Tailgating Playbook: Advice from the Experts

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Parking on campus can ne’er be found, the weather is unbelievably hot, and the Fighting Texas Aggie Band is marching into Kyle field. This can only mean one thing: it’s football season in Aggieland! Whoop!

Football fans from Texas A&M University and their opposing teams fill the southwest part of campus during Texas A&M home games to soak up the spirit can ne’er be told. Like football teams, tailgaters have varying approaches to throwing successful pre-game events. Whether rooting for the Aggies or the opposing team, advice from three local businesses that specialize in tailgating can help make your tailgate one for the record books.

Gearing Up for the Game Just as football teams spend hours reviewing their game plan before heading to the stadium, local experts recommend tailgaters review their tailgate strategy. Know your parking plan before you arrive and make reservations for equipment and catering sooner rather than later. “Time is always your friend, and a lack of it is your enemy,” says Delores Crum, owner of Party Time Rentals.

Lacey Baze, marketing director at Details Party Rental, points out some tailgating essentials. “A good tailgate is a comfortable tailgate,” she says. Comfort starts with a tent to protect you and your food from the weather. In addition to tents, other essentials include ice chests full of ice and pre-chilled drinks, enough sunscreen for you and your guests, and entertainment items.

Perhaps the most important thing to pack on game-day is easily forgotten in a competitive atmosphere. A good attitude is essential when tailgating, as pointed out by William Adams, general manager of Tailgate Guys. “Be willing to go with the flow,” he says. “We’re going to see the biggest crowds yet on campus this year with the new coaching staff and unique lineup of football powerhouses on our schedule. Try to be a good Ag to them.”

Catering vs. Cooking If you’ve ever walked around Kyle Field on a home game weekend, odds are you and your taste buds have taken note of the delectable tailgate aromas in the air. Some tailgates are catered, while other tailgaters prepare their pre-game feast themselves.

When deciding whether to prepare your meals with a phone call or grill, ask yourself how large your crowd is, how interactive you want to be with your guests, and consider the amount of time you will spend at your tailgate.

According to Adams, people in this region think barbecue when they think tailgate. “It’s kind of hard to slow cook a good brisket at a tailgate site when you show up at noon the day of the game, so catering is a good option for barbecue,” Adams says. He also points out that late games tend to have longer tailgates. On these weekends, he recommends catering lunch and cooking dinner yourself.

For out of town guests, catering options come in handy. Catering requires less prep work, less time, and very little clean up, Baze says. Catering also eliminates the need for out of town fans to rent grills and other cooking materials.

No matter where you’re from, Lauren Fickey, an event consultant and business development associate at Party Time Rentals, recommends considering the type of tailgate you are hosting when picking a menu. If your tailgate is a business event you want plenty of time to mingle with your guests. Catering is best for these occasions. If you’re tailgating with 20 friends and family members, then the tradition of cooking on site and having everyone bring a side is a fun way to get everyone involved.

A Hail Mary into the SEC According to Baze, the number of people on campus for tailgating sky-rocketed after Texas A&M joined the SEC in 2012. “The sheer quantity of people who come to tailgate without going into the game is incredible,” she says.

In addition to adding volume to the crowd, joining the SEC led Texas A&M tailgaters to raise the bar at their tailgates. “Texas A&M tailgates were more basic before we joined the SEC,” she says. “Now people use more linens and other higher-end items. There are more companies tailgating now whereas in the past it was more intimate family tailgates.”

Baze shares a memorable tailgating experience that shows just how serious SEC fans take tailgating. “The second year we played Alabama, an Alabama fan wanted to know where his tailgate spot was going to be,” Baze recalls. “He called me to find out, so I sent him a map right away. This fan said that was great, but he wanted to see it in person, so he flew his private plane to College Station months before the game and visited the site in person!”

Joining the Best Texas A&M’s football traditions and rich history make Bryan College Station a popular away-game destination for opposing teams. Larger crowds make parking, securing a tailgate spot, and setting up more difficult. Enlisting the help of tailgate experts like Details Party Rental, Party Time Rentals, and Tailgate Guys makes tailgating at the best university in the nation (we may be a little biased) less stressful.

No matter what brings you to campus on game day, while tailgating at Texas A&M you’re sure to have a good time. “[Texas] A&M is obviously a special place with a lot of unique traditions,” Adams says. “It’s a great place to come and make memories even if you don’t have a ticket to the game.”

Not so Tricky Trick Plays

If studying Texas A&M’s tailgating rules, planning your tailgate, supplying your own tent and cooking supplies, cooking or calling a caterer, camping out to secure your spot, and setting up your own tailgate site are not your idea of home game weekend fun, you have nothing to worry about.

Handing off the responsibility of planning and executing your tailgate is easy when you hire experts like Details Party Rental, Party Time Rental, and Tailgate Guys. They offer options that allow you to be as hands on or off as you prefer.

Just be sure to call and reserve the services you prefer early! The longer you wait, the fewer options you will have for event rentals and services.

Details Party Rental www.detailspartyrental.com

According to Details Party Rental Marketing Director Lacey Baze, Details is a one-stop tailgate shop. “Our guests can just show up without having to worry about bringing the party, too,” she says.

Details offers four basic tailgate packages ranging in price from $325 to $2,750 per game with prices varying depending on Texas A&M University’s opponent each week. Packages include tents, tables, chairs, a tailgate sign with your name, delivery, set up, and clean up.

In addition to their basic packages, Details offers a wide variety of add-ons including catering packages, additional tables and seating, yard games, heating and cooling elements, ice chests full of ice, speakers, generators, TV packages, and more. Perhaps the most unique item offered by Details is their large and small tailgate trailers, which assist with cooking and contain TVs, audio systems, and in some cases, restrooms.

Baze says working with Details allows tailgaters to simply enjoy the day. “We cater to people who don’t want to do all that work.”

Party Time Rentals www.partytimerentals.com

Party Time Rentals works with clients to determine how sophisticated or downhome tailgaters want their set up, according to Party Time Rentals owner Delores Crum.

Party Time offers three basic tailgating packages ranging in price from $199-$799 with an additional charge for delivery. Both high- and low-end seating and table rental options are available.

Add-ons at Party Time are seemingly endless and include linens, lawn furniture, rugs, serving pieces, heating and cooling elements, yard games, cooking utensils, grills, ice chests, popcorn makers, and more.

For Texas A&M fans looking to create a fun and team-spirited atmosphere, Party Time provides all paper goods featuring the Texas A&M logo.

No matter the purpose and desired atmosphere of your tailgate, according to Crum, Party Time is ready to help create your best tailgate yet.

Tailgate Guys www.tailgateguys.com/home/texas_am

Tailgate Guys is the only tailgate service affiliated with Texas A&M. They try to be more like a hotel than a services company, according to William Adams, Tailgate Guys general manager.

“We offer a turnkey service,” Adams says. “We help unload your vehicle; set up your tables, tents, and chairs; make sure your TVs are already tuned to ESPN; and have your food hot and ready to go when you get there.”

Tailgate Guys offers four tailgate packages that can be rented for a single game or an entire season. Rentals with Tailgate Guys include your tailgate site, tent, chairs, tables, and a personalized sign. Larger packages include other items such as coolers full of ice, paper goods and eating utensils, fans, media packages, and more. Prices range from $340-$3,000 per game and $2,375-$14,170 for the season.

In addition to setting up and cleaning up your tailgate, Tailgate Guys remains on site throughout the day to ensure you have everything you need.

“When you’re able to just enjoy the company around you, you can focus on the excitement of the day,” Adams says. “It makes it about being with the people you’re tailgating with.”