Tailgating is as much a part of football as helmets and shoulder pads, but that age-old tradition may get the ax in New Jersey this February.
Those in charge of organizing Super Bowl XLVIII are reportedly considering banning tailgating in the lots surrounding MetLife Stadium as a way of easing space concerns.
Jim Minish, vice president of the New Jersey Sports and Exhibition Authority, announced Thursday that the total capacity of the stadium’s parking lots will be trimmed from 27,000 to around 11,000, according to NorthJersey.com, and no vehicle will be permitted to take up more than one space.
“That has [authority president Wayne] Hasenbalg talking about ‘no tailgating’ at all,” NorthJersey.com’s John Brennan writes, “although he said details were still being worked out, including whether ‘certain accessories’ like grills will be allowed if they don’t take up extra space.”
The committee has also had to account for the fact that because the game is being played at a cold-weather site in the dead of winter — the first time a Super Bowl has been held in such a location — a game-day blizzard is a very real possibility.
