People without tickets to the homecoming football game should
not count on tailgating this Saturday.
People without tickets to the homecoming football game should not count on tailgating this Saturday.
The A&T athletics department has implemented a new game day policy which states that everyone inside of the “Game Zone” must have a ticket to the game. That includes people who are just coming to tailgate.
In order to get in the Game Zone, everyone in the car must have a ticket or be season ticket holder including children.
Athletics got the idea from going to other schools such as South Carolina State and North Carolina Central to start charging people who only attend games to tailgate.
The fact is, some of the people going to tailgate do not go to the game to support the team.
“Some people have called and complained but it’s mostly because they don’t understand why we have to do it,” said Catherine Simmons, A&T’s Assistant Athletics Director of Business and Finance.
“We need the money,” said A&T’s Athletics Director Earl Hilton.
All money that is made from ticket sales goes directly to athletic scholarship funding.
The more money the school makes from ticket sales, the more athletic scholarships A&T will have. They expect to sell 6,817 tickets, which would bring in $250,090.
Hilton explained that the school would need about $3.5 million to fully cover athletic scholarships.
“I think that over the years that tailgating is part of the community. This place used to be packed with folks…it takes away from the festivities,” said Robert Jordan, a tailgater who attended A&T but graduated from another institution. “I don’t think it’s fair to the community. It doesn’t make sense to me.”
Jordan also explained a discounted price should be given to people who just come to the school on Saturdays to tailgate. Nevertheless, Jordan still paid for his ticket to tailgate.
Some people are using A&T’s land to socialize and tailgate, but complain that they have to pay full price, $25, just to tailgate instead of supporting the team especially with the “Greatest Homecoming on Earth” this Saturday.
“I think it’s a wonderful idea,” said Michael Lane, a 1981 A&T graduate who gives money to the school every year. “For those who don’t want to support it, I say farewell.
If people are just coming on Saturday to grill out and not support the university, they can go to the park and grill out there.”
Many people who do not know about the new policy may be disappointed at homecoming this Saturday.
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- Karmen Robinson, Sports Editor
