Last fall, I had the privilege of tailgating in Baton Rouge with the LSU Tigers. This season I would see Tiger Fans on the road in Morgantown. While there were many amazing things to see on gameday in Baton Rouge, the most memorable was the food. LSU tailgaters take tailgating food to new levels. As a whole, they are a step above every other tailgating scene that I have been to when it comes to the food. LSU tailgaters embrace their cajun roots and on gamedays they bring it to the table. Red beans and rice, jambalaya, gumbo, fried alligator and frog legs are all staples of the Tiger’s gameday menu. In total, I ate 7 different animals in my trip to Baton Rouge. With the Tigers being ranked #2 and playing 1,100 miles away from Tiger Stadium, I was curious to see how the Tigers would travel.
The Tigers can travel. Thousands made the trip from all over the country. I met many Tigers who had been transplanted to nearby Pittsburgh that made the trip. The above bus made the drive from Houston. While the tailgating lots of West Virginia were predominantly blue and gold, there was a healthy amount of purple in there as well.
While the LSU fans didn’t necessarily stick out when it came to what they wore, it was the smells coming from their tailgating tents that drew even the most die hard WVU fans salivating.
LSU fans brought their red beans and rice complete with wooden stirring paddle. See that cajun microwave there with the coals on top? There is a pig cooking in there! These Tiger fans arrived 12 hours before kickoff to make sure that their pig had enough time to cook.
The Tiger’s fryers were out and cooking up all that you need for a fish fry!
With 80 quarts of delicious gumbo cooking, this WVU fan had to give it a try.
Chicken , Andouille sausage, and Tasso ham. Delicious!
With all this great food, it is easy to see how these two fan bases can get a long on gamedeay!
Well, at least most of the time.
After seeing the LSU Tigers on the road, I have learned that wherever they go, they will bring their delicious cajun inspired dishes with them. If I can’t be in Baton Rouge every Saturday, then picking away games where the Tigers are playing, might not be a bad idea.
What are your experiences with the LSU Tigers?
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