There is no greater, time-honored college football tradition than tailgating, which celebrates fandom, community … and yummy food and drink! But don’t take it from me. Let’s hear what some big-time tailgating enthusiasts have to say.
Jeff King, who hosted a podcast called "Wandering Tailgaters" before the pandemic, says, “What started out as a big reunion for alumni of colleges or a [gathering of] season ticketholders has become an event anyone can attend … even non-ticketholders sometimes. It's a great way to spend time with friends and family before a game where many of the attendees are too focused on the field to be social. It's also a great way to show off some cooking skills.”
Jeff King tailgating.
Jeff King and friends tailgating.
John Cross lives in Long Beach, California, but he usually makes it back to at least one Ohio State University home game in Columbus each year to toast his alma mater from the parking lot. He describes tailgating as “truly part of the fabric of the college football experience. The social aspect of hanging out in the parking lot amongst fellow fans feeds into the build up to the game. Even at schools or with professional teams that aren't as successful, the tailgate scene allows for talking about the game, anticipating what players will have an impact on the game, etc. I know for me, that build up and anticipation of kickoff adds to the excitement and fun of the day. It's one of my favorite ways to enjoy the game, and there is no stress. Nothing has gone wrong for my team yet!”
John Cross.
And where there are hungry, thirsty fans with disposable income, there are opportunities to monetize. And that’s just what more universities are doing. Colleges monetize tailgating in numerous ways. Some are selling or leasing tailgating spaces with amenities like tents, electricity and grilling stations. Other schools are offering premium tailgating experiences with everything from catering to big-screen TVs. Proper infrastructure must be in place to manage the increased foot traffic and waste management. Efficient land use planning is also needed, as these spaces must be strategically located to minimize disruption to other campus activities while maximizing accessibility for fans.
A number of universities have created multiple tailgating areas with different price points and experiences. For instance, Florida State University currently has three tailgating areas, including tents near the entrance of Doak S. Campell Stadium. Not to be outdone, the University of Florida has lined up its tailgating tents adjacent to the path where the coaches and players enter Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Space can be an issue. Some schools have ideal locations of where their stadium is and what is available around it. Universities like South Florida and Pittsburgh share their stadiums with an NFL franchise where there is so much built-in parking that it lends itself to larger pre-game events. King notes, “But a school like Tulane where the stadium is tightly packed into the edge of campus means the school itself has to create many of the game day experiences, including tailgating.”
Not everyone is a fan. University of Nebraska fan Teresa Andersen recalls, “When I was an [University of Nebraska] employee with a paid parking pass, I couldn’t even go into work on a game day because my parking lot had been re-rented out for game day parking. It’s not horrible if you can get a space large enough to have room for your trailer, tables, tent, games and a few parking spots and divide that between a group. Those lots tend to be a huge party all celebrating your team!”
King, meanwhile, knows the value that the universities have also recognized in this regard. He remarks, “The nearest [NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, or FBS] school near my house is the University of Connecticut, and they are doing a great job of setting up [name, image and likeness, or NIL] events within their tailgate, completely separate from the game day ticket or parking costs — meet-and-greets with former and current athletes, contests for other tickets, food, etc. And it’s all for the price of admission to the tailgate. It's a revenue source and can be more than just money from parking. When a team struggles, sometimes later in the year, the tailgate is more packed than the stadium at kickoff. I'm also a big fan of renting out spaces by the stadium for corporate-sponsored tailgate experiences.”
Partnering with brands has indeed become increasingly popular. Brands are sponsoring college football tailgating events through booths, photo ops and samplings and giveaways. One of the more widely publicized in recent years was actually female fan focused. Last season, e.l.f. Cosmetics’ partnership with the “Chicks in The Office” podcast invited tailgating Syracuse University fans to get a “Glow Up for Game Day.” The focal point of the activation was a pink glow-up bar where attendees could check out the company’s products and snag freebies. Additionally, there was a full locker room buildout, with custom jerseys and other accessories featuring e.l.f. branding.
There are even tailgating specialists now such as Blockparty, IMG Live and Tailgate Guys that have built impressive businesses by providing tailgate experiences for fans who don’t want the hassle of setting up and cooking or the nuisance of breaking everything down. Blockparty and Tailgate Guys have been around the longest and have paid out millions of dollars in revenue to their affiliated schools.
Most challenging of all, though, are those universities that are selling alcohol to boost concession revenue and enhance the overall fan experience. Such sales give rise to the potential for alcohol-related incidents that can turn dangerous. Consequently, colleges must develop policies to monitor safety and educate students.
In this case, partnering with a brand makes sense. For example, during the 2023 college football season, Bud Light launched its “Bud Light Backyard Tour: College Edition”, which encompassed sponsorships of more than 50 college football teams along with on-site activations that featured performances by top DJs and interactive games. Bud also forged partnerships with NBC and Big10 Network to offer viewers a live look at Bud Light Backyard tailgates during game day broadcasts.
But there is nothing like being there in person, tailgating on the day where one’s alma mater takes on a longtime rival school. Andersen says her tailgating experience is “almost exclusively based on the University of Nebraska. The Cornhusker Marching Band — or a portion, thereof — visits many of the close-to-the-stadium tailgates. Any food goes. Some people get quite elaborate, while some bring a big sub. Lots of people play cornhole — some call the game bags — and always the football is being tossed. Someone has restored a ’57 Chevy in Scarlet & Cream, and the horn plays the fight song. They spend all day driving between tailgates getting rousing cheers.”
Scott Grau
She adds, “I can’t speak for other schools. But in Lincoln, solidly half the tailgaters do not have tickets to the game. They have big TVs and generators and stay put to watch in the parking lot.
Scott Grau, also a longtime University of Nebraska fan, says, “I have had some of the best times tailgating and will remember them forever. We had an RV spot at the Pinnacle Bank Arena parking lot for years, which provided room for a lot of people.”
He concludes, “I have memories — memories of 2 x 5 foot ice blocks with troughs pouring liquor down them with people waiting at the bottom to drink, ‘shotskis’ with five different people at one time, cornhole/beer bottle frisbee, Chinese horseshoes for hours on end and portable sound systems with 400 watts of power and 65" or bigger TVs mounted on the side of my 6 x 12 trailer to watch the game. Satellite receivers on the roof and times when only six people showed up as it was 8 degrees outside, and we had a canopy with sides and three propane heaters going to keep from freezing. But we were tailgating and making memories!”
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