Some Bakersfield College football fans that are at Memorial Stadium on Friday nights aren’t there to wait in line for tickets or get a chance to see the football team at practice, but for another football tradition that many people have become accustomed to. It’s Saturday pre-game tailgating.
The origin of tailgating, according to bigbluetailgate.com, started in 1904 when fans arrived by railcar for the Harvard versus Yale football game. They were tired and hungry and then decided for future games to take picnic supplies and eat before the game, launching the tailgating tradition.
BC fans follow a family ritual of football and tailgating. Eric Stanley, son of tight end football coach Norm Stanley, says his family has been coming for the past 50 years. “I’ve been coming to BC football games as long as I can remember. I can’t remember not coming to the games.” Although he has always come to tailgate and hang out with friends, he only started barbecuing with his own rig three years ago. “It turns the game into a social event,” Stanley adds. “People who might not come, come.”
For Robert Lujan and his family, cooking and going to the games make Saturdays something to look forward to. “Good food, having your immediate family and a relaxing time make it fun,” Lujan said. Like Stanley, Lujan has a family connection to BC football. Years ago, his father was the assistant to the trainer for the football team.
It seems that family and tailgating go hand in hand when it comes to the Saturday event. Stanley comes to support his dad and watch the game, and Lujan invites his family from Los Angeles to come and join in on the fun.
Some tips for all up and coming tailgaters out there include preparing early. As a dedicated tailgater, Stanley’s advice is not to wait until the last minute. “I knew what I wanted to cook last weekend. On Thursday, I started getting everything together, and [Friday] night I came to the parking lot and dropped off my trailer for a spot.”
For every home game, there is a tailgating themed contest that fans can enter. On Sept. 27’s game against El Camino, it’s going to be “The Best Hippie Tailgate.” Bust out the Britney Spears songs for Oct. 11 as “The Best Lipsync Tailgate” will be under way. Homecoming, Oct. 25, is “The Best Halloween Tailgate.” And for the creative tailgaters, the last scheduled home game on Nov. 15 is “The Best Any Category Tailgate.” Winners receive a prize of $500.