"T-Town" is home to the Crimson Tide and perhaps the friendliest tailgaters in the nation (unless you're from Auburn). Accustomed to winning, ‘Bama fans are quick to welcome visitors with a smile and a hearty "Roll Tide" - maybe even a shot of "Rammer Jammer" Alabama Slammer or a BBQ slider. The pre-game party centers around Bryant-Denney Stadium, but a barstool facing the TV at Dreamland Barbecue is the best seat not in the house.


Photo courtesy of Steve Burns

How crazy does it get at LSU games? The ruckus regularly registers on the Richter scale when 85,000 revelers pack Death Valley to root for the Tigers on a Saturday night. But the party begins well before, as tailgaters set up camp and cook jambalaya, alligator, crawfish and other Cajun classics with plenty of liquid refreshment to wash it all down. Featuring antebellum buildings and 100-plus-year-old oak trees, LSU offers the full college experience.  
Photo courtesy of David Reber

Ohio's capital is overrun by Buckeye fans in the fall, but it doesn't bother locals since more than 56,000 residents attend the university. Tailgate parties surround The Horseshoe, as the 105,000-seat Ohio Stadium is called, and thousands of fans attend the Ohio State Marching Band Skull Session, a pre-game concert/party. If you find tickets for the Michigan rivalry, watch out for students jumping into icy Mirror Lake for luck.
Photo courtesy of Sam Howzit

The proud Penn State football program may have lost some luster in the wake of recent scandals, but the passion of Nittany Lions fans has not waned. Just check out the pre-game scene around Happy Valley, where vacant lots are transformed into huge parties and fans feast on grilled meats, drink cold beverages and celebrate the arrival of the blue buses that carry their team to Beaver Stadium. Be sure to snap a few selfies with the Nittany Lion statue.
Photo courtesy of Ben Stanfield

While most college football stadiums are isolated from downtown districts, Nebraska's is located in the heart of Lincoln and surrounded by bars and restaurants. Hot spots include Jack's, Lazlo's, Barry's and The Sidetrack. There are also plenty of Cornhusker fans who tailgate, especially in the popular Haymarket section of town that is filled with the aroma of Omaha beef grilling over fire pits. 
Photo courtesy of Sarah (Rosenau) Korf

"The Big House," as the 109,901-seat Michigan Stadium is known, has plenty of room for fans to park and party. Buses, RVs, trucks and tailgates spring up around the largest stadium in college football . . . and the town is painted maize and blue. Fans fire up the grills, ice down coolers and toss around the pigskin, while others opt to stroll to the bars in the top-ranked downtown area before and after the big game.
Photo courtesy of Jeremy Bronson

A journalist on assignment from UTEP once described the Aggies of Texas A&M University as cult-like – and the fervor with which fans support the team and follow longstanding traditions, like midnight yell practice the night before a game, certainly merits the comparison. Now that the Aggies have joined the SEC and have Heisman-winner Johnny "Football" Manziel leading the team, it looks to be an exciting season.
Photo courtesy of Stuart Seeger

Tailgating comes with a twist up on ol' Rocky Top, where Neyland Stadium sits high above the banks of the Tennessee River. Many of the 100,000 Big Orange fans arrive by boat in the Vol Navy, which ties up for a floating tailgate party before the game. On dry land, orange-clad fans sip and sup on Tennessee's finest whiskey and BBQ before lining the streets for the Vol Walk. If you don't know all the words to "Rocky Top," you will soon.
Photo courtesy of arctic_whirlwind

Columbia goes crazy for the Gamecocks, transforming the state fairgrounds beside Williams-Brice Stadium into a parking lot party for tens of thousands. A few home games coincide with the fall fair, allowing fans to make a full day of football and funnel cakes, but Columbia is tailgating at its finest all season. Wealthier South Carolina boosters party pre-game at the Cockaboose Railroad, a chain of 22 private railroad cabooses, which bring a unique brand of garnet-and-black spirit to a track right next to the stadium.  
Photo courtesy of South Carolina Athletics

Clemson's population is less than 15,000, but six times as many visit ‘Death Valley’ on Game Day. Fans hit the Esso Club, an old gas station converted into a bar, and tailgate around Cemetery Hill, where many school benefactors rest eternally beside the stadium. The creepy factor doesn't bother orange-clad tailgaters, who feast on fried chicken, play cornhole and watch the Tigers run down The Hill, a tradition called "The Most Exciting 25 Seconds in Sports."
Photo courtesy of Mike Burton