If you and your friends are not particularly interested in sports, much like my friends and I are not, there’s a chance you may make it to senior year of college without ever going tailgating. At that point, you may decide to go to a tailgate without said friends for the sake of getting out of your comfort zone and potentially finding some new activity you enjoy.
This past weekend I got the opportunity to spend my first tailgate with the Her Campus UCF team. Here’s what I learned as a first-time tailgater:
First of All, What the Heck is a Tailgate?
A tailgate is a social event that is typically held before and after a sporting event. People go there to party, eat, play lawn games, and prepare for the game. A LOT of people go to tailgates. You’ll find students, alumni, random fans, children, dogs, and just about any kind of person at a tailgate.
What Do You Even Wear to a Tailgate?
If you’re concerned about what to wear, always opt for school spirit. You can wear t-shirts you bought from the bookstore, DIY-ed tube tops in school colors, glitter, temporary tattoos, hats, basically anything you feel comfortable in. As a general rule of thumb, lean toward wearing university colors or logos. #UCFansWear encourages UCF students to wear certain colors for each game and while you don’t have to wear those colors, it’s another way of showing school spirit.
Go With Friends
While it’s fine to show up to a tailgate solo, it’s a lot more fun to be around people you already know and meet new people while you’re there. Plus, going with people you know basically guarantees you cute IG pics.
How to Make Tailgating Even Better
If you can, get people together and request an official tailgate tent. You don’t know the number of fans who are going to gather on campus to cheer on your school sports team until you see people with tents everywhere. Trust me, it’s a little overwhelming to see how many people love your school’s team. It’s way more convenient and comfortable to have a place where you feel like you belong.
Tailgate Essentials
Water and snacks are the best possible things to have during a tailgate. Not only is Florida hot, but if you’re going to be drinking it’s super important to have food in your system. Most people have little snacks like chips, but some people bring out grills and eat full meals out there.There will be quite a bit of drinking and beer pong for those who are of age, but if you’re not of age or interested in drinking, you can still have fun dancing, eating, and getting hyped for the football game that follows.
Know UCF’s Game Day Parking Rules
If you’re driving to campus, know the parking rules. A lot of parking lot and road closures happen on game day for the safety and organization of the area. It can get really hectic with so many people there, so it’s best to know where you’re allowed to park!
Tailgating, like most other situations, is what you make of it. If you’re looking to check out how UCF does tailgates, come hang with us before some of the home games. Hope to see you there!
Home Games
- September 21, 2018: UCF vs. Florida Atlantic Owls
- September 29, 2018: UCF vs. Pitt Panthers
- October 6, 2018: UCF vs. SMU Mustangs
- November 1, 2018: UCF vs. Temple Owls
- November 10, 2018: UCF vs. Navy Midshipmen
- November 17, 2018: UCF vs. Cincinnati Bearcats
Images: 1, 2-4 provided by the author