While winning hasn’t been a consistent part of the UNM football season, tailgating has.
Students packed parking lots this Saturday to tailgate prior to the Texas Tech home game.
Some brought trucks, some brought barbecue grills, and still others brought body paint, but nearly everyone brought what student Joseph Vigil said is a tailgating necessity: alcohol.
“Of course you have to have beer,” he said. “It’s like, yeah, we come to get pumped for the game and we come to eat a burger and stuff, but really it’s about having a few drinks and trying to talk to girls.”
UNMPD spokesman Lt. Robert Haarhues said tailgating presents occasional security issues, but most fans are responsible.
“There are little skirmishes,” he said. “People aren’t parked right, arguments — we have had fist fights in the past just like any event. Sometimes one team is heckling the other team, but most people are good-natured.”
He said UNMPD patrols the tailgating area every game, but does not often cite students for underage drinking.
“It’s not a huge problem that we have run into,” he said.
“Everyone is supposed to have a ticket to get into the lot. We are going to do the same thing we have been doing for countless years, there will be a heavy police presence in both lots.”
Haarhues said UNMPD’s biggest problem is intoxicated tailgaters leaving the parking lot without attending the game.
“More people end up leaving than going inside to watch the game, and that can be a problem with driving,” he said. “We are trying to get more people to stay, but the fact that people are leaving probably has to do with the lack of success of the team. If they were better, maybe more people would watch.”
Haarhues said UNMPD respects the idea that the tradition of tailgating can be exciting and valuable to UNM.
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“Tailgating adds to the overall experience of college football.
It’s a lot of fun as long as people are responsible,” he said.
A recent study by the University of Minnesota found about 40 percent of fans leaving baseball and football games consumed alcohol, and about 8 percent were above the legal limit.
The study, published in January of this year, conducted voluntary breathalyzer tests of 362 adults at 13 baseball games and three football games.
UNM policy prohibits consuming alcohol on campus except in special situations, and under section 2.5, 2140 of the University Business Policies and Procedures Manual, tailgating is one situation in which alcohol is allowed.
“Individuals of legal age (21 and older) who have tickets to UNM sanctioned athletic events may consume alcoholic beverages in privately leased or rented suites or at tailgate parties at the University south campus before the game, in accordance with University Athletic Department rules and regulations,” the handbook says.
The handbook lists several measures designed to limit the rapid consumption of alcohol.
“Alcohol use is limited to private parties,” it says. “Advertising or announcements as to availability of alcohol are prohibited… There shall be no kegs or use of devices that facilitate the rapid ingestion of beer or other alcoholic beverages, e.g., ‘beer bongs,’ and no sale of alcohol.”
Bringing alcohol into UNM stadium is prohibited, but alcohol is sold by vendors in the club level and box suites at baseball, basketball and football games.
In November, the City Council voted 6-3 to deny UNM’s alcohol waiver request, but in April, a court arbitrator ruled that the Albuquerque City Council improperly denied UNM’s request. In July, UNM was officially granted the go-ahead to sell in the club level and box suites.
“I don’t see any problem with tailgating, or with selling alcohol at games,” said Albuquerque resident Rogelio Johansson. “It’s something people can enjoy responsibly, and making it seem like fans can’t control themselves is belittling and restrictive.”
Club-level suites account for about 10 percent of the stadium’s seating capacity, said Tim Cass, associate Athletics director.
Fans must be inside the stadium before the end of the first quarter, but the parking lot is open for tailgating six hours prior to kickoff.
“I may not go to see coach ‘Lock-in-the-loss-ley and the Lose-bos,’ but I will be in the parking lot six hours before every game, you can guarantee it,” Vigil said.
