ASUI President Garrett Holbrook explains the plans for a new tailgating layout in the Kibbie Dome parking lot on Tuesday. Photo by Jake Barber/Argonaut.

Beer and barbeques may not be the only thing future and veteran Vandal fans will have to look forward to come game day this football season.

The student section of the parking lot reserved for tailgating at the University of Idaho Kibbie Dome will see some changes from last year, said ASUI President Garrett Holbrook.

“It’s still the same student tailgating place it’s always been,” Holbrook said. “We’re just trying to make it more entertaining.”

Some of the major changes will be how the student parking spaces will be regulated, and the inclusion of live music, food vendors and a beer garden, he said.

Students will now have to pick up a free parking permit from the ASUI office to have a vehicle in the student section, Holbrook said.

The permits will be available the Monday preceding each home game. Permits represent the number of cars that will be allowed into the lot, not the number of people, Holbrook said. Permits will be limited to one per person. The number of students who are allowed into the tailgating area is still unlimited, he said.

“This will hold people responsible to their area,” Holbrook said. “The big thing we ask students is to be sensible, to be safe.”
Holbrook said many of the tailgating rules that have always been in affect will remain the same, including no kegs, glass bottles or open containers in the student section of the parking lot.

The new tailgating area will feature a space sectioned off for live music with regional acts similar to those of Vandal Entertainment’s small concert series, he said.

“We’re going to put decent acts there to play to a broader musical taste,” Holbrook said. “We have a natural audience there, with more people than the average than most of our small concerts.”

The concerts would offer more to tailgating to the students that don’t drink, he said. The concert availability is subject to change with inclement weather.

Local food vendors will be moved from the Northfield area of the Kibbie Dome down into the student parking lot section. A beer garden will also be available to students who are 21 and over.

Holbrook said the beer garden would provide a legal and affordable place for students to drink, but students are still able to bring their own alcohol into the area as long as it isn’t in an open container.

The changes will create a more festive and exciting feel to the pre-game activities, said Matt Kleffner, the athletics associate director.

“Students generate that excitement,” Kleffner said, “Particularly in sports like football and basketball, it becomes part of the event itself. …Anything that brings students to our events is a good thing for us.”

The new tailgating events will be paid for out of the ASUI budget, which is supported entirely by student fees. Most of the cost will be paid for by the president’s discretionary budget and the Vandal Entertainment budget.

Holbrook said he will also ask the ASUI Senate to give financial support when it gets back into session during the school year.

“We’re also working hard on enlisting sponsors to pay for the cost,” he said.

The tailgating changes have been modeled after other schools that have longstanding tailgating traditions, Holbrook said.

“If you go over to (Washington State University), there’s a different atmosphere on game day,” he said. “We’ve looked at what other (schools) do. The way they come out and get ready for a game is different. It’s a massive event.”

Kleffner agreed that other schools may have a more organized and energized feel.

“Having live band, the food, sectioned off beer garden will create a more festive tailgating experience that we see at venues where we go one the road,” he said. “This will create excitement our donors can also latch onto.”

Holbrook said the changes are ways for ASUI to take a proactive step to making football game day more entertaining.

“We just want to add some sort of tradition here,” he said. “Football seemed the logical place to start.”

Local food vendors will be moved from the Northfield area of the Kibbie Dome down into the student parking lot section. A beer garden will also be available to students who are 21 and over.

Holbrook said the beer garden would provide a legal and affordable place for students to drink, but students are still able to bring their own alcohol into the area as long as it isn’t in an open container.

The changes will create a more festive and exciting feel to the pre-game activities, said Matt Kleffner, the athletics associate director.

“Students generate that excitement,” Kleffner said, “Particularly in sports like football and basketball, it becomes part of the event itself. …Anything that brings students to our events is a good thing for us.”

The new tailgating events will be paid for by the ASUI budget, which is supported entirely by student fees. Most of the cost will be paid for by the president’s discretionary budget and the Vandal Entertainment budget.

Holbrook said he will ask the ASUI Senate to give financial support when it gets back into session during the school year.

“We’re also working hard on enlisting sponsors to pay for the cost,” he said.

The tailgating changes have been modeled after other schools that have longstanding tailgating traditions, Holbrook said.

“If you go over to (Washington State University), there’s a different atmosphere on game day,” he said. “We’ve looked at what other (schools) do. The way they come out and get ready for a game is different. It’s a massive event.”

Kleffner agreed that other schools may have a more organized and energized feel.

“Having a live band, the food and a sectioned-off beer garden will create a more festive tailgating experience that we see at venues where we go one the road,” he said. “This will create excitement our donors can also latch onto.”

Holbrook said the changes are ways for ASUI to take a proactive step to making football game day more entertaining.

“We just want to add some sort of tradition here,” he said. “Football seemed the logical place
to start.”

Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register.