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By Nancy Spitler<\/strong> It\u2019s fall again in Clemson, with everything that comes along with that: Move in, Welcome Back, First Friday Parade \u2014 and football weekends.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div> During football season, there is no place like Clemson. No other place that\u2019s so wall-to-wall with alumni and fans. No other place where you can find anything \u2014\u00a0and I mean anything \u2014 in orange.<\/p>\n Orange campers festooned with Tiger Paws roll into town on Thursdays and Fridays; orange tents are set up pole-to-pole on Saturday mornings; orange grills are lit; and Clemson-themed drinks are mixed in parking lots and fields across the campus and the town. Orange-clad fans you\u2019ve never met before will pull up a chair, add some drinks to the cooler, and watch the game with you outside the stadium. It\u2019s a party like nowhere else. Whether you\u2019ve been tailgating in Clemson for decades or still trying to find your prime location, we\u2019ve put together a guide. We hope it will help as you head to campus this fall.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div> GETTING HERE & GETTING OUT<\/b> GETTING TO THE GAME<\/strong><\/p>\n If you haven\u2019t been to a game in the past few years, a few things have changed. Security at the stadium is tighter than it used to be. Unless your purse is 6.5 inches or smaller, you\u2019ll need to find a clear tote, available in downtown stores. In a pinch, a gallon-capacity zip-close bag is an acceptable alternative. You can always slap a Tiger Paw sticker on it to match the game-day theme.<\/p>\n The gates open two hours before the game. Whatever else happens, make sure you\u2019re in your seat (or standing) in time for what\u2019s been called the most exciting 25 seconds in college football, when the team and coaches run down the Hill.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/p><\/div> CARRS TO CLEMSON<\/strong><\/p>\n Doyle Carr and his wife, Judith, were touring colleges around the region with their two daughters in the early 1990s. They had never heard of Clemson, but their campus visit and the friendly reception was enough to convince both daughters to attend. Sherri Marie Carr graduated in 1994; Deb followed in 1998.<\/p>\n Doyle retired from UPS after 30 years, and the Carrs moved to Lake Keowee. Faithful Tiger tailgaters, they can be found with their orange 1934 Dodge truck near Gate 7 on football Saturdays.<\/p>\n This fall, Doyle enrolled at Clemson to finish the degree he started at the University of Cincinnati years ago. Although he\u2019s been advised to start slowly, he\u2019s planning to finish around 2020, looking forward to joining his daughters as Clemson alumni.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div> FOOD & DRINK<\/b> DAVE & JAMES’ GAME DAY MENUS<\/strong><\/p>\n NOON GAME BRUNCH<\/strong><\/p>\n Bloody marys with cayenne-candied bacon and mimosas Post game<\/strong> 3:30 DOUBLE-TAKE<\/strong><\/p>\n Margaritas and full bar Post game<\/strong> PRIME-TIME SPREAD<\/strong><\/p>\n Full bar FAMILY-FRIENDLY PREGAME TRADITIONS<\/strong><\/p>\n Tiger Walk<\/strong> NO TICKETS? NO PROBLEM.<\/strong><\/p>\n While the Esso Club is the most famous spot to settle in with a beer to watch the game on the big screen, there are plenty of other options as well. Nick\u2019s and Tiger Town Tavern have been here since the 1970s, TDs since the 1980s, and Backstreets since the 1990s, but Study Hall and Loose Change will have their doors open on College Avenue as well. You can also volunteer to guard the beer at a friend\u2019s tailgate spot that features a satellite dish and TV.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re that person in a rabid football-loving family who loves to tailgate but just doesn\u2019t get all the hype and excitement about a game, there are still enjoyable options. Head over to the South Carolina Botanical Garden and the Bob Campbell Geology Museum, take a walk on the dikes or a hike through the Clemson Experimental Forest, or just wander downtown through the shops.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/p><\/div> TIPS FROM THE EXPERTS<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div> \u201cLeave the glass dishes at home. And a Chick-fil-A tray will almost always be the most popular dish on your table.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n Amanda Childers, Laurens<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div> \u201cBring a roll of toilet paper. The port-a-johns will run out!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n Miriam Hutto, Fort Mill<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div> \u201cBring a cooler with wheels \u2014 if you\u2019re walking to someone else\u2019s tailgate.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Corey Greene \u201917, Anderson<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div> \u201cBring water.\u00a0\u2018Fall\u2019 is relative in South Carolina.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Nathan Weaver \u201913, M \u201915, Athens<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div> \u201cDon\u2019t forget the sunscreen. Know the traffic requirements, and be patient. \u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Corey Greene \u201917, Anderson<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>
\nPhotography by Craig Mahaffey ’98<\/strong> and Ashley Jones<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div><\/p>\n
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\nWe\u2019ve been assured that despite the summer\u2019s 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\u2019ll 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.
\nOne of the great perks to arriving early is the chance to wander around and get ideas from other fans. \u201cThere are lots and lots of intricate and elaborate setups,\u201d says veteran tailgater Jackie Ellis \u201983. \u201cWe 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.\u201d
\nIPTAY 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).
\nLinks to parking maps and online reservation forms here<\/a>. IPTAY’s game-day guide<\/a> is another good resource.<\/strong>
\nIf you don\u2019t have IPTAY parking, don\u2019t despair. Advice from local tailgater and former faculty member Elaine Richardson M \u201976, Ph.D. \u201986 is to check tigernet.com<\/em> <\/a>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\u2019t park on the street, and if you park in someone\u2019s yard, make sure your wheels are off the sidewalk and off the street.
\nGetting 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<\/a> for snacking after the game while you\u2019re waiting for the worst of the traffic to clear.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>
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\nYou 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\u2019s judging if your serving dishes are plastic and you don\u2019t have a chandelier hanging from your tent (and if you\u2019re wondering, the answer is yes, you might see that).
\nFood 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\u2019s 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.
\nYou 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. \u201cReally it\u2019s like a meal in itself,\u201d she says. \u201cPimento cheese sammies, chicken nuggets, Wickles, crab legs (for the FSU game), pickled okra, as well as the usual celery and olives.\u201d
\nFind other great recipe ideas here.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/p><\/div>
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\nChicken and waffle sliders with maple syrup
\nBreakfast pizza
\nCinnamon rolls<\/p>\n
\nChicken and bacon Caesar wraps
\nChips and assorted dips
\nCrackers and assorted cheeses
\nReese\u2019s brownies and chocolate chip cookies<\/p>\n
\nWalking tacos with choice of shredded beef, BBQ pork and shredded chicken
\nHawaiian roll ham, Swiss and poppyseed sandwiches
\nVinegar-base coleslaw
\nReese\u2019s brownies and chocolate chip cookies<\/p>\n
\nFull bar
\nCocktail nuts
\nChips and assorted dips<\/p>\n
\nPulled pork sandwiches
\nHamburger sliders
\nBaked beans
\nCorn salad
\nChips and assorted dips
\nVegetables and ranch dip
\nReese\u2019s brownies and chocolate chip cookies<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/p><\/div>
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\nGet your tailgating wrapped up about two hours before the game, then head over to Tiger Walk to \u201csee your favorite player and coach dressed to the nines,\u201d 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\u2019s WestZone. Coach Dabo Swinney instituted this tradition for his first game as head coach in 2008, and it grows in popularity every year.
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/clemson.world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tailgating_Band.jpg\")
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\n\u201890 Minutes Before Kickoff\u2019 Concert and Pep Rally<\/strong>
\nAfter that, head over to the outdoor amphitheater for Tiger Band<\/a>\u2019s \u201c90 Minutes Before Kickoff\u201d concert and pep rally. Enjoy classics such as \u201cTiger Rag\u201d and \u201cEye of the Tiger\u201d as well as halftime show highlights before the band makes its traditional march down Fort Hill Street to Memorial Stadium. (If you\u2019re in town on Friday afternoon and looking for kid-friendly fun things to do, join the Tiger Band Kidz Klub\u00a0at 5 p.m. on the band practice field.)
\n\u201955 Exchange<\/strong><\/a>
\nUnless the weather is unseasonably cold, Clemson Ice Cream can\u2019t be beat. Head over to the \u201955 Exchange in the Hendrix Center for a double scoop of ice cream made and sold by Tigers.
\nSouth Carolina Botanical Garden & the Bob Campbell Geology Museum<\/strong>
\nIf you need a relaxing break, walk through the spectacular 295-acre South Carolina Botanical Garden<\/a>. Cool off at the Fran Hanson Visitor\u2019s Center, go back in time at the Hunt Family Cabin and the Hanover House, experience the whimsy of the children\u2019s garden and wander through nature-based sculptures. While you\u2019re there, take in the Bob Campbell Geology Museum<\/a>, home to an extensive collection of gems, minerals and fossils of the region and the only exhibit of saber-toothed cats in the Southeast.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>
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