Tailgating+Traditions




 * Interview with a ND alum regarding the grand tradition of tailgating with the Fighting Irish: **

// Tailgating has always been one of the most fun parts of any football weekend - regardless of the size of the school, but Notre Dame prides itself on providing the "Ultimate College Football Experience" and doesn't disappoint. I remember my first ND football game - vs. Georgia Tech, 1977. ND has a quarterback named Montana plus a few other guys that I assume are Hall of Famers now like Ken McAfee, Ross Browner , etc. That was a National Championship team, and we had seats right on the field in the end zone. Very exciting. I was impressed when the players were doing warms-ups just a few feet in front of me, but what REALLY stayed with me was walking around Green Field (this was a large grass parking area just west of the stadium which is now covered with buildings) and seeing the variety of tailgaters. At one, there would be a bunch of rowdy recent Alums or current students with a keg and pretzels with music blasting and right next to it would be a line of tables under canopies with covered silver dishes, a full bar, and uniformed servers. I'm not kidding! //

// These days things have changed slightly - there are still ultra formal setups and ultra casual beer bashes - but they are a bit more separated geographically. To park in one of the stadium's adjacent lots you need to be a high-contributing Alum. The tailgating in these lots are what you would expect - lots of food, beverages, Corn Hole, and music which go on as far as the eye can see. In another area, the Notre Dame Hospitality Village is set up. This is an enclosed/tented area which you have to pre-purchase tickets to enter. This is an impressive ND tailgate experience without having to haul around a rolling cooler. Here you will find the uniformed servers, the full bar, a band, etc. Then there's the RV area, a special parking lot where the serious tailgaters bring out the ND awnings, ND tables, ND serving ware, Fire & Ice grills, etc. Quite a set up. //

// In recent years, the really fun part of tailgating with my college friends is that several of us now have kids there. It's a whole new world to be hanging out with them and their friends. And such great fun that we can all do that together. //