College Football 2011: 25 Great Places to Tailgate Before You Die
Most “bucket lists” inevitably include travel destinations of some kind.
Whether it’s religious shrines, natural wonders, historical sites or theme parks that tickle your fancy, everybody’s got some place they’ve always wanted to visit.
For the college football aficionado a list of “must see” game day experiences are every bit as important as seeing where a US President was born, scaling the Great Wall of China or standing in front of the Mona Lisa in the Louvre in Paris.
Outside of the actual thrill of seeing a game in the “Swamp,” the “Valleys” (Death or Happy) or the “Shoe,” there is the coveted destination of the tailgate.
It’s the sacred pre-game rite passed from generation to generation; it’s ribs, dogs, brats and tacos; it’s lager, ale, bock and malt liquor; it’s port-a-pots; it’s tossing the ball around; it’s coolers, tents, atmosphere and electricity.
Though you’d be hard-pressed to find a “bad” tailgate (I mean come on, what could possibly be bad about hanging out before a live college football game), the following slideshow presents 25 places to tailgate before you die.
It’s the bucket list that is so much better than any other that it’s almost unfair.
“The finest moment came when a man I didn’t even know offered me a spicy drumstick and a cold PBR...” —Eleanor Roosevelt, 1948, Virginia Tech vs. Army, West Point, NY
Ole Miss
1 of 25
Institutions of higher learning that are successful at putting on a tailgating party are no doubt dead serious about their football, which is something you can respect regardless of how you feel about their team.
Did you know that the speed limit on the campus at Mississippi is 18 miles per hour in honor of Archie Manning’s number at Ole Miss?
Seriously, that’s just about as dedicated as you get.
This makes the prestige and reputation of “the Grove” even more understandable.
Located on the center of the Ole Miss campus, The Grove is 10 acres of old growth hardwood trees and fills up with up to 25,000 fans for a party that officially starts at 10PM the evening before a Rebel home game.
Heralded as the “holy grail” of tailgating, The Grove works a lot like old Southern culture; on the surface it’s fine china, crystal and pomp and circumstance, while just under the surface it’s a lot of drinking and perhaps some questionable (yet delightful) behavior.
It’s not as loud or raucous as others, but the Ole Miss tailgating scene is undoubtedly one of the top two to three destinations in the history of college football.
Tennessee
2 of 25
There are only two teams on this list that can boast a “floating tailgate” experience, Washington and Tennessee.
Though Washington’s flotilla enjoys a better view, you’d be hard-pressed in Seattle to find fans as spirited and food as good as they both are in Knoxville.
Fans have been enlisting in the “Vol Navy” since the early 1960s and now arrive outside Neyland Stadium, en masse, via the Tennessee River up to three or four days before actual game time.
One of the best stories to come forth from the years of the Volunteer Armada is from the mid '70s when Neyland’s in-stadium announcer had to page the owner of a tailgating boat to move his or her vessel in order for a big barge to pass.
Penn State
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A visit to Happy Valley isn’t going to bedazzle you with tailgaiting gimmicks and unique aspects that you can’t find anywhere else, but they are going to show you a vast party that is, like its team, traditional.
Their uniforms are from a different era, their coach has been there since 1966 and their style of play is even a bit of a throwback. So why shouldn’t the tailgating be the same?
It’s Happy Valley, and they are indeed happy, sometimes overserved and they’re kicking it old school on a larger-than-life scale.
UCLA
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You’re standing outside one of the most historic venues in the history of American sport; it’s been designated a National Historic Legend and has hosted five Super Bowls, two BCS National Championship games, the 1984 Olympic Soccer Competition, the 1994 Men’s World Cup, the 1999 Women’s World Cup and every Rose Bowl since it was built in 1922.
And you’re not just driving by, stopping through, being allowed a quick respite outside of a rental car of non-sports enthusiasts; no, you’re tailgating before an authorized Division I-A, FBS football contest.
Is it the history? Is it the weather? Is it the game? Is it the fans? Is it the food?
Who cares . . . you are at a UCLA game and YOU are tailgating.
Wisconsin
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Madison is the home of brats, beer and cheese (and the brat burger); seriously, how does it get any better than that?
Though the Badger fans, as Midwesterners, aren’t going to have all the body paint as say LSU (and they’ll more than likely dress to their gender specifications), they are spirited and can “tie one on” with the best of them.
The weather definitely can get dicey up North, but Wisconsin fans are not deterred by a little chilly (or downright frigid) climatic conditions. They tailgate hard regardless of the weather.
The Badgers are another team that is historically successful at night-time home games; the fans getting well soused all day at Wisconsin’s vast pre-party certainly adds to the threatening road game mystique.
Army
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Nestled delicately on the Hudson River the campus of West Point is on a site that is not only picturesque; it also is strategically advantageous from a military standpoint, which is exactly why a fort preceded the Academy.
Mountains, lakes, rivers and any natural wonder have a hard time competing with the cold gray stone buildings that dot the campus of the Academy campus that also offers stunning views of the Hudson.
Tailgaters at Army shove their RV’s and tents into the open spaces, and there is an air of elegance fitting with the austere setting.
Though awe of military service and patriotism are obvious emotions when participating in an Army football game day, don’t forget that this is a program that has won five national championships and produced three Heisman Trophy winners.
It is US history combined with college football lore all in a setting that is truly second-to-none.
Colorado
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The folks at the University of Colorado delicately combine a stunning Rocky Mountain setting with one of the wildest tailgate parties in the nation to concoct a football experience that is difficult to surpass.
The mountain air is intoxicating enough but, no, Buffaloes fans require more from themselves and so they selflessly self serve to a new level.
Colorado definitely belongs in the top 10 of any credible tailgating ranking.
Auburn
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Football is serious business at Auburn, and the tailgating scene reflects this theme.
Fans show up early (how about two days early) and don’t go home after the game; of course somebody’s got to stick around and paper the trees at Toomer’s Corner.
Bourbon is the drink of choice, and though you might not enjoy the same level of Southern cooking as you do at say Alabama or Clemson, you will find Tiger fans shoved into every available allotment of space within 10 miles of Jordan-Hare stadium.
This is above-average SEC football experience, and Auburn fans know their football and their tailgating.
LSU
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LSU plays so many games at night (and is so successful after the sun goes down) for good reason; this is gives the Tiger faithful all day long to tailgate.
Though the food is magnificent, a Cajun flavor-filled tasty treat at every turn (all culinary masterpieces), it’s the saturation of the spirited fanbase that makes the atmosphere both before and at the actual game that makes Baton Rouge a tailgate “must see.”
It may be the biggest party in college football (hands down) and the amount of body paint, cross dressers and tiger stripes are downright impressive.
Death Valley’s tailgating extravaganza may be the best in the nation.
Washington
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Like the folks at Tennessee, Washington Husky fans have the option of travelling to and then tailgating before home games via boat.
Lake Washington is sometimes the temporary home of an astounding fleet of watercraft celebrating football in one of the most scenic spots in American sports.
The land lubbers who tailgate aren’t much to rave about but enjoying the pre-game aboard a flotilla of football festivities in Washington is second-to-none.
This nautical experience is truly a “must see.”
Notre Dame
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South Bend presents more of a family atmosphere for tailgating, and though beer is consumed in mass quantities, one of the big highlights of the Notre Dame pre-party is the wide spread playing of the bean bag toss game questionably referred to as “corn hole.”
Now I grew up in the South, so corn hole was not really a game I had been exposed to (we didn’t have cable TV) nor was it a combination of words I could have used without my mother chasing me with a bar of Lava soap.
Regardless, it’s a good tailgating game and played extensively before the Irish hit the field.
The highlight of Notre Dame tailgating, besides the fact that it is a great party, is that you are celebrating football at a gridiron Mecca.
Regardless of your love or hate for the Irish (is there anything in between the two?), there is an aura about football in South Bend and being directly involved in the process is as breathtaking as Lake Washington or the Rocky Mountains.
Texas
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If you’ve never been to the University of Texas campus in Austin, it’s one of those sites that is dropped directly into a fairly large metropolitan area.
This makes the tailgating at Texas one of those venues where you’ll see celebrants get fairly creative with where they set up.
The “everything is bigger” in Texas theme definitely extends its warm hand to the Longhorn pre- and post-game parties which are no doubt enhanced by a visit to Austin’s famed “Sixth Street” area where the party never ends.
Despite what you’ll hear in Lubbock, College Station and all points in between, UT is still the flagship football school in the great state of Texas and hosts the biggest hot sauce party in the Lone Star State.
Like many of the other schools on this list, like them or not they’re putting on a good party on game day.
Ohio State
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For a relatively large state that boasts seven professional sports franchises and a whopping eight Division I-A college football programs Ohio is, in reality, a one-team state.
Whether you fancy the Bengals or the Browns and really whether you went to the University of Cincinnati, Toledo, Ohio U. or Miami (OH), you root for the Buckeyes.
You may be brainwashed and running around the streets with a flippin’ sweater vest on, but, by God you’re an Ohio State fan.
The passion may be borderline psychotic but it’s certainly reflected on game day in Columbus, and, if you can’t get a ticket into the Shoe to see the ‘Bucs clean someone’s clock, you can and will get your tailgate on.
Columbus Ohio and really the entire state of Ohio is one of the most dedicated college football zones in the USA.
Clemson
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“Solid Orange” is what they refer to the dress code before a Clemson football game, and this is definitely reflected at the Tiger tailgate.
Clemson’s tailgate is Southern hospitality, a plethora of BBQ and impressive in terms of how every square inch of the campus is packed with football celebrants.
And these people are serious about their football. They show up and are enthusiastic regardless of how their team is playing.
This is a huge, colorful yet safe party that will leave you wishing you might have actually spent a couple of years of your life at Clemson.
“The World’s Largest Cocktail Party”
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Jacksonville, Florida’s annual drink-a-thon doesn’t exactly have an exclusive guest list, which is precisely why you should make plans to attend.
The annual Georgia versus Florida game is somewhat overlooked in other parts of the country that look forward to the Red River Rivalry, the Border War, “the Game” and Ohio State against Michigan, but leaving this experience off your bucket list would be a huge mistake.
Let me ask you this: Have you ever seen 500,000 rabid SEC football fans packed into event called “the World’s Largest Cocktail Party?”
Go forth, my friend! Go forth and drink from the cup of frivolity, from the chalice of crazed fan-da-monium, from the goblet of goodness.
Texas A&M
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According to some of my esteemed Aggie associates, “A&M fans have too much respect for Kyle Field to drink there during a game.”
Now, I’m not saying, I’m just saying; I don’t think that rule necessarily applies to the pre- and post-game events held outside of the sacred edifice of football lore that is Kyle Field.
Regardless of who is consuming and who is not, Texas A&M has a dizzying array of gameday traditions that will make your head spin.
Does it all come down to the fact these people, year after year, hypnotize underclassmen until they see nothing but maroon?
Who cares! College Station Texas is one of the finest game day experiences in all of college football, but, don’t forget to check out “Midnight Yell” the night before the game and all the traditional events (including the tailgating) leading up to an actual game experience that will bedazzle you whether you want it to or not.
Texas A&M University is a “must see” game day experience, no “ifs,” “ands” or “buts.”
As a disclaimer and in order to respect myself in the morning, I add, with feeling: Go Tech!
Red River Rivalry
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The site of the annual game betwixt Oklahoma and Texas is the only venue on this list to offer a full blown state fair.
And this is no run-of-the-mill state fair; this is the Texas State Fair where everything is either deep fried or served with a disposable, environmentally-friendly cup of cold beer.
There aren’t grills, flying footballs or coolers, but there are midway rides, livestock, fair goers (many times a distinctly different crowd from your average football fan) and deep fried bacon.
It’s neutral ground, it’s an annual event and there are still port-a-potties if you’re in to that kind of thing.
The bottom line with the Red River Rivalry is that you’re going to see one of the best state fairs in the nation before and after you watch a college football game that will have BCS implications.
Alabama
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As rabid as the Crimson Tide fans are, and they are, what puts Alabama’s tailgate experience over the top is food.
It is barbeque, and it may be the best presentation of smoked, grilled and charred meats in all of college football.
The short list includes Dreamland (not a land at Disneyworld, but it probably should be), Archibald’s and Nick’s in the Stick’s.
Yes, the football is amazing and amen the fans are zealous, but holy Toledo the food is nothing short of astonishing.
Oklahoma
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As crucial as football is to the Sooner Nation, you will be hard-pressed to find a more genuinely warm fanbase than at the University of Oklahoma.
Even as they beat you down in Bob Stoops’ scary version of football hell (which is Norman’s unofficial nickname), Oklahoma fans are hospitable and knowledgeable.
The party itself is larger than life, and you will need to be prepared to gird your loins to face huge crowds at Campus Corner and on both Lindsey and Jenkins Streets.
Georgia
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Bulldog fans take their football very seriously; down between those hedges it is all business which doesn’t mean that Athens, Georgia is not one of the premier football party spots in America.
Don’t forget the “Dawg Walk” led by the famous and formidable Georgia “Redcoat” band, and don’t shortchange Bulldog fans and their ability to consume the all-important adult-grade beverage.
The University of Georgia is yet another SEC gem of a college football experience.
West Virginia
21 of 25
Why do the mountains make you want to burn furniture and lamps before your football team hits the field?
Really, who cares . . . there is just something right about loving your team to the point of dishing up a huge helping of barbequed chair legs.
Morgantown, West Virginia should be on your bucket list of magical game day destinations.
Arkansas
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Fayetteville, Arkansas offers the perfect combination of elements for an above-average tailgating experience.
It is grade A SEC football, it is Southern cooking and hospitality and it’s perhaps one of the best fanbases in college football.
What’s unique about the SEC and what makes it the perfect home for big time college football is that many of the member states don’t have a professional sports franchise to compete with, and, if they do, they are newer and located in areas where college football has long been king.
Arkansas is no exception to this rule, and even if you hate the hog calling and pig hats, this is an important football school with some serious tailgating.
Florida
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If you have never heard of the “Gator Growl,” it is the largest student run tailgating affair in all of college football.
It wraps up homecoming week in Gainesville, and is part pep rally, part concert and part big huge party.
Originally debuted in 1932, the Gator Growl has featured headliners as varied as Robin Williams, Bill Cosby, Sinbad, Ray Romano, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Steve Miller Band, Dana Carvey and Jay Leno.
Iowa
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Game day in Iowa City reminds one of Christmas Day; hope and enthusiasm, goodness and mercy, love and good tidings fill the air in a place that was destined to be a great football city.
Everyone is eternally 19 on campus on game days and forget about tomorrow because as the song says “In Heaven There is No Beer,” which is actually the title of the Polka the Hawkeye Band plays in the event Iowa wins the ball game.
The song is officially known as the “Hawkeye Victory Polka,” and the tailgate party that precedes the desired win must be, unofficially, the biggest outdoor party in all of Iowa.
South Carolina
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South Carolina is simply a haven for the college football enthusiast.
Neighbors to the north may have their basketballs to play with, but the Palmetto State is one of the truly underrated college football hotbeds in the nation.
Sure, they got it good over there in Alabama, but really other than that, who can compete with the Gamecocks and Clemson, two great programs in a state with no other distractions, none.
All this potential goodness is reflected in the South Carolina tailgating scene and come on man . . . these people have a Cockaboose . . . who is going to even try to compete with that?
I’ll tell you who.
Nobody.
Cockaboose, it’s the best train car in college football, check it out.
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