Just like football coaches, true tailgaters have a game-day plan.
They arrive at the stadium hours before kickoff to fire up their grills, set up themed displays in team colors and get the party started. These pregame warm-up parties are a rite of fall at football stadiums across the country, and the Mocs Nation is no exception.
Jayne Holder, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga assistant vice chancellor for alumni affairs, estimates Mocs game days draw more than 1,000 fans to First Tennessee Pavilion and Finley Stadium parking lots for tailgating parties.
"There are 26 tailgating spots inside the pavilion and, on a good day, they might each average 40 or more people. Plus the whole north parking lot is full of tailgaters," she says. "It's amazing how the numbers have grown. As the football team has re-established a winning tradition, the numbers have increased each year."
Holder says tailgating areas in First Tennessee Pavilion are purchased, donor-related spots; but anybody who pays to park in Finley Stadium's north parking lot may tailgate for free - and most do.
Jane Rhodes is founder of the National Collegiate Tailgating Championship in Pueblo West, Colo., which monitors trends in the tailgating phenomena and also hosts an annual national championship of top tailgaters. She says destination tailgating is the growing trend.
"People are wanting to make their tailgate parties a destination for fans and friends. They are very interested in their guests' comfort, they want to do something that makes everyone feel welcome," she says. "They want to make their dishes unique. Some people don't even go into the game; they come early, stay with the set-up during the game, and tailgate after the game as well."
Here's a look at two tailgating crews from the Mocs Nation who exemplify these trends: The Chamberlain Tailgaters, who literally go whole hog for tailgating, and a group of Mocs alumni and fans whose elaborate luau won a prize from the National Collegiate Tailgating Association.
THE CHAMBERLAIN TAILGATERS
Two Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity brothers, Rob Varner and Chip Hassler, began tailgating out of the back of Varner's car in 1989 when the Mocs still played at Chamberlain Field. This marks the pair's 26th season tailgating together, but their numbers have grown to about two dozen folks, although Varner says most games they'll feed anywhere from 45 to 60 fans.
"We like to have fun with it. It's just a big event for us," says Paul Schoner of The Chamberlain Tailgaters' pre-game parties. "We have a smoker we tow behind the car. It's at least 6 feet long. We like to experiment with new things. We've done a pig the last two years at least one game. We've done an oyster roast.
"At the last game we started at 8 a.m., grilled sausages and made biscuits in the Dutch oven so we have sausage and biscuits for everyone. When the Mocs play Furman on Oct. 10, we're going to do a shawarma, which is like a gyro with lamb and pita bread."
Varner and Schoner were the talk of the Mocs' home opener Sept. 12 when they smoked a 65-pound pig in the pavilion.
"It took seven hours," Varner says. "We got there at 8 a.m., got the pig dressed and started it about 9 a.m. in order to pull it off the grill at 4 p.m. The game was at 6. We started it on its stomach, cooked it an hour on low, direct heat. Then after an hour, we flipped the pig and moved all the heat to indirect for the next six hours. For six hours we slow smoked it at 250 degrees."
Varner says the guys chip in to buy each week's meat and everyone else brings side dishes.
"Chip brings chips - that way he won't forget," jokes Varner.
Brian Millican, a former UTC golfer who was also Chief Mocanooga in the '80s, says he usually brings about four dozen wings.
"I smoke them on the smoker at home. I use an applewood rub and smoke them real low at 200 degrees for about three hours over hickory and cherry wood."
Tailgating - through both the team's good years and the bad - is "just the fun and the fellowship of everybody that's down there," says Millican.
"We've all been Mocs fans so long, it's nice to have people in the pavilion now that we are doing well," he says. "There were a lot of years when nobody was in the pavilion because people didn't come to the games. But it's a lot of fun now with the Mocs Walk and all the pregame activities."
LUAU ON CARTER STREET
Doug Dyer, another longtime Mocs fan, started tailgating with six couples 10 years ago.
"How can you not enjoy it? You're outdoors. It's beautiful fall weather. Tailgating's the new sports hobby," Dyer says.
He and his tailgating group of friends, alumni and players' families have become known for their annual tailgate luau. The 15 of them fed 200 tailgaters at this year's luau before the Jacksonville State game.
"We have it outside the pavilion in the parking lot because we want to be in the sunshine and we need room for the beach. This year we had 30 tons of sand hauled in. We had three tiki bars set up, three or four palm trees, a DJ playing music, a hula-hoop contest and limbo contest. Everyone who came got a lei. We had barbecue to feed 200 and we got rid of every bit of it," he says.
The guys all pitch in to buy the meat. Donna Broyles, Christine Daniels, Alison Dyer, Jamie Harvey, Angel Thompson and other friends make the sides. Dyer says the local Budweiser distributorship sponsored some of the party's beer for this season's luau and Broken Oak Brewing brought in a "kegginator" that held five of that Chattanooga company's brews.
"We started setting up Friday night (the day before the game) and had it all ready and up and running at 8 a.m. Saturday. The game wasn't until 6 p.m. It was a long, fun day and everybody had a good time. After the game, we stayed another hour, put up the tiki torches and had (the space) lined out in lit torches."
Their elaborate luau tailgates have drawn the attention of the National Collegiate Tailgating Association.
"They came to the party two years ago and gave us an award for the best tailgating setup in the country that year," he says.
But what happens to all that sand after the game?
"Last year we donated the sand to the stadium and it was used to top dress the Bermuda grass. This year, Eureka Foundry came and got the sand to use it for sandblasting," says Dyer.
Contact Susan Pierce at spierce@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6284.
Tasty Tailgating
Here are a few recipes for your own tailgating party. Buffalo Chicken Dip 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened 1 cup ranch dressing 3/4 cup red hot sauce 1 10-ounce can chicken, drained Shredded cheddar cheese Fritos Scoops Corn Chips Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat together cream cheese, ranch dressing and hot sauce. Fold in shredded chicken. Spray a pie plate with vegetable shortening. Spread chicken mixture into pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Add desired amount of cheddar cheese to top and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with corn chips. - Donna Broyles Pineapple Salsa 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh pineapple or 1 1/2 cups canned pineapple chunks, drained and chopped 1/2 cup sweet pepper, chopped 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped 1/4 cup onion, diced 2 tablespoons squeezed lime juice Salt and pepper to taste In a small glass bowl, combine all ingredients, blend well. Refrigerate in airtight glass container for up to three days. - Donna Broyles Paella on the Grill 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs Kosher salt Ground pepper 1 Spanish-style chorizo sausage 1/4 cup olive oil 3 tomatoes, finely chopped 1 yellow onion, finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon chopped thyme 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 1 cup short-grain rice 4 cups chicken broth, or as needed 1 7-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained 1/2 cup English peas, fresh or frozen 1 pound shrimp in the shell, deveined 1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges Chopped flat-leaf parsley for garnish Pour 1/4 cup hot water into a small bowl and add the saffron threads. Set aside. Prepare hot fire in the grill. Brush and oil the grill grate. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Slice the chorizo. Place a 15-inch paella pan on the grill directly over the heat for a few minutes, then pour in the olive oil. When oil is hot, add the chicken, skin-side down, and sear, turning once, until browned on both sides (about 5 minutes per side.) Add the chorizo and cook, turning often until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer chicken and chorizo to a platter. Add the tomatoes, onion, garlic, thyme and paprika to the oil remaining in the pan and cook, stirring often, until softened (about 5 minutes). Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the rice and cook, stirring until lightly toasted (2-3 minutes). Pour in 2 cups of broth and the saffron mixture and bring to a boil. Cover the grill and cook 10 minutes. Arrange the chicken and chorizo evenly over the rice, then nestle chicken into the rice. Add 1 cup of broth to the pan, cover grill and cook 20 minutes. Cut the roasted peppers into strips. Top the rice evenly with peas, roasted pepper strips and shrimp. If the rice looks dry, add as much of the remaining broth as needed to moisten. Cover grill and cook until the shrimp are opaque (7-10 minutes). Remove the paella from the grill and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately with lemon wedges. - Williams-sonomawine.com Mini Pizzas 1 10-count package refrigerated buttermilk biscuits 1/4 cup pizza sauce 10 slices pepperoni 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese Heat oven to 425 degrees. Flatten each biscuit into a 3-inch circle and press into a greased muffin cup. Spoon one teaspoon of the pizza sauce into each cup. Top each with a slice of pepperoni and spoonful of cheese. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. May be served warm or chilled. - Food.com Grilled Herbed Chicken Drumettes 1 tablespoon dried thyme 1 tablespoon dried oregano 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon paprika 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 5 pounds chicken drumettes Combine first seven ingredients. Rinse chicken, pat dry; rub mixture over chicken. Place chicken in a zip-top plastic freezer bag, seal top and chill in refrigerator four to 24 hours. Remove chicken and discard bag. Preheat grill to 350-400 degrees (medium high heat.) Grill chicken, covered with grill lid, 20 to 25 minutes or until done, turning once. Serve with favorite dipping sauce. Substitution: May use 10 to 12 drumsticks in place of drumettes. Follow recipe as directed, increasing grill time to 25 to 30 minutes or until done. - Southern Living Quick Chili Bread Bowls 2 pounds lean ground beef 2 tablespoons chili powder 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning 1 teaspoon ground cumin 2 16-ounce cans diced tomatoes with green pepper and onion 2 16-ounce cans small red beans 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce Shredded cheddar cheese, sliced green onions, diced tomatoes for toppings Brown ground beef in Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring often until beef crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain well. Return beef to Dutch oven, sprinkle in chili powder, Creole seasoning and cumin. Sauté one minute. Stir in diced tomatoes, beans and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Slice tops from 16, one-ounce, round dinner rolls. Hollow out centers of rolls and spoon in chili. Let guests top with cheese, onions or diced tomatoes. - Southern Living