University Of Georgia Bans Tailgating At Home Football Games

ATHENS, GA — The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has already impacted college football across the country, but it will now change how Georgia fans celebrate game day at Bulldogs’ home games this fall.

University of Georgia officials announced Tuesday that fans will not be permitted to tailgate before the four home games UGA will play this season. The pandemic led school officials to limit how many fans will be able to attend games at Sanford this season as universities have announced a reduction in crowd sizes across the Southeastern Conference. School officials announced in August that 18,000-23,000 fans would be able to watch games live this season in an environment that typically accommodates nearly 93,000 people on autumn Saturdays.

While the university acknowledged that tailgating has long been part of the Georgia football tradition, it said that the decision to prohibit pregame festivities is based on public health guidelines and counsel provided by school health officials. The statement indicated that the decision follows the approach taken by other SEC schools, including Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Louisiana State and Auburn.

Fans will be permitted to gather around their vehicles with family members and others they traveled with to reach Athens. But in the statement, fans are reminded to adhere to proper social distancing guidelines and to wear masks when they are not around family members. Parking lots will open three hours before kickoff, but fans will be required to show their tickets to lot attendants, the statement said.

Enforcement of off-campus social gatherings will be up to Athens-Clarke County officials, the statement said, but university officials are urging outside groups to follow the school’s lead in mitigating the spread of the virus and thanks fans for adhering to “these necessary, but regrettable, changes.”

“We look forward to resuming our tradition of tailgating when it is safe to do so,” officials said.

Georgia opens the season on Sept. 26 at Arkansas and has home games against Auburn (Oct. 3), Tennessee (Oct. 10), Mississippi State (Nov. 21) and Vanderbilt (Dec. 5).