University Row Policies

In addition to the terms and conditions all guests agree to when they purchase tickets from any University Row Anchor, guests must observe and beware of the rules that follow. If you have a suggestion or comment about these policies, please contact us.

General Policies

Laws and Rules Incorporated by Reference

All applicable local, federal, and state laws including all relevant ABC regulations are incorporated herein by reference, and are to be observed. Additionally, all rules set by the Virginia Gold Cup Association and the Great Meadow Foundation are in force and guests agree to abide by them.

No Crashing

Everyone wants to get into University Row, but once we are sold out, that’s it, and ticket sales are not allowed anywhere on the the grounds of Great Meadow, so we can’t even sell the spaces left by any no-shows. Crashing is trespassing and theft wrapped into one; Trespassing is a Class 1 misdemeanor in Virginia (§18.2-120 and §18.2-23) and theft is universally illegal. Crashers are essentially stealing from the organizers and diminishing the rightful supply due to paid guests. Do not assist crashers. Our policy is to expel anyone who assists crashers, including paid guests.

No Refunds

Tickets are not refundable for any reason.  Unused tickets are considered donations to the Alumni Events Alliance.  We apologize in advance for any inconvenience.

Ticket Scalping Prohibited

Ticket scalping is defined as selling a ticket for an event at a higher price than the official one.  Any such tickets purchased without consent of the AEA are subject to being electronically voided and both buyers and sellers will be banned from attending University Row. It is unethical to profit from the work of volunteers and non-profit organizations and the AEA will do everything in its power to eliminate such unsavory practices. Furthermore, it is illegal in the Commonwealth of Virginia to resell tickets that include alcoholic beverages. Thus, resellers risk arrest, fines, and imprisonment. 

Onsite Check-In

The onsite check-in table will be located at the entrance of University Row and will open at 11:00 am to process Tent-Only guests. Onsite check-in will close at 3pm; guests are encouraged to proceed to the onsite check-in table as soon as possible.

Passing Drinks

Do not pass drinks across fences. Do not pass drinks to crashers. Do not pass drinks to anyone known or believed to be underage.

Gentility

Show courtesy to fellow guests and service personnel and alert a University Row staff member if you have any issues or concerns with another guest, a crasher, a vendor employee, or with another staff member. University Row is considered a ‘safe space’ for all in attendance. Anyone creating a hostile environment for others, will be asked to leave.

Cancellation

The Virginia Gold Cup is held rain or shine, and so is University Row.

Bus-Related Policies

Authority

The bus driver is responsible for the safety of the motorcoach and its passengers. The bus captain is the University Row representative on each bus and is empowered to admit or dismiss passengers. Guests must comply the instructions of these individuals.

Punctuality

Instead of requiring guests to be present at an exact time, our unique bus pool allows guests the flexibility of leaving within a window of time. But guests are still responsible for being in the right place within the given window of time. No matter the circumstances, we will not wait for stragglers who miss the entire morning registration and boarding period, or for passengers who miss even the very latest bus in the afternoon.

Bus Availability

There are no reserved buses. Each bus may have a completely different group of guests on the return trip as it did on the way out. If a bus is accidentally overfilled, the last people to board must deboard and go to another bus before the bus will embark.

Seat Availability

There are also no reserved bus seats. Seats are available to all passengers on a first-come, first-served basis with the caveat that DC bus ticketholders must load DC buses and Virginia bus ticketholders must load Virginia buses.

Boarding

In the past we have directed guests to board the buses at the front of the line in the morning. This year this will be an enforced policy in the morning and—now that we have reserved parking at Great Meadow for our buses—it will be the policy in the afternoon as well. Only the buses at the front of the queue of University Row buses will be open for boarding.

Authorized Passengers

Only University Row guests who have purchased tickets that include bus transportation may ride our buses. Each passenger is required to show his or her wristband to the bus captain (and other staff members, if requested). Prompt compliance will help us get the bus in motion.

Litter

Please help pick up after yourself. Cleaning charges we receive from our charter provider this year will force us to budget for them in the future and will ultimately result in higher ticket prices.

Damage

If you or your guests cause damage to a bus which results in a cleaning charge or repair bill, these costs will be passed along to you.

Dedicated Parking Area at Great Meadow

We are pleased to announce that there will be reserved parking for all University Row buses again this year. Last year the afternoon boarding process was much easier for all involved.

Guides

University Row volunteers will be available in front of the buses at our dedicated parking area at Great Meadow to answer any questions or address concerns.

Tips

You are not required to leave tips for the bus drivers who get us to and from Great Meadow Park as safely as they can, but we thank you in advance for any contribution you provide, as we hope to tip each driver generously for his or her service on the day.

Route

Buses will go directly to The Plains and will return without detour to Whitlow’s on Wilson in VA and Lou’s City Bar in DC, except as emergency situations may require.

Interference

Buses are chartered by time and distance. Passengers causing buses to delay departure may be subject to financial penalty.

Traffic

We cannot control traffic or travel times and are not liable for delays or inconveniences experienced by one or more buses. We have made every effort to time things based on experience and current conditions, but road construction, accidents, weather, and excessive vehicle volume are unpredictable factors. Neither full or partial refunds or any compensation will be offered for circumstances like these, which are beyond our control.

Mechanical Failure

We have chartered first-class luxury motorcoaches from Martz, an industry leader, but mechanical breakdowns, although rare, can still occur. In the unlikely event of a malfunction before bus arrival or during transit, we will make every effort to resume the planned schedule. Mechanical failures are beyond our control and bus charter industry standards do not accept contracts entitling clients to compensation for inconvenience or delay; thus, in such a case, University Row Anchors will not have access to any sort of partial or full refunds to pass along to affected passengers.