The Grove at Ole Miss is easily the No. 1 Tailgating spot in the country. Ask any Alabama, LSU, Arkansas or Auburn fan that has to come here every two years. It is a unique experience like no other.
The Grove is a 10 acre plot of land filled with many trees that sit about 1000 feet north of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Because of all the tents and how premium the spots are, there are certain rules tailgaters and fans need to follow. Texas fans, you may want to pay attention; you will get to experience it this year come Week 3.
First of all there is absolutely NO OPEN FLAME allowed in the Grove. That will change what you eat at the Grove.
Do not worry. Ole Miss provides a catering service (found near the entrance of the Student Union) that allows you to cater sandwiches and sorts from different restaurants in Oxford. Even if you cannot find a catering service or do not spend the money, there are more than enough fans that will offer their food and have a good time. Tailgating at the Grove is the ultimate social event.
There is an unwritten dress code where girls dress in a cocktail dress and sundresses and guys in dress coats or something nice in white. That is the way the food is at the Grove, nice. Full of all kinds of sandwiches, fruit, veggies, pasta, desserts, and if you find anything cooked it was either brought there or catered.
To understand what makes the Grove special, you need to come by Friday at 10 PM. That is when the Grove is open to Tailgaters and Students. No one can enter prior to 10 PM on Friday. Everyone rushes onto the Grove putting up their tent and securing a spot in the Grove. Come Saturday morning, it is a city of tents. There is literally no room between any two tents.
There are loading and unloading zones surrounding the Grove. There is no parking around the Grove and you only have a 15-minute period to drop off your tailgating gear and fans you brought along. Do not leave it unattended or it WILL be towed or at the very least a ticket.
If you walk around the Grove enough, you will notice about 2 1/2-3 hours to kickoff that the fans will line up along a brick pathway that is known as the “Walk of Champions.” The Ole Miss Football team will be dropped off near the archway which is near the Student Union. From there, players, coaches and such will walk the Walk of Champions, Hi-Fiving, Fist Bumping the fans all the way to the stadium. At times, the fans will go into the Ole Miss Cheer.
At random times throughout the day, you may hear someone yell out “ARE YOU READY?!” Nearby fans will immediately reply:
“HELL YES! DAMN RIGHT!
HOTTY TODDY, GOSH ALMIGHTY
WHO THE HELL ARE WE? HEY!
FLIM FLAM BIM BAM
OLE MISS BY DAMN!!!
Tailgating in Oxford, Mississippi is unique in its own right. There is that saying that Ole Miss may not win every game, but they never lose a party! This is probably why Ole Miss is consistently ranked one of the top party schools in the nation but that is another story for another day.
If you ever get the chance to come to Ole Miss for a football game, you need to tailgate at the Grove. It will be the best tailgating experience you will ever had.
