Task force examines game-day enhancements

  Tuesday, January 12, 2016 2:00 AM
  News

Pittsburg, KS

Pittsburg State University has long boasted one of the best football game-day experiences in the nation, and a new group of university and community leaders is beginning to examine ways to make it even better.

The Football Game Day Experience Task Force, developed in January, is charged with finding ways to improve and enhance the game-day experience and atmosphere at Pitt State football home games. The group is chaired by Kendall Gammon, PSU special assistant to the president, and Girard-based attorney Sara Beezley Keller. Other members of the task force include students, representatives from Pitt State, local business leaders and community members.

“The task force’s mission is to identify opportunities for changes and enhancements to the football game-day experience at Pittsburg State,” Gammon said. “We also will look at areas of concern and develop ways to remedy or limit any problems that we currently experience on game day.”

The task force will examine various facets of the game-day experience, including physical locations for tailgating activities, rules and regulations governing tailgating activities, possession and consumption of alcohol, parking and security. The group will also consider what, if any, changes should be made to the events, programming and vendors experience within Gorilla Village.

“Pittsburg State is and will continue to be one of the best places in the nation to experience a college football game,” Gammon said. “There is just something special about the way the university and our community rallies around the team and creates a wonderful game-day experience. The goal of this task force is to build upon our remarkable tradition and make game days in ‘The Jungle’ even more enjoyable and memorable for all who attend.”

The development of the task force comes in response to the reaction to changes made to tailgating regulations in 2015.

“The changes made to tailgating rules last season were necessary to help quell a series of incidents that had occurred during the first two home games,” Gammon said. “However, we most certainly understand why those changes were met with criticism and concern. Those concerns will be given strong consideration as we work toward developing the most fun and safe game-day experience possible.”

The task force is expected to present its initial recommendations this spring.