"Planning is half the fun"

After going on numerous college football trips with the GOL, I have compiled a Tailgating Top Tips list.Tailgating Top Tips1. Get your lodging as early as possible. Most college campuses don't have that many hotels close to the action. Plan 10-12 months ahead of time if possible. Call all the local hotels or rent a house if you have enough people. I have found that the best location is close to campus bars/restaurants. This is the most important of the Tailgating Top Tips.2. Google Maps is your friend. If you are the primary planner, you will be on Maps many times. Use it to map out walking distances between your hotel, the tailgate, and the stadium. Knowing those distances ahead of time avoids a lot of stress on game day.3. Best websites if you want to rent a house: vrbo.com, gamedayhousing.com, rentlikeachampion.com, airbnb.com. Guystriplive is a newer concierge service for guys trips that handles lodging, meals, nightlife, and sporting events all in one place — worth a look if you want someone else doing the heavy lifting.4. Connect with locals before you go. This is one of the most underrated things you can do. Search Facebook Groups for the school’s fan base, check school subreddits, and tap alumni networks. You’ll get insider tips on parking, tailgates, bars, and restaurants that you won’t find on any travel site. People are generous with their knowledge and sometimes their tailgates.5. Try to pick a nice weather game. Try to go to a game in September or October. No downside to nice weather. If you’re going to two games in one year, go north in September/October and south in November/December.6. Fly in/arrive on Thursday. The extra day is always worth it. You’ll never say, “We should have done one less day.”7. Start tailgating on game day as early as possible. There is NEVER enough tailgate time. You will run out of time.8. If you want minimal effort tailgating on game day, search for tailgate groups on Google or Facebook and send them emails or messages. Most of these groups will be happy to host you. I usually ask if we can chip in monetarily. Tailgreeter is a digital marketplace where you can find and join a local tailgate.9. If you want to do your own tailgate, research tailgate areas/tents ahead of time. A lot of campuses have areas where they set up tents and you can reserve a tent area and have food catered or do it yourself. Research this early so you can get the best location. RevelXP is a growing business that supplies tents at over 50 campuses.10. Research to see if there are any must-sees on and around campus. You might not make it back to that venue, so make the most of it. There might be other college sports (soccer, volleyball) going on during your trip that are worth attending. Also check if there are any NFL games the following day that are close by at a venue you’ve never been to.11. Research any special restaurants/bars you might want to go to. Make reservations ahead of time. Check out their websites. They might have fun things going on during football weekends.12. If you plan on hitting the bars, try a 4-bar bar crawl. It’s more fun and something to talk about with people you might meet.13. Research, research, research.14. Hand pick your traveling buddies. Trips don’t have to include a lot of people to be great fun. Make sure everyone has the same goals and expectations. I usually try to cap it at 6 guys. We rent a big car and the camaraderie is great. Any more than that, logistics can get tricky (transportation, reservations, tickets). Make sure everyone is happy with their room assignments — generally two people to a room. And if people start to get on each other’s nerves, take a break from each other. A few hours apart does wonders.15. Have a group leader and a flexible itinerary. It can be time consuming to be ready for dinner/bar and not have a clue where to go. Have a group leader who can delegate responsibilities ahead of time. It’s easier to say here are the 2 or 3 restaurants/bars that looked the best.16. Design a group shirt for each trip. It’s a conversation starter, a tradition, and it builds identity. People notice and ask about it everywhere you go. It also makes for great photos and content. Start with a theme that ties to the destination.17. Document the trip on social media as you go. Post on Instagram, tag the school, the stadium, and local spots. It’s a great way to connect with the fan base, generate excitement, and build a following around your tradition. Bonus: it creates a running archive of your trips.18. Appoint a group photographer to take pictures and put them on Google Photos or another sharing site. Consider hiring a local photographer for game day tailgating.19. Do play “Credit-Card Roulette” for every meal. Nothing is more thrilling than a free meal or the agony of having to pay for the whole group.20. Make a general rule that if a friend can’t go for some reason, the trip goes on.21. Always root for the home team.22. Take a nice leisurely stroll on campus on Friday afternoon. Make that trip to the bookstore and ALWAYS bring team apparel home to the wife and family. Know everyone’s sizes beforehand.23. Write up a trip summary while it’s still fresh. Even rough notes will do. The stories, the moments, the characters you meet — they fade fast. You’ll be glad you did this in year 5, and even more glad in year 15.24. Don’t worry too much about the accounting until after the trip. One person can pay for everything, or expenses can be split. Keep receipts. After the trip, do a spreadsheet on what everyone owes.Feel free to contact us if you have any Tailgating Top Tips to add from your own experiences.