Minnesota State has tried hard over the last five years or so to create a little game-day atmosphere for football, hoping to get students and the community to spend a little more time on Saturdays to celebrate Mavericks’ athletics.

And the atmosphere has improved. But if you can’t have a picnic, enhanced by grilled delights, there’s no reason to get to the stadium until the first football is about to be kicked.

Hopefully, things will change by next weekend, when the Mavericks host Concordia-St. Paul. Perhaps that designated tailgate area will once again be available for the reckless combination of parking and grilling. Maybe the fear of alcohol consumption, which is obviously brought on by the fumes and flames of the grill, will be reduced now that another homecoming day has passed without riots.

It’s tough to predict how Minnesota State will react, but plans are being made for another tailgate gathering at the next home game. It would be nice to have a burger or brat, but it would be even nicer if the day could go by without ridiculous interference from overzealous micromanagement. It’s already understood that alcohol is not allowed on campus.

Just not sure how that got tied up with grilling.

Chad Courrier is a Free Press staff writer. To contact him, call 507-344-6353 or e-mail at ccourrier@mankatofreepress.com.