SIOC invades South Bend to check out Notre Dame

Notre Dame fans are encouraged to arrive early if they want a prime tailgate spot in the cement parking lot. Photo by Andrew Reed

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By Andrew Reed

Throughout the season, SIOC will travel to different schools and grade the tailgate scene in 10 categories. This week's stop: Notre Dame.

Setting

The prime tailgate spots are in the permit-only, cement parking lots surrounding Notre Dame Stadium. Early arrivals set up shop at the perimeter of the lots where a section of grass just wide enough to hold a proper tailgate setup can be utilized. The place gets points for what's around the tailgate -- it's Notre Dame. The elegant stadium is right there, and the campus, replete with the golden dome, grotto and St. Joseph Lake are a quick walk away. But it's still a cement parking lot dominated by alumni.
Grade: B-

Eats

A Notre Dame tailgate is not complete unless you have a grill. At least three setups featured "Chill N Grills," which has a cooler and a stereo fused with a gas grill (which just happens to sport Fighting Irish decals). The tastiest thing I ate all day was a breakfast burrito at 9 a.m. At most tailgates, sausage was the most frequent option, though burgers and chicken also made frequent appearances. Aside from grilled meats, there was plenty of pasta salad and other side dishes, almost always homemade. In general, the food was standard picnic fare, but done well.
Grade: B-

Drinks

The three most popular tailgate drinks were beer, beer and beer. Some folks had margaritas or bloody marys, but a cans of brew ruled the day, particularly at the MBA tailgate. At just about every tailgate I hit, the first thing people asked was, "Do you want a beer?" That's not to say that people were binging -- there were few drunks, and underage drinkers were often breathalyzed and fined by roving police officers.
Grade: C+

Yard Games

There seems to be consistent debate over where cornhole was invented, but I can't imagine there are too many places with more cornhole being played at once. To guess that a full third of the tailgates had bags and boards would not be far off. The most consistent sound in South Bend before kickoff was that of bean bags landing on wood. A few folks played ladder golf, but it came off like an inferior cousin compared to the day's main game.
Grade: B+

Knowledge of Fans

We gave Notre Dame fans an "A" for knowledge, but even they were unsure who Charlie Weis would start at quarterback. Photo by Andrew Reed

Domers take pride in knowing their Fighting Irish lore. Even the younger fans fondly recalled the Chicken Soup Game or the 1977 USC victory. They care greatly about college football in general and carry an undying devotion to Notre Dame. There were not a lot of Georgia Tech fans on hand, but those that made the trip were welcomed and respected.
Grade: A

Cheers and songs

Throughout an entire day of tailgating, I didn't hear a single cheer. The Victory march was played on stereos numerous times, but I only heard it sung once -- when a first-year MBA student attending her first Notre Dame game was trying to remember the lyrics. When you have one of the all-time classic fight songs, you might as well shout it out. Perhaps people were waiting for the game to start, but Georgia Tech didn't provide many opportunities for the song to be played after kickoff.
Grade: D-

Best Tailgate

There weren't many extravagant setups. The really high end stuff is in Hospitality Village where someone can drop $10,000 to host a party. These were all catered, corporate events. For real tailgaters, there were a couple big RVs with solid food spreads and plasma screens hooked up to satellite TV. But I'm partial to the Class of 1942 reunion that did their thing with a 1976 GMC Eleganza II.
Grade: C+

Eye Candy

The women don't get dolled up before the game. They dress in jerseys and Notre Dame T-shirts, just like the guys. They care about the outcome of the game as much as the men. Beauty in this case is in the eye of the beholder. If you're into cute girls who can't wait until kickoff, you're in luck. But if you like your babes showing skin and dressed to the nines, South Bend isn't the place for you. Wait a second -- who doesn't like that?
Grade: C+

Superfans

This Notre Dame fan's tattoo is ready for combat. Photo by Andrew Reed

Everyone had some sort of Notre Dame gear on, with women sporting green mardi gras beads and plastic shamrock necklaces. Some guys dressed up as the leprechaun mascot, and many wore kilts with tall socks. But I don't think we're going to top this guy's tattoo ...
Grade: B+

X-factor

The one thing you're always aware of when you tailgate at Notre Dame is that you're tailgating at Notre Dame. Whether you love the Irish or hate 'em, it's a historic place and the home fans know and embrace that fact. You can't help but be excited to watch a game there and being so close to the stadium and Touchdown Jesus strikes up echoes no matter who you root for.
Grade: B-

In South Bend, tailgating is a time for families to come together. I loved the fact that many of the groups had three generations represented and have been putting on a regular tailgate for decades. It would have been nice to see more students in the areas close to the stadium, but Notre Dame is not a very big school. The alumni are a major part of the whole experience. It was a fun day and great way to kick off the season, even if doldrums ruled once the game was done.

To read more of Andrew Reed's tailgate reports, check out his Road Gamesblog.