Enjoy tailgating, but get in early so u don't miss

[Dr Z]

Top NCAA tailgates? Chew on one version

UNION-TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICES

September 3, 2004

Just in time, The Associated Press has thoughtfully released its "completely subjective and totally unscientific Top 10 of college football tailgating, in no particular order:"

LSU: Huge kettles of jambalaya and crawfish dominate the raucous pregame scene in Death Valley. Oh yeah, there's plenty of drinking, too.

Michigan: Fans can tailgate on the college golf course. Just be sure to park off the fairway. (Astute fans know San Diego State plays in Ann Arbor on Sept. 18.)

Georgia: A huge number of RVs crowd around Sanford Stadium on game days. Some fans even do their tailgating in a nearby cemetery.

Ole Miss: The Grove, a shaded 10-acre patch of grass in the center of campus, is the center of action. The men wear ties, the women dresses and everyone eschews decadence for decorum.

Purdue: Some of the most clever tailgaters, such as the fan who converted a coffin into a grill and ice chest – and brings his contraption to the game in a hearse.

Notre Dame: One of the most storied settings in college football also is home to some truly lavish pregame parties. Tables are decorated with elaborate flower arrangements and formal place settings.

Penn State: One of the most spacious areas for tailgating, and some 40,000 people usually take advantage. Good ice cream, too, including "Peachy Paterno."

Tennessee: The "Volunteer Navy" is comprised of hundreds of ships that dock on the nearby Tennessee River on game days, doing their partying on the water.

Washington: An even more expansive body of water, Lake Washington, is not far from Husky Stadium. Plenty of boats for "sterngating," and a seaplane drops in from time to time, too.

Texas: Everything's big in the Lone Star State, including the pregame party. Huge smokers cooking up whole sides of beef, tended by cowboy hat-wearing fa