The Tailgate Connect® Podcast — College Football, NFL & The Game Day Life

A beer bong with eight tubes, hoisted from a hangman’s pole on a trailer hitch, operated by a “certified funnel operator” who pulls it up when the DJ finishes the countdown. Luke had never seen anything like the Eight-Man Funnel of Death, and it’s only one piece of what James runs at LSU.

James leads KOCKA Tailgating, which started as separate tailgates (the Crew of Crown in 2001, Crude Awakening in 1999) and merged in 2014. He took over in 2012 and has been “herding cats” ever since, with a five-person board, a DJ named Big B, a 16-team beer pong tournament at every game, and a trophy case that includes a bottle of Crown on top of a Member of the Year award running since 2002.

Luke met James at the Clemson vs LSU game on National Tailgating Day (September 5, 2026). They talk about the heat, the rain delay, and what 79 road games teaches you about tailgating, including the Virginia Tech trip where James was flipped off more times than ever in his life. Plus washers, a washer that balanced on a rock, the best steak James ever had (on a Tom Cruise movie set), and the audible playbook he wears like a quarterback.

What we cover: How the Eight-Man Funnel of Death works, and where it came from · How three tailgates merged into KOCKA · Running a tailgate with a board of five · Beer pong tournaments at every game since 2014 · Member of the Year and Tailgator of the Week trophies · Favorite and least favorite opposing fan bases (Alabama and Auburn) · The 2002 Virginia Tech trip · 79 road games and every SEC stadium but Oklahoma · The tailgate playbook · Advice for building a tailgate that outlasts you

Find tailgate events at LSU → tailgateconnect.com

Jared Gillmore grew up a K-State fan in south central Kansas. He came to Nebraska to run track, graduated in 2008, and never left. Neither did his tailgate. The Big Red Tailgate Crew has been running since 2016 — and in that time has grown into one of the most distinctive setups in Lincoln: a trailer with a roof deck, four TVs, real back patio couches, a wireless mic, and a rotating menu that has included Chicago-style hot dogs for Northwestern, brats for Wisconsin, "badger blood" and "pond water" cocktails, and a chili bar that people genuinely plan their game day around.

Oh, and college football trivia. Full tournament. Five questions per category. Harder as you go.

Jared joins Luke to talk about the origin of the tailgate, why Nebraska fans are different from any fan base he's encountered, the away game adventures, and why two-thirds of his guests watch the game from the trailer rather than going inside.

What we cover: Growing up K-State and converting to Nebraska fandom · The Big Red Tailgate Crew setup — roof deck, 4 TVs, real couches, wireless mic · Rotating menus and game-specific drinks — badger blood, pond water, and more · College football trivia at the tailgate — the format and how it brings strangers together · Two-thirds of guests watch from the trailer rather than going in · Favorite away venue: Camp Randall (Jump Around, twice) · Bucket list: The Grove at Ole Miss, Army Navy, Nebraska in the Rose Bowl · Nebraska 2026 prediction: 8-4 in the regular season

Find tailgate events at Nebraska → tailgateconnect.com

Travis Carver — known on social media as T-Rex — has tailgated more Baylor sports than most people knew existed. Acrobatics and tumbling, tennis, soccer, basketball, baseball. He's the guy in the bear head, gold skull mask, and championship wrestling belt who the TV cameras always find on game day. And this fall he's moving his Road Warrior Tailgate to a new location in the official tailgate area, doubling his space, and starting at 6am no matter what time kickoff is.

Travis joins Luke to tell the full story — growing up in Waco watching Baylor lose to everyone, leaving for Kansas City and driving hours to catch Baylor road games, and coming back home with a baby, a new tailgate spot, and absolutely no plan to slow down. Plus: the viral Utah stadium tweet that got the attention of the Utah Athletic Director, why Sean Oakman would be the best tailgater of any former Baylor player, and the terms under which the championship belt will make its return.

What we cover: Growing up a Baylor fan in Waco through the losing years · The bear head, skull mask, chain, and wrestling belt — the full game day kit · How moving to Kansas City made his Baylor fandom explode · The viral Utah tweet that went hundreds of thousands of views in hours · New location this fall — doubled space, closer to the stadium, new AD "fan first" initiative · Why Baylor's setup on the Brazos River is one of the most underrated tailgate venues in the Big 12 · The belt situation — Baylor has to earn it back

Follow Travis → Instagram: @TRexBU | @Road_Warrior_Tailgate | Twitter/X: @TRex1991
 Find tailgate events at Baylor → tailgateconnect.com

Dan Donnelly has been to 120+ different college tailgates across the country on his quest to visit every D1A stadium. Luke Lorick has been to dozens more through the Tailgating Challenge and the Tailgate Connect Podcast. Between them they've seen it all — the ones that live up to the hype, the ones that don't, and the hidden gems nobody talks about.

This episode is their first on-record debate about college tailgating culture — the best, the underrated, and yes, the overrated. Agreement on the best (LSU, Penn State, Michigan, Ole Miss, Army Navy). Surprise picks for underrated (East Carolina, Baylor, and a Division III school in southern Virginia with a 125-year rivalry). And some takes on the overrated that are going to generate exactly the kind of comments they're looking for.

What we cover: Dan's top tailgates — LSU, Ole Miss, Army Navy · Luke's top tailgates — LSU, Penn State, Michigan · The Grove land rush and why Ole Miss pride themselves on never losing a tailgate · Why Army Navy in Philadelphia is unlike any sporting event you'll experience · Underrated gems — East Carolina, Baylor, Hamden Sydney College (D3!) · Oregon's tailgate is criminally underrated — Animal House and passion · The overrated takes — TCU, SMU, and a Texas A&M setup complaint · Dan's quest to visit all 137+ D1A stadiums — 17 left, bionic knee on the way

Find tailgate events at all these schools → tailgateconnect.com

Imagine rolling up to your tailgate and laying down actual sports turf — the same material on the field — printed with your team's logo right in the middle. That's My Home Team Turf. It's the first officially licensed sports turf welcome mat and rug for tailgating and home décor, and Allison built the entire category from scratch.

Allison joins Luke to walk through the full entrepreneurship journey — from spotting a gap in the tailgating market to building a product with a three-year warranty that wipes clean with Dawn soap and a garden hose. Three SKUs, American-made, and already catching the attention of some of the biggest buyers and licensors in the sports industry.

This episode covers the product origin story, the passion behind it, Allison's favorite tailgate she's been to (Tennessee's Vol Navy — tailgating on steroids with country music), the dream tailgates she hasn't hit yet (LSU and Texas), and the plans for National Tailgating Day at LSU vs Clemson. Plus: how she met Miss Peggy, a 101-year-old Colorado superfan with her own NIL deal and a direct line to Coach Prime.

What we cover: What My Home Team Turf is and how it became the first product in its category · Three SKUs — the Baby, the 4x6, and the Big Daddy · American-made, authentic sports turf, three-year warranty · The Tennessee Vol Navy — Allison's favorite tailgate experience · National Tailgating Day at LSU vs Clemson — what to expect · Meeting Miss Peggy, Coach Prime, and Jon Gruden on the road · Why fandom is a feeling, not just a school

Find My Home Team Turf → myhometeamturf.com
 Find tailgate events near you → tailgateconnect.com

Most tailgaters bring a cooler and a bag of chips. Pops LeBlanc brings lobster rolls, sautéed lobster tails, sushi from a local Beverly shop, shrimp scampi, grilled sirloin tips, and a New England seafood chowder packed with crab, shrimp, lobster, haddock, scallops, and clams. He's been doing this at Boston College since the 1960s. He has no plans to stop.

Pops and his crew — the Eagle Tailgators — are a four-person operation with a division of responsibilities tighter than most companies. Pops handles planning and logistics. Rick handles food and beverage. Peggy handles photography. Priscilla handles setup and procurement. Together they've traveled to nearly every ACC venue, built friendships from Clemson to Wake Forest to NC State, and never missed a home or away game in ten consecutive seasons after Pops retired.

This episode covers the full evolution of tailgating from the 1960s to today, the 25-ingredient Bloody Mary recipe that took three decades to perfect, the Eagle Up tradition before every game, a friendship with Tom Coughlin and the J Fund that's raised $40 million for families fighting childhood cancer, and why Boston College's tailgate scene is one of the most underrated in the ACC.

What we cover: 60+ years of tailgating — what changed and what didn't · The Eagle Tailgators crew and how the operation runs · Lobster rolls, sushi, chowder — the most elevated tailgate food menu in the podcast · The 25-ingredient Bloody Mary and the 30 years it took to perfect · Eagle Up — maroon and gold shots and the BC fight song tradition · Tom Coughlin, the J Fund, and $40M raised for childhood cancer · BC 2026 season prediction under Bill O'Brien

Find tailgate events at Boston College → tailgateconnect.com

Tom Ramsey played in the 1983 Rose Bowl, took home MVP honors, went on to play in the NFL, earned a spot in the Hall of Fame, and spent years breaking down college football on ESPN Radio. He's seen the game from every angle — player, pro, broadcaster — and he has stories for all of it.

Tom joins Luke for one of the most football-heavy episodes in TGC podcast history. They cover what the 1983 Rose Bowl tailgate scene actually looked like, how college football has been completely transformed by NIL and the transfer portal, what great coaches have in common beyond X's and O's, and what Tom believes makes a tailgate truly legendary — hint: it's less about the setup than most people think.

What we cover: Playing in and winning MVP of the 1983 Rose Bowl · The tailgate scene at college football's biggest game · How NIL and the transfer portal have changed the sport he played · What separates great coaches — character, culture, and community · Behind-the-scenes ESPN Radio stories you won't hear anywhere else · What actually makes a tailgate legendary according to a former NFL quarterback · Double-fisting beers and the honest truth about football culture

Find Tom Ramsey → ESPN Radio Find tailgate events near you → tailgateconnect.com

Most people bring a cooler and some chairs. Lee brings inflatable houses, giant LED TVs, custom games, and Super Bowl ticket giveaways. The founder of the Tailgate Party Committee spent years as a high school counselor before deciding the parking lot was calling — and he answered by building one of the most over-the-top tailgating operations in the country.

Lee joins Luke to walk through how a counselor's instinct for reading people and defusing conflict turned out to be the exact skill set a traveling nationwide tailgate empire needed. From coast to coast, in snow and heat, at NFL and college stadiums, Lee has turned the pregame into the main event.

What we cover: From high school counselor to nationwide tailgate operator — the full origin story · Inflatable houses, giant LED TVs, and custom games at every stop · The High Five and Fist Pump cam that gets entire stadiums involved · Super Bowl ticket giveaways and how the logistics actually work · Why local food and culture are non-negotiable at every city · How a counseling background helps keep the peace at 500-person tailgates · What's next for the Tailgate Party Committee

Follow Lee → @TailgatePartyCommittee on all socials 

Find tailgate events near you → tailgateconnect.com

He coaches first base in a floppy hat, short shorts, white Nikes, and a six-pack beer belt — while running a lit grill. Meet Coach Bart, the utility man of the Texas Tailgators, and the most authentically tailgate human being in professional sports.

Andrew "Coach Bart" Bartman spent 12 years coaching college baseball, two years running the world's biggest baseball coaches convention, and six years as USA Baseball's Director of Coaching Development before landing exactly where he was always meant to be: grilling hamburgers at first base in front of thousands of screaming fans while simultaneously coaching base runners, assigning umpires, and running youth camps.

This episode goes deep on what it's actually like to be part of the Banana Ball world — the pregame tailgates sponsored by HEB, the custom Coach Bart smoker that travels city to city, the 4.2 million people on the ticket waitlist, what the TV deal with ESPN and ABC looks like, the foster family visits with gift cards and no cameras, and why the "Get To" mindset changes everything.

What we cover: How Coach Bart went from USA Baseball to cooking at first base · The floppy hat, short shorts, and beer belt origin story · The HEB sponsorship and pregame tailgates at Texas games · A lit grill at first base — Jesse Cole's actual instructions · 4.2 million on the ticket waitlist and how the K Club works · Every Banana Ball game is free on YouTube, always · Banana Ball on ESPN, truTV, CW, and a primetime ABC slot · Foster family gift basket visits — no cameras, no PR · The custom Coach Bart smoker with hot dog dampers · Favorite tailgate food: ribeye, olive oil, butter, Kinder's SPG · Favorite drink: Natty Light, no apologies · Dream tailgate guest: John Kruk

Cornhole started as a backyard game people played at tailgates. Today it's on ESPN, it's paying six-figure salaries, and it's pushing for the Olympics. Athena Delgado, National Director of Player Engagement for the American Cornhole League, joins Luke to explain how that happened — and why cornhole and tailgating will be inseparable for generations to come.

Luke and Athena have history — they judged a cornhole trick shot competition on ESPN's The Ocho, then teamed up for the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl tailgating challenge in Tucson. In this episode they break down the full rise of the ACL, what professional cornhole actually looks like, how to get involved at any level, and why 80% of tailgaters name cornhole as their favorite game.

What we cover: How cornhole became a professional sport on ESPN · The Olympic push and what it means for the game · ACL pro player salaries and the competitive circuit · The tailgating challenge competition at the Arizona Bowl · How to join the ACL and start competing · The cornhole app and where to find tournaments