With our university’s move to the Southeastern Conference come many changes to make sure MU will fit in with the SEC’s culture. The possibility of Tiger Town is one of the biggest changes.
The proposed town would be an entire section of downtown Columbia devoted to pre-game and post-game celebrations with planned events and a pumped-up tailgating atmosphere. The town would be centered on a nine-block pathway to Faurot Field, titled the “Tiger Trail.”
That’s all fun, literally, but the issue here is that the planning for this town is being done by a task force of Columbia citizens and business leaders without student involvement. After all, this is our school’s football team, not the City of Columbia’s.
We understand there are possible economic benefits to Tiger Town. It will increase MU athletic spirit, and it’s a necessary addition to campus culture to incorporate part of the SEC tradition. But someone needs to ensure there is no possibility the town will threaten the survival of the EndZone, the Missouri Students Association-funded tailgating section, or student interest in football celebrations.
The proposed Tiger Town isn’t catered to students, considering it would be inconvenient for us to walk downtown when we’re already so close to campus and Faurot Field, especially when we’d be going just to shop (Who needs to buy a dress on game days anyway?) and tailgate, which we can do elsewhere. Tiger Town is largely intended for crowds from opposing schools and fans from out of town.
It’s not clear yet whether Tiger Town will be open to alcoholic beverages, when the EndZone already allows it. Additionally, since elements of Tiger Town will be family-oriented, it might be better to ensure a separation so student celebrations don’t infringe on family celebrations and vice versa.
As for the EndZone, if given a chance, it will improve and grow. It’s already done much better than previous tailgating area The Jungle. Attendance for Homecoming was at maximum capacity, with general improvement over time. Former MSA President Eric Woods made a wise choice to keep and improve the idea of a student tailgating section rather than cutting it completely. If MSA continues to support the EndZone and promote it, it will become one of the organization’s most successful endeavors. Look at the Midnight Barbecue, and compare the small numbers it had in its early years to the huge attendance rate it experiences today.
Student leaders need to reach out to the Tiger Town task force and give our student body representation to make sure our interests and the city’s interests don’t interfere with each other. Additionally, student leaders need to reach out to their constituents to hear what we want and make the EndZone an effective and fun tailgating option. By educating students about Tiger Town and the EndZone, and by establishing communication between the city’s interests and the students’ interests, we’ll ensure the city doesn’t capitalize on our student athletes’ success while stepping on our student-led celebrations.
