The OU tailgating situation has been a topic of controversy for quite some time now, and rightfully so. The University of Oklahoma has received flak in the past for having one of the more lackluster tailgating scenes among P5 schools. This has been recently addressed by the University, but not in the way that many of us wanted. Instead of opening up areas like Lindsey Street to the public, OU has announced the expansion of private tailgating areas, and fans are furious. The corporatization of a great tradition is not only a blatant cash grab, it’s downright disrespectful to fans. If Oklahoma truly wants to be compete in the SEC, it has to be elite in every area, including tailgating.
What Changed with Tailgating?
The addition of private tailgating has been met with nothing but anger from OU fans, and it’s not hard to see why. The prices of the four different tailgate packages are quite frankly egregious. The price range for these packages range from 475 dollars, all the way up to over 12,000 dollars. Charging that amount to tailgate is a massive disservice to loyal fans that show up every Saturday to cheer on the Sooners. One shouldn’t have to be rich just to tailgate. It should be an experience that is able to be enjoyed by all, no matter what monetary background. In all honesty, you don’t get much bang for your buck with these packages. Even the most expensive ones don’t give you much more than the bare necessities. You’ll have to go to one of the distant public areas if you want to tailgate without spending a small fortune.
Sooner Nation is being ripped off, and they are making it known. OU Twitter is exploding with anger from fans wondering why it costs more to tailgate in certain areas than to buy a season ticket.
This move by the University is downright criminal. They may as well be spitting in the face of Sooner fans. We’ll see over the course of the season whether or not they decide to change their decision. However, this seems unlikely. If reversal is in order, it likely won’t take place until next year.
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