Nebraska:
The crowd is older as they have held tickets for decades. The city is too close to the stadium. They needed a real park near the stadium for crowds to mingle.
Best tailgates and atmosphere.
- Thread starter ISUboi12
- Start date
Nebraska:
The crowd is older as they have held tickets for decades. The city is too close to the stadium. They needed a real park near the stadium for crowds to mingle.
My Iowa friends took me to the Iowa-Michigan game a couple of years back. Tailgating was extremely packed, especially along the fraternity row. It had kind of a VEISHA-like fair-style setup (although without the same class) with all of the vending available. There was also a great deal of beer flowing. It wasn't so much the tailgating that was bad as much as it was who I was tailgating with. That, and I learned that day (as well as another game from a couple years ago) that it's not just ISU fans they treat with a total lack of disrespect - it's ALL fans not wearing the black and gold tigerhawk that are disrespected. However, Iowa was once again humbled by Michigan (putting to rest the talks of Big 10 championship contenders with an outside chance of a national title - at least for that year) and Iowa State spanked Oklahoma State - it was overall a pretty sweet day :yes:
of the place I've tailgated, my favorites would be:
1. Iowa State (many friends of mine from MN absolutely love tailgating in Ames, they usually wear gopher gear, but who cares)
2. Nebraska
3. Iowa (when ISU is in town)
4. Houston Bowl Game
5. Michigan State (especially after the game)
6. Iowa (when ISU not playing)
we are going to the Gophers @ Illinois this year, anyone been to champaign tailgating before? any recommendations?
1. Iowa State (many friends of mine from MN absolutely love tailgating in Ames, they usually wear gopher gear, but who cares)
2. Nebraska
3. Iowa (when ISU is in town)
4. Houston Bowl Game
5. Michigan State (especially after the game)
6. Iowa (when ISU not playing)
we are going to the Gophers @ Illinois this year, anyone been to champaign tailgating before? any recommendations?
Out of places I have been in the Big 12 would go with a list of
1. ISU - need I say more
2. KSU - Close to ISU but just doesn't quite have the same atomshere
3. A & M - nice people like to have fun people everywhere
4. Texas - lots of fun great BBQ smell
5. Colorado - only because ISU alumni have a huge tailgate party in the courtyard of a hotel.
6. KU - only because of 2005 all the ISU people there in 2003 we got there at 9 and it was us and one other group of ISU people there and that was it. The game started at 12.
7. NU - don't even get me started found a bus full of ISU fans partied with them and they were just on a side of a road.
For Big 10 I have a bunch of friends (hawkfans) that do a trip every year and they have ranked them like this.
1. Iowa
2. Wisconsin - great time they always want to go back
3. Penn St. hard to get there tons of fun
4. Michigan
5. Illinois
6. Indiana
7. Northwestern - close to Chicago
8. Minnesota
9. Purdue - they said was the worst time ever don't ever go there
1. ISU - need I say more
2. KSU - Close to ISU but just doesn't quite have the same atomshere
3. A & M - nice people like to have fun people everywhere
4. Texas - lots of fun great BBQ smell
5. Colorado - only because ISU alumni have a huge tailgate party in the courtyard of a hotel.
6. KU - only because of 2005 all the ISU people there in 2003 we got there at 9 and it was us and one other group of ISU people there and that was it. The game started at 12.
7. NU - don't even get me started found a bus full of ISU fans partied with them and they were just on a side of a road.
For Big 10 I have a bunch of friends (hawkfans) that do a trip every year and they have ranked them like this.
1. Iowa
2. Wisconsin - great time they always want to go back
3. Penn St. hard to get there tons of fun
4. Michigan
5. Illinois
6. Indiana
7. Northwestern - close to Chicago
8. Minnesota
9. Purdue - they said was the worst time ever don't ever go there
I'm with you. The colorado game with the tornado was awesome. The Houston bowl was also pretty sweet. There were twice as many ISU fans as there were TCU fans. (at least for tailgating) The drink machine was awesome, I have yet to see that again! I wonder if it's at all of the ISU home games..??
I'm surprised other folks haven't commented on how aweful the Northern Illinois fans were in 2003. That's the most angry fanbase I've ever come across. We were flying our car flags while driving around town and at least one person flipped us off for every block we drove by. We stopped to get some cigars and a couple girls were walking out of the tobacco store dressed in NIU gear and said "you guys suck" and flipped us off. We thought they were kidding, but oh no...they were not joking around and I think they would have kicked us if we got closer. During the game, people were throwing stuff at us and telling us ISU sucks. When we said, "I know," they didn't know how to handle it, so they just said, "No, you suck!" even louder. It was ridiculous. All these fans knew about football was that Michael Turner was awesome and that's about it.
The best fans I've come across where the Alabama fans when we played them in the 2001 Independence Bowl. They were very gracious and even though their team has a rich history and tradition, they were very realistic and humble...nearly all of them said they expected ISU to win.
I also partied in Madison in 1999 for the Wisconsin - Michigan game and it was an absolute blast! Although I'm not a tailgating tourist, I would definitely recommend taking in a game at Camp Randal.
The best fans I've come across where the Alabama fans when we played them in the 2001 Independence Bowl. They were very gracious and even though their team has a rich history and tradition, they were very realistic and humble...nearly all of them said they expected ISU to win.
I also partied in Madison in 1999 for the Wisconsin - Michigan game and it was an absolute blast! Although I'm not a tailgating tourist, I would definitely recommend taking in a game at Camp Randal.
completely accurate...the NIU fans I met when they came to Ames a couple of years ago were terrible.
A neighbor of mine is a Georgia fan and goes to the FL-GA game in J-ville every year, he also has been in other SEC locations. I brought him to the ISU-nebr game in 06 and he was VERY impressed. He said it easily ranked up with SEC tailgating and atmosphere. He is coming back for the ISU-nebr game this year and is wearing the ISU shirt I bought him, just like he does for every ISU-nebr game.
Thanks for bringing NIU back to my attention. We did go to the away NIU game. The one where Hiawatha Rutland blew out his knee and we lost. It was definitely one of the worst experiences I have had. The NIU fans were downright mean, the stadium was dirty and there were extremely long lines that took forever to get in to the stadium. It ranks near the bottom of my list, but then again I have no incentive to EVER return.
So true. I can't wait till the day we are beyond playing MAC teams on their own field. Play them in JTS.
I've been to KU & Iowa and just wanna say the tailgating sucks just as bad as their fans.
On a sidenote- I was at Madison Square garden when Wayne Morgan had us in the NIT final four. I must say Rutgers fans are the worst I've encountered- ever. And that's saying something. Who picks a fight with the pep band? Really.
On a sidenote- I was at Madison Square garden when Wayne Morgan had us in the NIT final four. I must say Rutgers fans are the worst I've encountered- ever. And that's saying something. Who picks a fight with the pep band? Really.
When NIU played Iowa last year or the year before in Chicago, my imagination was running wild with the deep philosophical and intellectually-stimulating conversations the two fanbases were having. I'm sure their pre-game analysis and debate was very Lincoln-Douglas.
Tonight while I was being stood up for a business meeting, I checked out some college football articles on espn.com via BlackBerry and found a "best kept secrets" top 10 list that included tailgating at 'Ole Miss. I've enjoyed this thread and wanted to add it to the mix. Here's the link:
ESPN - Secret might soon be out on Oregon offensive mind Chip Kelly - College Football
*cough* Um, I may or may not have done exactly that during the NCAA second round at Wells Fargo last winter... I didn't start it, I just finished it (with style!).
Florida State was playing Oklahoma State, and the rather large group of ISU students sitting in our makeshift Cyclone Alley were cheering just as hard for the Cowgirls as we do for the Cyclones. We were behind the east basket, with the FSU pep band in front of us. They eventually got pissed off with our constant heckling and free-throw-distractions, and started yelling back at us. I turned my attention to the pep band, (and ultimately ended up pissing off their director until he joined in the screaming). The Rutgers band was already sitting next to the FSU band, waiting for their game to start. As FSU left after losing (director still screaming at me), Rutgers band members started heckling the Cyclones. Now, the Rutgers pep band was the motliest collection of physical misfits, nerds, and all-around bizarre human beings that I have ever seen, and I wasn't about to getted yelled at by that. So I gave it back to them, too.
It was a great time. Too bad we lost that game, but the Sisters played hard, and were up against a team in a totally different league.
That's interesting because the FSU band got a nice round of applause from the crowd when they left the arena floor. Their team played well and lost the game on a call that usually doesn't get made, if I recall correctly. It was the right call, but just a hard way to lose. The band acknowledged the crowd in appreciation as they left. I felt proud to be a Cyclone and an Iowan with that show of sportsmanship. A little disappointed to hear your side of yhe story.
You recall correctly, and we Cyclones absolutely did applaud for the team and the band as they left the floor; the band acknowledged us in return. We were never yelling obscenities or anything embarrassing- I absolutely refuse to yell anything that would make ISU or other Cyclone fans look bad, nor do I allow others around me to do so. There is a difference between spewing out spit-laced obscenities that make little sense, and witty heckling to distract the other team. The former is classless; the latter is fun. Don't worry, the cardinal and gold was well-represented that night. Some of the FSU band members might not have liked us trying to distract their team members, but you'll have that when you're playing on somebody else's home court. As long as it's done in good taste, there's no problem.
I have a slightly different take on tailgating. I like to take the wife and all the kids to the pregame festivities and while many of the larger schools do a pretty good job of offering things for kids to do, not many offer good stuff for the kids. If my memory is correct, ISU didn't offer much for kids the last time I was there for a game (about 6 or 7 years ago). They had a few things set up just to the east of the Olsen Building, but that was it.
OU is not great, but they do offer some large, inflatable moon bounces along with several other activities outside the stadium.
I have only been to about a dozen different stadiums, so my exposure has been limited.
OU is not great, but they do offer some large, inflatable moon bounces along with several other activities outside the stadium.
I have only been to about a dozen different stadiums, so my exposure has been limited.
I think ISU has been offering a little more in regards to kids, though to be honest I really don't know as I didn't exactly have kids with me when I was tailgating
(though I did stay sober for games in part because of kids... I tend to get a lot of them looking at me for some reason
)
(though I did stay sober for games in part because of kids... I tend to get a lot of them looking at me for some reason
)
ISU has inflatables and other things like that for kids. They call it the "Cyclone Experience". I think it used to be south of the stadium, but now it is across University/Elwood. JT is set up fairly well for kids with the hillsides. They can run around and also get close to the players/field when they want. I'd be surprised if many places top ISU for being kid-friendly.
