'The Barn' gives University of Delaware students their own football tailgating spot

The University of Delaware’s efforts to improve school spirit now include selling spirits to students just a screen pass away from Delaware Stadium, where the Blue Hens’ football season starts Thursday night.

Considering UD was recently named the nation’s No. 1 party school by the Princeton Review, perhaps it’s a just reward.

But the new tailgating area branded “The Barn” is far from just a drinking establishment, UD officials insist.

Other attractions include food, music, games and the chance to gather with friends and make new acquaintances.

The area, situated around Bob Hannah Stadium, Delaware’s baseball facility outside the north end zone, will have space for 2,000 students, many of whom will be under the legal drinking age of 21 and not able to purchase alcohol.

A collaborative effort from numerous UD departments, The Barn was born primarily out of “student feedback and hearing what they wanted,” said Hannah Sirdofsky, UD associate athletics director for marketing and engagement.

“Students came to us prior to this and were talking about how they wanted a place to tailgate. They didn’t feel there was a place for students down here on South campus.

"Students could come and tailgate and they knew that, but they would be around season-ticket holders or alumni. There wasn’t a place that was truly student-centric.”

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Pregame revelry is a longstanding tradition at Blue Hens games in the parking lots surrounding Delaware Stadium at the David M. Nelson Sports Complex.

Increased police scrutiny, clearing of parking lots once games begin and greater attention to underage drinking have toned down some of the carousing and have drawn complaints from students.  

The new facility allows for such merriment in a more controlled environment. The Barn will begin accepting visitors four hours before kickoff and be open for 3½ happy hours.

Madisyn Steinberg, a UD junior marketing major who led some of those focus groups, said students had two main complaints that may have undermined their football attendance.

One was the distance to the athletic complex, a half mile from the southern edge of main campus, and the difficulty in getting to the games. The other was the cost and accessibility of food.

“It was all about figuring out what students wanted and how we could get them to connect with each other and the university at the games,” said Steinberg, who spends football games playing the mellophone in Delaware’s marching band. “The food and transportation were really big things.”

Delaware has increased bus transportation to the athletic complex from campus, with drop-off points close to The Barn. Ride-sharing service Lyft is also one of the sponsors with designated pickup areas.

As for food, it will be prevalent at The Barn with cheaper prices than at the concession stands, and students can use their meal-plan cards.

“There was never really a space where students knew, ‘Am I able to drink? Where should I hang out if I’m not able to drink?’” Steinberg said. “That’s why they actually are offering alcohol in The Barn for students at an accessible price. What space can we create for students where they feel safe and they don’t feel micromanaged by staff?”

Each game will also highlight a different university group at the barn, with Thursday being the Blue Hen ambassadors, the tour guides for prospective or admitted students and their families. That’s a way, said Steinburg, to attract students who may not normally attend football games.

While students still sit in the South end zone, they will now be entering at the southeast rather than southwest corner and walking around the East grandstand from The Barn.

While UD officials looked at how other schools handle student tailgating, Sirdofsky said “Our concept is unique as it relates to the college game-day experience.” Constitution Yards on the Wilmington Riverfront and the Creamery of Kennett Square provided inspiration for the site design, she said.  

The Barn opened Sunday night for freshmen after an orientation event and was quite popular, Steinberg said.

Students attend football games for free, entering with their ID cards. Game attendance is not a requirement of visiting The Barn. The school’s agricultural roots — UD’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources is next to the athletic complex — are recognized in the site’s name.

“We’ve designed a space where alcohol is not the central feature,” said Adam Cantley, UD’s interim dean of students. “There’s music stages on either end of the space, there’s food, there’s opportunity to play games, there’s opportunity to engage with your peers.

“The overwhelming majority of our student population is not of age to purchase, so the space is created to engage all students and if a student chooses to drink, that’s why we have a policy that outlines how that would be distributed in that space. They’re going to be ID’d and carded and there’s a lot of rules and regulations to promote an environment that’s healthy as well as focused on school spirit.”

Contact Kevin Tresolini at ktresolini@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @kevintresolini.