In 1962, University of Tennessee sportscaster George Mooney had an idea.
Tired of sitting in gridlock on game days, the Knoxville resident jumped on a ski boat, sailed the Tennessee River to Neyland Stadium, tied the boat to a tree, and walked to the stadium. Mooney’s problem-solving skills unwittingly birthed a beloved game-day tradition: sailgating.
As a close cousin of tailgating, the pre-game parking lot party where fans feast on barbecue and drink beer in fellowship, sailgating entails the same revelry but on a boat, boasting many conveniences.
Now the flotilla of boats on the Tennessee River has become a football season fixture. Named the Vol Navy–a nod to Tennessee’s sports teams’ mascot, the Volunteers, as well as to the “Volunteer State” nickname Tennessee picked up during the War of 1812, thanks to its volunteer soldiers.
“We make margaritas, grill, and watch the pre-game on TV,” says Michael Caudill, a fan from Gallatin, Tennessee, aboard his boat. “The fridge is fully stocked, so there is no running to the store or asking your fellow tailgate neighbor for mustard.”
Other advantages that are less obvious but equally “mission-critical” are having a bathroom on board—“You no longer have to use an outhouse or stadium bathroom,” Caudill adds—and one that Mooney surely appreciated: no post-game traffic.
Fortunately, the tradition is not limited to Tennessee. Plenty of other college and NFL teams play near marinas, too. Here is a roundup of seven stadiums where sailgate culture reigns supreme.
