Saturday night brings a Homecoming football game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and Penn State Nittany Lions. And since that leaves an entire and some of the evening for Iowa fans to tailgate, wait I should put quotes around “tailgate,” the University felt the need to issue a few important reminders for those who will be in attending for the teamโs 2010 Big Ten Conference opener.
I guess they’re trying to prevent scenes like this from getting out of hand and becoming dangerous.
Since there will be a lot of insane drunks in attendance, both inside and outside the stadium, a lot of “think when you drink” style advisories and warnings are going out.
Here’s what the University statement included:
ยทย ย ย ย ย ย First and foremost, for the safety and enjoyment of all fans at Kinnick Stadium we encourage and expect respectful, courteous and considerate behavior by celebrating before, during and after the game responsibly.
ยทย ย ย ย ย ย ย Because the game will end so late, tailgating and alcohol consumption will not be permitted following the contest.ย Fans should cease tailgating activities before the end of the 4th quarter and be prepared to leave parking lots and ramps as soon as traffic permits.ย RVโs will be permitted to stay in lots overnight on Saturday.ย Law enforcement personnel will be present to enforce the no tailgating mandate.
ยทย ย ย ย ย ย ย Select University of Iowa parking lots will open at the normal time of 7 p.m. Friday.ย All other UI parking lots open at 7 a.m. on Saturday.ย RV owners arriving on university property Friday night please note that the possession of an open container of beer or wine or the consumption of hard liquor is prohibited by law.
ยทย ย ย ย ย ย ย On Saturday only beer and wine are allowed on UI property.ย Open alcoholic beverages must be consumed within parking areas and cannot be taken outside of parking areas-including on public streets and sidewalks.
ยทย ย ย ย ย ย ย Possession or consumption of hard liquor is not permitted in university parking areas or on public streets and sidewalks.
ยทย ย ย ย ย ย ย Fans are reminded to limit tailgating to one parking space and do not block the path for other vehicles to park.ย Tables, chairs, tents and other tailgating items must be immediately adjacent to the front or rear of the vehicle.ย Tailgating is not permitted in roadways, parking lot drive lanes or fire lanes.
ยทย ย ย ย ย ย ย Parking lot patrons may not interfere with or obstruct another guestโs vehicle from being parked in a designated parking space.ย Finally, remember to clean the area before departing for Kinnick.ย And, please, too, remember to begin to make your way to Kinnick at least an hour before kickoff.
ยทย ย ย ย ย ย ย Those lucky enough to have tickets are reminded that only small purses and handbags (8 ยฝ X 11), fanny packs, binocular cases, blankets, and seat cushions are allowed in Kinnick Stadium.ย ย To facilitate speedy entry and avoid possible theft or loss of property, we encourage fans to leave personal items at home if possible.
ยทย ย ย ย ย ย ย Fans are urged to arrive at the stadium early as the usual sellout crowd of 70, 585 is expected.ย All gates to Kinnick Stadium will open 90 minutes prior to kickoff (7 p.m.).
Written by Paul M. Banks, President and CEO of The Sports Bank.net , a Midwest focused webzine. He is also a regular contributor to Chicago Now, the Chicago Tribune’s blog network, Walter Football.com, the Washington Times Communities, Yardbarker Network, and Fox Sports.com
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