The Evolving Tailgate

Used to be, tailgating was a sport of men. Burgers, hot dogs and sausages cooked on a grill set up outside a football stadium, the cracking open of beers and cheers of team allegiances filled the air with good-natured sportsmanship. Tailgating is still as popular as ever, though menus have changed slightly. The standard grill fare is sometimes replaced with more sophisticated cuisine – think fish tacos and grilled pizzas. Tailgates have also largely been replaced by mobile, pop-up tents. Prior to football games at Oklahoma’s college stadiums, throngs of people can be seen gathering, enjoying great food and sampling their neighbor’s, sharing their predictions for the upcoming game and enjoying the thread that strings them together: school pride.