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Almost 500 dedicated U of L undergraduates showed up to Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium under stormy skies Friday afternoon for a ticket tailgate that was anything but, because of the unfortunate weather.
For those who may have missed out on Friday’s weather conditions, light rain quickly turned to hail as students sought shelter underground near the locker rooms. Some dedicated fans, however, didn’t bother to budge until the sirens sounded and tornado warnings were reported for the downtown area.
The Cardinal would like to applaud the staff at the ticket tailgate for not canceling the event. While some would argue that it was unsafe to continue the tailgate, keep in mind that university athletic officials did not cancel the Red-White scrimmage.
In the face of unexpected inclement weather, the tailgate staff was calm and concerned about student safety, but also took into consideration seating fairness. It is furthermore important to mention that when it came time for the tickets to be sold, the wet students were still there. In fact, many students figured if they had just made it through a possible tornado and some hail, there was no point in leaving now.
Yet another positive aspect of the tailgate was the event’s efficiency, as compared to past tailgates. In years past, students slept in their cars or tents and waited until morning to purchase tickets. Although some argue the tailgate lost some personality when the change was made, many cold, damp students were happy to leave the stadium by 1 a.m. with their receipt in hand.
As the demand for student season tickets grows, it is important that the university, especially the SGA, continues to plan events to get students involved. Next year, we can only hope for sunny skies.
