Everything you need to know before your first tailgate at The U

Sun Life Stadium, home to the Miami Dolphins, happens to be the official football venue of The U. Not everybody at the tailgate actually makes it to the game. Some say if you make it in the stadium, you weren’t tailgating hard enough.

Even though our school might not pack out the stands, the tailgates do get pretty wild. For your first tailgate plan in advance to make sure you know what to expect on the big day.

Tailgating is the unofficial pastime of South Florida

Be prepared to wake up early. Frats will host pregames starting as early as five in the morning. That might sound crazy, but this is the University of Miami, and football is a big deal. When the games start early, everyone starts drinking at the crack of dawn. Breakfast usually consists of kegs, eggs, and, of course, mimosas, light on the OJ.

The U invented swagger

As you prep for your first tailgate, it is important to remember our school starts getting ready days in advance. If it’s against Florida State, the whole week will be dedicated to drinking in excess in honor of the Canes. At the tailgate area, it will become apparent that few teams can match the intensity of Hurricane fans. The U invented swagger – and we own it.

Don’t forget Sun Life is 45 minutes away

Our school doesn’t have a football stadium of its own, so each time the Canes play, students have to trek to Sun Life. Most fraternities will rent busses to transport the masses all the way to Miami Gardens, so you should be able to hitch a ride there. On the way back, grab an uber or cram yourself into the frat sponsored uhauls.  Either way, be prepared for a long ride.

If you aren’t repping green and orange, don’t bother to show up

If you ask any upperclassman, they’ll tell you that no outfit is too wild. The staples include UMiami jerseys, cutoff shirts, and crop tops made out of the free Miami t-shirts given away at every on-campus event.

It always rains in Miami

Whatever you do, don’t wear white shoes. The tailgate area always turns into a muddy mess. Opt for a pair of beaters that you won’t feel guilty about ruining. Carrying an umbrella will only make you stand out in a bad way. The sheer volume of beer foam and champagne spray in the air will guarantee you won’t stay dry for long – and if that doesn’t do it, sweating through your clothes in hundred degree weather will.

Kirkland Light – the (un)official beer of UMiami frats and Costco stores nationwide

At UMiami tailgates, each fraternity tears through thousands of cans in a few hours. The wasted cases add up, so cutting costs wherever possible is necessary. You’ll be drinking quite a bit of Costco’s bargain brand – but hey bottom shelf beer is still beer, and after a dozen or two, you won’t mind.

Channel your inner hunter and gatherer

Even though the fraternities claim to barbeque on tailgate grounds, that usually entails a pledge flipping dirty hot dogs, questionably warm burgers, and expired slices of American cheese. Rarely are there the normal conveniences that you would expect at a barbeque – forget about plates and napkins. Instead, it usually  becomes a contest to see who can drunk-eat the most food. Channel your inner Joey Chestnut as you scramble to snag one of the few food items not covered in beer or caked in mud.

Write off the afternoon

After game day, the first thing on everyone’s mind will be hopping in the shower. You will get sweaty, you will get messy, and you’ll have more fun than you thought you could before noon. Everyone will be passed out for the rest of the day. Don’t make plans with your friends because they will feel the hangover as soon as they get back to campus.