Troy revises new tailgating policy

Trojans pack into Tailgate Terrace to celebrate a home football game. University Relations photo

In June, Troy University released an updated tailgating policy, citing safety concerns. Now, two months later, that policy has been revised.

Following backlash from students, fans and alumni, Troy University revised tailgating policies in collaboration with Trojan Athletics and the Troy University Police Department (TUPD).

“Tailgating means a ton,” said Kyle George, the athletic director for Troy University. “To all of our fans, it’s a great tradition, it drives great attendance to our ball games but also, it’s a huge factor of why people choose to come to games in the first place – it connects them to Troy University.”

In the tailgating policy released in June, tailgates were to end at the beginning of the game, which caused backlash. Now, the time limit has been extended to an hour after games.

Other revised policies include the fact that closed spaces now require prior written approval instead of being banned entirely.

The revised policy also emphasizes to “Be a Good Neighbor” to fellow tailgaters, which asks fans to keep their tailgating areas and campus clean, respect shared spaces and, in general, keep a family friendly atmosphere.

“It's being a good neighbor to your fellow tailgaters out there, being welcoming to all people to come and be a part of the atmosphere around Veteran’s Memorial Stadium, but also all of our different athletic teams throughout the entire year,” George said.

George said his goal is to bring a fan-first mentality and to bring excitement to fans contributing to Troy’s success.

“Hopefully this helps show people that we hear you [and] we want you to be part of that Trojan Family,” George said.

“We need your help out there, too.

There’s some things that we need to tighten up […] and make sure we keep everybody in good communication”

Some of the revised policies didn’t sit quite right with other departments. TUPD Police Chief George Beaudry cited concerns with safety outside student housing.

“That’s where my concerns lie, is with our student body that are in their dorm rooms trying to do what they would like to do in their home,” Beaudry said. “That gets disrupted when folks don’t want to follow the guidelines that have been put out.”

Beaudry also said the previous policy of ending at kickoff would have allowed TUPD to have a better presence at the games.

“I can’t leave events completely uncovered by law enforcement,” Beaudry said. “I have to have officers that are out patrolling areas, and I have to have officers inside of the game.”

Troy University’s first home football game is against Sam Houston State on Sept. 5. To see the full, updated tailgating policy, visit troytrojans.com/FBTailgating.