GETTING HERE & GETTING OUT
We’ve been assured that despite the summer’s morass of construction, all roads leading to Clemson will be open for football season. That said, the best advice is always to arrive early. Veteran tailgaters will be setting up their tents by 8 a.m. for a noon game; by 10 a.m. for a 3:30 p.m. game; and by noon for one in prime time. The earlier you arrive, the less chance you’ll be sitting in traffic on Highway 76 or Tiger Boulevard at kick-off. Be aware that traffic patterns change leading up to the game; at some point, all roads lead to the stadium.
One of the great perks to arriving early is the chance to wander around and get ideas from other fans. “There are lots and lots of intricate and elaborate setups,” says veteran tailgater Jackie Ellis ’83. “We built a stand for the dish antenna so we would get better reception for the TV. We actually saw the prototype in another lot, took a picture, and Norman [her husband] designed and built it in a weekend.”
IPTAY parking lots open at 6 a.m. for noon and 1 p.m. games and at 8 a.m. for all other kickoff times. An IPTAY parking permit is required. Free public parking is available off Perimeter Road (east of Cherry Road, excluding reserved lots) and on Kite Hill (intersection of Perimeter Road and Highway 76).
Links to parking maps and online reservation forms here. IPTAY’s game-day guide is another good resource.
If you don’t have IPTAY parking, don’t despair. Advice from local tailgater and former faculty member Elaine Richardson M ’76, Ph.D. ’86 is to check tigernet.com and Facebook for reasonably priced parking spots. Most downtown churches and many businesses also sell parking spaces, often with the proceeds going to charitable causes. Some are reserved for the season, but many options remain for the day of the game. A likely pricier option, but sometimes closer to the stadium, is to find downtown residents who rent out their yards for parking. A word of warning: Don’t park on the street, and if you park in someone’s yard, make sure your wheels are off the sidewalk and off the street.
Getting out after the game is always an adventure. Some Tiger Fans will slip out of the gate when the game is not close, get on the road and beat the traffic. The faithful, however, stay until the last second has clicked down and enjoy the on-field celebration. Check out our menu suggestions for snacking after the game while you’re waiting for the worst of the traffic to clear.

FOOD & DRINK
You can cook for days; you can bring your smoker and set it up onsite; or you can order a platter from a grocery or restaurant and pick it up the morning of the game. Tailgating at Clemson is as elaborate as you want to make it, but nobody’s judging if your serving dishes are plastic and you don’t have a chandelier hanging from your tent (and if you’re wondering, the answer is yes, you might see that).
Food varies widely depending on the time of the game. Mimosas and breakfast fare are typical before noon games, while you can find full dinner spreads laid out before nighttime games. It’s those 3:30 p.m. games that are complicated. Come prepared with appetizers and a everything you need for lunch, but also with drink options and easy-to-hold snacks that can be consumed during the games people play until the traffic clears. Cornhole is the old faithful, but ladder golf, KanJam and Mashball are making inroads. And apparently beer-can cornhole combines two old favorites.
You may have orange cups, orange tablecloths, an orange tent and Tiger tchotchkes to boot, but for some, the drinks at Tiger Tailgates are the stars. Ellis boasts themed bloody marys for every home game. “Really it’s like a meal in itself,” she says. “Pimento cheese sammies, chicken nuggets, Wickles, crab legs (for the FSU game), pickled okra, as well as the usual celery and olives.”
Find other great recipe ideas here.

FAMILY-FRIENDLY PREGAME TRADITIONS

Tiger Walk
Get your tailgating wrapped up about two hours before the game, then head over to Tiger Walk to “see your favorite player and coach dressed to the nines,” Ellis says. Join the crowd around the P-3 parking lot (aka IPTAY lot 5) and cheer the team and the coaches on as they enter the stadium’s WestZone. Coach Dabo Swinney instituted this tradition for his first game as head coach in 2008, and it grows in popularity every year.

‘90 Minutes Before Kickoff’ Concert and Pep Rally
After that, head over to the outdoor amphitheater for Tiger Band’s “90 Minutes Before Kickoff” concert and pep rally. Enjoy classics such as “Tiger Rag” and “Eye of the Tiger” as well as halftime show highlights before the band makes its traditional march down Fort Hill Street to Memorial Stadium. (If you’re in town on Friday afternoon and looking for kid-friendly fun things to do, join the Tiger Band Kidz Klub at 5 p.m. on the band practice field.)
’55 Exchange
Unless the weather is unseasonably cold, Clemson Ice Cream can’t be beat. Head over to the ’55 Exchange in the Hendrix Center for a double scoop of ice cream made and sold by Tigers.
South Carolina Botanical Garden & the Bob Campbell Geology Museum
If you need a relaxing break, walk through the spectacular 295-acre South Carolina Botanical Garden. Cool off at the Fran Hanson Visitor’s Center, go back in time at the Hunt Family Cabin and the Hanover House, experience the whimsy of the children’s garden and wander through nature-based sculptures. While you’re there, take in the Bob Campbell Geology Museum, home to an extensive collection of gems, minerals and fossils of the region and the only exhibit of saber-toothed cats in the Southeast.