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As the Eagles enter the increased competition of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), they are looking for both players and fans to step it up.
In an effort to get the stadium packed at kickoff, the athletic department has adopted a new policy allowing fans to enter the tailgating areas two and a half hours prior to game time. Officials have also begun sweeping tailgate areas 30 minutes before kickoff to get fans in their seats.
"This was done for one purpose: to create a terrific atmosphere and to provide as much of a game day home field advantage for our team by getting the fans into their seats for kickoff," said Athletic Director Gene DeFilippo.
Saturday's football game against Army was the first test of this policy, and DeFilippo said he was pleased with the results. By 12:40, he said, Shea Field and most of the parking lots were cleared of tailgaters.
"It was a great first start for us," said DeFilippo. "It was a tremendous team effort by everyone at Boston College, from the police to all the administrators on campus."
There remains room for improvement, he said, and the issues were addressed in a meeting held yesterday. There were three to four aspects of game management that he was not pleased with, though he refused to go into detail.
Officials admit that while the first trial was a success, next weekend's Florida State game will be a different experience. Their ACC home-opener will kickoff at 7:45 p.m., and BC Police Chief Robert Morse said increased alcohol consumption will create a new atmosphere.
Traffic remains a main concern for arguably the most anticipated game in BC history. Since licensing only permits the gates to open exactly two and a half hours prior to kickoff, the heavy volume of cars will be regulated by over 90 percent of the 226 law enforcement agents hired for the football games.
Among those officers are 35 from the Boston Police Department (BPD), as well as those from Newton, Brookline, and Needham.
A majority of regulation among tailgaters on campus is conducted by BCPD and a small amount of BPD officers. They mostly look to control underage drinking.
The number of officers allocated for football games is determined by the city of Boston, which the athletic department must approach annually to obtain a special license for sporting events. The license also dictates when fans are allowed into the tailgating areas.
"A good 95 percent of our actions on campus are driven by license requirements," said Morse. "If we don't do it correctly, we don't play football."
This year, the department requested an extra hour of pre-game tailgating, but was only given an extra half-hour. It was the first change in tailgating policy since Alumni Stadium was rebuilt in 1993.
Morse remained critical of the decision to only give half an hour. "We have police here four hours before game time, so there is no difference in cost by opening the gates three hours before," he said.
He added that an earlier opening would be better for traffic flow. "Past history tells us that once they [vehicles] stop, it's hard to get them moving again."
The message, spread through e-mails and sign notifications, seemed to get through to fans, said DeFilippo. "As I was walking through the parking lots, students would say, 'Don't worry we will be in by kickoff.' I want to thank them for their efforts."
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