Some Texas Tech University students are not pleased about a new entry fee to some fraternity tailgate parties.
Rolando Camarillo, a Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity member, said tailgaters can buy a pass for $35 that is good for all home football games. Students can also buy a ticket the day of a game for $10 at the door. Last year, students got in free.
Camarillo said the changes do not affect the members of the fraternities but mostly the other students coming to their tailgates.
“It’s a little disappointing to hear that we actually had to have people pay to come to our tailgates now,” Camarillo, the SAE philanthropy director, said, “because it never used to be like that.”
Picture by Halima Fasasi.
“Now, with the whole new thing, basically, girls have to — not necessarily girls — but girls and guys that want to come to our tailgate that aren’t part of the actual fraternity, they have to actually pay.”
Taylor Kenney, a senior from Flower Mound, Texas, said she thinks it is wrong to charge college students who, most of the time, are on a limited budget.
“I think it is a little bit ridiculous,” Kenney said, “honestly.”
Emilee Evans, a junior from San Angelo, Texas, said she is disappointed as well.
“It was kind of disappointing when I first found out,” Evans said, “just because I have got to enjoy the free tailgates the past two years.”
However, Chris Bourne, a nightclub and bar owner in Lubbock who rents the space to the fraternities for tailgate parties, said the extra fee has a purpose.
Bourne said the extra money goes toward food, drinks and location fee for the fraternity tailgates, which surround his bar, Conference, on Main and Ave X. Bourne would not disclose the exact amount the fraternities pay to use his space.
“The fraternities were really struggling,” Bourne said, “and especially the further more you got involved, they never budgeted as much as it takes to pay for a tailgate.”
While some students are not happy about the new change, Bourne said it was a necessary evil, but he said he understands why students would be upset.
“Nobody, me included, wants to pay for something they use to get for free.” Bourne said, “I mean nobody wants to.”
Evans said she understands why the fraternities are charging. She said although she was a little disappointed she does not think the $35 ticket is unreasonable.
“I just feel like for what you’re getting it’s not — it’s not too bad of a price,” Evans said.
While Evans said she would buy the tailgating pass if her friends did, Kenney said she wants to go to the Kappa Alpha Order, Alpha Tau Omega and Pi Kappa Alpha tailgate, which has no entry fee.
“I’ve actually already sold my passes for the rest of the season,” Kenney said. “I just realized that I had so much fun at the tailgate, the free one, that I was like, ‘there’s no reason for me to go back.’”
The next home game takes place Nov. 1 against the University of Texas at Austin. The fraternities KA, PIKE and ATO will be in the Torchy’s Tacos parking lot with free food and drinks. Entry is free for females.
About Karly Johnson
Seriously… Its $10 don’t be a poor person and pay if you want to drink.