In an effort to make winter games more enjoyable, Quinnipiac’s athletics department recently announced it is allowing tailgating in TD Bank Sports Center’s parking lot from Oct. 1 to Nov. 30. A designated section of the lot will be set up to allow attendees to tailgate at their vehicles or on the nearby grass area.

“If people come early enough to tailgate, there will likely be more attendance and people will care more about the games,” Co-director of Quinnipiac Bobcats Sports Network Marc Schwartz said. “That is something that the Bank struggles with sometimes.”

Quinnipiac’s two highest anticipated games are men’s hockey against Yale and men’s basketball against Robert Morris (both Feb. 25, 2012). When asked if there would be tailgating at these games, Executive Director of the TD Bank Sports Center Eric Grgurich said it would depend on how well the first few events go.

“If everything goes smoothly, it would certainly make it easier to extend the dates,” Grgurich said.

Tailgating is limited to two hours before and one hour after each day game (any game beginning before 5 p.m.). No tailgating is permitted after night games. Grills and drinks will have to be put away by the start of the games, when the tailgating section closes.

The only grills allowed are self-contained gas and charcoal grills, due to York Hill’s ban on open fires. All charcoal and waste must be safely disposed of before departure from the tailgating site.

According to the release from athletics, commercial vehicles including U-Hauls, RVs, Winnebago motor homes and box trucks are not permitted in the York Hill parking lot and will not be permitted for tailgating use. Beer kegs, drinking games and other drinking paraphernalia will also not be allowed.

Quinnipiac security and staff will be present during tailgating hours to ensure the Connecticut underage drinking law is enforced. Those in violation will be escorted from the tailgating area and may be escorted from Quinnipiac property by security or Hamden police.

Previously, tailgating has only been allowed once before on the York Hill campus, during the ESPN-covered championship game between Quinnipiac and Roger Morris’s men’s basketball teams on March 11, 2010. The parking lot in front of the Bank was filled with people drinking and grills. There were no open containers, only cups of alcohol. Security was present, but not strict with the tailgaters.