On Saturdays in the fall, there is no better place to be than in the Grove. The tailgating experience is on the bucket list of thousands of people across the nation. And Ole Miss faithful are lucky enough to have it, quite literally, as the front yard of our great university.
Fall tailgating in the Grove. Photo by UM Photographer Kevin Bain
For that, we are very thankful.
The 10-acre park on campus hosts an estimated 100,000 people at a time on game days. Rebels fans and visitors both flock to the area, filled end-to-end with red and blue tents and Southern culinary staples.
“I can say in definitive terms that there isn’t a better place to spend a college football Saturday than at the Grove, followed by an SEC battle at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium,” ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said.
Ole Miss vs. Texas 2012
And with tailgaters dressed to the nines, it can also be described as a large outdoor fashion show filled with comments and questions such as “I love your blue dress!” or “Where’d you find that red necklace?”
Tailgating in the Grove
It has become an identity of Ole Miss. I’ve found myself on numerous occasions bringing people to the Grove with no ties to Ole Miss except they’ve heard about the tailgating. And they instantly fall in love with everything about it.
Especially this fall, we are so thankful for a place where we can all come together, eat, drink and talk football.
There are still two home games left, on Nov. 8 against Presbyterian College and the Egg Bowl on Nov. 29 (and we all know the implications of that one).
So bring your friends and family and show them why we are thankful and how to prepare for a football game the right way.
Hotty Toddy!