The art of tailgating is making its début Saturday in Highland Heights, Ky., at the new Bank of Kentucky Center. That’s where the University of Louisville women and men’s basketball teams will play Northern Kentucky University in exhibition games at 5:30 and 8 p.m.
This new concept is apparently a really big deal for NKU. Note how a reporter for The Northerner, the student newspaper, goes to lengths to explain the tailgating phenomenon and some of the related issues:
“Attendees of the season-opening basketball games against the University of Louisville will be able to tailgate, including drinking alcohol, Jeff Waple, the dean of students announced … He told the Student Senate that the policy is still not approved as official policy, though he had been permitted to lay out the tailgating parameters.
“Tailgating refers to attendees eating and drinking in parking lots before an event. Alcohol is usually consumed there. NKU officially describes itself as a dry campus. However, expectations exist for certain events that garner approval.
“Obviously you must be 21, no kegs or beer bongs,” he said. Tailgaters must also contact Parking Services prior to tailgating.”Neither Waple nor his assistant Steve Meier said they knew if the policy would lead to a wet campus. Nor could they delineate the exact route to finalizing the policy. Tailgaters will also be able to bring propane and charcoal grills as well as other equipment. “Louisville’s going to be bringing RVs,” he said.
One piece of advice to NKU officials: You might want to consider shooting a few fireworks about a half hour before game time.
Uh…call me naive here, or oblivious to it, but since when did UofL receive such a big rep for tailgating at basketball games? I rarely arrive at Freedom Hall more than an hour before a game, and haven’t seen the kegs, beer bongs, grills or the LadyBirds or Cheerleaders stalking the parking lot offering stick-on tattoos or beer huggies. Unless….wait a sec….now it’s clear..we’re actually going up there to play them IN FOOTBALL!
How Angel and the Lady Cards fit into this equation is beyond me, but I’m immediately cancelling our trip to Pitt this weekend to see what type of team Krags will put…uh, in the arena? against the Norse.
Will he have Sosa at QB? How many carries will T-Will get, and is Earl Clark the wideout we’ve all dreamed about? Samardo and Jennings sacking the opposing QB…outstanding marketing move by Jurich!