Ole Miss has The Grove, the city of Jacksonville has “The World’s Largest Cocktail Party”, and Tennessee has boat rides aboard the Vol Navy on the Tennessee River.
While few outside the state of North Carolina consider the Wolfpack tailgating destination significant on a national level, N.C . State will always have the corner of “Trinity and Chaos”.
For those who religiously practice tailgating, arriving at the corner of Trinity Rd., and what is technically referred to as Blue Ridge Rd., has distinct sentimental value. A certain brewing and unconquerable smell of barbeque, smoky gravel, and alcoholic beverages can only mean one thing – that football season, and the pointless “chant leader” guy on the megaphone next to the student section, have officially returned to their rightful domains.
For all freshmen getting ready to witness this phenomenon for the first time, simple mental preparations are advised. There is a certain tradition accompanied with tailgating at State, and you are required to go through the same exact experience nearly every student gets to live.
Well before the actual tailgate shows its body-painted self, the day will start with a stark focus on your attire. A Student Wolfpack Club shirt will have you fitting in like a regular old thumb. If you can fit a block “S” somewhere on or around you, it would be best to do so.
Next comes the most important step of the tailgating experience. After way too many people mysteriously join the tailgate crew at the last second, you will be forced to jam at least nine people into a mid-sized vehicle. After a critical retrieval of Bojangles and 45 minutes of bumper-to-bumper traffic, you will be released into a small parking space next to the State Fairgrounds – and your official tailgate can now begin.
The actual tailgate itself consists mainly of a game people call Cornhole , which means you will toss a beanbag towards a wooden plank with a hole in it. Although this does not seemed like a very cultured activity, keep this is mind – American scholars claim that a loose interpretation of the game was played by Native Americans who filled the bladder of a pig up with dried beans so they could toss them in a contest. Carry on with the progression of history, Wolfpack fans.
After several hours of football throwing, Cornhole playing, and barbeque eating, your tailgate will officially come to a close. Remembering the specific location of your crew’s car can be beneficial, but seeing as to how it may take over an hour to return to campus, you will have plenty of time to search for your car after the game.
With the tailgate portion of the experience coming to a close, the time has come to walk from the State Fairgrounds lot towards a small, unidentifiable structure on the horizon. Once reaching Carter-Finley stadium, a rehearsal featuring the memorization of “Crazy Train” lyrics and achieving the correct timing to shout “RED” during the national anthem will be conducted.
At N.C . State University, the autobahn of innovation, tailgating is simply the best way to slowly spend a Saturday afternoon.
