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Committee to look at Game day changes


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Committee to look at Game day changes

Football Saturday's to be easier on commuter

By Sally R. Credille

Staff Writer

October 27, 2004

    The Auburn University Game Day Committee is continuing to enforce tailgating regulations for the 2004 football season while preparing for the off season, when planning for the next football season will begin.

The committee coordinates athletics, traffic and parking, law enforcement, communications, and other efforts of the city and the athletic department for Auburn home football games and meets before each home football game to address any problems or raise any issues before the next home game.

    "Any traffic or parking issue that's raised by fans or anyone who's observed anything, we work with (city police) to find an equitable solution," said John Hachtel, assistant vice president for communications and marketing and the chair of the Game Day committee.

Hachtel said there are two things the committee will be focusing on in the off season.

The committee is planning to have a series of meetings that will be open to the public to get input about game day.

The committee will also be looking at campus and discussing the removal of any physical barriers that were placed in the last three years that could open up room for parking and tailgating on game day.

"Were going to look very carefully at what we've put in and make some very hard decisions about what need to be there and what don't," said Hachtel. "We want to ensure that the folks who come to the university for a football game are treated well and we're able to provide security, the appropriate space and that the visit to campus is as enjoyable as we can make it."

Hachtel said there aren't a significant number of changes to the seasons tailgating rules. The Game Day committee continues to regulate tailgate spots that are set up before 4 p.m. on Fridays and any RV's on campus before 4 p.m. on Fridays as well as other regulations.

With construction on I-85 and south College Street, the Game Day committee and the Auburn Police Division have worked to re-route traffic around some problem areas. The goal is to move post-game traffic east, towards the outer areas of town, instead of south towards the interstate.

"At the first of the season we implemented a traffic plan where they put up signs all over the city to better allow people different routes to get out of the city and to avert traffic from construction down at the I-85 bridge," said Lieutenant Willie Smith of the Auburn Police Division.

"Basically we're just trying to divert traffic away from our congested areas.  It may be a little bit out of the way, but it gives people more options and an easier route to get home so they're not stuck in traffic, say on College Street."

"Were doing everything we can to insure that parking is equitable and fair and that people get the same chance who are coming to the campus to have a spot that's appropriate for them," said Hachtel. 

For more Game Day information got to www.ocm.auburn.edu/gameday04/index.html

http://www.theplainsman.com/vnews/display....T/41802f640ddbd

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Why can't they just leave well enough alone? Game days probably draw close to 100,000 people near that area of the town, there is going to be congestion. Its simply not set up for that kind of traffic, especially when the school does their 'pedestrian friendly' part and shuts down all but two roads that cut through campus. The current situation requires some patience, but its fine. In actuality, its gotten worse over the past few years "in an effort to better the experience" because tailgating has been pushed off the lawn and into the streets, creating many hassles. I read a while back that Richardson's biggest problem was gameday parking. That worried me that he sees his biggest problem as a few hours of extra people on campus 7 days a year.

Sorry for the rant, but this is a rediculous issue. Personnel, time, and money can be better used/spent elsewhere.

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hope they'll open things back up next fall. we've lost our tailgate spot to folks who have been displaced by the barriers to grassy areas. wish they'd open up the gates behind the student section to folks who sit in the south endzone also.

war eagle and beat :om: !!!

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In actuality, its gotten worse over the past few years "in an effort to better the experience" because tailgating has been pushed off the lawn and into the streets, creating many hassles.

Yeah, you can't really argue with that...he can't have it both ways. He'll have to find a happy medium. As of now, they've taken away a LOT of drive up tailgating spots with those posts.

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the slogan when i was a freshman coming in was "beautifying auburn's campus." i've never really figured out where 3 foot concrete black posts every 6 feet fit into that scheme. rip 'em up.

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the slogan when i was a freshman coming in was "beautifying auburn's campus." i've never really figured out where 3 foot concrete black posts every 6 feet fit into that scheme. rip 'em up.

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Yea, I just love looking at the beautiful rebar poles with large nuts welded on top strung up with yellow rope. I've never seen a more beautiful thing in my life... :rolleyes:

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They cant rip those stupid posts out fast enough. I hate all these tailgating rules that have been set. Im a senior at AU now, and I swear, tailgating seems to have been cut in half since my Freshman year. They need to go back to the way it used to be. When they first put the posts up on Samford, they said there were alternative spots out on Donahue that could be used instead. Great, except those spots are about 4000 miles from the stadium. RV's that used to decorate campus on Wednesday during big game weeks cant show up until 4:00 Friday afternoon (The strange thing is is that in those same parking lots where RVs arent allowed until Friday afternoon, students cant park in after 7am on Friday. Theyll give you a ticket, if your a student, for parking in some of the student parking lots, on Friday. Amazing). One Last thing, those same beautiful posts, were also said to be there for "safety reasons." Thats good, because nothing is more dangerous than a parked Chevy Tahoe with a tent next to it.

Ahh...I feel much better now. Glad to know all yall feel the same as me.

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Obviously, I'm in the minority on this board, but I really like the absence of RV's and cars in every available spot. I love the fact that you can walk on the brickyard east of Haley Center now!!!

There are plenty of places to park those busses that people call RV's without leaving them strewn all over campus. The stadium is full and we can walk on campus, why would we go back beacuse of some whining.

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95% of the people that have been tailgating at AU for years were fine with the way it was before the "improvements". Now a vocal minority is changing it for safety sake. Of course, correct me if I'm wrong but of all the years I have been tailgating I hadn't heard of any injuries due to tailgating on campus. I hate to say it but as 5% of the populous, if you don't like it don't tailgate. Because of the stupid regulations and changes the 5% are making some of the 95% not enjoy some game day experiences.

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Any truth to the rumor that Richardson is going to change Auburn’s nickname to "The loveliest Bollards on the Plains"?

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Any truth to the rumor that Richardson is going to change Auburn’s nickname to "The loveliest Bollards on the Plains"?

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haha...sounds about right.

i hate how they say they put them up for safety, but since they put them right next to the street, you have to walk on the street because of the tailgaters behind them. it's like they are running the tailgaters off campus and making the city of auburn deal with everything. i hate it. they went about the changes the wrong way. at least they are going to have these meetings. if you send them an e-mail, they will write you back about the meetings. i've sent several because I'm sick of this no tailgating area crap. and for the person above that talked about the "brickyard" aka concourse, they could make a solution for that. make a place for no parking on that and make that the walkway. but since they tore up thatch, i don't really know whats gonna happen.

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I don't have a problem with the tailgating situation. But for those that don't have an RV (or know someone that has one who is kind enough to invite you back each week), it's probably tough to get your stuff to a spot, get set up, and keep people from looting while you're in the game.

I think the University needs to set aside certain portions of the campus that they plan to have "permanently beautified" and make those areas completely off limits to traffic, e.g. Samford Lawn, the Quad. Other than that, take some of the posts out and let people in. Have police ticket people who are abusing the campus...use the fines to fix the broken things. If you're not tearing up the campus, then you shouldn't have a thing to worry about. Does that make any sense?

I don't want the whole campus to open up on Saturdays in the fall though. Our campus is quite pretty and I'd like to see it stay that way. I'm afraid that if it were to open back up it might look pretty rough by late November.

WDE :au:

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I don't have a problem with the tailgating situation.  But for those that don't have an RV (or know someone that has one who is kind enough to invite you back each week), it's probably tough to get your stuff to a spot, get set up, and keep people from looting while you're in the game.

I think the University needs to set aside certain portions of the campus that they plan to have "permanently beautified" and make those areas completely off limits to traffic, e.g. Samford Lawn, the Quad.  Other than that, take some of the posts out and let people in.  Have police ticket people who are abusing the campus...use the fines to fix the broken things.  If you're not tearing up the campus, then you shouldn't have a thing to worry about.  Does that make any sense?

I don't want the whole campus to open up on Saturdays in the fall though.  Our campus is quite pretty and I'd like to see it stay that way.  I'm afraid that if it were to open back up it might look pretty rough by late November.

WDE  :au:

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I agree. I mean, make the verycentral campus car-free. It's not like there's a lack of nice places to keep strictly for "tote-only" tailgating. Heck, the new promanade in front of Foy is going to be killer.

But, My God! You can't push all of the fans into the neighborhoods surrounding AU. It's ludicrous.

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