Though Saturday’s G-Day game marked the first day new tailgating restrictions were in effect, some members of the University community still aren’t ready to accept the changes.

Danny Brown, a University alumnus, has decided to take matters into his own hands and create a Facebook group called “Michael Adams Extravaganza (Myers Quad)” to encourage fans to bring all banned items — such as tents, kegs, televisions and grills — from North Campus to Myers Quad.  

A small group tailgates before the G-Day game. PHOTO BY JON-MICHAEL SULLIVAN.

The group has more than 1,200 fans, and Brown said he created it as an open forum for people to express their frustrations with the new tailgating stipulations. 

“I just feel like the administration needs to be a little more understanding that there will be trash, and that there are some alternatives they could have considered other than just going ahead and pretty much banning tailgating altogether on North Campus,” Brown said. 

He said North Campus is important to him and others who have been tailgating there for years because it’s one of the prettiest and most historic places at the University.

“It’s the atmosphere up there,” Brown said. “When you think of tailgating, you think of having a tent up there and enjoying the time with your friends.” 

The tailgating restrictions were successfully applied on G-Day this past weekend, but Brown said the new rules may be less effective on a regular football game day.

“I don’t think G-Day was ever comparable, from a tailgating perspective, to a normal game day,” Brown said. “I think it’s a little more tame and there isn’t quite the crowd, so obviously [the restrictions] will have a huge effect on normal game days.”  

Brown said rather than limiting tailgating, the administration could have considered other ways to control trash problems. 

“With the amount of money that alumni and students spend on game day, I think that the Athletic Association and the administration have plenty of funds to institute better trash pickup on North Campus,” Brown said. 

But Dexter Adams, director of grounds for the Physical Plant, said the restrictions are completely appropriate given the level of damage on North Campus for the last few years. 

“It goes beyond just picking up the trash,” Adams said. “We were seeing actual physical damage to the grounds and damage that we couldn’t fix, like tree loss.” 

Another way students are trying to protest the new restrictions is through representation. Josh Delaney, president-elect for the Student Government Association, said there was zero input at the meeting when the decision was made, but the administration has agreed to allow a student representative on the panel when the restrictions are reviewed. 

“Our biggest problem is that there was no student voice in the making of the decision,” Delaney said. “We want every decision to be justified to students.”

Brown’s Facebook group encourages fans to move to areas such as the Myers Quad, but Delaney said this could have even more detrimental effects. 

“Since people won’t be able to tailgate like they used to on North Campus, they will move to residential areas like the Myers Quad,” Delaney said. “We really don’t want those students in residential areas to be facing trash problems.” 

Adams said he doesn’t know if people will necessarily move to Myers Quad, but they will definitely have to find new areas to tailgate. 

“Some people are going to tailgate in parking lots, and others will stay downtown,” Adams said. “I think there will be a variety of arrangements made, but at least we’re protecting the historic grounds of the oldest state university in the country.” 

Adams said North Campus will transition from a wild tailgating area to a more tame part of campus. 

“There is no malice on anyone’s part, but that kind of crush on those historic grounds was causing damage that I don’t think any of the fans would want to see,” Adams said. “I think the idea is that we relieve some of the pressure on those grounds, and all those people can still enjoy North Campus, but that it can be a more park-like atmosphere.”

Students, however, will keep fighting to have their voices heard.

“I just want the administration to fully realize that game day is a tradition,” Delaney said. “It’s not just an alum thing, it’s a student thing and students want to be included. This is something that affects the students heavily, and we need to consult the people who live on this campus.”