Wow, what happened (and please don’t do it again if you were a part of it)?

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This message is being shared with various members of the JMU community as well as students, season ticket holders and other JMU Athletics patrons.

Due to a number of significant safety concerns involving members of the JMU community, access to the Convocation Center Lot F will change effective immediately and for the remainder of the 2017 football season and post-season.

In recent weeks the size and disposition of the crowd and party has exceeded commonly acceptable expectations for a football tailgate. At the same time, public safety and health professionals have not been able to safely access portions of this parking lot to address serious health incidents involving students, fans and members of the general public in attendance. Further, when attempting to provide important assistance to these individuals, police and emergency medical staff were targeted with full beer cans. This unacceptable behavior resulted in further injuries.

Behavior such as this will not be tolerated. The opportunity to enjoy a JMU Football game and tailgate is a privilege that many students, fans, community members and alumni do on a weekly basis throughout our campus and in a responsible, respectful manner without incident. We encourage all members of the JMU Nation to continue to enjoy the activity of tailgating in an appropriate manner as an important part of the game day experience.

Beginning with the Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017 game with Richmond and for the remainder of the season and post-season, the following process will be used for Convocation Center Lot F:

Access to Lot F will begin three hours prior to game-time. For the November 11 game, access will begin at 12:30pm
Convo F Lot will be available for use under normal JMU parking regulations on Fridays prior to home games, but all vehicles must vacate the lot by 10:30pm.
This allows for those parking for Friday’s basketball games, use of University Recreation and any other campus activities
It is no longer permissible for individuals to leave their cars parked in Convo F Lot in advance of the game Saturday
Cars that remain in Lot F as of 6:00am Saturday will be subject to ticketing ($100) and towing, similar to the process in place in other lots on game-day
Access to Lot F will be monitored Friday evening to ensure compliance with these new expectations
DC25 parking in Lot F will follow these same guidelines
We believe these changes will contribute to a positive game-day tailgate atmosphere for those students, fans, alumni and members of the community who are looking for a safe and appropriate environment.


Jeffrey Bourne
Director of Athletics

Lee Shifflett
JMU Chief of Police

Womp womp too much of a good time?

They beat this to death on the JMU Nation fbook page the past week. Simple answer...drunk idiots actin' a fool. From reading the posts over there though it sounds like it was really bad and a miserable experience for a lot of fans up there.

Assumption here: Drunk students that don't actually go to the game or even attend at JMU ruined another tailgating lot for JMU students.

I heard there would be action taken. Glad JMU is tightening up. Just have a good time without being stupid.

I went up there for a little bit at homecoming and it was insane. I've never seen anything like it. Made the App St and 2008 playoffs student tailgates look tame.

(11-07-2017 02:29 PM)#YEEHAWDUKES Wrote:  I went up there for a little bit at homecoming and it was insane. I've never seen anything like it. Made the App St and 2008 playoffs student tailgates look tame.

Man if you're saying that then bah gawd

Woefully uneducated on the topic, but what "open container" laws apply not just at these parking lots, but throughout campus? Are the laws different at these lots? Or do police just "look the other way"?

Quote:Further, when attempting to provide important assistance to these individuals, police and emergency medical staff were targeted with full beer cans. This unacceptable behavior resulted in further injuries.

Embarrassing and inexcusable. Hopefully those responsible are being prosecuted accordingly.

I rarely ever leave the comfort of P Lot. Occasionally wander over to Godwin to see what the Richmond crowd is up to but those are my only two gameday safe spaces.

Shameful. Party and have a good time all you want, but not allowing EMTs and police to help those in need...and then going further and attacking them...is ridiculous. Glad JMU is shutting that down before it gets worse. Makes me think of the block party...mob mentality plus way too much alcohol leads to bad things. Other than the beginning of that one season where they cracked down waaay too much, I've been impressed with JMU's restraint over the past dozen years as the tailgating scene has skyrocketed and just kinda let things go as long as you're not being ridiculous. Let's not force their hand and make them overcorrect.

The behavior is not acceptable and no one should ever throw beer cans at an ambulance. The crowds the last few weeks have been of ridiculous size and it’s continued to grow. This, again, seems like a reactionary move by the university. I think there are multiple layers to the issue. To me, and I’m sure I’ll get blasted for this, a lot of this stems from the university never giving the students an appropriate lot to tailgate in to begin with. They swallowed up baseball lot (around 2009?) and the students shifted to upper convo. Then, around 2013 or 2014, they took away half of upper convo for the phantom DC25 members. What happens when you move a crowd of people into an area 1/3 the size? Again, not condoning the actions, but suggesting the university could’ve taken actions to get ahead of this. They talk about student attendance and involvement in athletic events but then give them no space to call their own. I’ve suggested for years a student parking pass/system for either upper convo or another equal lot. It would eliminate overnight parking issues, that have routinely not been enforced, and have a true student tailgating lot. The students will be the future season ticket holders so treat them as such too.

Firing off here but it’s been a hot topic to me for years.

(11-07-2017 02:30 PM)DMadison Wrote:  Woefully uneducated on the topic, but what "open container" laws apply not just at these parking lots, but throughout campus? Are the laws different at these lots? Or do police just "look the other way"?

Some super quick research is showing that the state doesn't have an "open container" law (there is one for inside vehicles), but the City of Harrisonburg does. The city law applies to "any city parks, playgrounds, public streets and any sidewalks adjoining any public streets in the city," but I don't think JMU would count because those are state maintained roads.

Keep in mind, (of age) JMU students would be subject to the school policy which states, "J38-101.4 Drunkenness and/or possession of open containers of alcohol is prohibited in public areas as defined by state and local laws/ordinances or University policy."

The state does have a "drunk in public" law, though.

I really wonder what is going through these knuckle dragger's heads at the very moment they decide to throw a beer bottle at a first responder? And equally as important, who are these people's friends who sit idly by and don't lambaste them? Who were the wolves that raised these cretins?. I could go on & on. That kind of pre-game "fun" just crosses a huge line for me.

For the sake of discussion on the topic of student tailgating...

The University actively has tried to crack down on underage drinking and alcohol abuse at JMU. They still play ads about it during games. With the rise and fall of student lots such as hillside, baseball, convo, etc - it always seems to come and go. College students will be college students. How does JMU promote/sanction/allow for "responsible" student tailgating? Probably a meeting that they have every other week on campus. Touchy subject.

probably 75% of student tailgating is fun and 'ehh, responsible'. But there's just enough bad apples that ruin the privilege for the rest of the well behaved ones.

It has been "spring break gone wild" on anabolic steroids." I am hearing from some Harrisonburg cops that there have been numerous cases of alcohol poisoning. Ultimately I just think JMU legal concerns ending up ruling the day.

(11-07-2017 02:50 PM)Bogey Wrote:  Ultimately I just think JMU legal concerns ending up ruling the day.

I'd think general legal concerns end up having the win here, as they should.

(11-07-2017 02:50 PM)Bogey Wrote:  I am hearing from some Harrisonburg cops that there have been numerous cases of alcohol poisoning. Ultimately I just think JMU legal concerns ending up ruling the day.

I remember seeing two ambulances in Upper Convo on Homecoming.

So the real problem is the dang kids can't hold their liquor. And they only have 4 hours to tailgate! You never see any ambulances in P/G/Field lots where the olds have been at it since 8am!

ok back to serious discussion...

This is yet another black eye for JMU students with regard to not being able to hold their liquor and act in a civilized manner. Throwing beer cans at first responders!? Are you serious, that is a level of disrespect and poor character that I will never understand or affiliate with.

My understanding of open container laws is that you can only have it in donor lots & should not cross the road with it even in an unmarked container. I got a very minor $25 ticket (although thoroughly embarassing) the year after the riots because I crossed from P-Lot to Godwin Field with a solo cup. If you don't have a parking pass, keeping it completely out of sight is my suggestion.

When I drove by Upper Convo for the last game, we commented on how many people there were. I even said, "you couldn't drive a car through there if you wanted to. no one would move even if you drove the car right up to them".