NCP Blog: Three Cheers for Tailgating!

Football season is in full swing! Whether its Little League flag football, Friday night high school games, or NFL matchups in huge stadiums, there’s something for everyone. And if you’re not a sportsball fan? Well, you might still enjoy a good tailgate!

What is tailgating?

Parties in the parking lots are almost as popular as the game itself these days!

 

According to the History Channel, tailgating is an American tradition with roots in the fall harvest celebrations of ancient Greece and Rome. The modern-day tailgate has strong ties to the rise of automobile ownership in the United States when fans could more easily travel to football games. And, as the restaurants in college towns struggled to keep up with the crowds, more fans began to bring their own picnic lunches with them and dined outside.

 

Portable grills and plastic coolers became widely available in the 1950s. After World War II, suburban grilling culture and car ownership flourished, and as NFL teams began building stadiums with large parking lots, tailgating evolved and exploded. Today, football fans set up elaborate events in the parking lots before games where they eat, drink, and mingle with fellow fans.

Tailgating Stats

Have you ever hosted or attended a tailgate? If you have, you’re in good company. One study estimated that 80% of Americans tailgate annually!

 

Here are a few more interesting statistics from the study:

 

• 61% tailgate 5 or more times each season
• 41% tailgate more than 8 times each season
• 64% of tailgates are ages 25-44

 

 

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