Tailgating: A time-honored tradition among college students and alumni alike. A time to enjoy food, drinks and games outside the stadium before the game – because nothing says “I’m a true fan,” like dressing up in your college’s colors and going to root on your favorite team.
The thing about tailgating though, is that while it is 100 percent legal to do, you still have to follow certain rules and laws. The parking lot is not a free-for-all, even if you see other people getting wild.
Do you know your college’s policies for drinking before the game?
Colleges tend to have guidelines when it comes to tailgating. For example, the University of Maryland has a specific section of rules for alcohol, food and fire. Per the rules, there should be no drinking games. This means no beer bong funnels and no beer pong.
Meanwhile, Towson University’s policies and procedures also state no drinking games – or anything that encourages the “rapid consumption of alcohol.” The policy even attempts to set drinking limits, allowing only beer and wine and giving the example of a six-pack of beer or 24 ounces of wine per person.
Broken rules: School and legal consequences
Policies aside, anyone who has ever gone tailgating before will tell you: The rules are broken. Some pre-game before the official tailgating – showing up already a little more than buzzed, while others drink underage. Some end up having more than their fair share and may even get a little rowdy.
In all of these scenarios, it’s important to remember that it is not just breaking the schools policies and procedures that is the problem, but that actions could cross the line into breaking the law. These students could then end up having to deal with school repercussions and consequences, along with legal ones.
