UPDATE: Pat Hobbs writes a letter to students to announce Rutgers is exploring alternatives to shutting down The Alley.
PISCATAWAY -- Hours after a website released a video that shows him drinking a beer at a student tailgate, Rutgers Athletics Director Pat Hobbs apologized for his actions and told NJ Advance Media he was trying to restore order to what was turning out to be an unruly atmosphere.
"My first concern is always for the safety and well-being of our students,'' Hobbs said. "Anyone who was at the (student tailgate) Saturday knows that I was acting to ensure that.''
On Aug. 31, Rutgers announced that it would sponsor a student tailgate at football home games this season. Dubbed "the Alley,'' the tailgate was located in a gravel lot across from the Werblin Recreation Center on the Busch Campus, approximately 400 yards from High Point Solutions Stadium.
On Tuesday, the university athletics department announced that it would be shutting down the student tailgate at home games for the remainder of the season, issuing a statement that read: "Regrettably, due to safety concerns, The Alley is no longer available for student tailgating.''
While the Rutgers statement gave no indication of whether university officials would revisit an alternative tailgate at a later time, Hobbs said "a number of concerns were raised'' about the tailgate and the Rutgers athletics department "did not feel we could fully address'' the potential issues.
While all Rutgers students were permitted to enter the student tailgate, school officials mandated that only student organizations to be allowed to reserve a spot in the lot. A total of 25 permits were administered on a first-come, first-serve basis on the Thursdays leading up to the first two home games.
School officials said the first tailgate for the Sept. 10 Howard game drew between 500 to 800 students. But after word spread on various social media streams, last Saturday's tailgate drew between 2,500 to 3,000 students.
Athletic Director Pat Hobbs walks onto the field before the Rutgers football home opener versus Howard at High Point Solutions Stadium. 9/10/16 Piscataway, N.J.
Kenneth Cop, the chief of Rutgers University Police, said the environment was relatively calm and his department ended up issuing two citations apiece to a total of four people in the hours leading up to the 12 p.m. kickoff.
Hobbs said he arrived just as the Rutgers police were issuing tickets and he got the sense that the crowd was getting out of control. Hobbs stood on top of a riser, grabbed a microphone to address the crowd and, according to multiple witnesses, the Rutgers AD helped control the situation by lauding the Rutgers Police Department and calling for the students to cheer them.
A video released by New Brunswick Today shows someone handing Hobbs a beer just before he leaves the stage. Hobbs says, "No, I can't drink that right now. No.''
Ten seconds go by and then Hobbs grabs a can, and quips: "I am of age. If they card me, I'm okay. All right, go RU.''
The video, headlined "Rutgers AD Patrick Hobbs Throws Back a Beer at School-Sponsored Tailgate Party,'' cuts off just as he appears to take a sip.
Hobbs said picking up the beer was "a mistake.''
"I regret that any action on my part can be interpreted as promoting the use of alcohol,'' he said. "That was certainly not my intention.''
On several occasions during his first 10 months as Rutgers AD, Hobbs has met with student leaders to discuss finding creative ways of getting students to attend games. While Rutgers distributes 10,000 free tickets to students for each game, student attendance has been up and down through the years and 12 p.m. start-times are considered more of a deterrent for student turnout (Rutgers' first four games are all noon kickoffs).
In announcing the Rutgers-sponsored tailgate in the week leading to the home opener, Hobbs said: "The Alley will be a fun, exciting place where students can get together on gameday. There was a need to address the tailgating options for our students and we are excited to provide them with this opportunity.''
Added Rutgers football coach Chris Ash in the statement: "We want to provide students with every opportunity to enjoy their football gameday experience. Student involvement is a critical element to the energy in the stadium and we look forward to them bringing that passion on gameday.''
In his opening statement following his team's first two home wins this season, Ash credited the students for creating an "exciting environment.''
"I thought our student section did a great job today,'' Ash said after the Sept. 10 win over Howard. "I was really pleased to see the turnout from them.''
Following last Saturday's triumph over New Mexico, Ash thanked the "students for showing up today and supporting the football team.''
"I thought once we got going,'' Ash added, "they actually helped us regain momentum in the game, create a lot of energy and excitement in that game for our football team and can't thank them enough.''
Keith Sargeant may be reached at ksargeant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @KSargeantNJ. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.