By: Daniella Bacigalupo/ News Director
Athletics believes the inauguration of the football stadium marks the start of a new era in FIU football.

Public Safety hopes it won’t inaugurate a new era in on-campus underage drinking.

Last Saturday’s inaugural game against the University of South Florida saw a previously unprecedented number of FIU students attend an athletic event but also brought over 50 underage drinking charges.

The State of Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco agents gave 56 notices to appear in court for underage drinking on-campus and in Tamiami Park, said Alexis Antonacci, press secretary for ABT’s Department of Business and Professional Regulations.

Chief of Police Bill King said underage drinking arrests are not uncommon at FIU football games, although there was an increase in charges because of the larger attendance of about 16,100 participants.

One 21 year old was taken to Miami-Dade County’s Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center for providing alcohol to a minor; one citation was given to a juvenile and one to an FIU student- athlete.

By comparison, at the University of Miami’s season opener against Charleston Southern University on Aug. 28, ABT gave 67 citations: 60 were given for drinking-age violations and seven for fake identifications or disorderly conduct.

Over 48,000 fans attended the game at Dolphin Stadium.

“There was more tailgating, more celebration for being the first stadium game,” said King. “We suspect we may not see that number of violations again and I’m really hopeful that there won’t be. It’s a concern of ours and we will do whatever we need to do to address it.”

King said that ABT works with campus police but at Saturday’s game all write-ups were made solely by nine ABT officers.

According to Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution Director Karen A. Dlhosh, as of pre-publication, 47 out of the 57 charges were given to FIU students.

Still, this number is significantly higher than previous games on-campus and at the Orange Bowl, where all of last season’s home games were played.

Charges at the old FIU stadium and Orange Bowl were no more than 10 per game, according to Dlhosh.

Campus Life gave out free FIU football T-shirts days before Saturday’s game with a Student Conduct pamphlet outlining tailgating information. “Golden Panther Dont’s” stated that underage drinking was subject to arrest and prosecution.

Underage drinking, on- or off-campus, violates the FIU Student Code of Conduct.

Students, in addition to appearing in court and complying with issued fines, community service or alcohol education classes, will also appear before the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution.

The violations will be handled on a case-by-case basis but all students will either accept responsibility and comply with sanctions or appear before administration or a student conduct committee, composed of two students and a faculty or staff member.

Sanctions include a written reprimand, probation period, online alcohol education class or referral to FIU counseling.

The FIU student-athlete will also be called before the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution. Athletics will handle any additional reprimanding, Dlhosh said.

Senior Associate Athletic Director Julie Berg and Assistant Athletic Director of Media Relations Richard J. Kelch said there is no tolerance of any drinking from student-athletes.

“We are very strict. Discplinary action is internal between administration, coaches and student-athletes, but believe me, it’s addressed,” Berg said.

Both Berg and Kelch explained that Athletics has no obligation to report legal incidents involving student-athletes to the National Collegiate Athletic Association and that this will not affect the department’s current four-year probation with the association in any matter.

The NCAA was unavailable for comment.

Some students complained that officers unfairly targeted minors while ignoring other drinkers.

Dlhosh said some ABT officers were in full uniform and that minors were being extremely obvious with their underage drinking.

“Students were just walking up with open containers, open bottles. [ABT officers] didn’t have to go looking for it,” she said.

Noelle, a 20-year old student who was arrested and refused to give her last name, said she saw five to six plain-clothed police officers, some with visible badges, stopping students walking toward the tailgate area.

All students were holding plastic cups, she explained, but none were being disruptive. More effort should have gone toward students who were drinking and driving and students who were “belligerently” drunk.

“I’ve gone to a lot of football games and I never encountered police arresting students,” she said. “If they want to create a football tradition, arresting students walking with alcohol is not the best tactic.”

The Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution made efforts to inform students of drinking regulations, but Dlosh said she knows that with the University’s increasing football popularity and “college football culture,” more outreach will be necessary to make students aware of the risks.

FIU Athletics is in a student “educating” process and while tailgating will always be encouraged, students must learn to tailgate responsibly, Berg and Kelch said.