Ever since Larry Fedora became the head football coach, he has placed a much needed emphasis on improving the culture surrounding football games.
We’ve seen themed games, special helmets, new uniforms and this year brings a night game on a Thursday, all of which are designed to bolster school spirit by inserting a little variety into the season.
However, there is one thing standing in the way of full-blown, Southern-style football spirit at UNC — the tailgate.
Rams Club members have the ability to utilize parking spaces on campus for tailgating before games, and they have every right to. Alumni in the Rams Club donate so much to the University – they reserve the right to have good spaces to pregame in.
However, spaces available for alumni should not come at the expense of the students. There needs to be an area on campus specifically designated for student tailgating.
Imagine how many more students would show up to games if a sports-centric student group such as Carolina Fever were given Ehringhaus field to hold a cookout before games?
Allow students a space to get together before games, in a spot that’s on the way to Kenan. There are parking lots available on north campus, but they are impractical for most students living on South Campus.
As for spaces with parking available for students, the Bowles lot is a huge space, that, if made available, would be perfect for tailgating. Students with cars could use it, rather than try to fill in the assorted empty parking spaces that Rams Club members aren’t using, making paying for parking a non-issue.
Now that Tar Heel Town has moved to a brand-new location, it is time to continue looking into practices that can be changed and improved, and the tailgate at UNC is one of them.
