Columbia's homecoming games have never been quite like other schools', but this year Lions fans will see even more differences from the typical college pregame. Tailgating—a gathering held in a parking lot before an athletic event—will not take place in the Baker Athletics Complex this year due to ongoing construction on the new Campbell Sports Center, which has taken up parking spaces at the stadium. But Jose Delgado, CC '12 and head manager of the Columbia University Marching Band, said he still looks forward to a good homecoming game against the University of Pennsylvania, slated for Oct. 15. "Every year there's more people. Last year's homecoming was an enormous crowd," Delgado said. However, he added that he has noticed a slightly smaller number of fans turn out for the first few football games of the season. "There's a smaller audience just because there's a smaller space. It's hard because they [the athletics department] are trying to manage construction and games at the same time." Construction started on the Campbell Sports Center at Broadway and 218th Street last spring after Columbia received approval from City Council. The Center will include 48,000 square feet of space dedicated to training facilities for student athletes and offices for coaches and athletics staff. According to the Columbia Facilities website, the Center will be completed by fall 2012, and Darlene Camacho, associate athletics director for sports information and media relations, wrote via email that tailgating at the stadium will resume next season. Since parking for fans will be limited this year, Columbia has rented an off-site parking lot that prohibits tailgating. "We have not banned tailgating at the Baker Athletics Complex. Tailgating will take place in the Pre-game Picnic Area for the 2011 football season," Camacho said, referring to a closed area maintained by the athletics department. The football team's homecoming game, a long-standing tradition in which many come out to see the Lion's first big game of the year at home, will still feature an all-you-can-eat barbecue buffet lunch and carnival, geared toward younger fans and families. Even with these festivities, John Keefe, CC '15 and wide receiver on the football team, said he worries that changes to tailgating may affect the environment. "I'm sure it'll change up the activities before the game a little bit, if people were planning on tailgating there. It'll change that. The only alternative would be doing something at another location," Keefe said. Some fans value the tailgating atmosphere and look forward to it at games, he said. "Tailgating is part of the tradition for football." In 2005, director of athletics M. Dianne Murphy instituted a new policy that prohibited students from carrying alcohol into Baker Field, which includes Wien Stadium. Tailgating was banned for several months until a student boycott moved Murphy to revoke the policy. The department created a pregame concessions stand in the picnic area and pregame activities held there and in the parking lot have long been an important part of students' homecoming rituals. Camacho explained that "because vehicle tailgating is not an option this year, we have expanded free beverage service to include a second location in the Baker Athletics complex lot." The additional drink station, which serves complimentary soft drinks and water and free beer to students over 21, will be in the parking lot, and the original station is in a picnic area. While most Columbia students are not loyal attendees of the football games, Austin Akins, CC '15, was disappointed to learn that there would be no tailgating this year. "That's like the whole point of homecoming," he said. news@columbiaspectator.com