I attend Texas Tech University and my favorite thing as a Red Raider is football game days, especially the tailgate that happen before the game starts. Who wouldn’t enjoy an event where girls dress up, pledges set up and serve everything, and everyone is in a great mood. There are six components that are vital to have a tailgate that will be memorable. These are food, alcohol, a good location, shade, music, and of course, people.

For starters, people love food, especially Americans. So, you need to make sure the gang that you are tailgating with is equipped with pledges that know how to cook using a smoker or a grill. Some food choices that you can have that can feed a whole crowd and everyone likes are breakfast tacos, pork, ribs, jalapeño poppers, or really any type of meat that you know how to cook. Make sure to plan in advance and start cooking the night before or very early in the morning because cooking for the masses does take a while. People, in general and those who are intoxicated seem to get testy when they are hungry, so to prevent the complaining, be prepared and have the food ready when everyone shows up.  

Second, you need to have either a third party vendor or fraternity pledges who are TABC certified, so that you can serve alcoholic beverages at your tailgate. If your organization cannot afford one of those options, then advertise to your guests that your function will be B.Y.O.B. (bring your own booze). Alcohol has been known for many generations to be consumed during celebratory occasions, like tailgates. Something to consider when planning what kind of alcohol to consume is the timing. People are not going to want to be getting hammered off of whiskey-cokes at the crack of dawn. When your tailgate is early in the morning, make drinks that are orange juiced based, like mimosas or screwdrivers. These will help wake up your guests and make them feel like they’re having breakfast. But remember, no drinking unless you're 21. Sorry, pledges. 

The location is crucial when planning your tailgate. You want to have a location that is relatively close to the football stadium and you also want to be near where other fraternities are having tailgates. This is important because girls are going to hop from one tailgate to another, and if your tailgate is off in the middle of nowhere, they are not going to come.  Since the whole point of a tailgate is to celebrate before the game you want a good location. If your guests have to cross highways or face other dangerous obstacles, that will be a deterrent and will prevent people from coming to your tailgate.    

Usually it will be hot and sunny for most of your tailgates. At these times, the sun can be your worst enemy.  It can make people feel exhausted, cause your food to spoil, and worst of all… make your drinks watery and warm! If all of these things happen during your tailgate, then it sounds like an absolute nightmare. There is a solution that will help prevent these tragedies from happening; you need to have canopies and tents. You can find these items at a lot of retail stores, like Academy or Cabela’s. These covers do not have to be anything fancy, just something that will provide shade.  

Providing some type of music will help prevent awkward silence at tailgates that no one likes. Depending on your organization’s budget, you can either get speakers and a DJ or have live music. During my freshman year, there was someone in my fraternity that was a part of a mariachi band and another member who was in a country band. At some of the tailgates their groups performed, and at others we had someone choose music and blast it out of the speakers. Generally, the music genres you want to be playing are rap or country.   

The last and most important component to a successful tailgate are the people who attend. A tailgate is a happy occasion where everyone in your fraternity can join together and have a great time before a sporting event. You also want as many girls to attend as possible, so make sure to advertise when and where the tailgate will be or no one will know where to go! Facebook pages or other social media and word of mouth are the best ways to promote your event. If you listen to this advice, then your tailgate will be memorable. Have fun and Wreck ‘Em!