Clemson, S.C. — Tailgating restrictions are a good thing. Rushing the field is deadly. And football games at N.C. State are true family events.
I hear it all the time from this University’s administration and security forces.
And as I found out this weekend at Clemson, those three statements are lies.
I’m sick of being lied to, and I want to know why it’s happening.
Tailgating at Clemson is truly a family event. Memorial Stadium fits 81,000 fans and it appears the vast majority of those fans are tailgating hours before kickoff. There is alcohol, and therefore, there is drunkenness. But more importantly, there are smiles. There are good times and memories. Fans are happy.
And how does it work?
There is an overwhelming police force. There are police officers everywhere. I couldn’t walk 20 yards without seeing a cop.
And guess what the best part is. The police officers at Clemson enjoyed it. It wasn’t the cops versus the fans. I got lost three times navigating stadium traffic, and every time I asked for help, there was an officer there to help.
It is absolutely not the case at N.C. State.
Police officers surrounding Carter-Finley do two things — they grudgingly direct traffic, and they block off parking lots once they’re full.
Perhaps our police officers are overworked. At Clemson, there are flat out more cops than there are here. But if administrators are worried about illegal or dangerous behavior at tailgating, hire more police officers and give them varied and legitimate duties to fulfill.
Fans are invited — as in welcomed — onto the field after the game at Clemson. At N.C. State, the police and event staff line up facing the fans as if ready to march into battle. They carry plastic hand cuffs. Mace is ready.
But Saturday in Death Valley, I saw how dangerous it really is to rush the field after the home team wins.
Police and event staff at Clemson open up both end zones and fans come rushing onto the field.
I saw one father hold his son in his left arm as he went up and introduced the child to one of his favorite players. I couldn’t tell you who was happiest — the father, the son or the player.
I saw a student playing catch with a little girl and a state trooper — with a game ball. Yes, a state trooper was playing catch with fans on the field Saturday.
I understand that at Carter-Finley the walls on the sidelines are more than 10 feet tall and jumping down them is incredibly dangerous. There is a very, very simple solution to that problem. Don’t allow people to enter the field from the sidelines. In the end zones, the walls are maybe three feet tall and it would be very easy to get students and families onto the grass.
It was a family.
Saturday after the game, it was chaotic, yes. It was like a giant family celebration. I hope any University administrator or police force leader reading this takes that to heart.
It was a family at Clemson.
It was a family atmosphere.
It is not a family atmosphere at N.C. State.
If our University leaders really want to create a family atmosphere at football games like they say, they are failing.
I’ll say it again.
University leaders are failing in their effort to make football games at State for the family.
No, I’m not going to transfer to Clemson. I don’t like Clemson more than State. In fact, I love my University. I’m just sick of its leaders lying to me while they kill or squash my traditions. Students and alumni, there is only one home game left this season, but we cannot — we absolutely cannot — let these issues die.
You may reach Tanner at sports@technicianonline.com or at 919.515.2411.