Parking permits in prime tailgating locations often occupied by alumni

There are few things that keep students away from Franklin Street on a Friday night.

But senior Cody Allen said he has two reasons to stay inside on Fridays in the fall — a home football game and a tailgating tradition.

“Saturday is a long day, you might as well sacrifice one night for that,” he said.

Allen said the tradition started when his father was a UNC student in the 1970s. Allen’s grandfather would drive to UNC and put on a tailgate for Allen’s father and his friends.

The family has kept it going ever since, and their tradition will kick off once again this Saturday when UNC football plays its home opener against Middle Tennessee State University at 12:30 p.m.

Allen said his parents drive to campus bringing barbecue, casseroles and drinks.

“My only job is just to invite friends and when I get there I help my dad as the bartender,” Allen said.

But to join in on the tailgating Saturday on campus, fans like Allen’s father have to have a parking pass, which is handled by the Rams Club.

Nick Fulton, the director of annual campaigns for the Rams Club, said there are approximately 6,000 parking passes for game days, and they are given out to alumni based on a points system.

Alumni earn one point for every $100 they donate to the University and three points for every year they are members of the club.

“Every three years we reshuffle things and establish ranks,” he said.

Fulton said he did not know how long the system has been in place.

Students earn one point for every $25 they donate and three points for each year of membership. The points can only be accumulated while students are in school, and they can’t be eligible for a parking spot until graduation.

Allen said if students were given parking passes, it would improve the atmosphere on game days.

“I think it would be better — it would change the whole experience,” he said.

Senior Tricia Seitzer said as an underclassman she went to tailgates at fraternities, and as an upperclassman she goes to He’s Not Here, though she said it’s not the same as the sports tradition.

“It’s a little frustrating because unless you have family members coming up there’s no space for people to tailgate on campus,” she said.

Alexandra Cruz and Andrew Darvin, co-chairmen of Carolina Fever, said they are hoping to have on-campus tailgates this season. Those games will be against East Carolina University, Boston College and Old Dominion University.

Cruz said their goal is to provide a safe environment for students to hang out and get hyped for the game together.

Darvin said the tailgate will be close to the football stadium. He said their only goal is to get more people in the stadium and help them have a good time.

“Much of the buzz on campus relates basketball, but we’d love to transfer some of that energy to football,” Darvin said.

Coach Larry Fedora said in an interview that his goal to get students into Kenan Stadium by kickoff has not changed.

“I think the people understand what we need to do,” he said.

Department of Public Safety spokesman Randy Young said students need to move their cars on game days to make room for the designated game parking areas, but only those who park at Craige, Morrison, Ehringhaus and Hinton James.

Those students can park in Craige Parking Deck or S11 lot.

Though tailgating often involves alcohol, Young said there is an open-container ban on campus and alcohol is banned from Kenan Stadium, and DPS does not usually make arrests while people are consuming alcohol.

Young said officers are not actively patrolling the alumni parking lots, but watch carefully as people enter the stadium.

“We mostly respond after the drinking occurred,” he said. “Obviously, it’s not a campus where alcohol is flowing freely.”

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