WVU makes changes to ‘The Pit’

"The Pit" is no more.

West Virginia University students will no longer be able to drink alcohol in the student-only tailgating area near Milan Puskar Stadium.

The area, now known as "The Student LOT," is changing significantly for the 2010 football season.

Unlike in past years, the lot will be an alcohol-free zone. In the past, "The Pit" was a mainstay for students who would bring kegs to the spot to tailgate prior to a WVU football game.

The University cited a lack of attendance in "The Pit" over the last two years for the change.

This year, students will have to show their WVU ID to enter the LOT. They will be able to bring one guest. A variety of free food, entertainment and giveaways will take place prior to the start of the game.

"They might as well do away with the drinking if no one is going to show up," said Student Government Association President Chris Lewallen. "There are a large number of students who want to go to the game that don't want to tailgate and drink, so that will be one place for them to go."

WVU spokeswoman Becky Lofstead compared "The Student LOT" to WVU's "Up All Night" program – a late-night alternative on the Downtown Campus to going to bars and clubs.

Each weekend, "The Student LOT" will sport a different theme and department in charge of programming. At the Mountaineers' season-opening game against Coastal Carolina Sept. 4, WVU Residential Education will provide programming including the band "Vintage Drive" and food from Texas Roadhouse. Giveaways will include WVU T-shirts and gift cards. The Mountaineer mascot and WVU cheerleaders will be in attendance. Off-campus housing establishments are helping to sponsor the event.

"We are very excited about the changes to the former ‘Pit,'" said WVU Vice President of Student Affairs Ken Gray. "We strongly believe that these changes will have a positive impact on the overall student experience at WVU. The LOT will provide all students with a safe, fun and free place to spend time with other Mountaineers before home football games."

In addition to the food and entertainment, the Student Organization Services office is offering 25 parking permits for students for free.

Permits will be distributed on a first come, first served basis beginning the Monday before each game at 9 a.m. in the Student Organizations Services office.

The LOT will be open only prior to Saturday home football games for three hours prior to kickoff and will close 30 minutes before the game begins.

The lot will be closed this season for the Oct. 14 home game against South Florida – a Thursday night game.

"If you want to continue to drink and have a good time, there's plenty of places to do that," Lewallen said. "It's just providing an alternative."

Prior to the 2008 season, students were admitted into the lot with a valid student ID but did not have to show proof of age, which Lewallen said tended to promote underage drinking.

"It was pretty wild and crazy," Lewallen said. "I don't think anything drastic really happened, but the University had to take the initiative and put an end to that."

After 2008, students were given wrist bands if they were ages 21 or over. Lewallen said after that change, "The Pit" saw less students at each game.

"When they starting giving people wristbands, it pretty much shut it down because a lot of the people going in were underage," Lewallen said. "With the drop of attendance, and over the last two years basically no one attending ‘The Pit,' the University decided to make some changes to give students an alternative to partying and drinking before the game."