Last football season, the Missouri Students Association revamped MU tailgating by creating The EndZone, a space for students to gather before kick-off. But if a new tailgating area downtown, Tiger Town, takes off, it could affect MSA’s party.

Tiger Town, a proposed downtown tailgating area, grew out of the anticipation for larger crowds for SEC games. The area would be a blocked-off section of streets north of Elm Street designed after similar areas at other SEC schools.

The plans for the downtown tailgating space have not been finalized. Bob Gerding, one of three businessmen who proposed the space, said in a [previous Maneater article](https://www.themaneater.com/stories/2012/2/17/proposed-tiger-town-accommodate-sec-fan-base/) that it would provide a safe place for fans before, during and after games while giving Columbia an economic boost.

Former MSA President Eric Woods, who created The EndZone last year, said he doesn’t see Tiger Town as a definite problem for The EndZone.

“The last that I had heard in discussions about it, a lot of people were kind of skeptical about whether or not it was even going to materialize,” he said. “Just because of the difficulties associated with it being downtown and far from the stadium and open container laws, among other things.”

The EndZone was created last semester, replacing an older tailgating space, The Jungle.

Woods said he thinks MU’s move to the SEC will prompt a shift in tailgating, but won’t necessarily change The EndZone.

“I don’t how specifically it might impact (The EndZone), but I would hope that it wouldn’t,” he said. “Especially since we started putting on some really good events last semester and it picked up some steam.”

Both tailgating spaces allow alcohol, but The EndZone requires an MU student to be present with each party.

The businessmen who proposed the Tiger Town plan are currently working through open container laws, according to the Columbia Tribune.

The EndZone has always allowed beer, though Woods said there was confusion over the space’s policy last semester.

“You do have to be 21 to drink it, but there’s not a lot of people policing the lot to determine whether or not that’s legal,” he said. “But alcohol is allowed. I think that’s one of the biggest misconceptions that we had, and a problem that we had trying to sell it.”

Woods said once people realized they could drink in The EndZone, attendance started growing.

The EndZone does require at least one student to be with each party, Woods said, while Tiger Town would not.

“We tried to keep it a little more low-key,” Woods said. “We allowed alcohol, but we wanted to make sure it wasn’t an environment that was too crazy. So, anyone is allowed to come, if they have a student with them.”

MSA Senate Speaker Jake Sloan said MSA is planning to continue funding The EndZone next year at the same level it did last semester.

Woods maintained that if Tiger Town does materialize, there’s no saying what its effect will be on The EndZone.

“I think it’s too early to speculate,” he said.