Reactor closed to tailgaters this season
The common meeting ground for Tiger football fans is now reserved only for media and staff.
Published Aug. 25, 2009
Reactor Field, which has served as a tailgating spot for students and football fans in past years, will no longer be available for public use beginning this football season.
In the past, the general public could pay a $15 fee to access the lot, which is located north of Faurot Field. Hundreds of fans gathered there on game day to partake in pre-game activities. With those activities came some problems and concerns for the athletics department regarding the safety of fans. These concerns led to talks in June of changing Reactor Field’s usage.
Several student organizations joined the athletics department in discussing what could be changed to improve the situation. Missouri Students Association President Jordan Paul was one of the student leaders who took part in these discussions.
“It was hard for the university to manage,” Paul said. “What can we do to make it a little more sane but still maintain the university experience?”
Paul said a few ideas were shared, including creating new student guidelines, but no decision was made before summer intersession. On Aug. 20, Paul and other student organization leaders were notified through an e-mail from Associate Athletics Director Whit Babcock that a decision was reached to make Reactor Field unavailable to the public.
“This change in policy was decided upon by the University of Missouri and supported by the MU Police Department and the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics in an effort to eliminate some of the disturbances and operational challenges that occurred in the lot last season,” according to an athletics department document.
Paul said Babcock informed him the athletics department was presented with the plan by the administration, and they endorsed it.
Neither Babcock nor athletics department spokesman Chad Moller could be reached for comment.
Upon receiving the notification from Babcock, Paul said he was alarmed a decision had been made without his or the other student leaders’ knowledge.
“It was a little surprising,” Paul said. “We were having dialogue, even if it wasn’t moving quickly.”
Although Paul agreed that changes to Reactor Field needed to be made, he said he doesn’t believe barring the general public is the best solution. This is not the first time the athletics department has used this approach. The closing of Reactor Park to the general public is similar to the closing of Frat Pit in 2007, when the tailgating spot was shut down due to behavior issues.
“They’re just ignoring the problem,” Paul said. “They’re just closing the location. There will still be issues with fan behavior.”
Although Reactor Field will now be reserved for game day media and staff, there are still several parking options for the general public, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Cathy Scroggs said.
“A lot of ticket holders enjoyed parking down there because it’s so close to the field,” Scroggs said. “There’s still plenty of public parking.”
A minimum of 250 spaces has been offered for public use in a lot near College Avenue, Lot X. A 2,000-space parking garage is also in the works on the same lot. Paul said he likes the prospect of having a place for students and the general public, but would like to see more.
"I am optimistic about the potential of Lot X, but 250 spots won't cut it, nor will a parking garage," Paul said. "It's a step in the right direction, but it's not nearly enough."
There will be other areas available for free parking as well as $15 parking, but Paul said his main goal is finding a place for students to gather for pre-game festivities.
“We just want some kind of student space,” Paul said. “There were all types of students who tailgated down there.”