The first Harvard-Yale tailgate that faced a ban on kegs was in 2002. Announcing the decision in 2000, then-Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis ’68 wrote in an e-mail that there were “a couple of incidents in which students could easily have died.”

Since then, restrictions have varied. In 2004, the administration centralized alcohol distribution and instituted ID checks after several alcohol-related hospitalizations, including a near-death, in 2002.

In 2006, following criticism by the Boston Police Department, students were prohibited from bringing alcohol into the tailgate. But in 2008, HoCos were permitted to serve beer and wine, though the tailgate had to end at noon.

Despite the restrictions, Adams HoCo Co-Chair Elyse M. Traverse ’12 said that due to the variety of social opportunities at the Game, she said she expected that people will have a good time.

“It’s going to be great regardless,” she said.

—Staff writer Danielle J. Kolin can be reached at dkolin@fas.harvard.edu.

—Staff writer Naveen N. Srivatsa can be reached at srivatsa@fas.harvard.edu.