Officials change tailgating policy after making 'mistakes' last weekend
The University of Iowa will change the recently enforced tailgating policy in response to community comments and internal review.
Hawkeye Athletics Director Gary Barta said the university "made some mistakes last Saturday" in a press statement released by the university on Wednesday.
"We received feedback, and we're making adjustments," said UI spokesman Tom Moore. He said President Sally Mason personally received at least 50 e-mails in response to the weekend of Sept. 4, a portion of them laudatory.
According to the press release, security will increase the number of people inspecting bags in order to speed up entrance to the stadium. Moore said the university will distribute security differently and not hire additional personnel.
UI officials also expanded the rule allowing tailgating on university property two hours after the clearing of Kinnick Stadium to three hours for games with 11 a.m. kickoff, according to the press release.
This change will not apply to the 2:30 p.m. game against Iowa State this weekend.
UI officials announced new tailgating rules before the start of the football season. Police said they would be more vigilant in enforcing open-container laws and limiting tailgating hours.
Police doled out 146 citations during the first football game against Eastern Illinois.
Officers ticketed Rachel Furman, 23, at 8 a.m. Sept. 4 for open alcohol container. She said eight to nine police officers saw her crossing busy streets before ticketing her when she crossed a sidewalk.
"They saw me in worse situations, and I got stopped in what I thought was a designated tailgating area," said Furman, who is from Marion.
She said she knew little about the new tailgating policy and thought the open-container law only applied to Melrose Avenue. Furman plans to challenge the $127.50 ticket at her court date, Sept. 16.
Furman said she thought the expanded time for postgame tailgating was a good idea for morning games.
"I wouldn't expect them to do it for the night games at all," she said.
At last weekend's game, she said police told her and her friends in the main stadium lot that they had 10 minutes to stop drinking and one hour to leave.
Junior journalism and psychology major Audrey Kittrell, 21, noted the increase in police presence.
"I saw a lot more police officers on golf carts and on foot," she said. "They were everywhere."
Furman said she has friends who said they received warnings instead of citations, as police said they would do for the first games.
"The philosophy all along has been to educate our fans about the guidelines," Moore said. "We will continue the process."
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