TROY, Ala. (TROJANVISION) — Gameday tailgating at Troy University will look different this season.
Recently, the Troy University Police Department (TUPD) recently collaborated with Troy Athletics and University Administration to update the tailgating policy on campus.
In a Facebook post, TUPD outlined several new rules, including no fully enclosed tents, no overnight tailgating and a tailgate end time.
“We’ve been pushing for a policy for several years to limit timelines and limit allowed activities and things of that nature,” said George Beaudry, Chief of the Troy University Police Department. “We want an environment where families can come.”
These rules haven’t come without backlash, though, with the policy for tailgating to end at kickoff receiving negative reaction from fans. One Facebook user went as far as saying the rule was “shameful.”
According to Beaudry, the tailgating end time was created in response to previous problems on Tailgate Terrace and the need for officers to be inside the stadium.
“We took nine guns off of a quad out of a party that was billed as a tailgate,” Beaudry said. “Why do we want to shut it down at kickoff? That’s why.”
Some people also mentioned that Troy University doesn’t have metal detectors going into games at Veterans Memorial Stadium. When asked, Beaudry simply said it wasn’t in the budget.
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“We’re always looking at grant funding opportunities, we’re always looking for alternate sources of funding,” Beaudry told TrojanVision. “Do I want it? Yes.
“Do we need it? Yes. I am very pleased that we did get a clear bag policy in place. That’ll help a little bit, but at the end of the day we need to get there.”
The new policies will go into effect starting this upcoming football season, which is less than 70 days away and will start with a home game against Sam Houston on September 5th.
For more information about the tailgate rules, click here. To view the Tailgating Policy in its entirety, scroll down.
