RVs and tents take over much of Norman on football gamedays

By Althea Peterson

Transcript Staff Writer

During the weekdays, it's Norman. During gameday Saturdays, it's Soonertown, filled with tents at every corner around the stadium and trailers from around the country.

From Lindsey Street to Brooks Street, tents clad with Sooner flags, grills and televisions line the areas that typically have benches and freshly mowed grass. At the Lloyd Noble Center and Duck Pond parking lots, spaces usually sought after by students rushing to classes are filled with large RVs, complete with electrical connections.

Dale Kirby of Anadarko is one of the RV owners, who said he drives to Norman for every home game -- plus some away games, and has been for the past six years. For him, it's a chance to re-connect with other friends who also travel by motorhome. Plus, the Duck Pond is only steps away from Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

"This is pretty premium parking here," Kirby said. "It's just a different atmosphere. We can't take our dogs with us at a hotel. My wife has limited mobility, so if she has to leave the game, it's easily accessible."

Unlike trailer parking, which is assigned, many of the tents popping up around town are first come, first serve for spaces. This leads to people, just as Monte Gillespie of Norman, arriving far before gameday to stake out a spot on Lindsey Street.

"We usually setup on Tuesday," Gillespie said.

Cathy Roark of Oklahoma City said arriving Friday, as her group did before the Middle Tennessee State game Sept. 23, can be risky, as many tent spots are already gone. However, she said there's no better place to be on gameday, surrounded by other Sooner fans and tailgaters.

"We've got some great cooks in our group," Roark said. "It can be a long day, but it's all right. It's OU football. It's wonderful."

For RV campers, the earliest they can start their Soonertown experience is Friday, as the trailer areas serve as student parking lots the rest of the week. Yellow tape and security guards ensure that the areas are for the RV's only come Friday.

Barbara Fairbairn of Oklahoma City said she and her husband have been traveling to the games by RV for 25 years -- always to the Duck Pond lot, not Lloyd Noble. She said her group's concerns of having to move out to the Lloyd Noble lot were lessened after donating to the university to put electric outlets at the Duck Pond lot -- and corresponding with OU President David Boren.

"We sent him a letter about the parking, and (Boren) wrote back," Fairbairn said. "(Boren) said as long as we want to be here, these are our spots. We all have a copy of that letter just in case."

Paula Bevilacqua of Tulsa said for the RV lots, the best gameday weekend is always the first, when familiar Sooners reunite for the first time since last fall. She said it's an experience that is unlike anything else.

"You come every weekend, you'll see the same things. You'll see the same people, the same RVs, and televisions everywhere," Bevilacqua said. "This offers you the opportunity to go on vacation and only pack and unpack once."

Art Winn of Noble said he brings his RV to Lloyd Noble's lot despite his close proximity to Norman. For him, it's about meeting opposing fans from such schools as the University of Washington earlier this year, as well as fellow Sooner fans.

"We stay here all weekend and enjoy it," Winn said. "I'm away from home and not doing any work. We know a lot of people and we get to meet people from everywhere."

The Sooner football team has its first home conference game of the season, with the Iowa State University Cyclones coming to town. Kickoff is 11:30 a.m. today at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

Althea Peterson 366-3539 apeterson@normantranscript.com