Football fans can look forward to another season of game-day parties outside Kansas University’s Memorial Stadium.
Chancellor Robert Hemenway said Friday that last football season’s trial period for allowing alcohol consumption at tailgating parties would be extended for another season, with some modifications.
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The changes aim to make guidelines on responsible tailgating more clear by using more signs and other public notification. Boundaries of the designated tailgating areas where alcohol will be allowed before the six home football games will be simplified so they are more clear to fans and law enforcement officials.
Though it won’t change the jobs of the officers at the KU Public Safety Office, Officer Brad Clover said the modifications would benefit the fans.
“Last year, tailgating seemed to work out pretty well,” Clover said. “Our goal is just for people to comply with the law. I think the modifications will make the people more aware of the law.”
Beginning last season, football fans were allowed to picnic and tailgate in designated areas during the three hours before kickoff, and athletes and other workers would solicit donations. Funds raised initially went to the “Proud to Be a Jayhawk” fund for KU Marching Jayhawks, but after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, KU joined with the other Big 12 Conference schools to raise money for disaster relief.
Todd Cohen, assistant director of university relations, said this year’s beneficiary hadn’t been named.
Last season, the number of underage drinkers cited on the first two home football game days shot up to more than 10 times the previous season’s average, according to Lawrence Municipal Court and state Alcoholic Beverage Control statistics from about 2 1/2 per game day to 24.
About 25 percent of those citations were written in parking lots where tailgating was allowed. Most underage offenders were caught in nearby neighborhoods.
Cohen said the rise in minor-in-possession busts wasn’t the result of tailgating.
“Tailgating has not increased the amount of drinking,” Cohen said. “But rather the increased amount of enforcement resulted in more citations. Overall the events went well and the fans had fun which was the intent.”
For photos and video of last season’s tailgating, go to