In response to recent budget cuts, tailgaters will be charged for parking in most lots west of Highland Road beginning with the 2011 LSU football season.
Lots on Highland Road and in the Tower Drive area will be subject to the change, along with the Levee Lot on River Road and the Hayfield Lot on Gourrier Avenue. Parking in a lot on the Old Front Nine golf course will also incur a charge.
“We chose the area because they’re closest to the stadium,” said Herb Vincent, senior associate athletic director and associate vice chancellor for University Relations. “These are the free areas that can be controlled on the interior of campus.”
Gameday parking permits will cost $40 per game on Highland Road and Tower Drive and $20 per game for the Levee, Hayfield and Old Front Nine lots.
Access to the lots will be on a first-come, first-served and game-to-game basis, Vincent said.
“People who parked in these lots in the past can continue to do so,” Vincent said.
Various locations will be open to purchase permits for the Highland Road and Tower Drive lots on Friday night, according to an Athletic department news release.
Sales for permits for all lots will begin at 5 a.m. on game days, according to the release.
The new charges are an attempt to offset the impact of budget cuts on the Athletic Department. Revenue gained from the permits will go toward creating more restroom facilities and to combat the rising cost of post-gameday cleanup, according to the release.
“With the growth of tailgating, it takes more to clean up lots, and we’ve gotten requests for more bathrooms,” Vincent said.
“We’re trying to service fans and preserve tailgating.”
Vincent said the Athletic Department has been studying ways to increase revenue for some time, especially since the department has taken on $1.4 million additional expenses from the University, including the Cox Communications Academic Center for Student-Athletes.
These new expenses are a direct result of budget cuts, Vincent said.
Vincent said the Athletic Department strived to preserve the fans who regularly tailgate in the area by making the spaces available on a game-to-game basis instead of reserving spaces for the season, where other parties could buy the spots.
“We understand people like to party and tailgate with friends and family,” Vincent said. “We created a structure that they can continue to do so.”
 
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Contact Grace Montgomery at [email protected]