Reports of lost items in the Junction on game days are on the rise, and those affected do not know whether or not to point the finger at thieves or the university’s tailgating policies. Some tailgaters have expressed frustration stemming from their items being confiscated and disposed of by the Mississippi State University facilities management department.Jim Jones, executive director of facilities management, said if anything is left in the Junction after 7 a.m. the day after a football game, it is considered abandoned property.
“We start cleaning up campus around 4 a.m. the next morning, including the Junction,” he said. “We pick up all remaining tents, chairs and any other tailgating supplies left overnight.”
The rules and regulations for the Junction have changed since the tailgating area was completed last year.
Tents are only claimable after 5 p.m. on the evening before a game and must be cleared by 7 a.m. the day after the game.
Senior biological science major Gary Jefcoats said MSU has not publicized the rules for tailgating enough for people to know about them.
“I was told that cleanup time was at noon the day after the game, so when I went at 9:30 a.m. to get my materials from the Junction, my tailgating supplies were gone, so I was confused,” he said. “When I called MSU facilities, they told me they threw all of my stuff away. I had a tent, two big tables and a grill.”
Jones said the department does not trash anyone’s belongings.
“We will take all the materials to our warehouse,” he said. “We do not dispose of the items immediately. We want to give people a chance to come and get their belongings.”
Jefcoats said the Junction is nothing without fans, and the fact that belongings are being taken is an insult to them.
Jefcoats said he is happy that the Junction is becoming more popular, but MSU officials are contradicting what the area stands for.
Freshman communication major Rachel Brock said she always assumed it would be safe to leave tailgating materials overnight.
“It blows my mind that MSU would confiscate people’s belongings without any warning,” she said.
MSU game day rules establish that belongings in the Junction must be picked up by 7 a.m. the day after a game, Jones said.
“The majority of our patrons do remove their things after they leave the area immediately upon the conclusion of their picnic or football game,” he said. “I do not like to remove abandoned items, but I have to ensure that our campus is cleaned up promptly.”
Jones said while the items are confiscated from the Junction, they can be picked up at the warehouse before the next home game.