Tailgating Responsibly
More stories from Stephanie Frisch
A group of NMSU students at the first tailgate of the season on Saturday, September 16.
Football season has officially begun at NMSU, and many students may want to participate in tailgates that are hosted this year.
While tailgating can be fun, it can be potentially dangerous. Luckily for NMSU students and football fans, campus police and other safety organizations are prepared to keep them safe.
NMSU athletics put out a set of rules regarding tailgating, and how to keep games safe both before and after the respective contest. These rules include tailgating activities, parking, designated areas, noise regulations, and much more. All of these rules are put in place to ensure the safety of the fans.
According to the NMSU rules, “Disruptive behavior, illegal activity, disorderly conduct, public drunkenness and similar types of behavior will not be tolerated.”
These rules are set in place to make sure that everyone is safe and will not be harmed at the games. Failure to comply with NMSU rules and regulations could result in a police warning, citation, or even arrest.
Amanda Bowen, the special events coordinator for the NMSU police department explained that NMSU has come a long way in keeping tailgates safe for students and fans in the past couple of years.
“In my opinion, one of the most critical changes that we made several years ago was to implement rules for how the parking lots could be used, when tailgating can take place, and what activities are permitted,” said Bowen.
A dedicated area for tailgating is important, and it helps keep everyone in a central location. This ensures that campus police and other NMSU officials can keep fans free from harm.
“Another important change was the creation of the Sisbarro Park. This allowed students to tailgate on a nice grassy surface with trash receptacles.” Bowen said. “Creating a ‘park’ environment gives patrons the feeling that we care about the space and thus, so do they.”
Fans are usually considered a very important aspect of college football, and tailgating is a tradition that will continue to stand at NMSU. Football season may be an exciting time for students and fans of the Aggies, so enjoy the game, but be safe.