Would you Tailgate with no Game Ticket?

[Black Irish]

I'm curious how many of our esteemed (ahem) members would go to tailgate at a big game, ND or not, even if they knew there was little to no chance they would get into said game. Would you travel to a gameday just for the tailgate experience even if it meant you had to watch the actual game in a hotel room, sports bar, or rented room? Would you tailgate ND vs FSU in Tallahassee if you had no game ticket just for the fun of it & watch the game at a bar? For instance, I've heard people rave about the SEC gameday/tailgate experience even if you don't have game tickets. Hell, there's a magazine devoted to football tailgating. It's like Eagles fans who tailgate for games at Lincoln Field then go to Chickie's & Pete's to watch the game. Thoughts? Opinions?

 

[IrishSteelhead]

I've done that many times, and have never regretted it. If we didn't go to a campus bar to watch, we had a TV set up or watched with others. Tailgates are too fun to not attend just because you are missing a ticket. I've been to tailgates all over, spanning every conference, and the only one that really disappointed me was a UT game in Austin. VERY weak pregame atmosphere for such a big program.

 

[blueNDgold44]

Of course. Tailgating is 1/2 the fun. Done it many times at ND

 

[notredomer23]

Tailgating is way more fun than the games. You will be able to get a ticket before kickoff around the stadium for under 20 dollars besides for Michigan.

Edit: Didn't read the FSU part. Don't think I'd go to that game with out a ticket. Would be pretty expensive.

 

[Henges24]

My family makes it down to one game a year (at least) to tailgate at white field and watch the game in the tent behind the Morris Inn.

 

[NDFAN420]

As soon as I saw the headline it reminded me of an excellent, if little known, movie with Patton Oswalt called "Big Fan". He embraced the part and pulled it off with conviction.

 

[IrishLion]

If the tailgate spot had a TV hooked up so that I could stay in the parking lot and turn the game on without missing kickoff for travel time, I would do it.

I've got season tickets to UC football this year, but their homegames are all at the Bengals stadium this year while Nippert on campus gets an upgrade. This will be the first time where I'll be holding my very own tailgate before each game (as long as game time doesn't conflict with ND. If they play at the same time, my tickets go to friends).

 

[Bubbles]

I gave up my student tickets to family on a few occasions and did just that I think they've cracked down quite a bit on those type of shenanigans since then.

 

[HoosierIrish]

If you don't mind, wait until right after kickoff and scalpers are basically giving tickets away. I go to almost every game and half of the time i go for free with the promise I'll cheer loud. The other time I get tickets for 5-15 bucks. If that fails, backer is a fun place to watch the game at anyways.

 

[stlnd01]

Sure, if with friends and such. Also, as others have said, tickets are really not at all hard to come by before the game, aside maybe from Michigan/USC some years. I've often wound up with extras and basically had to give them away.
Don't know that I'd travel (from Delaware?) to Tallahassee to tailgate on the road, though.

 

[PLACforever]

If the SEC does anything right, it's tailgating.
UGA/UF is dubbed "the world's largest outdoor cocktail party" and I've heard it's legendary.

I'd absolutely go to something like that with little interest, much less remorse about seeing/missing the game.
I know people who have satellite dishes hooked up to massive tvs in/on pickups and trailers who just hang in the parking lot and party.

I've been to ND tailgates, both in South Bend and away/shamrock games and in my 2 years living south of the Mason Dixon line, I'm shocked at how amateur they are. These people live to Tailgate. I'd be shocked if half of them even knew who was playing.

 

[Black Irish]

I've heard about how legendary SEC tailgating is. It's something I'd like to expeience even if I can't come by a ticket.

 

[Polish Leppy 22]

SEC tailgating >>> any party/ concert you've ever attended. Not to mention the women...my Lord.

Every year for the past 7 my dad and his buddies (Philly fans) go to an Eagles away game to a different city. They always try to catch a college game on that Saturday in the area. Two years ago they went to NOLA for Eagles vs Saints.

Saturday matchup was...Bama at LSU. They didn't have tickets. They tailgated all day, made friends with the head of security for the stadium, got yellow vests, and worked "security" in the press box for free. My Pop called me laughing his ass off from the press box.