
Erin Barker
Visitors walk around an LSU balloon sign at the LSU Family Weekend Tailgate on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022, on the LSU Parade Ground in Baton Rouge, La.
Although LSU hasn’t perfected its parking lots, roads or classrooms, here on campus, game days are something the Tigers do best. A few simple necessities will make for a memorable tailgating experience:
Fully Stocked Cooler
Game days on campus typically mean long hours spent outside in the Louisiana sun. Every tent needs a cooler or two to keep tailgaters’ beverages ice cold. No matter what the beverage of choice may be, it’s not an LSU tailgate without a cold drink in hand.
Speaker
A tailgate isn’t complete without a speaker blasting an upbeat game day playlist. Songs like “Callin’ Baton Rouge,” “Louisiana Saturday Night” and “Eye of the Tiger” are a few staples. The bigger the speaker the better. Preferably the music is just loud enough to be heard from the next tent over.
Food
Every successful tailgate has a selection of delicious food to keep its guests fed. Ideally a tent would be stocked with home-cooked dishes like jambalaya, pastalaya, boudin and barbeque. Bringing a portable grill and cooking on site is a great way to elevate a tailgate.
Footwear
There are two options for footwear on game days. Either a practical sneaker that will be comfortable all day or a classic pair of leather cowgirl/cowboy boots that make a tailgate outfit photo-worthy. Will the boots be hot and potentially painful? Yes. Are they worth the fashion statement? Also yes.
Lawn Chair
A lawn chair equipped with cup holders is the perfect addition to any game day tent. Friends and family will fight for the chance to rest their feet even for a few minutes. Although it may not seem like too much of a hassle, it’s worth hauling at least one chair from the car to the tailgating grounds.
Clear Bag
Death Valley has a strict clear bag policy, but local boutiques have plenty of trendy clear purses that make the perfect accessory to a purple and gold game day outfit. Don’t forget extra cash for a stadium hot dog and cover for the bar after a Tiger win.