OLE MISS COLLEGE FOOTBALL, OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI
Chandeliers, silver chafing dishes, and lavish floral centerpieces adorn the tables at tailgates in The Grove at the University of Mississippi in Oxford. Sports magazines have called tailgating at The Grove (true fans call it “Groving”) one of the best pregame experiences in the country. It is a unique slice of Southern football fandom at this 17,000-student school, where the Homecoming court and their escorts still don full-length ball gowns and tuxedos to stroll down the 50-yard line at halftime.
The Grove is a 10-acre area in the center of campus covered with huge, old oaks. On game days, the oaks share space with dozens of colorful tents, when as many as 10,000 fans crowd The Grove and its more family-friendly neighbor, The Circle. At one time, fans were allowed to actually park in The Grove, but damage to the sod and trees led officials to ban vehicles. This change has fueled a cottage industry. Out-of-town fans hire students for the season to set up their tents, which must be done sometimes as early as 9:00 p.m. the night before a noon game.
On game day, car horns blare “Dixie,” the Ole Miss fight song, as fans pull rolling coolers and wagons full of food to their spaces. A Confederate uniform, complete with sword, adorns one tent. Young women in cocktail dresses and high heels walk by, waving to their friends. Some fans never leave the party in The Grove for the game, instead settling in with generators, satellite dishes, and TVs. For night games, fans simply connect electric chandeliers and keep on going.
The Grove isn’t reserved just for fat-cat alumni. It is first-come, first-served, and designated spaces are set for unloading food and other accoutrements. Southern food abounds—fried chicken, pound cake, deviled eggs, cheese straws. And people visiting from tent to tent, sampling goodies, make The Grove seem like a small town. Technically, alcohol isn’t allowed, but few take note, except when the guys in the tent next door swipe your liquor while you’re at the game.