Preparations for people's game day celebations begin early, from white tents being set up on Wednesdays to meal preparations. The week before is a time families and students prepare for how they will spend their game day. Many families have tailgates every weekend and have made it a tradition to be among the Auburn community on game day.
Hosting a tailgate is a lot of work, from renting the space to cooking to decoration setup.
Bobby Giles' family have been Auburn fans their whole lives and never fail to miss a game day on the Plains. They typically rope off their area the Friday prior to the the game and have anywhere from 15 to 200 friends come to get excited for the game.
“We call our tailgate the PlainsFolk because we are stationed in the Loveliest Village on the Plains and are just some regular old folks! It's not the food or the location that makes the tailgate. It's the people,” Giles said.
On game day, depending on who the Auburn Tigers are playing, they decide what to cook for the game. When Auburn plays Arkansas, for example, the Giles will make BBQ.
They differ from most groups in that they don't cook while at their tailgates.They split up food preparations with the other families they tailgate with and will occasionally bring a crockpot or hotpot, but their main priority is always being present with their friends.
“For the Cal game, we made a banana pudding with those little Teddy Graham bears on top. Then we tried to go with avocado toast and different things like that. It's like California, so it's easy. We will always have our special Buffalo Chicken Dip and a nugget platter though,” Giles said.
Something special they do to at their tailgates is pass out koozies with a QR code on them. When scanned, it will pull up a map to direct whoever needs it back to the tailgate. They want people to feel safe when out and to know they always have a place to return to in case of any emergency.
The Cornwell family have also been dedicated Auburn fans their entire lives and tailgate in a trailer for nearly every home game. Jason Cornwell, Auburn Alum, hosts a tailgate at the University Station with three families from which he met during his time at Auburn. They start as early as 8:30 a.m., beginning the day with a breakfast spread on the grill and then cooking throughout the day.
“We take turns on cooking and food prep, but one thing is we all will be out in the morning to cook our breakfast. In addition, we will typically always have a big pot of jambalaya. We put in pork, chicken, shrimp and a ton of veggies and seasonings,” Cornwell said.
Being an alumni, now with a freshman daughter at Auburn, makes tailgating even more fun for Cornwell. His daughter, Blair Cornwell, is a football enthusiast who loves to be able to see her family and bask in the Auburn game day experience with them.
“For a decade we tailgated on campus in the Hayfield where buildings now sit. That's where the kids grew up, right here with Auburn football. We would roll the camper in on Thursday evenings and back home every Sunday,” Blair said.
Many students don't have family or friends who host a weekly tailgate, which means they take part in the Auburn sponsored activities. Many students will attend various campus organization events and go with friends before to hang out and listen to music. Freshman Ryan Sprague makes it to Jordan-Hare for nearly every home game.
“Honestly, going into game day, I usually don't have a set plan. I love to walk the concourse and grab food with friends to feel a part of the community. I will usually go to different places and see my friends and then walk over to the game with them and sit in block seating,” Sprague said.
Just because fans don't have family coming in every weekend doesn't mean that game day is any less enjoyable or thrilling. Sprauge has been to countless tailgates and will even stop to meet fellow Auburn fans when walking on the concourse.
Whether tailgating is a simple affair or an extravagant one, it remains a tradition that emphasizes the spirit and sense of community within the Auburn Family.
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