Although it was on the agenda for Wednesday’s Chancellor’s Liaison meeting, Chancellor James L. Oblinger announced yesterday that he would need more time to make the final decision about extending tailgating hours.

The Football Task Force finalized its recommendation March 1 to extend tailgating by one hour, but the plan still requires approval from the University’s chief executive officer before event staff can implement it.

Oblinger attributed the delay to a packed schedule over the past weeks. On top of his engagements in safety discussions following the shooting at Virginia Tech, he also returned from India March 30 and has been busy with other obligations for the past several nights.

As a result, Oblinger said he doesn’t feel he’s had enough time to evaluate the proposal.

“I like to have time to arrive at what I feel is an appropriate decision,” Oblinger said.

One of the things Oblinger said he is examining is the creation of a student and faculty “ambassador” program that would be responsible for monitoring the atmosphere of the tailgating area. The program would be similar to Clemson’s “Solid Orange” program, which also escorts members of the opposing team around the area.

“My thought process is I don’t just accept extended tailgating hours without some other dimensions,” Oblinger said. “Presence is important.”

Outgoing Student Body President and member of the Football Task Force Will Quick said a group like this could also help police officers.

“It’s one extra way to make public safety folks be aware of what’s going on,” Quick said. “They can’t be everywhere at once.”

Oblinger said he was pleased with the response from Chancellor’s Liaison about the program.

“That tells me there is a willingness to participate,” Oblinger said.

Although he said he understood the chancellor’s need to take time to review the recommendation, Quick said it’s important that Oblinger make the final decision soon.

“It’s important that we find out as soon as possible so we can implement things,” he said. “The implementing phase is sometimes the most time consuming.”

Despite the delay, Oblinger said he is placing a big emphasis on making game days enjoyable for students and alumni alike.

“The environment of game day is not just an administrative phrase,” Oblinger said.

Quick said that he does expect to see the increased hour for the upcoming season.

“Despite whatever was said by the administration, they see we are making a good faith effort to try to do some things to change,” Quick said.