RIP (Free) Hillside Tailgating

As the evening sun goes down on a cool Fall evening, a car pulls into C4 (affectionately known as Hillside lot) to save a spot for the upcoming Saturday morning. A bleary-eyed student makes their way down to a parking lot overflowing with purple. Many current students and alumni can relate countless memories of good times had in Hillside. In the years leading up to the National Championship year of 2004, tailgating on the campus of JMU was something quieter and was something to do, but wasn't out of control. As the years passed and as the excitement of each football game grew, so did the tailgating. Soon, Hillside and the Baseball lot (R1) became an event on Saturdays apart from the actual football games. The lots were teaming with happy people in purple and gold. Tailgating became something that JMU thrived at, for logical reasons.

Now, because of supply and demand (among other reasons), Hillside is transitioning into a donor lot for the Duke Club. For those uninitiated with the Duke Club, it is "the fundraising arm for James Madison University Athletics. Through its annual fund drive, the Duke Club raises unrestricted contributions in support of student-athlete scholarships and the athletic budget. Additionally, the Duke Club aids athletic facility enhancements and other needs through capital campaigns." Basically, through donations from thousands of Dukes, the Duke Club supplements the cost of scholarships and helps to raise money for larger projects, such as the football stadium expansion. The Student Duke Club is a small (though essential) part of the Duke Club (making up less than 5% of the $1.1+ million yearly contribution). So please do not mistake the President of the Student Duke Club as the Director of the Duke Club, or vice versa.

Now that we've covered the background stuff, let's review why we, as JMU football fans, still have it made. They're taking away Hillside as a free lot...which still leaves the Baseball lot within a third of a mile of the stadium. Oh, and don't forget the huge Convo lots or R2 across Port Republic Rd. as free places to tailgate either (both within a half mile from the stadium). You'd be hard pressed to find a school with a football program as big as ours, with as many fans as we have, that has tailgating so close to the stadium (that doesn't cost thousands of dollars for a parking pass). Especially when you take into consideration that we have so many lots within a five minute walk that are FREE. Here's two possibilities that I'll go ahead and lay out for those who used to tailgate in Hillside. First, you can talk to your friends and decide which of the other three spacious lots you want to tailgate in. A second option would be to get those same friends and scrap together $150 to get a parking pass for Hillside for the season through the Duke Club. Many people have already bought a parking pass and will continue to make (and possibly quickly forget) memories in Hillside. The bottom line is, to say that "the man" taking away one of the free tailgating lots and turning it into a paid lot will hurt JMU tailgating is belittling of all the James Madison students, alumni, and fans that have created the amazing atmosphere that we enjoy.

GO DUKES!