If you have ever been to a Sacramento State football game, you are sure to have seen tailgaters in the parking lots. Hot dogs, hamburgers and beer are the stars of the festivities.

Safety concerns, however, are not usually at the forefront of people’s thoughts. What does the university do to take the precautions necessary to have a successful, fun time for everyone involved?

“In the past, the policy was not as structured as it is now,” said Sgt. Joe Green of the university police department. “The policy the President’s Office came out with a few years ago is very structured now. It gives us very clear-cut guidelines as to where and when tailgating can take place.”

The new policies introduced by President Alexander Gonzalez have made unfortunate incidents nearly nonexistent.

Tailgating safety is magnified with Saturday’s Causeway Classic against UC Davis. The Hornets defeated the Aggies 29-19 in last year’s Classic.

The Sac State Department of Public Safety is taking extra precautions with greater attendance expected.

Green said for a non-Causeway game, there are typically six to eight officers on duty in the tailgate area.

For the upcoming Classic, Green said 45 officers from campus police, the Sacramento Police Department and the California Department of Alcohol Beverage Control are slated to be on duty.

The officers will be uniformed, plainclothes and on horseback.

Alcohol is prevalent at tailgates across the nation. Sac State allows alcohol in designated areas. However, no alcohol is allowed inside the stadium.

Bill Macriss, deputy athletic director, said responsibility is paramount of tailgaters.

“What we’ve tried to do is create an environment that is fun, which also breeds responsibility and will take into account the enjoyment of the adult who wants to have alcohol as part of the tailgate and all the way down to the little kids who don’t want to see people acting irresponsibly,” Macriss said.

Director of Athletics Terry Wanless said he could not recall any significant issues about tailgating at Sac State in his eight years as a athletic director.

“The worst thing we ever had was a fraternity left a couch in the parking lot after one of the football games,” Wanless said.

The smooth tailgating scene is due in large part to all those involved, especially when it comes to alcohol, Wanless said.

“We’ve had great cooperation with the community and the students in our tailgating area and we haven’t had any incidents, that I’m aware of, that would cause us concern,” Wanless said. “If we had that, we would deal with it appropriately – working with our campus security and campus police – we’d make sure we’d act responsibly and make sure things don’t get out of control.”

Tailgating is done in parking lots seven and eight, next to the football stadium, and takes place from three hours before the game up until 15 minutes before scheduled kickoff.

In the end, tailgating is an activity for people who are Hornet fans, alums and current students to gather and have fun before a football game.

“You’ve got thousands of students, faculty, staff, administration who are all affiliated with Sacramento State ? There are few events when you get to all come together and celebrate together the fact that you’re a Sac State Hornet or a Sac State Hornet fan,” Macriss said. “The tailgate and football game specifically are the areas where you get to do that. We want to encourage more people to be a part of that.”

Dustin Nosler can be reached at [email protected]