Scott Gleeson

USA TODAY Sports

Beginning July 1, a new law in the state of Georgia will allow fans with concealed firearm permits to carry handguns during tailgating events at public universities, but guns will still not be allowed inside athletic events.

As a result, University of Georgia chancellor Steve Wrigley addressed how the law would affect Bulldogs football games. There are six home contests slated for Sanford Stadium in 2017, beginning Sept. 2 against Appalachian State.

Wrigley wrote in a memo: “Whether you opposed or supported this legislation, it will soon be state law. …While current law already allows license-holders to keep weapons secured in motor vehicles, House Bill 280 will allow anyone who is properly licensed in the state of Georgia to carry a handgun in a concealed manner on property owned or leased by public colleges and universities with some exceptions. …It will not allow any other type of gun to be carried around campus; nor will it allow handguns to be carried openly.”

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal signed the law earlier this month with the intention to protect students, saying then, “assailants can, and do, target these students knowing full well that their victims are not permitted to carry protection.”

Wrigley also added that despite the new law, institutions will not provide gun storage facilities or erect signs outside restricted areas, so it is up to the individual to know the full extent of the law. It would be a misdemeanor crime for a license-holder to carry a handgun in certain campus rooms, faculty offices, fraternity and sorority buildings or properties including a football stadium.

Wrigley wrote that the main exception to the law “includes stadiums, gymnasiums and similar facilities in which intercollegiate games are staged (but does not extend to so-called “tailgating” areas where fans may congregate outside the gates of the sports facility). It does not extend to student recreation centers and similar facilities that are not used for intercollegiate games.”

The news comes a few short months after Arkansas passed a similar law that initially allowed concealed carrying of firearms at stadiums, but that House of Representatives passed an amendment that gave exemptions to colleges and universities. And the SEC publicly supported the amendment.

Wrigley concluded his memo to Georgia alumni, faculty and students with, “Our mission (of safety) remains unchanged before and after July 1.”

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