UGA eases tailgating restrictions

By Rhonda Cook

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Restrictions have been relaxed on tailgate parties before University of Georgia football games.

Enlarge photo

Tom Ritch, Special to the AJC This was the scene in front of the University of Georgia Law Library one Sunday morning in September 2009, the aftermath of tailgating activities during a football game the night before.

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Tents can come back at North Campus.

Slightly bigger tables are also allowed – up to six feet long.

And the celebrating can start earlier, five hours before kickoff instead of the four.

But fans still can’t bring grills.

“The hope is that it will bring more people out and they will have a good time,” said UGA Vice President George Stafford, a member of the committee that adopted the changes at a meeting Thursday.

The school adopted new rules a year ago in an effort to control some of the out-of-control behavior by fans who left tons of trash on the grounds. The breaking point came on Sept. 12, 2009, when workers collected from North Campus about 70 tons of garbage and mounds of tents, grills, coolers and chairs. That day, fans were witnessed urinating on public buildings and defecating outdoors.

Stafford said the changes in the rules adopted Thursday were based on comments from fans and students.

“We cannot go back to where we were,” Stafford said. “The damage that was being caused. The all-day drinking The behavior issues… We were just tearing up the grounds there.”