(Sidney Hollingsworth/The Daily Campus)
Tailgating is more than just a fun activity before football games. It is a beloved pastime that students and alumni cherish.
It is such a favorite tradition that past students have given it a special name – Boulevarding.
As colorful tents align the green median of Bishop Boulevard, smiling undergraduates and graduates alike prepare to cheer on their Mustangs in the football game ahead.
This tradition began in 2000 when Gerald J. Ford stadium opened for its first football season.
President Turner, who worked as the chancellor at Ole Miss before moving to SMU in 1995, modeled the practice after the University of Mississippi’s famous tailgating at The Grove.
“SMU’s version of tailgating is a time for all SMU students and faculty to come together and celebrate the university and have fun,” SMU sophomore Taylor Goerke said.
The SMU Athletic Department begins making arrangements for the festivities on Thursday.
These accommodations can include coordinating tent and parking spots for Mustang fans and even setting up for guest artists performing on the main quad.
The Boulevard hosts many pre-game concerts throughout the season.
Several local Mustang sponsors also gather around the flagpole to support their team.
Eager fans pay $150 to $3000 for a tent or spot close to the action.
“Boulevarding is one of my favorite things to do on campus. It brings students closer together and creates unity among classmates. I love the vibrant atmosphere and seeing Peruna,” Meredith Perkins said.
What was once a non-existent practice has transformed into an essential part of the SMU football tradition.
This adored ritual is now up for a Southern Living magazine award.
Southern Living has chosen the top 20 schools with the greatest pregame parties.
The schools were chosen based on these following criteria: most spirited meaning schools that turn “fans” into “fanatics;” traditionalists, which are schools renowned for game-day rituals; style setters, which are schools that showcase true splendor in the grass; and finally, powerhouses, which are the schools with a history of winning on and off the field (chosen based on the most bowl victories).
SMU’s embellished game day décor, glamorous ensembles and noteworthy side dishes set it apart from the other competitors.
The university is going head to head with Hampden-Sydney College, Howard University, the University of Mississippi and the University of Virginia.
Go to southernliving.com and click on the link to vote for SMU as the best style setter in the south by 10:59 p.m. Oct. 1.
One voter will also receive a $2,500 prize.
“I love how school spirited everyone is,” Ryan Brooks said.
“The camaraderie is great between alumni, faculty and students. I think SMU deserves to win the contest because we love our Mustangs and we love to tailgate.”
There are two other ways to vote besides casting a ballot online.
Use a smartphone to download the QR reader application from iTunes or gettag.mobi.
Open the app, hold the camera over SMU’s QR code in the September 2012 issue of Southern Living, and follow the on-screen instructions. A postcard can also be mailed.
Send one, or as many as you would like, with your name and address to Southern Living “The South’s Best Tailgate Party” Sweepstakes, c/o The US Sweepstakes & Fulfillment Co., 625 Panorama Trail, Suite 2100, Rochester, NY 14625.
Each entry counts twice for the voter and selected school on game days. Make sure to vote today.
The winner will be crowned “The South’s Best Tailgate” at a home game by Nov. 10.
The September issue of Southern Living will feature the schools in running for “The South’s Best Tailgate” title and it will hit the stands Friday.
