The student tailgate for all home football games this fall will be stricter than Student Body President Brent Folan intended.

The tailgate is planned to take place on Frog Alley between the freshman and overflow lot with the area fenced off completely, Folan said. This area would be staffed by those trained by the Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission who would check IDs. 

At the university's suggestion, TABC officials or those trained by TABC would serve the alcohol that people bring themselves. TCU is not planning to obtain a permit to sell alcohol. 

Under TABC’s rules, since TCU is not planning to obtain a permit, no TABC official or even TABC trained person needs to distribute alcohol or check ID’s. 

The main concern is to make sure all Texas laws and requirements from the TABC are followed, Vice Chancellor Kathy Cavins-Tull said.

But university officials want to go above and beyond the TABC regulations to ensure safety. 

There are no rules for tailgating but there are rules that encompass tailgating, TABC Sergeant Dennie Carleton said.

Cavins-Tull wanted a controlled environment that would cut down on consumption by minors, public intoxication, drunk driving, etc., TABC Agent Korah Pounds said.

There were problems in the past with underage drinking which eventually led to the end of student tailgating with alcohol back in 2008. At the time, TCU tailgating was the second-most cited place in Tarrant County.

The fenced off area was not a part of Folan’s initial plan. He said fencing the entire area would hinder student interaction.

But Pounds said the fenced-in area may have two sections–an outer area for all ages, and an inner area for those over 21.

Folan said he wanted the whole student body there and did not want the event to be sponsored by any one organization, like Student Government. Student Government has already allotted $20,000 of their budget next year for tailgating.

With no one organization in charge of the event, the question arises of who will be in charge of hiring and coordinating TABC training and insuring only current TCU students of legal age partake in tailgating, Cavins-Tull said. 

While the kinks are still being worked out, both Cavins-Tull and Folan said they were excited for the event since so many students supported Folan’s initiative.  

Check TCU 360 on Friday evening for updates on student tailigating. 

This article was corrected to show where the tailgating would take place.