Blitzing through the tailgates

Picture this: Bobcat Stadium flooded with people, fans screaming, music playing and a sea of gold rippling in front of your eyes. This is just a glimpse into the iconic Gold Rush football game at MSU.

But the party doesn't just start with the coin toss. Students will begin pregaming as early as 9 a.m. and people around town see the day as a perfect opportunity to let loose and relive their college days. So, we at the Exponent saw this as the ideal opportunity to get the inside scoop on the traditions of the iconic Gold Rush game.

Emma: As a college tailgating virgin, I was a bit skeptical about setting out to learn more about what drives people to want to sit around a Facebook Marketplace grill and get loaded before a big football game. The concept seems strange but parking your truck and grilling up some brats with a cold Coors in hand is seemingly so enjoyable that most people leave by halftime.

Alyssa: While I wasn't a total tailgating newbie like Emma, I had really only ever participated once or twice in pre-game festivities. Despite my experience, I also was curious about the appeal. I mean, the last time I went tailgating before a football game, I was exhausted before halftime. I’m talking about a sunburnt face, bloated beer belly and sore feet. Drinking beer and cooking in the sun for hours definitely takes a toll on your body, even as a young, healthy college student.

So, we set out to find our answer to the question: why does everyone want to tailgate? What’s the hype all about? We are bringing to you some of the highlights from the pre-game experience.

Tailgating

We arrived at the intersection at Kagy and 11th around 2:30 p.m., three and a half hours before kickoff. There were plenty of people posted up behind, you guessed it, their tailgates. Most people brought grills, cooktops, coolers packed with Coors Light and games to play including cornhole and football.

From old timers to students, people from all demographics come together to bond over the comradery of the game. The majority of tailgaters we had the opportunity to talk to were alumni who have been coming to games since their college days. Many even claimed their original tailgating spot from back in the day.

“Why not?” is what Todd Knowles, who graduated from MSU in 1984, had to say about why he was out tailgating. Knowles and his long time friend Mark Cappis hosted friends and family at their very own Champ’s Lounge and Todd’s Tiki Bar. They have dubbed themselves the FTG —  the Fun Tailgate.

“Not that other thing, because we have friends that go there,” Knowles said, chuckling.

Their tailgate is even licensed through the state of Montana as an LLC — named the FTG Tailgate. “We don’t mess around,” added Knowles. They have been at the same place for years and now hold over seven spots. “We just keep adding. Eventually we will just own this entire row,” he said.

We perused the parking lot at the stadium and then headed over to the fieldhouse lot, where we found two guys decked out in gold Bobcat gear, playing similar to that of cornhole. However, the boards were smaller, flush to the pavement and there was no hole — only a square in the middle where Bobcat fan Thad Diegel and his opponent were throwing a plunger.

“If you stand it upright on the pavement, that's one point. On the board is three points, and if you get it exactly in the middle, that’s five [points],” Diegel said. Their friend came up with this game a few years back, he said.

While speaking to Bozeman locals Tamera and Mark Smith, we discovered that they are the parents of freshman Luke Smith, who plays tight end on the football team. Tamera told us that their family has held season tickets to the Bobcat football games for years, but this year was their first time tailgating with other football players' parents. “We are so excited. We have tailgated for years with friends, and this is our first time at the tailgate for parents. Everybody here is amazing, super friendly, nice and welcoming, it's awesome. It’s almost surreal,” she said.

Mark Smith said that being on the football team was the best thing his son had ever done. “Even in high school sports, [when] he was a young guy being part of something, everyone made him feel less than what he is. But this has been totally opposite. It’s something to really be thankful for,” he said.

The overall response we received from participants on Gold Rush tailgating was that: “It’s fun! And, why not tailgate? It's the best part of the game, I think,” sophomore nursing student McKenna Robinson said.

The Garb

The iconic gold shirt is what makes Gold Rush, Gold Rush. Without the sea of gold flooding the student section, it would just be any other football game. This year’s shirt displayed the MSU rodeo team’s ride into the stadium before the start of the game. People get incredibly creative with the way they like to cut and style their game day shirts — some even ripping them after entering the game and getting a second free one.

“I’m a sophomore this year, so I obviously know that all of the girls cut their shirts, so TikTok honestly [gave me the inspiration],”  sophomore elementary education student Chloe Baumann said.

Many freshmen that we talked to already knew of the shirt modification tradition on campus. Lia Wanick, a freshman studying business, wore a Gold Rush t-shirt which she cut into a tube top with extra fabric in the front — like the trendy bandana style tops.

“I bought this one, it’s last year's edition, and then I watched a YouTube video because I wanted to try to make one of those cute shirts that everyone wears. I think I did it wrong lowkey,” Wanick said.

We assured Wanick that she looked great and that it was one of the more unique shirt modifications we had seen during the day.

However, it wasn't just the students who wanted to jazz up their shirts for the big game. Tamera Smith had a small ‘V’ cut out on the front of her shirt just below the collar as well as cuts in the sleeves, which she tied into a bow. Smith’s goal was to get airflow while being hip at the same time.

“I’m a parent, but I was cool once. When I started looking online, everything was a half shirt or fringe — that ship’s sailed. But I was like, I got to modify this, because I need aeration and I got to be cool,” Smith said.

Altered t-shirts were not the only creative piece of clothing — or lack thereof —  that we bore witness to. Literal barrels painted with MSU colors and crazy mohawk wigs also made the list of more outlandish displays of spirited garb.

The Student Section

Around 4:15 p.m., still an hour and forty-five minutes from kickoff, students began to line up for the gates to open at Bobcat Stadium. One student, Brock Bomar, a senior studying civil engineering, was wearing baggy overalls with a hand-painted Bobcats logo on the front and “FTG” on the back. His outfit was complete with no undershirt, body paint and a huge cowboy hat.

“I’m here so early because this is my last year being here. We want to support the ‘Cats, and we’re going to be front and center so that we can yell at the other team,” Bomar said.

And so, for your convenience, we at The Exponent have figured out where the best place in the student section to sit is based on your game-day intentions.

Those of you wanting to taunt the opposing team as well as get on camera, the front is for you. An added bonus would be that those up front typically get merch from the cheerleaders.

As for those who want to have a primo spot for people watching, we recommend the top rows. Here, you have a perfect bird's eye view of the chaos unfolding below.

However, if waiting in line for almost two hours before the game doesn't really suit your fancy — and you don't want to be high enough to where you are the first to be rained on — the second section of bleachers near the orchestra is the best place to be. But we will say that standing near the edge of the row is key so that any mid-game snack or bathroom runs can be made without walking over a bunch of people.

To Review:

College football games are not simply a sporting event. Buster Reis, who is part of the MSU Rodeo Team and rode in the pre-game flag display, described the game. “ It brings the community together; people from all walks of life come out to watch the game, and I think that is pretty special.”

“We support them, and we hope that they come and support us. We are all Bobcats here, and we support each other as much as we can,” Reis said.

So next time you are debating attending a football game or a tailgate, simply ask yourself: why not?

The next home game for the ‘Cats will be on September 16 against the Stetson Hatters of Stetson University. Go ‘Cats!