We’re right in that sweet spot in the college football season. All the big rivalry games—the University of Michigan versus Ohio State, the University of Alabama versus Auburn University, the University of Florida versus the University of Georgia—have been played. And now, we wait. Yes, we wait for the nearly 50 bowl games that will be contested across the country, as well as for the highly anticipated 12-team bracket of the expanded College Football Playoff.
Sometimes, the tailgate outside is even better than being inside the stadium and watching the game. Whether in parking lots or farmers’ pastures or even along rivers, you’ll find team flags flying, music blasting, and games of cornhole in animated action. Plus, there are always grills in full flame, with the scent of the locals’ special barbecued delicacy wafting over the crowd.
So whether you’re planning for a regular-game season next year or headed to one of the upcoming contests, choosing a great tailgate location is just as important as the match-up. Here are a few of the very best, all across the United States.
Happy Valley (State College, Pa.)
Beaver Stadium, home to Pennsylvania State University’s Nittany Lions, is one of the world’s largest stadiums. A total of 106,572 fans can squeeze into the stands to watch this storied Big Ten team. But the real action takes place in the big, green, undulating meadows all around it.
State College, Pennsylvania, is a beautiful place. A small town (with a population smaller than the stadium capacity), it’s nestled into a scenic stretch of the Appalachians. Just being here does, indeed, make you feel happy. Don’t miss it when fans gather, down some Jägermeister, and sing the team’s fight song.
University of Hawaii–Manoa (Honolulu)
Can you think of a better place for a pregame party than Oahu, Hawaii? This is literally a tailgate in paradise. And it’s even better because it didn’t happen for several years.
Hawaiians are some of the biggest football fans in the country. They’re particularly passionate about the Rainbow Warriors, the team at the University of Hawaii–Manoa, which has been playing here since 1909. Tailgating stopped for a while when the team moved from the old Aloha Stadium to its temporary, much smaller home at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex. But the traditions are back, including the warm spirit of Ohana (family) and the Warrior Walk, a custom in which fans cheer the players entering the stadium.
Death Valley (Baton Rouge, La.)
Everyone will tell you: The Southeastern Conference has some of the most intimidating stadiums in college football. But Tiger Stadium, which is almost always called Death Valley, takes it to the next level.
Home to the Louisiana State University Tigers, it’s been ranked one of the toughest places for opposing teams to play. Games are unbelievably loud, with at least one shaking the stands to such an extent that it registered as an earthquake. Adding to the intimidation, many games are held at night. Which, of course, means that the tailgate partying lasts all day long.
Many people arrive in time for breakfast and chow down on Creole and Cajun classics—gumbo, jambalaya, and crawfish—throughout the afternoon. Watching the Golden Band from Tigerland marching down Victory Hill about an hour and a half before the game is a tradition you shouldn’t miss.
Rocky Top (Knoxville, Tenn.)
The streets and parks around Neyland Stadium, home to the Big Orange of the University of Tennessee Volunteers, absolutely fill up on game day. There’s family-friendly fun at Vol Village, parties along The Strip on Cumberland Avenue, and so much happening at Circle Park.
You’ll hear the team’s fight song, “Rocky Top,” over and over again. (“Rocky Top” is often used as a synonym for Neyland.) Plus, having a stadium with a capacity of more than 100,000 right next to the Tennessee River means that you get a “Vol Navy.” Fans line up their boats for a “sailgate” (versus tailgate), with as many as 350 tied up at the docks. The most ardent fans will ensure that they get a spot by arriving several days early (and then, of course, beginning the “sailgate” parties immediately).
Midnight Yell (College Station, Texas)
Things are a little different at Texas A&M University, with its military traditions. The festivities get going the night before. Some 25,000 fans gather at Kyle Field for the Midnight Yell, a tradition that dates back to 1931.
It’s part party and part practice for the next day. At games, a group of “yellers,” usually picked from the Corps of Cadets, leads thousands of students in a series of “yells” (never called cheers) that energize the crowd. But the fun isn’t just inside Kyle Field. Tailgate traditions at Texas A&M include the Corps of Cadets march-in and the Spirit Walk, in which the Aggie Band accompanies players through the crowds gathered before the game.
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A Very Short History of Tailgating
The very first college football game took place in 1869, a low-scoring affair in which Rutgers University defeated Princeton University 6–4. Picnics were popular at the time, and honestly, the “chuck wagons” serving food and drink at the game might have been the most exciting part of the whole thing.
Since then, the rise of the automobile created the parking lot phenomenon of “trunk picnics.” These evolved into tailgate parties as people began to create buffets on their fold-down car and truck tailgates. Today, in addition to the grills and brews and cornhole, you’ll find everything from flat-screen TVs to even hot tubs. Tailgating has become a time-honored tradition beloved across both college and NFL football.
