Golden Eagle guide to tailgating

With fall quickly approaching, the upcoming cooler weather marks the beginning of a favorite Saturday pastime in the South—tailgating.

The art of tailgating is a necessary ritual in the fine art of college football game days.

Tailgating is defined as a pre-gaming event held on or around the tailgate of a vehicle for a particular sporting event in order to establish a strong core of support year after year, but in reality, it is so much more than that.

Tailgating is merely one, although a crucial, part in the ceremonial NCAA Saturday celebration that is college football. Tables are decorated, food is prepared, beer is on ice and everyone is ready for a good time.

At Southern Miss, the District is jammed packed with Golden Eagle fans each Saturday getting a head start celebrating Southern Miss football and cheering on the Eagles certainly works up an appetite. Kick off the 2012 Golden Eagle football season with this DIY tailgating guide.

Tailgating tips:

Pre-pack    

Pre-pack food before game day, preferably the night before, to save time for afternoon games.

Double Up    

Pack two coolers—one for drinks and another for food. Bring black and gold table accessories such as plates, napkins, plastic utensils, tablecloths and festive Southern Miss serving platters and other table decor.

Prepare    

Prepare for changes in weather—As Eagle fans found out last year, rain on game days is often unpredictable. Because umbrellas are not allowed in the Rock, pack rain jackets and ponchos alongside other tailgating gear.

Plan

Show up early—in order to get the full tailgating experience, show up at least three to four hours prior to the game in order to have plenty of time to cook, play games and enjoy the company of fellow tailgaters.

Game day fun:

Cornhole: 

Cornhole is a staple game day activity at any proper tailgating tent. Players toss cornhole bags at a raised platform with a hole cut out at the top of the board. Corn bags thrown into the hole equals three points. Bags that land on the platform equal one point. Players continue tossing the cornhole bags until a player reaches 21 points.

Frisbee: 

Southern Miss is fortunate to have multiple green spaces for kids and adults to toss Frisbees on Saturdays. A classic game of keep-away is sure to guarantee a good time, while ultimate Frisbee remains a favorite pastime among USM students.

Football: 

Another tailgating classic is, of course, a football. Tossing the old pigskin is one of the best ways to prepare for a Southern Miss game.

Tailgating by the numbers:

1869: Tailgating dates back to the first college football game ever played between Rutgers and Princeton. Fans traveled via horse-drawn carriage and grilled sausages at the “tail-end” of the horse, and thus, tailgating was born.

79% of tailgaters are men.

23.1: The average American roughly consumes 23.1 gallons of beer per year.

30% of tailgaters never see the inside of the stadium.

1940: The first six-pack was produced by Pabst Brewery in the 1940s.

49% of tailgaters travel less than an hour to their favorite team’s stadium.

2012 tailgating playlist:

What’s a proper tailgate without music? Some songs will be forever synonymous with college game days, and to make any tailgate the talk of the District, a party play-list is the key to keeping tailgaters coming back for more. Internet streaming program Spotify has released a 10-hour play-list, “Official Tailgate Mix 2012,” which is free and features a grab-bag of music sure to keep everyone entertained.

Some Southern Miss favorites played each year in the Rock are featured on Spotify’s “Official Tailgate Mix 2012”:

1. “We Will Rock You,” Queen

2. “ All I Do is Win,” DJ Khaled

3. “Welcome to the Jungle,” Guns N’ Roses

4. “Back in Black,” ACDC

5. “Black and Yellow,”  Wiz Khalifa