Final Draft Proposal

Executive summary
The topic for this project came about in discussing the confusion that occurs on Clemson University’s campus on home football game Saturdays as 80,000 people merge onto a small town of approximately 7.4 square miles of land and with a population of only 11,939. Today, Clemson fans from all experience levels are facing increased regulations on game day tailgating. With IPTAY bearing down on their game day guidelines and taking away what used to be student tailgating spots, both students and alumni are less happy. Tailgating is still a huge tradition at Clemson University for students, alumni, and fans. It is incredibly exciting and fun experience to witness and arguable one of the best game day experiences. In order to make the most out of one’s experience it is important to be prepared and to know how to have a great tailgating experience. Fans are faced with increased traffic delays, students lack no general student tailgate areas and all are losing out on the Clemson game day tailgating tradition. A great tailgating experience can be achieved through proper planning in the areas of arriving at your tailgate spot, setup, food, and tailgating activities, and with our website we will be able to offer advice to alleviate some of the problems and present some solutions.
Introduction
Many Clemson fans travel to the small town of Clemson, South Carolina about seven weekend each fall to experience tailgating on campus. Many of those alumni come into the small town with no previous knowledge on where to park and how to operate an official tailgate. Many of the students, new and old, are at a loss to where they can tailgate. With the constant changing of parking guidelines and IPTAY regulations it can be confusing as to what a Clemson fan can and cannot do on game day. Not only that but many of these fans do not know how to operate an effective and enjoyable tailgate once they obtain a parking spot. With the right knowledge about parking and the essential elements of a great tailgate all Clemson fans can experience the game day atmosphere at its best. Too many people go without the great experience of Clemson tailgating on Saturdays in the fall and that does not need to happen. Our current involvement with Greek tailgating along with our Student Government ties will allow us to give a new perspective to Clemson Tiger fans. We will provide the essentials to a great tailgate and leave room for some creative additions. It is our hope that all Clemson Tiger fans can have the tailgating experience they deserve.
Body
The tailgating experience at Clemson University for football games is truly an amazing spectacle and something to behold. Unfortunately it can become a very chaotic experience. The tailgating experience all starts with packing and planning. People can really improve their tailgating experience by planning their trip properly and packing those necessary and luxury items that make a good tailgate great. Traffic can be very bad as some 80,000 people move into a small college town for a day. It is essential that people know how long of a drive it will take for different games to ensure that they get to the game in plenty of time to catch kickoff and tailgate. Not only this but the ability to determine the areas that are available for tailgating depending on your classification as a Clemson fan. For instance, if you are an IPTAY member you must know your designated spot on campus for parking and utilize that to the fullest extent. On the other hand if you are a student on campus the spaces to tailgate are much more limited and your ability to navigate these areas and utilize them to their full potential is key on game days. Many students do not know where they can and cannot park, along with alumni and new Clemson fans. There is a need for a clearer designation so that all levels of Clemson fans can find their place in the tailgating scene. Traffic, parking, and directions are the first and last part of the tailgating experience and really set the tone. There are also a lot of unknown tips that only experience veteran tailgaters know.
Some people say that the key to a great tailgate is the food. Tailgaters are often unaware of great recipes for tailgates that are easy to prepare on site. Drinking is another huge part of tailgating and for some the most important. It is thus important to know the laws as well as some great drinks to make and pack for your tailgate. Once people get to their tailgate and set everything up, then what do they do? Bringing along great accessories such as televisions and satellites, games, and other entertainment is yet another way that they can turn a good tailgate into a great one. Tailgating is about being social with your friends, family, and Clemson community, and the right food, drinks, and tailgate setup can really facilitate a wonderful experience. Finally, on of the most crucial parts of the tailgating experience involves the rituals and traditions rooted in the years of Clemson football. Many alumni have been coming to TigerTown for over twenty, even some over fifty years. We will elude to the tricks of the trade and provide some interesting game day rituals that should be imitated.
We are going to conduct extensive research on the topic. Our chief source of information will come from studying game day conditions and different tailgates throughout Clemson. We will give up our tailgating experience to go around and get stories from the many Clemson fans who know how to do it best. IPTAY will be a valuable resource throughout our project as many of their rules and regulations determine where a majority of Clemson fans can tailgate on game days. Students will be a valuable resource as they will be able to provide first hand horror stories and triumphs. We are also going to tap into online resources on the subject and experiment with them at our own tailgates.
We are actively involved in the Greek tailgating scene, President's of respective Greek organization, and experience tailgater from Greenville, SC where a large number of out of town Clemson Alumni and fans commute from on game days. Not only that but we are highly involved with Student government here at Clemson which is constantly looking for ways to include students in the tailgating scene. With the recent loss of several student tailgating lots there is a currently no official student tailgate areas besides the Greek quag. This causes students to find creative ways on game days to tailgate. As Student Government finds ways to accommodate students we will work closely with them to determine the best route to take with student tailgating as well as alumni tailgating on campus.
Our proposal for writing will be submitted on September 25th 2008. On approval the Draft of document will be submitted October 16th. On November 13th our Technology preview will be turned in. On December 4th our final project will be delivered to the class. The following proposal outline will guide our actions for the course of the semester allowing us to effectively asses the tailgate situation on campus.
Key
field studies
submissions of work
study/work

Date Event
20-Sep-08 SC State Tailgate Study
21-Sep-08 online research
25-Sep-08 Writing Proposal
27-Sep-08 Maryland Tailgate Study
9-Oct-08 Wake Forest (Away) Tailgate Study
13-Oct-08 Writing Center Preview
16-Oct-08 Draft of document
18-Oct-08 Georgia Tech. Tailgate Study
19-Dec-08 creation of website
13-Nov-08 Technology preview
29-Nov-08 South Carolina Tailgate Study
4-Dec-08 Class Presentations

(should explain the complete details of the solution: how the job will be done, broken into separate tasks; what method will be used to do it, including the equipment, material, and personnel that would be required; when the work will begin; and, when the job will be completed. It should also present a detailed cost breakdown for the entire job.)
Conclusion
Tailgating should be a bright spot of the Clemson experience where as for some it is a headache. The long traffic lines to and from the game, the hassles finding a place to tailgate and the pain of setting up a tailgate and breaking it down all in a period of twelve hours can be painstaking. We will provide to Clemson fans of all ages and backgrounds the information necessary to run an efficient tailgate on game day. Not only that but will provide some essentials to make their tailgate a truly Clemson experience. Real life stories and advice will be the main source of guidance along with IPTAY rules and regulations. Our involvement on campus and experience tailgating lends itself perfectly to allow us to give an unbiased view of game day at Clemson. It is our goal that everyone have the same great tailgating experience that we have had over the past years, there is no reason why this shouldn’t be the case. Clemson tailgating is a truly unique experience and we will show you why with this project.