Celebrating Together: Generational Cohort Differences In Game-Day Tailgating Rituals

Tailgating is an American football pregame activity prevalent on university grounds and surrounding areas. This research specifically investigates generational differences of game-day tailgating rituals at a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) southeastern master level university. Survey data from 753 active tailgaters (Baby boomers, Gen X, Millennial, and Gen Z) was analyzed using ANOVA procedures. Findings show that tailgaters are mostly motivated by team identification, followed by escape, and spending time with friends. However, generational differences are observed for spending time with family, identifying with the home team, and the desire to attend home games. In addition, in terms of game-day rituals, while the younger generations are more fluid/ nomadic in their tailgating locations and engage in drinking games, the older generations stick to the tried and true rituals such as setting up a tailgating spot decorated with team colors and cooking. Implications for teams, universities, and related community businesses are discussed.<p></p>