Hot dogs roast on the grill while a fresh case of beer is cracked open. A warm breeze carries the scent of both through the crowds. In the distance you hear friendly banter and the rules to some hazardous parking lot game being listed. Your senses tell you its football season in Raleigh.
Whether you’ve been a football fanatic since birth or were dragged along with the family for years, everyone should experience tailgating as a student at least once. Coming together with friends and strangers alike to dance and chat and eat and drink is an integral part of the college experience.
Although we’d like to think we invented tailgating, its roots dig deeper in history than any of us. The American idea of gathering with friends and relatives to eat, drink and socialize before an event dates back to the early Civil War. Ironically, the first recognized tailgate was held by spectators of the Battle of Bull Run, near Mass Junction, Virginia.
While we may not have the same idea of a spectator sport nowadays, we can appreciate tailgating for the same fundamental reasons as well as its southern origin.
It’s no surprise that being part of a crowd that is gathered for the same reason is a unifying experience. There’s something incredibly unique about the deep-rooted connections that are felt with complete strangers. The dynamic is reminiscent of the social interactions we had in preschool; when having the same shoes as a classmate meant making an immediate new friend.
High energy music along with some drinks and the shared dream of a Wolfpack win can bring people together like nothing else in college.
However, despite being a beloved NC State tradition, it’s not always sunshine and beers. There can be some serious inherent challenges when it comes to tailgating and the stress that can accommodate these events isn’t always talked about.
The logistics of transportation to an event which prioritizes parking lot drinking poses obvious issues. Not to mention the difficulty in getting a parking permit and the dreaded last resort: pay to park lots that will cost an arm and a leg over time.
For a group of friends planning to tailgate, the best idea is to hedge your bets and all apply for a parking permit. This will give your group the best shot at scoring one and ensuring you can have your home base vehicles in the lots.
There is preparation involved that isn’t always obvious. Sure you can take the bus from campus, but if you don’t live there, you better get to campus first thing in the morning and wait over an hour in line.
For underclassmen who may not have a designated friend group so early in the year, the stress of who to go with may put a damper on the event. So while it is unifying for many, it could mean some students feel more out of place amidst the crowd.
To these students I would recommend branching out on campus to see about clubs or intramural sports you could join. Both are a great way to meet like-minded students and expand your horizons for football season and the remainder of the school year.
The upside is that when it comes to football and pre-game tailgating, to each their own! There is no one way to enjoy a Wolfpack game day, and despite logistical challenges of getting to the lots, there is nothing but fun waiting to be had. Fans can truly dictate their own experience and tailor it to what they enjoy.
As a nostalgic senior, I will personally be soaking in each and every one of my last football games as a student. You can catch me doing the Wolfpack chant with some of my favorite people on the way from the lots to the stadium. I’m wishing everyone a safe and memorable season at Carter-Finley. As always, go Pack!
