in the Student Section. I have nothing against my brethren who have wandered over to the pasture on the North side, but it just not for me. Those that don’t want the pre-party atmosphere know where to go. And I have been to the pasture over there a few times when I have had those in my party who do not like the rowdiness of the student section. But for me the student section has the best atmosphere I have ever seen at a football game. FIRE UP CHIPS and continue the traditions.
“It’s just another step in line with Obama’s socialist plan.”
Can we get a round of lols for this comment please?
I do not know of any school that has tailgating restrictions like ours for this season. I graduated from CMU last year and can honestly say that tailgating was one of my favorite parts of going to CMU. I’m not saying you can’t enjoy tailgate and the game while having only 6 beers but come on if I decide I want to have more then I should make that decision not the school! All these rules will lead to is more altercations with police, more people getting wasted driving to tailgate/the game, and less people coming to tailgate. I think the new rules are ridiculous and I do not plan to let them ruin my fun when I come this weekend for the game. Where there’s a will there’s a way and students will definitely find a way to drink as much as they want this weekend. Screw the new rules…..FIRE UP CHIPS!
This is pathetic, MSU doesn’t force people to keep their cars in the lot. This makes CMU look worse, trying to force us to go to the game. Safety is important, but this is ridiculous. I will not compromise and take 6 40’s.
Once again, the administration is doing all it can to “control” the student population’s social activities, all the while doing whatever it can to maintain its wishful perception that CMU is NOT a party school. Those of us who went to school in the early 90’s remember how the administration went after the dorms and greek organizations, putting more and more rules and regulations in place on how people can gather.
I think everyone should tailgate at all the parking lots around the stadium except for the main lots. That would be funny, although not plausible. The university should stop trying to play mom and just let everyone have some fun. The crowds have always been well within the realm of social order.
Stick to education, CMU administration. You guys suck, and always have, as party planners!
Thanks to these wonderful new rules.. tailgating will never be the same and most people I know are boycotting it because all the rules and checkpoints are completely unnecessary. THANKS!… NO MORE TAILGATING AT CMU!!
As an Alumni, I am appauled! I do not need an authority figure, that I am only loosely associated, with to tell me how much alcohol I can drink during tailgating. I can understand that CMU may want to lower the accident rate at tailgating, but this is not the way. Haven’t we learned from the past… If you tell people not to do something, they will anyhow. If you enforce something they want to do, they will find a way to do it anyhow. I’ve seen this University become more and more strict about their policies. If they really want the students to become better at policing themselves, you make the students more responsible. I suggest banning most of the new rules, let cars park earlier and let the people have fun!
TAILGATING? Sounds like JAILGATING. What gives them the right to hold you or your vehicle against your will? Last I heard, you had to be arrested or have your vehicle impounded to lose your right to leave a place whenever you want.
I too am a CMU alum, and remember the days of grass and dirt in front of that stadium. I am astonished that CMU thinks any of this will provide positive results in any way. The only way for the students to be heard would be to refuse to attend, but the sad part there is what that does to those students that are playing for a really good football team. They deserve support.
Unfortunately, I won’t be attending, and neither will the 15 alumni that usually attend with me.
Good luck, Chips!