The Associated Student Government’s tailgate with alcohol will make its long-awaited debut Oct. 13 at Northwestern’s Homecoming game, administrators said Friday.
The first proposed tailgate for Saturday’s home game against Michigan State was canceled after the Athletic Department gave the space to the Interfraternity Council. It appeared ready to go until Thursday, when IFC applied for its dry tailgates in the east lot near Ryan Field, where the alcoholic tailgates were to happen.
Director of Athletics Rick Taylor made the final decision that even though both tailgates could have fit in the east parking lot, the two events could not be held next to each other.
“Any time you have a mix of underage people and people of age, you’re going to have a violation of law and you’re going to have huge liability issues,” Taylor said.
Starting Oct. 13, ASG’s tailgates with alcohol will be held in the “woodchip area” between the east parking lot of Ryan Field and the stadium, about 100 feet from the IFC event.
The final decision to postpone the ASG tailgate was made Friday in a meeting between ASG President Jordan Heinz and several athletic department officials.
Heinz said he agreed the fraternity tailgates should take precedence over ASG’s alcohol-friendly tailgates because the purpose of his tailgates is to “revitalize” the fraternity tailgates, which have suffered since IFC voted to make them dry in 1999.
“Our intention is to not ever thwart their efforts,” Heinz said. “We’re doing this for them.”
IFC President Phil Ordway said the Oct. 13 tailgates should coexist without a problem.
“As long as they’re well-programmed, well-planned events … I’m sure they’ll be fine,” said Ordway, an Education senior. “I’m sure (the ASG tailgate) would boost (attendance at the IFC tailgate) by some, get more people out there for an hour.”
ASG’s tailgate might have taken place Saturday if arrangements had not been made at the “11th hour,” Taylor said. University President Henry Bienen did not approve the tailgates until Tuesday, and ASG did not get the required insurance until Thursday.
After learning administrators would not allow the tailgates to be side-by-side. ASG requested to move its tailgate to an area such as Wildcat Alley near the baseball fields.
But that change would have been too much for facilities officials to set up logistically, Vice President for Student Affairs William Banis said Thursday.
While Heinz was disappointed the event had to be set back two weeks, he said the “woodchip area” was where ASG had originally asked to hold the tailgate.
“It’ll be perfect,” Heinz said. “Unfortunately, to get that area we had to sacrifice a game, but with that sacrifice comes the best location possible.”
Taylor said the athletic department would “juggle things” to hold the tailgates there. Other events originally were scheduled for the woodchip area, he said.
In lieu of ASG’s tailgate, the athletic department handed out free beer before Saturday’s game to any students 21 and older at Wildcat Alley near the baseball field.
Weinberg sophomore Dave Ott, 22, stopped by to grab a free beer before Saturday’s game. He said he planned to attend the wet tailgate on Oct. 13 to “hang out with older people.”
“Freshmen are great and all, but there’s those miniscule differences that make hanging out with older people that much enjoyable,” he said.
Ott said that although ASG’s wet tailgate could be a decent compromise, the two-beer limit might encourage people to drink more either before leaving for the tailgate or return to drinking after leaving it.
“I know lots of people who do kegs and eggs and stuff,” he said. “But it all depends on the individual.”
