New Tailgating Policy

[CTBasketball]

Join me in the grey lot, there are no rules.

 

[Waquoit]

We used to be a proper society, and self-regulate.

Not really. Remember how people here used to bitch when the "Yellow Jackets" told them they couldn't take up more than one spot?

 

[Windham4th]

I don't see it as a problem... it's a good thing when any lot is "full." It's about time.
Also, it's never full when we arrive 5 hours before kickoff.
The painted lines are a weak attempt to shrink the area you can tailgate in. We parked within the lines and could barely open the doors on pickups parked parallel to each other.

It is most definitely a problem. If u have a blue lot pass it shouldn't be full before you arrive.

 

[Jimdish255]

The yellow coats directing traffic have gotten lazy the past couple years in blue lot… they are letting people leave a lot of open parking space between cars.

Look at all the open grass in those first few rows of that picture; they could fit a lot more vehicles in there with a little effort.

Sure there should be some guidelines, but tight spaces for parking? There needs to be extra space for people to move and the space is available. If you can't accomodate tailgating you won't have that "problem" because people won't show up. I guess we'll see how this is implemented.

 

[Jimdish255]

From what I’ve observed the last few years, the issue is not how much room most people are taking for tailgating. The issue is how far apart cars are parking, which is a direct result of no longer having attendants waving you into a particular space and making sure there is not too much space between cars. How much space groups use for tailgating doesn’t determine how many cars you can get into a lot — how far apart the park does. Not once since they’ve opened the Rent have I seen an issue with too may tailgates too close together and someone not having room.

Of course it does. Groups tailgating together aren't always able to park side by side and can't necessarily fit behind a single tight space. Some attendees need the extra room and some don't. This needs to be explained?

 

[ArtTheFan]

All: If we are complaining about the lots filling up, I think Jim Mora is doing a great job getting people coming to the Rent. Think about it, is is better to complain about trying to find a parking space, or being able to drive into a spot 10 after kickoff?

Personally, I'd rather complain about finding a parking space...Now, I'd have to fly to Bradley and find a way of getting to The Rent before I worry about parking... 😀

 

[John]

I don't see it as a problem... it's a good thing when any lot is "full." It's about time.
Also, it's never full when we arrive 5 hours before kickoff.
The painted lines are a weak attempt to shrink the area you can tailgate in. We parked within the lines and could barely open the doors on pickups parked parallel to each other.

It IS a problem because people pay extra for a blue lot pass.

 

[huskymedic]

Okay… what’s the hot wash on the new policy experience in the Blue Lot today?

 

[Huskygrad88]

Okay… what’s the hot wash on the new policy experience in the Blue Lot today?

It was actually perfect. We arrived at rope drop and were able to pick our row of spots. Tailgates behind with plenty of room. As the day went by they filled in the blanks without issue.

 

[Diehard Fan]

Major issue with the new policy, the parking spaces are, at best, only 8 ft wide. Tailgating tents are 10x10, as has always been allowed at The Rent. The spaces need to be wider to allow for adequate tailgating within each designated space without overlapping into the next spot.

 

[Devland]

I know people are bitching, but I have been in the blue lot since the stadium opened and never had a problem or complaint. Maybe I just have fun and don't worry about what other people are doing.

 

[Urcea]

Okay… what’s the hot wash on the new policy experience in the Blue Lot today?

The Yellow Jackets in deep 7B and 7C seemed either uninformed about the new policy or didn’t care, kept loading cars into full rows and harassing people to move their stuff to park additional cars; I saw many people showing them their phones so presumably a lot of “read the email” complaints. Egentually they gave up but not before having to back like 12 cars out that were just waiting on the gravel

 

[coachcap]

Okay… what’s the hot wash on the new policy experience in the Blue Lot today?

Terrible! My son arrived at 1:15 & was denied access to blue lot. Lazy attendant said Lot was full ( nope) & forced him to park in red lot...

 

[HuskiesFan1014]

So...yesterday's experience...
We pulled our 3 vehicles into the front row by Gate C where we always set up. We set up our grills, tables, canopies, etc behind our vehicles (which is the gravel "road" area.)
After we were set up, several yellow shirts came up and told us we had to move everything "off the gravel." They said the new lines are supposed to allow one vehicle to park, with the "spot" behind it for tailgating. (They werent supposed to have painted the "cross lines" separating that into 2 spots...was supposed to be one long spot big enough for a vehicle and tailgating behind it.)
I explained to each yellow shirt, at separate times, including the supervisor who arrived, that the front row doesn't have the space for a vehicle and tailgating behind it, since it's a single row with the paved stadium road in front of it. I told them the only place for tailgating is behind the vehicle (gravel road) or in front, which is handicapped parking along the stadium road.
They gave in and agreed, and after explaining this to four of them, they left us alone.
Next game, we will park in the second row, with vehicles pulled into the closest spots and tailgate set up in the adjacent spots behind.
For all those who were told Blue Lot was full, there were many open spots in the rows behind us, with the gravel access roads clear. Nobody who paid for a Blue pass should have been denied.

 

[Hamms30]

So...yesterday's experience...
We pulled our 3 vehicles into the front row by Gate C where we always set up. We set up our grills, tables, canopies, etc behind our vehicles (which is the gravel "road" area.)
After we were set up, several yellow shirts came up and told us we had to move everything "off the gravel." They said the new lines are supposed to allow one vehicle to park, with the "spot" behind it for tailgating. (They werent supposed to have painted the "cross lines" separating that into 2 spots...was supposed to be one long spot big enough for a vehicle and tailgating behind it.)
I explained to each yellow shirt, at separate times, including the supervisor who arrived, that the front row doesn't have the space for a vehicle and tailgating behind it, since it's a single row with the paved stadium road in front of it. I told them the only place for tailgating is behind the vehicle (gravel road) or in front, which is handicapped parking along the stadium road.
They gave in and agreed, and after explaining this to four of them, they left us alone.
Next game, we will park in the second row, with vehicles pulled into the closest spots and tailgate set up in the adjacent spots behind.
For all those who were told Blue Lot was full, there were many open spots in the rows behind us, with the gravel access roads clear. Nobody who paid for a Blue pass should have been denied.

Shouldn't have.. but we were 🤷🏻‍♂️

 

[LBird33]

Laz Parking at its best Lol

 

[businesslawyer]

So...yesterday's experience...
We pulled our 3 vehicles into the front row by Gate C where we always set up. We set up our grills, tables, canopies, etc behind our vehicles (which is the gravel "road" area.)
After we were set up, several yellow shirts came up and told us we had to move everything "off the gravel." They said the new lines are supposed to allow one vehicle to park, with the "spot" behind it for tailgating. (They werent supposed to have painted the "cross lines" separating that into 2 spots...was supposed to be one long spot big enough for a vehicle and tailgating behind it.)
I explained to each yellow shirt, at separate times, including the supervisor who arrived, that the front row doesn't have the space for a vehicle and tailgating behind it, since it's a single row with the paved stadium road in front of it. I told them the only place for tailgating is behind the vehicle (gravel road) or in front, which is handicapped parking along the stadium road.
They gave in and agreed, and after explaining this to four of them, they left us alone.
Next game, we will park in the second row, with vehicles pulled into the closest spots and tailgate set up in the adjacent spots behind.
For all those who were told Blue Lot was full, there were many open spots in the rows behind us, with the gravel access roads clear. Nobody who paid for a Blue pass should have been denied.

Also spent a decent amount of time speaking to the yellow jackets. Despite mammoth amounts of confusion, the goal is to keep the gravel areas free for emergency vehicles. The “fix” for that is, instead of having gravel path, 2 cars, gravel path, they now only want one car between two gravel paths, meaning that you would tailgate on the grass where, prior to the change, a car would be directly behind (or in front) of you.

That all makes sense except for two problems. One, there is still mass confusion about it that slowed down getting cars into the stadium. It took me over 20 minutes yesterday to get from the main gate to the east gate and into a space even getting to the stadium area 2.5 hours before kickoff. Second, and more obviously and importantly — HEY NUMBSCULLS, YOUR NEW POLICY JUST CUT THE TOTAL PARKING SPACES BY ABOUT 50%. At a time where folks were complaining they couldn’t utilize their blue lot parking before.

I get wanting emergency vehicles access. I don’t see how you think you can cut capacity for 50% in the middle of the season AFTER YOU’VE ALREADY SOLD THE PARKING RIGHTS. I think an email to the Attorney General is coming.

 

[beerfan]

Also spent a decent amount of time speaking to the yellow jackets. Despite mammoth amounts of confusion, the goal is to keep the gravel areas free for emergency vehicles. The “fix” for that is, instead of having gravel path, 2 cars, gravel path, they now only want one car behind two gravel paths, meaning that you would tailgate on the grass where, prior to the change, a car would be directly behind (or in front) of you.

That all makes sense except for two problems. One, there is still mass confusion about it that slowed down getting cars into the stadium. It took me over 20 minutes yesterday to get from the main gate to the east gate and into a space even getting to the stadium area 2.4 hours before kickoff. Second, and more obviously and importantly — HEY NUMBSCULLS, YOUR NEW POLICY JUST CUT THE TOTAL PARKING SPACE BY ABOUT 50%. At a time where folks were complaining they couldn’t utilize their blue lot parking before.

I get wanting emergency vehicles access. I don’t see how you think you can cut capacity for 50% in the middle of the season AFTER YOU’VE ALREADY SOLD THE PARKING RIGHTS. I think an email to the Attorney General is coming.

Yes, this

My experience was not too bad yesterday, I rolled in with two cars around noon, basically we could park anywhere so I chose three rows back from the exit right by the road for an easy exit even though there was plenty of spots in front of us. The attendants told us we had to tailgate on the grass behind us, and it was fine,.

Because we were near the back we saw at first the attendants trying to guide cars to empty spaces, but then shut down access completely by about 1:30. At 2:30 there were no attendants and cars started just driving in. A family with 3 kids, parked in one of the open tailgate spaces behind a car and set up on the gravel and no one said a thing.

From my twitter discussion with the AD I don't think it is an emergency access issue, just a getting people in issue.

I am not sure when the free form parking started, but we need to go back to parking people to fill the lot at the start of the lots opening, and let people tailgate on the gravel. If emergency vehicles need to get in it will not be that hard to move a tent or two and I have never heard of it being an issue the entire time the Rent has been open, plus if they allow it in the Red and Grey lots why is it an issue in the Blue lot.

 

[psilotic]

TBH had no idea this was coming (emails go elsewhere in family, a situation which we will be rectifying). Might have been good to put out an accompanying press release to get the word out. Was wondering WTH was going on with the huge backup at the Silver Lane entrance at noon (normally am in the first wave at 10:30 but had other things going on). Then I saw the painted lines and knew something was up. someone in our group saved my spot which I had no prob accessing.
Personally I like the lines. I do get the frustration with the people in the front row (who are to be commended, BTW) having to deviate from their routine. The pull into the second row going forward seems like a good solution. I don't know if anyone noticed but at Delaware and Maryland(among others pass holders get designated spaces which I don't like because it doesn't reward people who get there early, plus causes issues as elbow room gets tighter ahead of kickoff.
As long as they let blue pass holders have their pick of spots and save spaces for the first two of the five designated pre-game tailigating hours (which I thought was the previous policy) I think it will work out.

 

[gtcam]

Major issue with the new policy, the parking spaces are, at best, only 8 ft wide. Tailgating tents are 10x10, as has always been allowed at The Rent. The spaces need to be wider to allow for adequate tailgating within each designated space without overlapping into the next spot.

guess you buy a smaller tent or buy off the neighbor

 

[UConnDan97]

The LAZ parking people are the worst mixture of incompetent and lazy. The 2 people who were working the first Blue Lot area couldn't be bothered to move to organize it all, they just stood there and said "head back toward the black fence". Earlier in the year, I was forced into a non Blue Lot because they ran out of spaces apparently.

This has been a problem all year and for a few years now. I hope Dave Benedict is reading the Boneyard and can do something about it. We pay extra to get a Blue Pass, and we should be able to park there properly without issue. Otherwise, what's the point??

 

[dvegas]

Laz Parking at its best Lol

Actually, this might top their incompetence at the Rent

Sky-high prices: Colorado man hit with $19,824 airport parking fee after system glitch

 

[pepband99]

I admittedly didn't park in Blue Lot (was in alumni band, so rec field), but tailgated at my usual spot with the non-band people (on fence towards the jack daniels tent).

1) This clearly didn't make it out to MANY of the tailgaters, and probably most of LAZ. People looked at me funny when i talked about the change. I still don't know why they couldn't wait a few days and have a month to get the word out.

2) I did see some evidence of the plan working - there were later fill-ins who were able to make it deep into Blue lot closer to 2, with some single spaces still left when i had to head back.

Basically, if LAZ gets the memo, this should be able to work, minus the front row. But this puts all of the onus on LAZ to actually fill the lot properly as the game gets closer. It will be a first.

 

[psilotic]

The LAZ parking people are the worst mixture of incompetent and lazy. The 2 people who were working the first Blue Lot area couldn't be bothered to move to organize it all, they just stood there and said "head back toward the black fence". Earlier in the year, I was forced into a non Blue Lot because they ran out of spaces apparently.

This has been a problem all year and for a few years now. I hope Dave Benedict is reading the Boneyard and can do something about it. We pay extra to get a Blue Pass, and we should be able to park there properly without issue. Otherwise, what's the point??

You would think that being 22 years into the Rent, parking would have been sorted out a long, long time ago. It seemed like every year for home game No. 1 the wheel was getting reinvented. That said, I thought parking had gone fairly smoothly the past couple of years until Saturday's speed bump (so to speak). this too shall pass, at least until Sept. 5, 2026.

 

[BlueandOG]

The intention of keeping the gravel free for vehicles is fine. The problem is making the change after decades of past practice in the middle of the season. I recommend:

1. Revert to the original system for the rest of this season, stating that it will be reviewed and changed next year.
2. Map out the area, planning for each vehicle to have a 10' by 20' (I think that is the distance between gravel lanes) space.
3. Mark the spaces clearly before the game.
4. Sell the number of passes to match the spaces.
5. Recognize that there will be a decrease (about 50%) in the number of spaces in the current configuration.