Show summary Hide summary
This year’s St. Fratty’s celebration, anchored by the Morning on the Green music festival, topped the $1 million mark in university expenses again — but the bill was smaller than the prior year’s. The reduced tab, and heavy city and public-safety spending around the event, has prompted renewed attention to how campus and municipal resources are being allocated for large student gatherings.
The festival, which Cal Poly launched in March 2025 as an on-campus alternative to off-campus block parties, drew nearly 11,000 attendees this year. University officials report the total institutional outlay for the event at $1,007,334.30, down from about $1.17 million the previous year.
Where the money went
Organizers say the single largest line item was the concert itself, which cost roughly $597,669 — a decline from the concert-related expenses recorded in 2025. The university attributed much of the overall reduction to a smaller artist fee and lower concert-security spending.
OKC animal shelter temporarily halts cat admissions after staff illness
Central Coast assembly race: who’s vying to shape local representation
| Category | 2026 Cost (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Morning on the Green concert | $597,668.84 |
| Concert security | $49,257.72 |
| Campus security and related services | $271,613.75 |
| Other campus response (services, food, fencing, transport) | $88,794.08 |
| Total university expense | $1,007,334.30 |
Beyond university spending, the City of San Luis Obispo recorded more than $100,000 in costs tied to enforcement and support during the event. Municipal officials say those funds covered overtime pay for personnel, equipment rentals, temporary lodging, and other logistical needs.
- More than 21 law-enforcement and public-safety agencies from across California assisted around campus.
- City expenditures included items such as advertising, food and coffee for staff, and hotel rooms for personnel on overtime.
Public-safety footprint and next steps
The scale of the security deployment — both university and city — highlights the public-safety challenges that accompany large student events. University spokesperson Keegan Koberl confirmed the expense breakdown and described the figures as part of routine after-action accounting.
Officials are now weighing how to approach future St. Fratty’s celebrations. Discussions are ongoing about possible changes to event format, security planning, and cost-sharing arrangements with municipal partners.
For students, residents and local leaders, the central questions are practical: how to preserve campus traditions while managing risk and taxpayer exposure, and whether future editions will require different funding or operational models. The university says it will continue reviewing the event’s costs and public-safety impacts as planning for next year proceeds.
