You. Guys. College football starts again in six days. Just six little days until we can kick off the greatest time of the year next to Christmas, football season. I’m from the Midwest so I’m pretty sure my first words were “Touchdown!” If love football like I do, or you just love getting day drunk on a Saturday and eating amazing food keep reading for some amazing tailgating tips, tricks and ideas because I can’t help myself from shaking with excitement.
1. Pack everything the night before. I know that seems obvious to some people but I can’t tell you how many mornings I’ve spent scrambling to get my stuff together. I try and pack a few snacks just in case I don’t like the food at the tailgate.
2. If you’re hosting a tailgate, make your own cornhole game! Find the instructions here, or you can have some other yard games like polish horseshoes. It just is fun to have something else to do besides drink.
3. Wear something both cute and comfortable. I know it’s so easy to grab a t-shirt and head out the door but you’re going to be wearing it all day and probably won’t have time to change before you hit the bars. You’ll be taking lots of pictures and if a t-shirt doesn’t bug you more power to you, but I love the idea of repurposing a t-shirt or pairing it with a pair of cowboy boots. Maybe actually wearing makeup and fixing my hair so I look totes adorbs sorority squatting with all my friends.
4. Don’t drink too many different types of alcohol. If you start off with beer, stick with beer that way. Mixing different types of alcohol can really screw with your system. Tailgating is a marathon not a sprint. Since you’ll likely be drinking all day, you’ve got to just take it easy. You don’t want to be hammered by 10am.
5. Drink water. You’ll thank me later. Alcohol is dehydrating. Even if you’re not drinking it’s likely going to be really hot the first few weeks of school, so you need to be careful. Drinking water prevents bad hangovers, keeps you hydrated and it just all around a good idea. You should have a glass of water for every alcoholic beverage you consume.
6. Sunscreen. Oh my gosh do not forget sunscreen. It’s hot. The sun is beating down, and homegirl you’ve got to protect your skin. I know it seems silly because it’s “fall” but you still need to wear sunscreen.
7. Bring cash. Most places will have a keg or something but it’s likely they won’t take your credit card. You need to bring cash for parking and other emergencies.
8.Pack a cooler. Don’t just mooch off everyone else. Bring a small cooler full of water, beers or snacks and you’ll be the life of the party.
[David Lee/Shutterstock]
The Top 8 Expert Tailgating Tips for College Football Season
