5 Coolest Stadium Perks in College Football

Sometimes, just attending a college football game isn't enough. And because attendance is at a 14-year low, according to Jon Solomon of CBSSports.com, schools have developed new ways to get fans to come to the game.

Of course, not every perk is new. Some traditions have been around for decades and remain some of the best extracurricular activities the sport has to offer. 

Which game-day perks are the best? We pick five in the following slides. From old to new, the following pregame, in-game and postgame perks have to either take place in the stadium or in the surrounding area.

5. Army-Navy Alma Mater Tradition

Wherever the annual Army-Navy game is played, fans can bank on one thing: Each academy will sing its alma mater to the stands after the game. If you're looking for one of the most awe-inspiring postgame perks in college football, Army-Navy has it. 

The rivalry itself has been lopsided, with Navy winning the last 13 meetings. Still, the singing of the alma maters remains one of the must-watch events every season. 

You don't have to be an alumnus of either academy or be a fan of either team to appreciate one of the best traditions in college football. Whether the game is in Philadelphia, Baltimore or somewhere else, the tradition is the same. That makes it a great perk that travels.

4. Sail-Gating

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Sailgating became popular at programs like Tennessee and Washington, both of which have stadiums that can be accessed by water.

Baylor became the latest program to offer its fans a different way to get geared up for a game. The Bears' new palace, McLane Stadium, can be accessed by the Brazos River. 

Even before the 2014 season started, Baylor's first in McClane, the school's admin felt confident about sail-gating's place as a new tradition, via J.B. Smith of the Waco Tribune: 

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Baylor officials say they have no idea how many people will take water transportation to the game, but they've been encouraging it since the stadium was announced in 2012. Baylor has set aside a large inlet as a 'boat basin' that will start with 16 boat slips for lease, as well as free tie-up points along a retaining wall.

'We first want to see if there's interest to go beyond 16 slips, and whether people are going to be excited for a couple of games or the full season,' said Nick Joos, Baylor associate athletic director.

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3. Jump Around

Some stadium perks require a little energy and participation. Wisconsin knows a thing or two about that. 

Often imitated, never duplicated, "Jump Around," played between the third and fourth quarter at Wisconsin home games, is one of the coolest things to do (and see) anywhere in college football. In 2012, "Jump Around" was voted college football's best tradition by Sports Illustrated (h/t Wisconsin athletics). 

So if you like your stadium perks to be more energizing than relaxing, Camp Randall Stadium has one for you.

2. UCF's East Side Club

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Central Florida's new beach-inspired tiki bar area might be college football's most innovative stadium perk, that's for sure. 

Set to be ready in time for the 2015 season, the East Side Club is one part sun deck and one part covered lounge. Renderings of the new club section can be seen on UCF's official ESC website. 

Among the amenities fans can enjoy are: "chairback seats," "more than 15 flat-screen TVs," WiFi, private bathrooms and entrances. UCF athletic director Todd Stansbury talked about the new addition on the Open Mike radio show (h/t Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel): 

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We were looking for ways to increase our premium seats and ways to bring more personality to our stadium The other thing is that we wanted to make sure when somebody is watching us on TV, they know where we're located. I feel like palm trees and flip flops and all those things that make Florida a great state would be a great way to do it.

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1. The Grove

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An oldie, but a goodie. Tailgating is done at every football stadium in the country—but no one does it quite like Ole Miss does. Because of that, while The Grove isn't a stadium perk in the most technical of terms, it might as well be; The Grove is basically a second arena for Ole Miss fans. 

Countless stories about The Grove—a beautiful, grassy, shaded spot on campus near Vaught-Hemingway Stadium—have been shared over the years. Laken Litman of USA Today went "inside the madness" that is The Grove on game day against Alabama last season: 

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Tailgating in The Grove — Ole Miss' 10-acre plot with large oak trees in the middle of campus — doesn't commence until Saturday morning before kickoff, but preparations meticulously start the day before. But there are strict rules. Tents are not allowed in the area until 8 p.m. the night before.

Which is where we meet the hundred or so people in the parking lot with their dollies holding 20 tents apiece, U-Hauls, and other trucks filled with tables and chairs.

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To tailgate in The Grove is to be taken back to another decade. That's why it's the coolest perk in college football.