10 Best Colleges for Tailgating
Photo by Sean Locke/Stocksy. Design by Erik Mace for Yahoo Travel.
By Carlton Jared Lockett,
Americans love football season for the sport of it, but also for that thing that turns a game into a social occasion: tailgating. Each football season, fans, alumni, and friends gather for kickoff to support one of their favorite college football teams — relishing copious amounts of Buffalo wings, barbecue ribs, chargrilled briskets, and if you’re attending Louisiana State University’s tailgate, Creole seafood gumbo along the way. Tailgates are about supporting your team, but also about kicking back, eating and drinking, and observing time-honored traditions.
For the third year in a row, The Daily Meal has tackled the task of identifying the very best colleges for tailgating in America. To determine this year’s list, we created a public poll, asking readers to tell us about their favorite college tailgate scenes, sharing details about campus tailgating spaces, time-honored traditions, and, of course, classic dishes!
If you plan on attending a few college games this year, here are a few whose tailgate will have you never wanting to leave.
#10 McDaniel College, Westminster, Md.
Photo: McDaniel College
McDaniel is one tailgate you should get to early – parking spots gets get filled fast for this drive-in tailgate. With its brand new 8.2 million dollar stadium, Division III McDaniel offers a unique tailgating experience, allowing Green Terror fans to drive up to the ridge (which overlooks the field). The layout of the land allows people to stand by their cars (with chairs and tents and grills and tables of foods and coolers, etc…) and watch the game.
See more of the best colleges for tailgating
#9 University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla.
Photo: University of Florida / Facebook
The Gators take their partying to another level: the party kicks off at “The Swamp” (as Florida Field is popularly known) and keeps going. Lauren Gordon reported on last year’s list that “A Gator tailgate just may be the biggest such affair you’ll ever go to, with dozens of out-of-towners filling up tents and RVs for a good time. Gator fans are always decked out in extravagant tailgate garb and fry up amazing Southern food for a celebration the whole town can enjoy.”
Related: The Best College Football Towns in America
#8 Prairie View A&M University
Photo: Prairie View A&M University / Facebook
Tailgating in Prairie, Texas, means reserving a spot for your RV on the alumni field months in advance. Once tailgating kicks off, you will find yourself surrounded by endless barbecue grills overflowing with brisket, ribs, and delicious pulled pork. Tailgating at Prairie View is family-friendly, and filled with generations of Panthers alumni and current undergrads alike.
#7 Howard University, Washington D.C.
Photo: Howard University / Facebook
Howard University is late to tailgating, having kicked off their first one in 2008, but they’ve caught up quickly. The band is great, but the food is even better. Beyond the usual burgers and hot dogs, look for stuffed jalapeños wrapped in bacon, Louisiana gumbo, fiery jerk chicken, smoked porgy, slow-smoked bone-in pork shoulder, and barbecued pork ribs, among other delights.
Related: I Take an Annual Football Pilgrimage to Celebrate a Lost Friend
#6 University of Alabama
Photo: The University of Alabama / Facebook
If you are anywhere near Tuscaloosa on game day, you must attend a Roll Tide tailgate. Start your rounds at “The Quads,” located nearby the stadium – an area packed with grills cooking barbecue brisket, hamburgers, hot dogs, and more. Don’t miss the signature Yellowhammer Slammer cocktail at Gallette’s, a concoction of vodka, rum, amaretto, and orange and pineapple juice served in a 20-ounce cup; the bar sells 5,000 of them on a good game day.
#5 University of Mississippi (Ole Miss)
Photo Modified: Flickr / Ken Lund / CC BY-SA 4.0
“To have a tailgate experience like you’ve never had before,“ as Lauren Gordon put it last year, "you have to visit The Grove at Ole Miss. Prepare for sensory overload: in addition to the miles of tented, Rebel-Nation-loving fans in red, white, and blue garb, there are folk hanging chandeliers and donning bow ties and pearls. This is one very serious party time. All of this is just a precursor to the Walk of Champions, where players walk to the stadium through The Grove full of fans on the way to victory. The spirit and pride Ole Miss fans have fills the stands and overflows outside the game for post-parties that rage on and on.”
#4 University of Michigan
Photo Modified: Flickr / Jeremy Bronson / CC BY 4.0
The party starts in Ann Arbor when the parking lot opens at 7 a.m. and continues on until the beginning of the game, when dedicated fans head in for some quality field watching time. Roughly 90 minutes before the show, fans are invited in to watch the traditional drumline stepshow to get them psyched for the game. In the tailgating area, you’ll find a spacious lot where tailgaters can spread out to get their pregame party on. On the way to the stadium, some fans hang out at the local Quickie Burger, which also serves breakfast all day for those who need a boost to last through the game. There are also plenty of surrounding spots to pick up a bite to eat if you don’t want to cook at the game.
#3 Penn State University
Photo Modified: Flickr / William F. Yurasko / CC BY 4.0
With close to 100,000 fans swarming the games and mulling around "Nittanyville” (formerly Paternoville), the tent city students set up before game day to get the best seats in the student section, there is no denying that this is a top place to tailgate. The crowd is ebullient, the spirit is strong, and there are tons of traditional foods to enjoy other than just your average tailgate fare. Penn State “stickies” (sticky buns laced with caramelized sugar) from the Ye Olde College Diner are a game-day must.
#2 South Carolina State University
Image: South Carolina State University
One tailgate you won’t want to miss is in Orangeburg, S.C. Bulldogs tailgates are famous above all for the variety and quality of food you’ll find in the tailgating lot. Elaborate spreads are accessible in a warm, welcoming environment that makes tailgating for the whole family enjoyable. There are a few restrictions as to where you can cook, so be sure to check the lot out before you commit.
#1 Louisiana State University
Photo Modified: Flickr / William Murphy / CC BY-SA 4.0
Louisiana State University channels that true Baton Rouge spirit, with tailgates overflowing with alligators and pigs on the spit, boiled crawfish, and steaming gumbo. The LSU band marches down the hill to the stadium, inciting an atmosphere of pure fun. Tailgate setups are so elaborate, you feel like a living room has moved onto the lot, which is good because you should get comfortable — the party doesn’t stop all day or all night.
More from The Daily Meal:
10 Easy Swaps to Make Your Tailgate Healthier
15 Classic Tailgate Foods to Master Before Football Season Starts
50 Best College Bars in America 2015
Tailgate Food to Serve at Your Stadium of Choice
WATCH: Avalanches, Death Threats, and No Lifts. Welcome to the World’s Most Dangerous Ski Race
Yahoo Travel inspire you every day. Hang out with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Watch Yahoo Travel’s original series “A Broad Abroad.”
