The grills were fired up, the beers were cold and everyone was donning maroon and gold.
It sounded like a typical football tailgate at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. Except this tailgate Saturday was on Main Street.
Hundreds of people crowded the street north of campus that afternoon instead of attending stadium Lot 63 in protest of the new tailgating regulations.
Tanner Smoker, a Constantine junior and Delta Chi fraternity member, said the fraternity would continue to protest the tailgate until the changes are lifted.
“We don’t like the new rules of tailgating, so we want to show that we can do tailgating elsewhere,” Smoker said. “Tailgating by the stadium is way better. This is fun, but being in such a tight area with everyone made it feel more unified.”
The new tailgating policy includes a six-beer limit, pedestrian checkpoints around Lot 63, a ban on external sound systems, food vendors, more restrooms and an emergency lane.
West Bloomfield junior Robert Ventimiglia said his decision to attend the next tailgate would depend on what he hears about the new atmosphere.
“I’m (on Main Street) because I don’t agree with the new rules,” Ventimiglia said. “Compared to the old atmosphere at the stadium, I’d rather be there. Main is nice, but it’s nothing like the tailgates used to be.”
Police presence
Along with the hundreds of people on Main Street, there was an elevated police presence patrolling the street including state, local and undercover officers. One of their main focuses was to keep people off the sidewalk and the volume of the stereo systems down.
“The police seem to be babysitting on some of the Greek houses and I think that’s wrong,” said Troy junior Evan Agnello.
Agnello said he tailgated on Main Street because of the recent rule changes, even though he attended every home football tailgate last year.
“The university should trust its students a little more,” Agnello said. “They went from having the best tailgate atmosphere to having the most strict and most avoided tailgate.”
He said some of the new rules are positive and make tailgate safer, but the university went too far restricting the freedom of its students.
“Now everyone is getting behind their (Greek) house instead of getting behind the football team. Last year, everybody wanted to come together and cheer on CMU as a whole,” Agnello said.
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Luke Dimick
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In the end all the university is doing is hurting the football team. With everyone being down at main and not having a certain time to be done tailgating the attendance will be down. It’s the simple fact that now you can’t tell people to either go into the game or head home, now people won’t have those people giving them that choice and will just stay where they are at and party. Bad move CMU bad MOVE. I say Butch Jones and his staff need to express there displeasure to the university for hurting the team.
Well, I think the rules won’t end up being changed one bit, because people still came to the game, and in the end, that’s clearly all that Dave Heeke cares about.
Just wait until CMU has a down year, and there won’t be a soul at the tailgate and few students in the student section.
When I went to CMU we had an awful football team, but tailgates were always a good time and we still loved to go root for the chips. Now, we have an amazing football team and CMU has managed to put a kibosh on our excitement by ruining our pre-game festivities and traditions. Every homecoming thousands of Alumni come back to show their continued support for the Chippewa’s by partaking in old traditions. However, these new rules are guaranteeing upset Alumni which in turn means a lack of donations. I, personally, am split on the new rules. Half of them are a bit excessive and the other half have been needed since the 90’s. No external sound systems and a 6 pack limit… really? We welcome with open arms more restrooms and an emergency lane, these things are important and would be much appreciated. But, as you can obviously tell, they will find other avenues to tailgate. Tailgating in lot 63 is a better alternative than Main street for numerous reasons. Lot 63 is confined, making it easier for cops to control. They ‘shut down’ tailgate when the game starts, you can’t shut down main street when the game starts. The attendance level is going to be significantly lower when tailgates are on Main st. and not behind the stadium. Intoxicated students walking completely across campus doesn’t sound very safe at all. I’m sure parents, alumni, and staff alike would rather them drink behind the stadium rather than clear across campus. I hope administration takes another look at these ‘rules’ before we come up for homecoming and are extremely disappointed. This is really unfortunate to hear and I hope it gets resolved soon.
I haven’t missed a home tailgate or game in three seasons, until now. That was quite the pathetic tailgating experience. I had four friends from out of town come visit and I was truly embarrassed. We were there for 45 minutes and decided to go elsewhere. We noticed quite a few people leaving as well. As far as tailgating this season at Kelly Shorts Stadium….it’s one and done for us.
CMU is going to regret there decision making when they force END OF THE WORLD parties to come back.
A church picnic sounds more lively than this. What’s next to go, dancing?
It seems somewhat unfair that the Delta Chi Fraternity is made out to look like the bad guys out of this whole situation. Was a picture of their house really necessary? They weren’t displaying signs or making any gestures that in anyway represented a protest of the new tailgating rules, it was clearly just the preference of the fraternity and clearly most of the student body at Central Michigan University. The university has the right to implement new rules that they feel are necessary to ensure the safety of all people involved in tailgate, furthermore, students have the right to choose at which location they wish to tailgate. Students that choose not to tailgate in the student parking lot are simply respecting the universities right to enforce these rules, and it seems only fair if the university would give the students the same respect. As a fellow Greek student it saddens me that CM-Life would single out any single fraternity, if you watch the video it is clear that every house on Main St. (Greek or not Greek) had many people on their porch. This goes beyond the university and its students, Tropical Smoothie said they will not return to that location and find a new parking lot to promote their business… my bet is that it’s much closer to Main St. than it is to Kelley/Shorts Stadium. I’m sorry to say it, but unless the rules are adjusted it appears that the student/alumni attendance will be significantly reduced. Until stores no longer sell anything more than a 6-pack of beer or pints of alcohol these rules will be hard to accept when students can tailgate at the convenience of their own home while still following the rules of the law, rather than ridiculous rules of the university.
I’m sick of people dogging Dave Heeke. While he was a driving force behind these new changes, it was implemented by the entire athletics department, AND, lest we forget, a committee that included students got together to come up with these changes.
That being said, the administration needs to find a middle ground between the changes they want (an increase to public safety and decrese to public drunkenness) and the desires of the students (a more lively tailgate). Something needed to happen about the previous tailgating environments, as no one can argue that they were unsafe and obnoxious.
The administration needs to be more willing to compromise. The only concessions they made were more toilets and water stands. These are so miniscule they can hardly be considered concessions at all. Some level of oversight needed to happen in regards to tailgate, but this is obviously going too far. There has to be a middle ground, and the administration and athletics dept. need to be prepared to talk more steps to get there.
I would suggest they make more compromises sooner rather than later. While there was a decent student presence, it was obvious that the attendance was hurt by the tailgating rules (especially when you consider huge win over an in-state rival last week).
As an alum who parks in that lot, because it is close to my seats and I use the handicap parking, it was not a good situation for parking. I arrived to park in that lot one hour and forty five minutes before the game and they were turning people away, unless you had a handicap parking permit. I parked farther away than usual because the normal handicapped parking was in the vacant area closest to the stadium that is shown in the photo. We sit with a group of people who are older and many had to park and walk much farther than usual and there was a lot of complaining. The student section in the stadium was fairly full, but there was talk of this game being a sellout, but the recorded attendance was under 19,000. This change is not just affecting the students. There were hundreds of unused parking spots and if older people have to walk too far they will stop coming to the games. There has to be a better solution. I have used that lot for years and the tailgating by the students has never bothered me. It adds to the atmosphere. However, if I came to a game and could not get into that lot at all, I would leave because I can’t make the walk from the outer parking lots.
To reply to Elton John
I’m a member of a greek group also. The reporters for this came to our house after I had already seen them get turned away at another house. Not turned away as ‘get out of here’ but more of the political “No comment” way. DX was the only one’s who talked to them. As a Greek group everybody knows the first rule is that you do not talk to the media about anything when it comes to partying, going against what the school wants, any of that….we’re always the first ones to take crap for everything.
But even this….DX didn’t say anything bad. Majority of the groups felt that way…. You could look at any greek house and it was the same stuff going on.
If anything Main st. was a BLAST. There were people showing all sorts of school spirit, going together to the game in big groups, and you didn’t have to deal with anybody being an A-Hole.
The committee that “included students” had 21 members. Three of these were students, one of whom was absent at almost all of the meetings. It should be clear that this token addition of a small number of students to this committee was merely so that Dave Heeke could say that students were involved in the decisions, even though the two students who were actually in attendance at the meetings were marginalized and ignored.
Additionally, I think that CM-Life, as a whole, has been supportive of the Greeks on this issue, and are really doing a great job. This article does not paint Delta Chi in a bad light, if anything it legitimizes the Greek communities protests against the asinine new policies that are Mr. Heeke’s brainchild.
i heard butch jones is really mad about the turnout and made several phone calls right after the game
As a WMU alumn, one only needs to look there for results. WMU implemented the same policy in the early 00’s…and its been downhill since..
Myself and a quite a few other Alumni all get together at least once a year to come up to what used to be a legendary tailgate. While the drinks help, we all came up for the excellent sense of camaraderie that a Central tailgate exhibited. For that reason, we always chose to tailgate in the student lot rather than any alumni lot. Tailgate was a place to show off CMU’s spirit, as we’d typically get at least a few tagalong alumni from other schools. While I agree with some of the safety additions to the tailgate, the rules go much farther than they needed to. When games like beer pong and bags were banned from tailgate, everyone moaned that it was going to ruin the tailgate experience. While it wasn’t in your face as it used to be, tailgating at CMU was still an incredible college experience. These new rules instead completely change the atmosphere at tailgate, something CMU’s administration admitted previously that they were trying to avoid. They’re now completely robbing current students of an honored tradition that I got to experience my four years there and for the last few years since. The experience tailgating there now was so horrible and out of sync that we’ve all canceled our future trips to CMU this year and are withholding future donations to the university until it’s changed. If the administration listens to its students and eases back on some of the restrictions, allowing the amazing spirit of a Central tailgate to return, then we’re planning on returning to CMU with our (more than six) beer(s) in one hand and our donations in the other.
After seeing the picture of the tailgate lot prior to the football game, I was appalled. I am glad that I got in my four good years of tailgate before someone that was in band all their life started making the tailgate rules. Attendance at the games will start to drop, and eventually(hopefully), CMU will see that tailgate is such a huge part of CMU and changing the rules is just plain stupidity and ignorance.
Honestly, I am not sure that the university really cares about the lack of students at the tailgates. Students tailgating off-campus relieves them of liability if anyone gets hurt, alcohol poisoning, or whatever.
As AngryAlumniKen said, I too was extremely disappointed after seeing the front page of CM-Life this morning. I don’t know how Coach Jones and the team feel about all of this, but it can’t feel too great to see a half-empty stadium the week after defeating Michigan State.
CMU is starting to be like the City of MP, They don’t give a squat about the students. The townies think the students are a nuisance because we exist, yet the students are the reason Mt. Pleasant is what it is. Not the Casino. Now the administration of CMU is taking away the students right to have fun. Yeah, put in the emergency lanes, water stations, and bathrooms. But take away our right to drink beer, grill food, and play music? What a joke. They think that this will better the safety for their students. Yeah maybe on campus. This will create a huge problem off campus, as it already has on Main Street. But wait.. The Police Departments are probably salivating at this option. More students out on the town. More tickets. More drinking and driving. Screw the safety for the students
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY COMING INTO THE CITY. They could give two $#It’s about Gameday Atmosphere, because this has killed it.
Did they not remember Central/Western weekend last year? There were THOUSANDS of people in the student lot. It was a big celebration, people getting along as a whole. Why take this away from the students, Who ARE the ONES that FUND THIS UNIVERSITY. Open your eyes ADMINISTRATION..You are hurting the reputation of this university. 18,000 people for your home opener. Look for more of these numbers if this continues
I really don’t think this article made DX look bad at all, I don’t get why people were saying that.
What is everyone’s thoughts on the school changing the rules? I really hope they would but I doubt it, it will make the administration look weak.
I was really sad by the turnout and enjoyed my time on Mainstreet and will continue to go there on homegames.
i like the whole main street scene its just like msu and michigan, however i think the old tailgate lot should still be the way it was. the tennis courts at Msu work out just fine. things need to change before we host bigger games in the upcoming years
I don’t even know where to begin. I plan on attending Homecoming and after seeing the pictures of the tailgate from last Saturday, I don’t even know if I want to go anymore. I was disgusted at how pitiful the tailgate, and game attendance (under 19,000), looked. IT WAS THE HOME OPENER OF A CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!! These new rules are killing the Gameday atmosphere that I happily experienced at my time at Central. BEACAUSE OF THESE OVER THE TOP RULES GAMEDAY AT CENTRAL MICHIGAN FOOTBALL HAS TURNED INTO FRIDAY NIGHT AT MOUNT PLEASANT HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL. This is NOT high school, this is COLLEGE. Give these kids a genuine college experience before they have to enter the not-so-great reality of the real world. FROM THIS DAY ON I WILL NO LONGER ATTEND ANYMORE CMU GAMES OF ANY KIND AND I WILL NO LONGER GIVE ANYMORE DONATIONS TO THE UNIVERSITY UNTIL THESE NEW RULES ARE LIFTED. I ENCOURAGE ALL ALUMNI WHO BELIEVE IN THIS TO DO THE SAME. IF THE UNIVERSITY WILL NOT LISTEN TO THE STUDENTS, THEY WILL DEFINITELY LISTEN TO THE SOUND OF SILENCE AT THE FOOTBALL GAMES.
TO THE STUDENTS: I encourage ALL students at CMU to protest these rules. Not going to tailgate/games is not enough. MAKE SIGNS, MAKE T-SHIRTS, YELL, UNITE, PASS OUT FLYERS, SHOW CHIPPEWA PRIDE, BE LOUD, BE HEARD! MAKE THIS THE BIGGEST, LOUDEST, MOST RECOGNIZED PEACEFUL PROTEST CMU HAS EVER SEEN. GO, FIRE UP CHIPS!!!
I hope that students can separate tailgating from going to the game. I support the CMU Football players and staff who had NOTHING to do with the tailgating policy. If you are protesting and tailgating elsewhere, is it impossible to come to the game? I think students need to support those players who work so hard each and every day in the name of CMU. Show THEM support, protest the new rules if necessary, but come support the team. Be proud of having a good team that puts CMU on the map
In regards to tailgating on Main Street, it is not that the city of MP is ‘against’ the students. However, Main Street tailgaters are on city property and are thus subject to the city rules. End of story. If you want to tailgate on Main Street, be prepared to deal with the consequences.
I know the tailgating rules are horrible. I have heard that insurance has played into the new change. If that is the case, do not expect a change anytime soon. I do agree that it was a great tradition. Most other colleges do it like the way we did it on main street. I like this idea though: join this chippewa march group on facebook. If everyone could get it to work I think it would be impressive. People would come from all over to see this in action. good idea.
sorry i think it looks like this “Chippewa March!”
I think it is actually “Chippewa March!”
I know the new policies are rough. It sucks. But i have heard that insurance played a role in the new rules. This means they will not change anytime soon. I like this idea. Join the Chippewa march group on facebook “Chippewa March!”. It is pretty cool, and it would be amazing to see if it worked out. No other school does it, our student section has always been notorious for being insanely dedicated. This would show it even more. The student section is as much as a part of gameday as is the game. Here is a good chance to be apart of a tradition that could last forever. (and it would look sweet; could u imagine?)
I know the new tailgating policies are HORRIBLE. We were known for our tailgate. But this is actually a good idea. join: “Chippewa March!” its a facebook group. This would be nothing short of amazing if it worked. Our student sectrion has a notorious rap around the MAC. This would make it more intimidating, and also still include the students as a part of the atmosphere around Kelly Shorts before the game. Every person I know in other MAC schools talks about our student section. Lets not kill it because of rule changes. By the way people would think this is amazing. I would come from very far away to see this in action… If it works. could you imagine how that would look? The students are as much as a part of the game day atmosphere, as the game itself here at CMU.
Tailgating should not be the reason why people go to a football game. If you look at big ten schools they go to support the team. They do not go to support the tailgating! I think its outrages how people are acting about tailgating. Look at the big picture. Being a Alumni from CMU I can tell you that most students there become party people because there is not much to do. You guys now have a great football team and you should go and support your team. It is silly that you would only care about tailgating. You will some day learn that there is more to life then partying!! As a Alum I will go to the game to support my school, as you should do too!