The NJSIAA walked back its explicit banning of tailgates for the football sectional finals this weekend.
A day after releasing a statement explicitly prohibiting all tailgating at this week’s football sectional finals, the New Jersey Interscholastic Athletic Association partly defended its stance on the subject on Tuesday while making a clarification.
Alcohol is out; food is in.
Tailgating will, in fact, be permitted at all four sites, but not the kind that includes alcoholic beverages, NJSIAA spokesman Mike Cherenson told NJ Advance Media on Tuesday.
"These are alcohol-free events and they always have been," Cherenson said. "(Drinking) has always been banned at NJSIAA events. The new rules are really aimed at cutting the tailgate. We're not looking to prohibit people from having a sub or a sandwich before or after the game. It's about the partying.”
RELATED: Your comments & a poll - should alcohol be allowed?
Cherenson added that the NJSIAA will have no way of enforcing the policy since it doesn’t control the venues or the parking lots.
"(Enforcement) outside would be done by the venue itself," Cherenson said. "Obviously, if there were rowdy fans in the stadium and that led to unsportsmanlike conduct or behavior, that might have ramifications by the NJSIAA.
NJSIAA is school-based sports, w/ no alcohol. New rules are aimed @ curbing tailgating/partying, not pre-/post-game eating. #KeepKidsSafe
— NJSIAA (@NJSIAA) November 29, 2016
"Sports and partying at the professional and college level has grown in importance and with the mainstream media today, it has kind of worked its way into high school sports,” Cherenson said. “Unfortunately, some of these parties and tailgates can lead to undesirable behavior and that's not fit for a high school sporting event."
According to Cherenson, however, no previous incidents triggered Monday's press release.
The NJSIAA sectional finals will be played from Friday, Dec. 2 to Sunday, Dec. 4 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, Rutgers University in Piscataway, Kean University in Union, and Rowan University in Glassboro.
Brian Deakyne may be reached at bdeakyne@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrianDeakyne. Like NJ.com High School Sports on Facebook.