With Vandal football starting up again, fans are preparing for tailgating season. However, one tailgate staple will have to be left in the fridge this season.
The Idaho State Board of Education (SBOE) denied the University of Idaho’s proposal for alcohol-friendly zones during the upcoming football season. In a tied 4-4 vote earlier this August, the SBOE did not reach the majority vote needed to pass UI’s proposition.
The implementation of this “new” policy is not something the UI administration can protest. The SBOE has had policies in place for several years stating that universities have to be alcohol-free on public land. So UI tailgating, which has not been enforcing this alcohol-free policy, has been in violation of the state’s policy for years.
Recognizing that as an issue, UI proposed to designate alcohol-friendly zones, which was the proposal the SBOE addressed earlier this month. This decision by the SBOE will largely only affect UI, as other universities already have alcohol-friendly zones in place.
While the state policy is not something UI voted into place, they missed the opportunity to challenge it earlier. This is especially important following comments from the SBOE representative that the board is unlikely to revisit the issue in its next meeting in October.
Boise State has found a way to comply with the state policy by partnering with the city of Boise to create the “10 for 10 Zone,” allowing fans to drink alcohol from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. adjacent to campus. During the construction of this zone, UI should have thought ahead and recognized that the state was about to enforce alcohol-free tailgating on public land.
The blow is even greater following the reinstatement of the Idaho Fan Zone this year, which was a place for Idaho fans to meet, drink and hang out while enjoying pre-game entertainment.
While enforcement of the policy was lackluster in the past, this year will be a little more stringent. The Moscow Police Department, which has not seen any incidents related to alcohol at UI tailgates in recent years, will be present at the tailgates this year to raise awareness of the policy.
Despite a shortfall in preparation for enforcement of this policy, UI administration has been attempting to make alcohol-friendly tailgates possible. Their first step was submitting the proposal, and now students and Vandal fans should expect to see administration continuing to find ways to keep tailgates as they were.
UI administrators should not allow the SBOE to simply gloss over the issue at the next state meeting in October. Vandal fans everywhere want to see these alcohol-friendly zones being fought for, and now it appears the university is doing just that.
— CW