Mega tailgate parties packed with puking, peeing Nebraska fans have police seeing red

Police are still looking for the hosts of a giant tailgate party that drew hundreds of University of Nebraska football fans to one backyard two weekends ago.

A photo of the party, taken from the air before the Nebraska-Northern Illinois game by a Nebraska State Patrol helicopter, went viral. It showed fans wearing red jammed into a backyard, shoulder-to-shoulder, wall-to-wall.

The Lincoln Police Department posted a photo of it on its Facebook page at the time.

“LPD was dispatched to a tailgate party with hundreds of people. Reports indicated people were vomiting, urinating and causing a large disturbance,” the post read.

“Cheer on our #Huskers but bring it down a notch! You can’t watch the game from jail or detox.”

The backyard tailgate is part of a new party trend in the North Bottoms neighborhood next to campus and near the football stadium, full of rental homes occupied by students.

On game days, students are renting out the backyards to other students, often fraternities, for $200 to $800, according to the Lincoln Journal Star.

They close off the yards with dark plastic and charge admission, and hundreds of students drink before, during and after the game.

At one party, hosted by a fraternity, the women reportedly got in free and men bought $20 wristbands.

If partiers are lucky, there’s a porta-potty on site.

Parties have taken place in the area for years. But there are new spins, according to the newspaper: blocking off view of the yard and serving hard liquor with energy drink chasers.

Barstool ‘Skers posted a photo from one of the parties on Sept. 2 when Nebraska played Arkansas State at home.

“It’s a dangerous situation. There is underage drinking and overconsumption. Basically they are running a bar,” Carl Eskridge, a Lincoln city councilman, told the newspaper.

Lincoln police were busy on Sept. 16 when they busted up four parties in the area. One landlord called police to his own property after hearing there was a party going on there, the newspaper reported.

Police have sent letters to landlords in the area trying to discourage the parties. But they haven’t been able to track down the hosts of the mega party that caught the attention of the State Patrol helicopter pilots who often cruise the area on game days. The property where the party took place reportedly belongs to a company in Nevada.

At the scene, city police found underage drinkers too drunk to drive but couldn’t find the people who let them in, Capt. Anthony Butler told the Journal Star.

“Everyone said, ‘It ain’t me’ and then left,” Butler said.

The department received some push-back on Facebook for its “bring it down a notch” message, where police explained to more than one commenter that they’re not party poopers, they’re just trying to keep people safe.

“Heaven forbid they have a game day party,” wrote one man.

“We love game day parties!” the department responded. “Neighbors don’t love urinating, vomiting, litter, excessive noise, parking issues, drunk kids laying in their yards!”

Last year, while clearing out one backyard bash, police reportedly found a young man, drunk and unconscious, face down in the mud.

This story was originally published September 25, 2017 at 10:19 AM with the headline "Mega tailgate parties packed with puking, peeing Nebraska fans have police seeing red."