One local high school has a football game experience that is difficult to find anywhere else.
While most high schools do not have tailgates in any official capacity or tailgating at all, Madison Central High School has taken the game days to the next level through tailgating on the north end zone prior to and during the football games. Tailgating before the game had been going on outside the stadium for years, but in 2015, the athletic department moved tailgating into the stadium to celebrate the games in an official capacity.
“Attendance decline was a trend nationally and we wanted to make Friday nights in The Jungle more of a community event and not just a football game,” Assistant Athletic Director Celeste Bramlett said.
It has been a success and has gotten the community involved in Friday night football games. Tent spaces are given to the highest bidders in July for the season with a minimum start price of $600. The spots come with 40 wristbands for the tailgate area and four parking passes. When the event began in 2015, there were 20 tents for the season. That number has grown to 60 for this 2021 season. Everyone from families to elementary students to local businesses can be found at the tents in the endzone.
“The tailgate experience creates a unique atmosphere for Friday night football at Madison Central,” Bramlett said. “Some tailgaters go all out with their decorations and change the theme up depending on the week or theme of the game. There are even a few Jag-themed chandeliers.”
Tailgaters bring their own food to the games and vary by tent. Holly Dean, member of the athletic foundation, Big Blue, said you see everything from pizza to a full spread and plenty in between.
“It’s a great time to visit with other Jag Zone families,” Dean said. “I think our tailgating option adds to the overall gameday experience and draws a crowd that ultimately backs the team.”
The football team isn’t absent from the tailgating fun either. At the beginning of each game, the team walks through the tents on their way to enter the field — giving the children high-fives along the way.
“To me, this provides a special experience for both the families in the tailgate area and the athletes,” Bramlett said.
Athletic Director and Head Football Coach Toby Collums is new to the school this year. He said there is no comparison to the game day and tailgate experience at Madison Central. The excitement for his team about the community involvement starts even before they take their run through the tents.
“It is unbelievable,” Collums said. “The kids love it, and they go out there for warm ups at 6 p.m. — an hour before kick off — and there are already 1,000 to 1,500 people tailgating. You can’t really explain the experience without experiencing it for yourself. It is unparalleled, in my opinion.”
Collums said the tailgating at Madison Central creates a unique atmosphere because you don’t see that type of tailgating at other high schools. He said it is a great way to get the community present and involved in the athletics of the school.
“You are going to have some people out there that don’t have any interest in the football game but they like the tailgate aspect of it so they are coming to the game and get to experience Madison Central football,” Collums said.
Not only does the tailgate experience add to the excitement around the football team, but it benefits the athletic department as a whole. The money raised through the bidding for tent spots goes to Big Blue, the school’s athletic foundation.
“Even though the money is generated out of a football game, that money does not go to football,” Collums said. “It is helping pay for non-revenue sports, uniforms, and equipment. I could go through a laundry list of things that it does for all of our sports. You may not be able to do this in other places just because of funding. Madison Central is unique because the community is so supportive of our school and our athletic department. Our kids don’t know how good they’ve got it really to be honest.”
While other high schools may tailgate, the community is sure about one thing: the organized tailgating and money that is raised through it is unique to Madison Central.
“Madison Central, as a whole, is a great place to be and adding that detail just makes it that much more unique,” Collums said.
