Tailgating at Emory & Henry proved one thing to me. I will let you know what that is at the end of the post. First let me show you what I found.
For the Homecoming game against Hampden Sydney, there was no shortage of great tailgating food to be found. Whether it was shrimp
in a cocktail form or…
as a seafood boil.
With Emory & Henry being in the south, there were plenty of southern dishes like a delicious pot of Brunswick Stew…
pimento cheese, Old Dominion Ham Rolls, and a black bean with corn salad.
On the grill, there was grilled garlic bread as well as…
Brats with peppers and onions.
This tailgater had a custom built grill filled with a wide range of food! I was eying these breakfast potatoes with peppers.
Of course with it being Homecoming, there was cake!
From a fashion standpoint, there were your typical southern fashion selections.
There were tailgaters who went the formal route with ties and button down shirts. Ladies’ tailgating outfits consisted of scarves, stylish tops, and dresses.
There were also the tailgaters who went a more casual route with colorful shorts and jerseys!
Every tailgate must have cornhole!
and of course a custom tailgating vehicle.
I had never seen a tailgating hearse before! Makes perfect sense, a hearse would have plenty of room to fit all of your tailgating supplies.
Outside the stadium was filled with so much school spirit that even the trees joined in! (Emory & Henry’s colors are Blue and Gold)
From what I have shown you, this looks like any tailgate that you would see in the ACC or SEC. There are passionate fans, great food, and an exciting gameday atmosphere. Now here is where things get very different from what you would see in a Big Division I program.
The size of the school and stadium. Emory and Henry’s Stadium will be filled with around 4,000 fans every time the Wasps take the field. This may seem small, but keep in mind that the student body is a little more than 900 students. That is the size of some classes at Large Division I schools.
While the stadium might be 1/20th the size of the larger programs out there, this in no way correlates to 1/20th the tailgating ability. Sure there may be less people on gameday, but that in no means less passion. I could argue that Division III’s atmosphere is more of a family environment. When tailgating outside Fred Selfe Stadium, you are tailgating with a group of fans who are just as passionate about their school as any I have come across. Many of them were former football players, parents of current players, or both! Everyone knows everyone else and it creates a gameday atmosphere that is hard to beat.
What Emory & Henry showed me is that you don’t have to have nationally televised games or an 85,000 person stadium to have a great tailgating environment. You ,the fan, are the one who makes the tailgate great! By cooking your favorite game day food, arriving 5 hours before kickoff, and showing your school spirit! You are what makes gameday at your school special!
Thanks to everyone I met at Emory & Henry for your hospitality and showing me why Emory,VA is a great place to spend a Fall Saturday!
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