The Blue Devils’ game against the Crimson Tide drew more spectators than Wallace Wade has seen in years, clogging roads on campus but creating few security or medical breaches, administrators said.
“Other than the score of the game, there really were no major issues,” said John Dailey, chief of the Duke University Police Department. “Everything had been anticipated.”
Bracing for the more than 39,000 spectators, DUPD stepped up staff to what will likely be the year’s highest level, Dailey said. There were no alcohol-related hospitalizations or arrests, but 13 fans were hospitalized for heat issues and three were ejected from the stadium for being disruptive.
“Three was a low number for the hype and number of fans in the stadium,” Dailey said. “It speaks to how good the crowd dynamic was.”
Emergency Medical Services also boosted staffing in anticipation of the high temperatures, he said. Saturday’s high temperature was 87.
The influx of Alabama fans led to severe congestion of roads on campus, forcing administrators to stop the C-2 bus route during the game. The C-2 could not accommodate the number of people on campus, said Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta.
“This was a one-time phenomenon because of the unique nature of the traffic pattern,” he said. “There were so many out-of-town people parking at the campus side that there was just no physical way to manage the traffic congestion.”
Administrators and students agreed that this Tailgate was better than the first, during which one student was hospitalized for extreme intoxication. But Moneta said there is still room for improvement.
“I personally saw quite a number of students who I thought were less in control than they should be,” he said. “We need to get that small percentage to stop acting like jerks.”
Most students at the EMS Tailgate tent were treated for cuts from beer cans. One student was hit in the head by a falling beer can, leading to a more severe injury that required care later in the evening, Dean of Students Sue Wasiolek said. Throwing beer cans remains the most serious behavior violation at Tailgate, said sophomore Chris Brown, Duke Student Government vice president for athletics and campus services.
“We likely would have sent more to EMS, but the personnel was stressed,” she said. “Several students were sent back with friends to rooms for the rest of the evening.”
Alabama fans were not permitted to enter Tailgate, but they watched from outside the parking lot. One even threw a beer can into the crowd of students, Brown said.
Several professional journalists also attempted to enter the parking lot and record the revelry, but Wasiolek said she promptly escorted them from the premises, fearing it would inspire “folks to play for the camera.”
DSG hopes to improve communication during the event, especially regarding cleanup, Brown said. Although students are supposed to stay and clean their spots after Tailgate, the security guards insisted that they leave the Blue Zone 30 minutes before the start of the game.
Still, student accountability for Tailgate has been key to the event’s success and sustainability, Brown said, citing the lengthened move-in period as one improvement this time around.
Parking lot problems aside, Wasiolek said the game environment represented a big step forward for Duke.
“The opening of the game was emotional, when the team ran out onto the field,” she said. “I was so pleased with how the stadium looked. The players must have felt extra special about being a part of the Duke program and being Duke students, just to see that many people in the stadium cheering them on.”
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