University of Michigan students take tailgating very seriously. If you’re a student, you head to the frats at the crack of dawn and take a pull of Everclear. If you’re an older alum, you go to the golf course and set up decadent tables of endless food and drinks. If you’re a recent post-grad (like myself), you’re bonging a beer and secretly wishing you could keep up with the young ones, when in reality you want to eat all of the food at the alumni tailgate. Whichever the situation, Wolverines know how to get game day started. There’s nothing like waking up on football Saturday, in Ann Arbor, to the sound of the band practicing in the distance, and your roommate shoving a beer in your face. Here are 10 reasons Michigan tailgates harder than Ohio State.
1. The Tailgate Starts at the Crack of Dawn
Wake up, drink. It’s football Saturday and it’s time to rally. We’re probably still drunk from the night before and the only way to prevent a hangover is to keep going. A real friend will wake you up before 8 am with a shot and a beer.
2. Doing an 18-Foot Balcony Beer Bong on Your Way to the Tailgate
It’s 9 am and the third floor of that apartment on Packard looks turnt. They most likely have an 18-foot balcony beer bong that they’ll tell you to take. We do it because WTF not.
3. Riding on the Back of a Moped Yelling Go Blue Through a Bullhorn
Was this just me? Nah. But one of my favorite things to do on game day was to rally everyone up by yelling “Go Blue” through a bullhorn. Of course, while on the back of a moped. My favorite line, “If you’re wearing maize and blue, chug that drink in your hand.” Do it.
4. Mud Bowl
One of the best University of Michigan Traditions is the Mud Bowl. This rough, rowdy, and muddy game brings together crowds of students and riles us up before heading to the Big House. The messier the better.
5. Chanting Go Blue to Everyone You Pass
We show our Wolverine pride by chanting “Go Blue” to every person we see. We don’t care if it’s a cop, an old lady, a kid, someone wearing even the slightest bit of red — Go Blue. Because it’s not obnoxious, we just love our school.
6. Party Hopping
There’re too many parties happening on game day to stay in one place. Bouncing around from one party to another is the only way to make the most out of tailgating.
7. Walking into Random House Parties on a Desperate Hunt for Food
We need to eat somehow. The chances of any of the frats having food is slim to none. Luckily, there’s a plethora of off campus houses — all tailgating just as hard as you are. Only they’re probably smarter about it because they have food. Time to make friends.
8. Dancing of Random People’s Balconies, Porches, Roofs, Couches, Tables, Cars
Put on the hater blockers and just dance. It doesn’t matter where.
9. Getting Your Shit Together in Time for Kickoff
M-card? Check. Ticket? Check. Jacket? Check. Shot? Check. Ok, we’re good to go.
10. Walking as a Collective, Drunk Mess up Hoover to the Stadium and Yelling Go Blue to the Beat of the Cow Bell
This is it. All of the tailgating we’ve done has come to this moment. Time to cheer on the Wolverines in the Big House.