Football season means it’s time again for tailgating at universities and colleges around the country. Some would say that none do it better than Oklahomans.
“Tailgating at homecoming football games has always served as the culmination of homecoming week at LU, Oklahoma’s one-and-only-historically Black college and university,” says Kyle Taylor, the department of athletics director at Langston University (LU). “It serves as one of the largest family reunions in Oklahoma, with countless alumni, fans and visitors all stopping in to visit the Marketplace, grabbing something to eat, watching the Marching Pride band and cheering our Lions onto victory.”
Taylor continues: “For tailgating at homecoming, we’re typically at anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000 visitors during that time frame.”
At Oklahoma State University (OSU), Jesse Martin, senior associate athletic director, says that “tailgating has been a thing at OSU for decades, but it really exploded in the early 2000s, when the football program started to rise under Mike Gundy. Once Boone Pickens Stadium got its facelift, everything leveled up, from the facilities to the fan base. Cowboy fans started showing up earlier, bringing bigger setups and really turning tailgating into a full-day — sometimes all-weekend — event.”
Martin says that homecoming at OSU is “the biggest week of all. We call it ‘America’s Greatest Homecoming,’ and I don’t think that’s an exaggeration. Tens of thousands of alumni and fans come back to take in the campus atmosphere and memories. The Friday night Walkaround is huge, with attendance rivaling the football turnout, and the tailgating the next day is next-level.”
Both Taylor and Martin say that, without a doubt, tailgating is a major deal at their schools.
“Many tailgate fans have elaborate setups that rival glamorous outdoor events seen on television,” says Taylor.
Martin adds: “A lot of people have had the same tailgating spot for years. It’s like a mini neighborhood every Saturday. Picture this: Rows of orange tents, folding tables covered in food, people tossing cornhole bags. Everyone’s laid back, super friendly, and just excited to be together. Brisket, pulled pork, burgers, cowboy beans — you’ll smell it all, and don’t be surprised if someone invites you over for a plate.”
All in all, tailgating isn’t just about football.
“It’s about community,” says Martin. “It’s where old friends reconnect, students make memories and total strangers become part of your Cowboy family.
The History of Tailgating
The over-100-year-old tradition dates back to at least the late 19th century with horse-drawn wagons. But tailgating began to take off when Ivy League schools dominated football in the early 20th century and, simultaneously, “motorized buggies” hit the scene.
By 1906, tailgating started to draw interest, initially with well-heeled fans. But as time progressed, mass production of automobiles, portable grills and plastic coolers added to the allure, with before-the-game, temporary tent cities popping up in stadium parking lots across the nation — making tailgating accessible to everyone.
Gridiron fans began creating community by sipping their favorite drinks, eating, reconnecting and celebrating hopeful victories on the field. The tailgating concept is now a time-honored tradition for many college and university communities, and often lures alumni back to their alma maters.
Main image cutline: As OSU, tailgating is a weekly event during football season, but homecoming is when things really ramp up. Photo courtesy Oklahoma State University
