From Austin To The Grove, Where To Really Get In The School Spirit(s)
Where are the best college football tailgate parties and party towns in America? PubClub.com ranks the schools with the best game-day tailgating, traditions, college bars, nightlife and overall party atmosphere—based largely on firsthand experiences from football weekends around the country.
By Kevin Wilkerson, Editor & Publisher, PubClub.com
College football is about more than, well, college football.
It’s about tradition, culture, atmosphere and … partying! Partying in the town in the day/night before the game, partying at a tailgate party on game day and partying afterward back in the fun bars of college towns. I have experienced many of these places firsthand through years of attending college football games around the country, and some schools simply take the game-day party to another level.
PubClub.com ranks the top college football tailgate parties in America, but we start with something slightly different—the best college town for bars, nightlife and the all-out PubClub style of fun.
Top College Party Town
1.) Austin, Texas. You can’t go wrong here; it has something for partiers of all ages: students, never-ending students (like myself) and alumni. The Austin nightlife scene offers everything from dive bars and live music venues to clubs and more sophisticated bars with plenty of options before and after a Longhorns game.
Link: Austin Nightlife Guide
Top Tailgate Parties
Oh, the tailgate parties! You can find some pretty good tailgating at smaller campuses throughout the Northeast, Midwest and South. But I’m talking about the “big boys” here—the schools where tailgating is practically an event unto itself.
At many of the big-time tailgate locations, you won’t be able to simply plop down your own tent in a prime spot—people pay a healthy annual fee for that privilege—but you can certainly bring your own drinks and walk around the area.
1.) The Grove, Ole Miss. Here on a place called “The Grove,” they yell out Hottie Toddie! This is the battle cry of Ole Miss alumni who proudly boast the “we may have lost the game but we’ve never lost a tailgate party.” This isn’t just a tailgate; it’s culture. The Walk of Champions adds to the atmosphere but it’s the sheer spectacle of the Grove that puts Ole Miss at the top of this list.
2.) University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa. The Quad, a big grass area a few blocks from the stadium, has a great tailgate scene. Be sure and watch the band and cheerleaders assemble for the Elephant Stomp. Walk along University Blvd., and if you can’t get into the game then go to one of the bars to watch it and then wait for the crowds to come back for post-game partying. I know this from first-hand experience; the best thing to do is to combine the Quad with walking along the bars and frat houses along University Blvd. And, of course, checking out sorority row, which happens to be located right by the north entrances to Bryant-Denny Stadium.
3.) Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge. The crazy Cajuns boil up one heck of a tailgate party with creole cooking and kegs of beer. Anyone is welcome to join their parties. Except Alabama fans. Tip: Don’t wear crimson. I know this from personal experience because I was in the Million Dollar Band walking through that crowd. It was kind of an unnerving experience for a college student! I later came to appreciate the Cajuns and LSU fans, tho.
4.) Michigan, Ann Arbor. UM may have a lot of engineers as students and alumni but not all are nerds and they like to tailgate. They are very proud of “Big Blue” and the stadium, which the call “the Big House.”Tip: Don’t drink while you’re walking on a sidewalk. Only on the grass (I know, odd rule but play the game). Actually, this is kind of confusing.Current University of Michigan guidance says open containers are illegal on public property, including sidewalks and streets, and alcohol is prohibited on the Diag. Michigan still officially permits tailgating in designated parking lots and Ann Arbor identifies the golf courses, Pioneer High School and athletic parking lots as prominent tailgating locations.
The “Salute To The Hill” at the University of Tennessee.
5.) The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. UT has the best pre-game traditions of any school in America. First, you must go along the Tennessee River and check out the Volunteer Navy, a series of houseboats tied up to docks across the street from the stadium. Then go just past the main entrance by the stadium to watch the band march through campus and stop to do the “Salute To The Hill” And since the Vols won’t be very good this year, pick up a ticket to the game in time to watch the pre-game “splitting of the ‘T'” as the players run onto the field. And if you were unable to sneak in any Jack Daniels to put in your Coke, some UT fan will surely offer you a nip or two.
BONUS: University of Southern California, Los Angeles. I had to include USC because I lived in L.A., for many years and went to several USC games. I enjoyed walking the area by Tommy Trojan and then lining up when the band and Song Girls – oh the Song Girls! – march by on their way into the stadium. Tip: after the game, go to the student section and enjoy the show the band and Song Girls (yes, there they are again!) do their post-game song and dance routine to all those “USC songs” as I call them.
How PubClub Picks The Best College Football Tailgates
PubClub looks beyond the size of the parking lot or the number of tents. These selections are based on the complete college football weekend—the tailgate scene, game-day traditions, student and alumni enthusiasm, college-town bars and nightlife and the overall party atmosphere. We’ve experienced many of these football weekends firsthand.
Feel free to contact us with your favorite tailgate party locations and college party towns!
Kevin Wilkerson is the founder of PubClub.com, an award-winning journalist and nightlife expert who has covered destinations, events and nightlife for more than two decades. He has attended games at schools across the country and covered several colleges while working as a newspaper reporter where he received an Associated Press award for investigative journalism.
Next Stops On The PubClub Colleges Party Bus
• Top Party Schools In The SEC
• Top Party Schools In California
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