Where's the Best Tailgating?

By: Stephen Linn “Where’s the best tailgating?” That’s really a trick question. Ultimate tailgating isn’t about having the biggest rig or the largest crowd. It’s about having fun with your friends and making new ones. Thus, “best” is pretty subjective. Austin rocks on game day and is a sea of orange infused with the aroma of ribs and brisket. It’s one of America’s great tailgate parties. Unless you’re an A&M fan. Then it sucks.

But that never seems to get me off the hook. The follow-up question is always there. And the answer always finds me on blogs the next day as either a hero or a jerk. Usually a jerk. After all, there are a lot of great tailgating schools and one of the things that make them great is the passion of the fans. Out of more than 100-some-odd Division I-A schools, I’m mentioning just four or five. You can see where that gets me.

So get ready to click on the “Comments” link at the bottom of this post and join in the discussion… here are some of my top college tailgate parties, in addition to the University of Texas and in alphabetical order (I’m not a complete idiot).

Georgia vs. Florida – Jacksonville, FL: It’s not called The World’s Largest Cocktail Party for nothing. About 100,000 fans show up for the festivities – even though only 73,000 of them can fit in the stadium. But that’s not the point. Like any good cocktail party, there’s plenty of food as fans set-up several days before game time to fire up their grills and their spirits.

LSU: There are a couple of elements that make this one of the best tailgate parties anywhere. One is the food. The caldrons of gumbo, crawfish etouffee, jambalaya and other Cajun specialties make tailgate menus here one-of-a-kind. The other is the fans. They are passionate and they are loud. Heck, in 1988 they cheered so loudly for a fourth quarter touchdown against Auburn that it registered as an earthquake on the seismograph.

Penn State: If there was a Tailgating Hall of Fame, Penn State would be in it. Heck, it just might be in State College. A huge crowd of friendly fans fills Happy Valley on game day and makes this one of the best pre-game parties in America. I’m not the only one who thinks so. Sports Illustrated readers said the same thing picking it as the number one tailgate venue in America last year.

University of Michigan: This is the Big House. It’s the biggest stadium in college football. Perhaps the biggest crowd, too. Regardless of weather, it’s a sunny 74º for a game in September, or a snowy 35º for the final game of the season, fans are there early firing up their grills and celebrating Wolverines football.

University of Tennessee: Volunteer football is just this side of religion in Tennessee and Neyland Stadium is the mother church. And on game day more than 100,000 faithful show up for “services.” An armada of them arrive by boat, too, tossing anchor in the river alongside the stadium. They call themselves the Vol Navy. I’m not sure if’s there’s a Secretary of Defense.

University of Washington: It’s the “sterngating” that makes pre-game unique here. Husky Stadium sits alongside Lake Washington and thousands of fans arrive by boat, tie up to the moorings, and start their parties. Members of the school’s crew team shuttle fans back-and-forth to shore to meet-up with landlocked tailgaters for the game.

So there you go… some of the best places to tailgate in the NCAA. Are there others? You bet. Click on “Comments” and tell us what you think.

And if you think your tailgate party is the best in America go to www.theultimatetailgater.com, click on “Contests,” and enter The Search for America’s Ultimate Tailgater. If you’re right, you’ll win The Ultimate Tailgater Party. You can also visit my blog at www.theultimatetailgaterblog.com for more tailgating tips and discussion. My new book The Ultimate Tailgater’s Travel Guide: More Than 20 Great Road Trips just hit stores, so check it out.