End of the road for the Magic Bus?

The operators of the Magic Bus, the iconic tailgating spot south of Kinnick Stadium, hope to keep the party going next football season.

But the Iowa City Rugby Football Club, which has title to the bus, is negotiating rent with the new owner of the property on Melrose Avenue where the bus parks, and it sounds like the bus' future is in doubt.

When asked for a prediction on whether the Magic Bus would be open next year, Jason Feuerbach, president of the rugby club, said: “I don't want to speculate. I'm just going to say I hope we are.”

The Magic Bus got its start in 1990, when a University of Iowa senior bought a school bus to take down to the Hawkeyes game at Miami. Since then, it's been mentioned in Playboy and Sports Illustrated and is visited by hundreds of tailgaters each Iowa home game.

News that the end may be near for the Magic Bus spread rapidly today after another rugby club member posted a message on Facebook saying the new landowner was asking too much for rent.

“We will not pay what they want for next year. ... If it is over after this year it has been a good run and we thank you for the support,” Jeremy Freerks wrote.

Freerks made similar comments to the Iowa City Press-Citizen. He did not immediately return phone and e-mail messages from The Gazette.

Tracy Barkalow, a partner in the Iowa City company that bought the property for $500,000 in August, said he has not made any decisions on rent but otherwise had no comment.

Feuerbach, 26, of Coralville, said the bus will stay put this year and they're talking about rent for next year. He declined to discuss specifics.

“We're going to do whatever we can to keep it there,” he said. “And if it doesn't work out there, we're going to see if we can't find something else. And if we can't find something else that's worthwhile, then we'll close the doors.”

Feuerbach said the bus raises about $10,000 a year for charity. In his Facebook message, Freerks wrote that it takes about $10,000 a day to operate the bus, which features music, alcohol and food.