Lets Talk Tailgating

[Daddy Dumpsalot]

Has anyone heard that tailgating will now be moved to the soccer field at the PEB across from the REC center? What are your thoughts about this...

[PerryG2480]

Is this in place of or in addition to the current Mean Green Village area? It's a little farther from the stadium.

[BIG DAWG]

Can we get one of the Godfathers to conform or deny this report...I cannot see them not allowing tailgating in the parking lot. That would be ridiculous!

[Guest JohnDenver]

I would revolt.

They can't make me NOT tailgate in my orange spot.

That would be insanity.

[Daddy Dumpsalot]

Well this is what was told to me. Here is the reason given by RV: to give the large donors assigned parking spaces closer to the stadium. Yes the result is that we are forced to tailgate, with no tailgates.

[UNTLifer]

Well this is what was told to me. Here is the reason given by RV: to give the large donors assigned parking spaces closer to the stadium. Yes the result is that we are forced to tailgate, with no tailgates.

If we now have that many large donors that would fill up all of the parking around Fouts, then I have no problem.

[Guest JohnDenver]

Well this is what was told to me. Here is the reason given by RV: to give the large donors assigned parking spaces closer to the stadium. Yes the result is that we are forced to tailgate, with no tailgates.

It says on the parking|ticket renewal that orange is still orange. So I assume I can tailgate in my spot (granted that I don't park there).

Don't mess with a man's tailgate spot.

[KingDL1]

It says on the parking|ticket renewal that orange is still orange. So I assume I can tailgate in my spot (granted that I don't park there).

Don't mess with a man's tailgate spot.

Yeah, Damn straight!

Orange Lot Rules!!!

[NT80]

A $250 Mean Green Club donation used to get your choice of either a green or orange lot location. Now you have to give a minimum $500 for the green lot (pressbox side of stadium). I assume they are moving the tent/stage areas off the practice fields and over to the PEB fields; maybe to free up grass parking if needed on the practice fields? I do know the hiring of Dodge (or ouster of Dickey) has resulted in many more season tickets sold and more MGC donations, thus the need for more reserved parking. A good thing overall.

[Daddy Dumpsalot]

A good thing overall.

Yeah but for whom? I know many people that come to the games and just tailgate the whole time and never actually go into the game. I dont think moving tailgating further away is going to result in more people coming to the games. Infact I would bet that those parking lot fans will now just sit at home and get drunk and not even bother to make it to the parking lot.

[meangreenfreak]

Yeah but for whom? I know many people that come to the games and just tailgate the whole time and never actually go into the game. I dont think moving tailgating further away is going to result in more people coming to the games. Infact I would bet that those parking lot fans will now just sit at home and get drunk and not even bother to make it to the parking lot.

Just makes more room for the fans who want to do it "right." The idea that "fans" are tailgating and never step foot in the stadium boggles my mind. Why tailgate at the stadium? Just stay at home and tailgate in your driveway. The whole point of tailgating it getting ready for the game.

GMG

[Eagle1855]

Yeah but for whom? I know many people that come to the games and just tailgate the whole time and never actually go into the game. I dont think moving tailgating further away is going to result in more people coming to the games. Infact I would bet that those parking lot fans will now just sit at home and get drunk and not even bother to make it to the parking lot.

For whom? Well, how about "the people that financially support the athletic department"... if they are doing this to provide more incentives to donors, Im 100% for it, and everyone that wants us to become a "big time program" should be as well. This is how it's done at the Texas', A&M's and OU's of the world.

Frankly, I don't care about the people that sit and drink in the parking lot. they don't add anything to my game day experience and they don't help out with the numbers inside the stadium. Why would they suddenly not show up because its not as close to the stadium? And if you think about it, people not sitting within earshot of the announcer or within view of the scoreboard would actually be MORE likely to go inside to see the game, as that would be the only way they could hear it without turning on the radio (and if you do that, what's the point of even going?). I seriously doubt this move affects the "sit outside in the parking lot guy" at all. And even so, who really cares?

I don't see any problem with moving the tailgate parties to a designated tailgating area an entire BLOCK away. I think it would only serve to IMPROVE the overall tailgate experience, as you would have everyone in a more concentrated area.

I love the idea.

Edited March 26, 2007 by Eagle1855

[NT91]

Is this for the 07 season or 08?

[ADLER]

I don’t think the rumor is true.

We already have a situation where people are already tempted to stay at the tailgate area during the game. If you move the tailgating further away, then the temptation to just hang out while drinking and listening to the game is even greater. If you try to enforce closing those parties during the game, many of those fans will just stop tailgating altogether.

The lessoned interference with tailgating is one of the things that has really helped the game-day atmosphere at North Texas during the last decade. Why would anyone want to jack with it?

Is there a happy medium? I think so.

Here’s an idea similar to what works at OU. Place all tailgating on the former football practice fields inside the fenced area adjacent to the stadium creating a Tailgating Zone. Provide adequate restroom facilities to handle that size crowd. Play the pregame radio shows over the speaker system. Learn how to actually turn on the lights that have been installed over the tailgate area. Have security actually watch the area during the game so the giant ants from Cement City don’t carry away all the supplies during the game.

After the game is when the band that was hired for that week should start playing. People will be tempted to attend the games partially to participate in the tailgate activities. The tailgate area will become a major draw by itself, and the game attendance will benefit from it.

[Bryan316]

If tailgating and the practice field tents, etc. were moved to the PEB field, where would the March take place?

One "plus" coming from the move is being able to sweep everyone loitering in the parking lot inside the stadium.

[Daddy Dumpsalot]

Well I'm almost certain this 'rumor' is true. And it should take affect '07 season. Yes this is what the 'big' schools do but they also dont have any problem packing out their stadiums. I don't personally like the idea. Yeah the parking lot 'fans' dont do anything for me either but I would rather them at least show up for the tailgating and contribute to that atmosphere than sit at home or some bar and 'support'. Lets face it, if pushing people further from the games means that our tailgating numbers are cut in half, that is half as many people we might could of got into the stadium.

[UNTLifer]

For whom? Well, how about "the people that financially support the athletic department"... if they are doing this to provide more incentives to donors, Im 100% for it, and everyone that wants us to become a "big time program" should be as well. This is how it's done at the Texas', A&M's and OU's of the world.

Frankly, I don't care about the people that sit and drink in the parking lot. they don't add anything to my game day experience and they don't help out with the numbers inside the stadium. Why would they suddenly not show up because its not as close to the stadium? And if you think about it, people not sitting within earshot of the announcer or within view of the scoreboard would actually be MORE likely to go inside to see the game, as that would be the only way they could hear it without turning on the radio (and if you do that, what's the point of even going?). I seriously doubt this move affects the "sit outside in the parking lot guy" at all. And even so, who really cares?

I don't see any problem with moving the tailgate parties to a designated tailgating area an entire BLOCK away. I think it would only serve to IMPROVE the overall tailgate experience, as you would have everyone in a more concentrated area.

I love the idea.

Thank you. If we want a big time program, well then these are the growing pains we will have to learn to deal with. Ever tailgated at LSU. I know most of you hate going there, but I worked with a group of alums, and unless you were willing to pay for a parking space on top of you season tickets and donation to their athletic foundation, then you just found a place "close" to the stadium. Of course, they all go in to the game to watch, well at least 92,000 of the 100,000+ that tailgate do.

[Baby Arm!]

Are we talking tailgating or the Mean Green Village? I don't think they would stop anyone from setting up tailgating behind their own vehicles. This past year with the new rules they implemented you couldn't buy an additional spot to tailgate in. They forced you to set up behind your vehicle and with the way the were directing traffic it wasn't a problem becuase they shut down the row once the spots were filled.

Moving 'tailgating' wouldn't open up any more parking spots for donors. The only thing that would do that is if the paved over the old practice fields.

Personally, I always thought the free lot between the Super Pit and Clark Park would be a great place to tailgate. There is plenty of shade from trees, lots of room to set up in Clark Park if needed, it's an easy walk to the stadium. The lot is always full on game days but I nobody ever tailgates there. I wonder why?

Edited March 26, 2007 by Baby Arm!

[UNTFan23]

Personally, I always thought the free lot between the Super Pit and Clark Park would be a great place to tailgate. There is plenty of shade from trees, lots of room to set up in Clark Park if needed, it's an easy walk to the stadium. The lot is always full on game days but I nobody ever tailgates there. I wonder why?

You aren't the only one to think of moving a tailgate "off the reservation" and over to the lot between the Pit and Clark Park.

[DeepGreen]

I don't understand this at all. I'm not a "big donor" by any means (but I am consistent!), and have parked in the Green Lot for many years. There's still plenty of parking spaces in that lot. It goes all the way to Bonnie Brae so there's plenty of spots. Why move the tailgaters out?

[UNTflyer]

UNT just spent a bunch of money refinishing that field... why would they trash it with tailgaters?

[Cr1028]

Overall I like the idea. Although, it will suck having to walk farther from the tailgating, the good that could come out of this would be worth the trouble.

If I learned nothing else from this year's basketball season, I did learn that winning puts butts in the seats. It seemed like the UNT crowd was rockin on CBS down there in New Orleans.

I think a big reason that so many stayed in the parking lot was that Dickeyball was just plain boring. With an exciting new offense and a winning attiitude, think about all the increased revenue this could create will the locally wealthy and/or alums that are starting to notice UNT again. Goldfield Stadium in '09?

[emmitt01]

If you want to come get drunk in the parking lot and not attend the game....screw you. We don't need ya.

As to moving the tailgating across the street reducing attendance I gotta call BS on this one. Am I honestly to believe that people would drive across Denton, all the way in from out of town, or even just across campus with the intention of attending the game...and then be dissuaded by walking an extra block? Come on. And as to comparisons to "big time" schools. OU has their "campus corner" which is about half a mile from the stadium...or people tailgate at the Lloyd Noble center and then TAKE A BUS to the stadium. At UT people tailgate wherever they can for miles outside of the stadium. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, gets the access that we enjoy at NT. Let's stop whining if it means getting monied people into our stadium and involved with the program.

[ADLER]

Adler: We have got to do things that increase our fan base.

Flock of Sheep: No! We need to bleed more out of the few fans that we currently have. That's how we'll prosper.

Adler: I disagree. In spite of four recent bowl games, four recent conference championships, and being in a metropolitan area of five million people that contains over one hundred thousand North Texas alumni, our attendance ranks near the bottom of a Division One schools. I think that we need to have more things that will entice fans and alumni to not only come to the games, but also give them a chance to participate. Once they get involved and make an emotional attachment to the program, they are very likely to be become donors and season ticket holders.

Flock of Sheep: Screw those people! If they're not already donors and allowed the privalages that only donors get, then we don't need them. People that just buy a ticket to the game should not be entitled to enjoy themselves. Make sure they sit in crappy seats so they'll never want to come back. And those damn tailgaters, some of them don't even come into the game. We should hire extra police just to harass them into never coming back. We should move their tailgate area to Sanger. Let's go out on The Deck and lock the doors behind us!

Adler: People go to games to have fun. If they don't have fun then they'll spend their entertainment dollars elsewhere. Guys, I can explain it to you. but I can't understand it for you.

six months pass

Flock of Sheep: Damn, attendance sure is low, I wonder why?

ten years pass

Flock of Sheep: Look, Nichols has new helmets this year. Do you remember when we used to be in Division One? I wonder what happened. Baaaaaaah!

[UNTflyer]

We need a rotating schedule where we play either Baylor, SMU, or TCU every year... maybe even two of those teams. It could really generate local interest in our home games. Non-UNT folks aren't going to come out to watch us play Florida Atlantic.