Tailgating On The Quad On The Sidelines
In a move about as surprising as Najee Harris being named the starting tailback, the University of Alabama announced there will be no official tailgating on the Quad this fall.
The tailgate parties are as much a part of college football as the games themselves but in this COVID-19 era when even getting the games played is a challenge, this is hardly a surprise.
In fact, I wrote about this several weeks prior to the official announcement, and not just at Alabama, but at schools around the country who are still playing football this fall. You can read the full story here.
This, of course, does not mean there will not be tailgating. It just won’t be official, with designated areas on the Quad – the primary tailgate area at Alabama – set up for people who pay a fee to plant a tent, set up BBQs, show other games and, of course, have a few pre-game cocktails.
There is little doubt that the 20% of fans allowed into Bryant-Denny Stadium – that was another announcement by the school – will break out some beers or drinks and walk around the campus a couple hours before kickoff.
With bars, such as Gallette’s, limiting capacity to around 20%, getting into a bar along the Strip on University Ave., then having the traditional pre-game drinks around the stadium in small groups will be part of Saturdays in Tuscaloosa.
You should be okay doing this, as long as you wear a mask anyway. Yes, we know you will party; just wear a mask.
Other SEC, ACC and Big-12 schools are likely to do the same as Alabama as school and athletic officials are focused more on getting the games played than preserving the traditional atmosphere surrounding the games.
Leave a Reply