The ban on external sound systems in the student tailgate lot is lifted.
Central Michigan University officials will amend the new tailgating procedures to allow students to use external sound systems, which will start at 8:30 a.m. with Saturday’s tailgate in Lot 63 before the football game against Eastern Michigan.
•Vehicles with external sound systems must be registered
•Those with sound systems must set them up three-and-a-half hours prior to kickoff
•Parking passes go on sale 8 a.m. Thursday at the Athletic Ticket Office
•Passes are $6 each
All other tailgating expectations remain unchanged.
Athletics Director Dave Heeke said the sound systems will have to adhere to certain requirements pertaining to emergency situations. He said the restriction on sound systems originated because emergency personnel could not communicate in the lot in previous years.
“We’ll work with emergency personnel as long as we know students will be supportive and turn their systems off when we need it most,” Heeke said. “It will be responsibly enforced, but it’s not a hard-fast rule just yet.”
A joint statement was released Thursday from Interfraternity Council President Brandyn Lawson, CMU Police Chief Bill Yeagley, Heeke and Student Government Association President Jason Nichol.
Yeagley said vehicles with external sound systems will be placed in specific locations, and security will notify those individuals in advance regarding what to do in an emergency situation. He said the amendment appears to be a good compromise.
“This was an area that people had some concern,” Yeagley said. “Let’s give it a try.”
Student committee
University officials are working with a student ad-hoc committee formed by Nichol to ensure there is greater communication and understanding of tailgating expectations in Lot 63.
Nichol said the committee is looking at other possible amendments to the policies, but its primary focus at this time involves the ban on external sound systems.
“The students stood up,” said Nichol, a Mount Pleasant senior. “We hope (this change) will draw the majority of the fraternities and sororities back. It will also draw more people away from Main Street. One of the unique parts about CMU is that tailgating culture, (and Athletics) has been really receptive to the student input.”
SGA Vice President Brittany Mouzourakis, a Garden City senior, said such a committee is formed whenever there is a pressing issue on campus — in this case, tailgating.
To register a vehicle with an external sound system, individuals can pre-purchase a parking pass for Lot 63 and will be required to set up sound systems three-and-a-half hours before the start of the game.
A limited number of these parking passes will be available for sale at 8 a.m. Thursday at the Athletic Ticket Office for $6.
“We don’t have an exact number set on that,” Heeke said. “We’re kind of being flexible to determine what works and what doesn’t. What we’ve done is expand the amount of time for tailgate to those with external sound systems, though.”
Individuals with sound system passes will receive early entry to Lot 63 — they are able to park at 8:30 a.m. Saturday. They will be moved to the front of the line to park. Heeke said either entrance to the lot can be used; there is no preference.
No other tailgate procedures are changing, nor are they expected to change, Heeke said. Other rules implemented by CMU include a six-beer or one pint of liquor limit per person, the creation of pedestrian checkpoints and an emergency lane.
“All of them are reasonable and sit within the mantra of providing a safe environment for students who attend,” Heeke said. “(This change) is something students are supportive of and will increase participation in the student lot.
“Quite frankly, students have the choice to tailgate, like any of our fans, wherever they want. But, the more students that come out, the better the atmosphere and overall experience becomes.”
- Senior Reporter Jake Bolitho contributed to this story.
E-mail the author: 
Jake May
(Powered by 
This is great! The external sound system was certainly the MAIN concern for students, not the pedestrian checkpoints or alcohol limit. CMU students will certainly prefer to tailgate in lot 63 again with external sound systems rather than on main street.
ps. I am being sarcastic.
While I support this move, the excuse that it hindered emergency personnel is still an outright lie. In 10 years of tailgating (mostly in the student lot, even as alumni), I have never seen an ambulance try to get thru that couldn’t. I’m fine with their being an emergency lane but the rest of the rules should follow this one.
I will continue to tailgate on Main Street, it is much safer there and as I will not be driving drunk I can guarantee with these new “safer” rules implemented there will be many more students who choose to drive a little buzzed or even drunk to the game and park close so they won’t have to walk the entire way to the game. The rules are ridiculous, lets say that you get to tailgate at 9 before a 12 o’clock game, according to the 6 beer limit you are entitled to only be allowed to drink two beers an hour. I don’t know about you but Central Michigan students sure as hell can drink more than two beers an hour and still have safe fun.
These rules seem to be in place to control the student body, but it has caused students to party in other areas. Students are going to party whether the public wants it or not. It seems to me that it makes more sense to allow the students to party in the lot, and then all the students are located in a contained area. With these rules students party all over Mt pleasant, causing more issues. If students continue not to come to the tailgates, the school will have no choice but to drop these rules.
Get your butts back in the tailgate lot and show some Chippewa Pride!
Never seen such a group of whiny slackers. You have the best team in the MAC, maybe the best team CMU has ever had, and you are pulling this garbage.
Get to the game and the tailgate lot and support your team and stop the complaining. Six beers is enough. You need more?, have a few before you get there and MAN THE HELL UP!
Im glad to see that they have reversed the rule about speakers. However it seems like everyone thinks that we have a right to tailgate in Lot 63. This is a great privilege provided by CMU. For those of you who do not realize that they almost stopped tailgate completely before the football season. If no one goes to tailgate then that is what will happen. Why pay police, and staff, to maintain something that no one goes to. So go to tailgate, enjoy yourself, GO TO THE GAME and predrink if you must.
We are “manning up” to the policies. That lot would be full to the limit and then some if the rules were back to normal. If we back down then Heeke will win, and they wil not take the students seriously. I dont want to know what type or restrictions they will try to pull if we end up giving in. I hope we beat Eastern saturday, and I hope the students still protest these rules. Keep the Emergency lane, Keep the music and Vendors but the rest, CHILL OUT.
Thank you class of 1990. Finally, someone with some sense. People have real problems in this world, and this is not one of them. Grow up and stop acting so spoiled.
Isn’t you having a problem with us having a problem even LESS of a real problem in this world?
Cmon, SGA get this stuff taken care of. One ammendment down, a few others to go. This isnt right whats going on, look what happened at Michigan State years back, what really changed there. No one goes to this stuff for the football, it helps that there competitive but its all about the students and the alumni, the game is secondary.