With the Hawkeyes season coming to a close, University of Iowa officials say changes to game-day tailgating was the success they were hoping for.

"It took a game or two for fans to understand the new rules, but ultimately, people were responsive," said Tom Rocklin, the UI vice president for Student Services.

UI officials made changes to tailgating rules implemented at home football games in April in an effort to increase safety and reduce harmful drinking behavior among fans, said UI spokesman Tom Moore. Citations for such violations as having an open container of alcohol in public and public intoxication were highest during the first few games of the season, according to UI and Iowa City police records.

Rocklin, along with other UI officials — including Charles Green, the assistant vice president for the UI police — will review this season’s tailgating before the end of the semester to determine if any further changes to the regulations should be made.

"There’s nothing I can pinpoint that should have been introduce or done differently, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist," he said.

— by Ariana Witt