The Perfect Tailgate Playbook
By: Ann Nguyen ‘22
By now, you’re sure to have seen tents lined up throughout campus certain Saturday mornings and the occasional Friday afternoon. People are all dressed up in cardinal and gold as kids (and college students, alike) run around tossing footballs back and forth. The smell of delicious grilled food permeates the air, and you’re left wondering, “How can I get some of that?”
Well, hopefully, I can alleviate your worries, clear up any confusion, and coach you to become a tailgating pro just in time for Trojan Family Weekend.
Here’s my Perfect Tailgate Playbook:
Own 25-Yard Line: The Look
Honestly, the bolder, the better! Show your Trojan Pride loud and proud. Don’t think you have to wear a Jersey and/or Song Girl skirt or anything particular - just grab yourself some cardinal and gold, throw on some jeans, and you’re ready to go! Just check the weather first, so you know whether you’ll need to bring a jacket just in case.
Stretching for Extra Yardage: Temporary tats, eye black, and some light glitter/body paint can add the extra pop you’re looking for to tie everything together.
Own 35-Yard Line: The Essentials
Don’t get burned like how we (USC Football) burned ourselves with costly turnovers against BYU in Week 3. Wear sunscreen!
Stiff Arm: Caps and other fun headwear can also help you keep cool while protecting you from the sun’s powerful rays.
Stay hydrated - with actual water (H2O). In case you couldn’t tell, it gets really hot here in Los Angeles, so don’t forget to drink water in between all the fun.
Spin Move: Pack bottled waters. The Coliseum lets you bring in unopened plastic water bottles, and you’ll get thirsty from all the cheering you’ll do there. Don’t get caught paying crazy amounts for stadium water.
Clear fanny packs are your best friend. The Coliseum has a clear bag policy with size constraints, so a clear fanny pack is a great utility item that can fit everything you need, like baby plastic water bottles, lip balm, more sunscreen, sunglasses, gum, etc. all in one small, efficient container. Plus they’re just super cute!
Own 45-Yard Line: The Early Start
And when I say “early,” I mean really early. True fans start tailgating 3-4 hours before a noon game, 7-8 before a 3:30 PM game, and often all day for a 6:00 PM game. Basically, be ready to devote your day to the full football experience. Try to bring a tent, and find a shady area to set up. The earlier you come prepared, the better the chance you’ll find a prime location. You’ll also end up meeting lots of fellow fans, as you set up your food, tent, chairs, and other equipment — such as a television to check out other games, a grill if you want to show off your cooking skills, and lots of ice chests… again, to keep yourself properly hydrated.
Or, of course, you could just show up to a friend, family member, or organization’s tent at whatever time is convenient before the game. Don’t feel like you have to go all out if you don’t want to!
Opponent 45-Yard Line: The Vibes
What kind of tailgate are you going for? Establishing the right atmosphere for yourself is KEY to having a good time. Yes, you want to show as much USC love as possible with banners, flags, tablecloths, chairs, etc. But there’s more to the vibe than just décor. Music is the key element in setting the right tailgate mood. You definitely want to create at least one solid playlist for the tailgating season.
Here are just a few quality play(list)s you could run:
2000s Pop - What gets a party started better than Bye Bye Bye and Hips Don’t Lie?
House Party - Alright, let’s get the Mo Bamba and SICKO MODE goin’ for everyone!
Country Bops - Perfect for those of you who miss or want to experience the sounds of a Saturday down South
Wild Rave - Shake the tailgate grounds with booming beats and a constant dance flow.
It’s Not a Phase - Pop Punk is forever. And let’s be honest here - there are lots of quality head-banging jams out there.
Opponent 35-Yard Line: The Games
Getting ready for THE game with some mini-games is definitely a good move. It’s always great to get friends and family involved in activities to pass the time, have some laughs, and just to show off a little. You might not be able to make a 50-yard pass or return a punt for a 99-yard touchdown, but you sure can win a game of cup pong. Or maybe you can try your hand at other tailgate classics like cornhole, ladder toss, and giant Jenga. It also never hurts to just have a football or frisbee to toss around.
Cup Pong
*Play one-on-one or in pairs.*
Fill twenty cups halfway with your drink of choice.
Divide a table in half.
Arrange the cups into 10-cup triangles on each end of a table.
Take turns tossing ping pong balls. Aim for your opponent’s cups on the other half of the table.
When a ball lands in a cup on your side, remove the ball, and down the contents of the cup it landed in.
Keep playing until one team runs out of cups!
Cornhole
*Play one-on-one or in pairs.*
Get two cornhole boards and two sets of four bean bags.
Set the boards a distance apart.
Alternate throwing bean bags at the opposite goal board until all four are thrown on one side.
Repeat with the opposite board player(s).
Ladder Toss
*Play individually, up to 4 players.*
The ladder has three rungs with the top worth 3 points, the middle worth 2, and the bottom worth 1. Each player should have three bolas - two golf balls attached by a string.
Alternate as each player tosses all three bolas in each turn.
Players can land bolas on a rung offensively or knock-off opponent bolas defensively.
The first to 21 point wins, but if you go over 21, your points for the round don’t count!
Giant Jenga
*Play with as many people as you like! 4-6 is a good group.*
Get a giant tumbling tower stacking set.
Set up your blocks in a tower structure. It’s probably best to do this on a hard, level surface like cement.
Take turns removing one block each carefully and replacing it at the top so that the structure does not fall.
It’s the suspense and excitement of removing blocks and knocking down structures… but bigger!
Opponent 25-Yard Line: The Eats
No tailgate can be complete without FOOD. I mean, can you imagine going to a football game hungry? I’ve been there, and it’s definitely no fun. No one wants to pay stadium prices! There are a few routes you can take when it comes to providing good eats.
SportsCenter Top Ten Play - Break out the Grill
Let’s get some meat sizzling. There’s nothing quite like a hot and fresh burger, taco, or hot dog on a gameday. Themed food is also an awesome move. For example, if we were playing the Colorado Buffaloes, bison burger would be a phenomenal chef’s choice.
Beautiful Pass - Prepare Food
This is where we can get a little creative with cool chips and dip presentations or cute cupcakes. Food is cooked to your taste, crafted carefully to your liking, and can be a total crowd-pleaser! You can also prepare side dishes in addition to grilling or…
Ordering Food
Maybe you don’t have time to pull out all the stops or maybe you’re just really craving some good chicken wings. Grab one of those large catering deals from Popeyes, Taco Bell, Chick-Fil-A, Jimmy Johns, Chipotle, Buffalo Wild Wings, etc. and/or maybe some pizza from Dominoes, CPK, or Blaze.
Whatever play you draw up for your tailgate meal(s) plan, just make sure to have A LOT! It’s always better to have more than enough than not enough. It’s also an awesome move to offer food to other tailgaters passing by and make friends. Even the enemy might have some food to share in return or could just be really nice and appreciative of the delicious food you have to offer. Definitely stick with food that can easily be eaten without utensils to eliminate the need for tables and tragic food spills.
REDZONE: The Chill
Make sure you don’t tailgate party too hard! You need to save some energy for all the cheering you’ll do for USC in the Coliseum. Take some time to relax and socialize for a while before game time. Also, don’t forget to tidy up after yourself! Even on campus with Facility Management Services handling major clean-up post-tailgate each game, it’s still nice to make sure you don’t leave your area as a complete mess. Don’t be that jerk.
TOUCHDOWN: The Hype
What’s that sound? Could it be? Yep, it’s USC’s band The Spirit of Troy marching down Trousdale. Get excited, and follow the band all the way to the Coliseum. Along the way, don’t forget to rub George Tirebiter’s nose and kick one of the flagpoles for good luck. Then, you’re all set. You’ve tailgated like a true champion Trojan, so enjoy the game and FIGHT ON!
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