Freshman lot students must move cars to make room for tailgating this weekend

As the Central Michigan University football season kicks off this weekend with a home game against Southeast Missouri State, students and police will make room for the tailgating outside Kelly/Shorts Stadium.

Capt. Fred Harris, of the CMU Police Department, said freshmen have to move their vehicles because it subjugates the maximum amount of parking that can occur on games days. Having the freshmen who are parked there, move their vehicles, makes extra room available.

"Primarily because freshmen are assigned to Lots 63 and 64 by the south side of the stadium," Harris said. "All of that is game day parking."

For this game only, students impacted by this must have their vehicles moved from their respective lot by 4 p.m. on Wednesday and before 2 a.m. on Thursday, the day of the game, Harris said.

He said, for this game only, students can park at the grass lot near  7-Eleven, 302 W.Broomfield St.

He said cars do get ticketed and even left behind and towed away.

"About every game, we get several cars that have been left there," he said. "That's why we have these evacuation notices."

Students who leave their cars there on game day will be cited and towed, Harris said.

Hastings freshman Jordan Bell, whose car is parked in the freshman-specific lot, said having to move his vehicle is a cumbersome experience.

Bell lives in Robinson Hall, on the north side of campus, which is quite a distance from the football stadium parking lots.

"It's kind of inconvenient for me," Bell said. "After I move my car up here, I can keep it up here all weekend and then I'll have to take it back on Sunday."

He said it's something he has to live with and will get used to, as he will have to do it all over again when the next CMU home football game occurs.

"There's lots of extra stuff for me to have to worry about," he said.