Effects of Tailgating in Ncaa Division I Football Campuses

“Effects of Tailgating in NCAA Division I Football Campuses”

Introduction

Background of the Problem

“Tailgating,” as deduced from the readings and experiences, is a popular practice especially among collegiate football fanatics and is usually done prior to a football game. It is a way of enjoying an upcoming football game and interacting with people through eating and drinking spree. In relation to this, Al Bohl, the Athletics Director of the University of Kansas, states, in the internet article of Terry Rombeck (2001), that, “It's recognized across the nation tailgating is a popular tradition.”

Given such, tailgating offers a festive atmosphere, in which football fans and non-football fans alike enjoy food and drinks served, and provides avenues for socializing and mingling with different types of individuals. In relation to such, on socializing dimension of tailgating, Gibson, Holdnak & Willming (2002) comment, “Some fans reported that the football season was their only opportunity in throughout to see some of their friends and family.”

Such enjoyment and socialization factors brought about by tailgating usually result to involvement of the minors in drinking sessions, which could, in the long-run, lead to alcohol obsession, economic opportunism, and bonding time for families and friends. The first is a negative effect for it is a problem and poses a threat especially to safety and security, the second has good and bad sides, and the third is a positive effect. On the aforementioned negative effect, Max Sutherland, in the internet article of Rombeck (2001), observes “tailgating would lead to underage drinking,” and James A. Donahue, the Dean of Students of Georgetown University, in the article off Johnson (1999), stresses, “the purpose of the tailgating tradition is to allow alumni to come back to the university, not to provide a forum for underage drinking.” On the economic implication, the good side is that tailgating is a strategy to bring back excitement of people to football and encourages football fans to patronize the games. However, such good side could also be the bad side if tailgating is used as a bait to cater selfish economic interests like taking advantage of profiteering.

This disadvantage-advantage dilemma should be delved to be able to put things in the right perspective, hence, this study.

The Problem

The dilemma necessitates a study centering on how tailgating affects, in particular, the schools with football teams competing in a league, wherein fanatics of the sport are common. In this research, those cases of NCAA Division I Football Campuses will be discussed.

Furthermore, the following questions are derived corollary to the main inquiry:

Ш In what aspects does tailgating affect the campuses?

Ш What are the positive and the negative effects of tailgating in relation to the affected aspects?

These questions are essential and are needed to be answered to be able to shed light to the topic of this research paper.

Definition of Terms Used

There is only one terminology that is essential to be defined, that is, “tailgating.” To reiterate, the term, as operationally defined and as mentioned in the background of the problem, is a popular practice especially among collegiate football fanatics and is usually done prior to a football game. Such is deduced from the various sources used in this study.

Hypotheses / Questions to be Answered

Pertinent to the abovementioned questions, the following hypotheses are formulated:

Ш Tailgating affects the campuses in terms of policies and reforms for the moral aspect; relationships of families, friends, and peers for the social aspect; the individual aspect; and profiteering for the economic aspect.

Ш The positive effects of tailgating are mutual responsibility between the school administration and the studentry, responses elicited from the negative effects of tailgating, concern especially for the welfare of students, alumni and football fans, raising awareness resulting to individual initiative, and profiteering for the purpose of fund-raising; while those negative are security and safety threats, underage drinking, and selfish profiteering.

Rationale for the Hypotheses

Such hypotheses are formulated for in analyzing, the reality of tailgating, the measures and the actions taken by the campuses with