The University has long been known for its tailgating and football traditions and soon will be recognized for it.
The History Channel visited campus at the end of January to speak with people about the history of tailgating in America.
“It’s a free party and a free-for-all,” said Chris Warner, the author of “A Tailgater’s Guide to SEC Football,” about LSU tailgating.
Warner said tailgating always has been a tradition at the University and other colleges across the country, but has not become a cultural phenomenon until recently.
“It’s a very current aspect of pop culture and has only recently become a part of our American culture fabric,” Warner said.
Warner said football and food have gone hand-in-hand since the first college football game in 1869 between Rutgers and Princeton universities, when it was customary for people to engage in a wild game and fish dinner before games.
Warner said it was not until after the Civil War that Southern schools began to usher in football and a reputation for the most passionate fans.
Jeanne Hurlbert, a sociology professor, gave the History Channel a social science perspective on the topic.
She said tailgating is done on a larger scale in Louisiana and the South because of the large networks of friends and family and a culture focused on food and fun.
Compared to the East coast, Hurlbert said, tailgate parties in the South also are more informal.
“Tailgates at Georgia and Florida are known as the biggest cocktail parties in America because they dress up more and set out candelabra instead of burners,” Hurlbert said. ” You don’t see any spandex tiger pants there.”
In Warner’s History Channel interview to air later this year, he attributed the long pre-parties to the timing of football games.
“With night games people would have parties at their houses during the day and then go to the game,” Warner said. “But because of network television, day games forced people to bring the party to the stadium.”
He said people began to say “tailgate” because many used the backs of trucks and old station wagons to have their parties.
“It helps to tailgate if you have a tailgate,” Warner said.
Skip Bertman, athletics director, said with more night games at LSU, people have extra time to tailgate as opposed to other schools that usually play during the day.
Bertman said the average tailgate party lasts for eight hours and some for even 24.
Warner said what sets LSU apart from other SEC schools is its diversity, generosity and — aside from the “tiger bait” rants — friendliness.
“You could walk up to a tailgate, flat busted with no money to your name, and eat and drink for three or four hours,” Warner said.
However, Bertman attributes the University’s unique tailgating to the many motor homes and the tremendous space in such close proximity to the stadium.
He said at least 600 motor homes are on campus for game days.
“Schools like Tennessee and Florida don’t have space for parking, and they’re trying to make more spaces because tailgating is a big priority,” Bertman said.
Warner said tailgating is and will always be a big part of the South and college football.
“We’re known for our ‘joie de vie’, our joy for life,” Warner said. “We enjoy the good life. Our friends and our family, the food we put into our bodies, we hold in high regards.”