ATHENS, Ga. -- Crowds returning for a new season of University of Georgia football games this weekend will find more restrictive tailgating rules and less space to set up the grill.
The rules, announced in March after football fans repeatedly trashed the campus, ban grills and some other traditional tailgating equipment from North Campus.
► See more photos of tailgating scenes last year and how things look this year.
And many fans already say UGA officials went too far with the new rules.
"I can't say I really like it. It takes away from the spirit of the day," said Jasmyn Jones of Stone Mountain, a senior finance major.
Fans who don't yet know about the rules - which also ban cookers, tents, kegs, generators, TVs, amplified music and long tables - may get a rude surprise Saturday, predicted Bulldogs fan Kevin Hall of Watkinsville.
"There are definitely going to be some people with hurt feelings on Saturday," he said.
Fans still can fire up their grills in other parts of campus, but some other changes also may squeeze tailgaters - like construction on UGA's new Special Collections Library on South Hull Street, which has eliminated dozens of parking spaces.
UGA's tailgating rules doesn't apply off campus, but other restrictions may: A Clarke County ordinance prohibits open alcohol containers on public property, for example.
Forced to choose between their tailgating gear and a North Campus spot, many fans may decide to move their pre-game festivities away from the oldest part of UGA's campus, according to Athens real estate agent Bruce Hendley.
"I just hate that everyone was punished for the actions of a few. It seems like the only ones in favor of (the stricter regulations) are the ones that don't go to Bulldog games," said Hendley, who wonders if tailgating could become a thing of the past.
"Tailgating was about a whole day of seeing people that you hadn't seen in a while. It's a chance to reunite with family and friends and spend the whole day together," Hendley said.
This year's tailgating rules are just the latest in a series of decisions that have pushed fans away from the campus, some say.
As more buildings and parking decks went up on other parts of the campus, fans migrated north, said Hendley.
Hendley plans to continue to tailgate on North Campus, he said, but he wonders where other people will go.
The party zone may simply shift to somewhere else on campus, such as the Myers Hall quadrangle or the grassy area near Reed Hall, next to Sanford Stadium, some students say.
Downtown business owners wonder if the new rules will keep people away from downtown.
"I can't worry about it too much, because it's going to be what it's going to be. We just have to roll with it," said Gyro Wrap owner Dave Carter.
If the party and litter just move to a new place on campus, UGA officials may impose even more restrictions.
"If the problem shifts to another area, it's just going to force the institution to look at other things," said UGA Police Chief Jimmy Williamson.
"The police are going to make sure the rules are followed (this Saturday)," Williamson said. "We hope our fan base can work with the university."
The administration had to do something to curb the trashing of North Campus, said Clarke Nash, a second-year law student from Forsyth.
But he wonders if UGA went too far in clamping down.
"We'll see if this works," he said.
Sophomore philosophy major Matthew Compton is skeptical.
"I don't think these restrictions will solve the problem. There were incredible amounts of trash," he said. "It'll be interesting to see what it's like."
I have seen this. It happened at games other than the Auburn game. I was astonished that grown people, mostly well-educated, would even think of making such a mess, not to mention leaving it for someone else to clean up. There have always been MANY portable trash containers available for disposing of trash, but the slobs would not walk fifteen feet. What would it look like if NOBODY cleaned it up, but left it from game to game? The tailgaters would be irated to find such a mess when they arrived for the next game and wonder why the University had not cleaned up the mess. Shame on them.
It is a shame that the few ruin it for the rest. I agree with further restrictions as well as stiff fines and jail. There is no excuse to trash the beautiful campus we all love. I love the pristine beauty of Edisto beach every year. Part of the reason is there are signs that say "$1000 fine and jail for littering." And they mean it. Maybe UGA should follow their example.
As a former graduate student of UGA and alumni of a different university, I can honestly say I was shocked to see the behavior of many people at these games. Athens seems to breed a culture of alcoholism and their ranking as the number one party school and abuser of hard liquor proves this. The young men don't respect the women or themselves, many of the students are antagonistic to other fans, and the students get drunk and trash a beautiful campus. I remember going to Georgia games as a child and having a blast with other families. It might be that I have gained a different perspective as a new father, but their is no way I'm taking my children nowadays and that is a sad fact. The university needs to enforce stricter policies concerning alcohol abuse before any transition to a focus on education can be achieved. As it currently stands, the value of a UGA degree is being devalued by the unfortunate actions of a few idiots. Send your kids to Mercer, Emory, Winthrop, Wake Forrest, or another small school if you want the focus to be on an education.
A few? It took more than a few to make that mess. A few thousand.
I've been to a football game at every SEC campus, save Arkansas, and many others. They are basically all the same. Fans are the same. No doubt it has gotten worst over the years. It is a reflection of society as a whole. I remember when Daytona actually wanted the kids to come in the spring. Now, they do everything they can to discourage them. Same with Ft Lauderdale. It's just different today. Too bad.
I been to games at Carolina, Vanderbilt, Athens, Baton Rouge(LSU), Clemson and they all had their trash problems, but none as bad as UGA. In fact, the type of trashing I seen at UGA would result in arrests on some campuses. The lack of pride of campus of UGA tailgaters is really astonishing. Show some pride in the UGA campus and either bring your own trash bags to haul off your mess as I have seen done at other places or use the proper trash bins.
How hard is it to clean up your mess? Mega fines for littering would be the solution. No grills, kegs and TV's where people tailgate seems extreme.
Riverman1 is correct, let folks enjoy themselves and enforce strict and steep fines for littering. Also arrest people who are obnoxiously drunk. It's a crying same that generations who weren't properly disciplined coming up are now having by their parents to be disciplined by the taxpaying public.
Just proves that Georgia is the trailer park capitol of the world and who lives in trailer parks? Heck this looks like some neighborhoods in Augusta. Aside from the trash, I wonder if the hundreds of people were really able to go to the rest room in the two porta-potties pictured? Especially after consuming sooo much beer.
As a Georgia fan it is embarrassing to see these pictures. The trash that was left by tailgaters (who presumably are proud of the school) is shameful and disgusting. I'm shocked that Georgia fans could be so irresponsible! Shame!
I guess those fans are just putting into practice things their liberal professors taught them; namely, it's okay to make a mess — someone else will always clean up after you.
I have been tailgating at UGA for years, and I have seen this in several areas on campus. Is it so hard to put stuff in containers? We have hauled our trash back to out house and put it into our trash at home. I don't think it is right to punish everyone for the sake of a few idiots. Pass a zero tolerance rule, if UGA Police observe you breaking the rules (they are everywhere on game days), then arrest them and fine the crap out of them. I have picked up trash @ 10 and 11 o'clock at night that the 21 to 30 age crowd has left behind. What is funny most of the time, they leave their coolers full of unused beer and liquor, so sometimes I bring home more than I take....bunch of morons.
UGA Tailgating Fans. Obama inauguration attendees. Anyone see the similarity?
Though the reasons for the trash pileups are different, both groups should know better. What a disrespectful and entitled society we have become.
You could resolve a lot of this mess with mandatory breathalyzers at all exits for each driver.
Class would be half empty from all the DUI arrests Indigo.
If they are not already paying for the cleanup, the fan club should pay. I hope that my tax dollars are not paying.
The predominance of this littering is on North Campus, and that's because there was a HUGE influx of young people/students who settled there instead of other places. North Campus was THE place to meet and eat! Being young, immature, selfish, and idiotic, they left trash everywhere. Where was the police?? No where around these guys, because if they had been there, like the school wants you to believe, there wouldn't have been a third of that trash left behind. The school WANTED tailgaters to leave this part of the campus, so they had the police enforce other parts of the campus, thus leaving tons of trash to accumulate in North Campus. Next came the embarrasingly bad publicity, and then the restrictions. SHAZAM!! No more tailgating on North Campus!! The easiest thing to do would have been to enforce more patrols and subsequent fines for littering in NC. Oh, well..his will move on to other areas soon...you watch and see. I am fortunate in that I park/tailgate in a private lot. I'm also mature, wiser, and more responsible than to leave our trash in our lot!
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