HLS Cotton Bowl Tailgate Details

It’s hard to believe, but the Cotton Bowl is nearly upon us. That means I should probably kick this tailgate planning into full gear and letting everyone know the details.

Firstly, even though this is branded “HLS”, it’s by no means “exclusive” or anything of the sort. If you are looking to have some fun, some good food, and some booze, you are welcome–even if you’re a Clemson fan (light-hearted shit-talking encouraged).

That all being said, I will need some help to even come close to replicating “The ‘Ship Tailgate” as shown above. Now, don’t think I’m not going to pull my own weight here. I’m committed to the following:

Smoking around 30 lbs of brisket
Chili (without beans)
A few cases of beer
Water
A small charcoal grill for any extra cooking needs
A table

Basically, it’ll be enough for a small, fun gathering. If we want this to be a big-ass party, I’ll need some help. I’m willing to do the local shopping, but I will need some cash. I well aware a stranger on the internet asking for money sends up Nigerian prince red flags, so, with that in mind, I will happily accept donations to my Extra Life campaign instead. I’m also going to need some boots-on-ground (or rather car-in-the-lot assistance).

Contribute!

In summary, if you are attending and plan to consume/eat things, I humbly request you do one of the following:

Venmo money to @ndtex (I’m using this mobile app because it’ll give a public accounting of what I’ve received)
Donate to Extra Life
Bring booze to drink or food to share
Help me transport & claim ground in the lot with your car (ground zero for this planning is our Discord server)

Location

We will be tailgating in Silver Lot 12. Here’s where it is in relation to AT&T Stadium:

The plan is to try to claim a spot in this grassy area of Lot 12:

There’s a ton of room out there, plus a nice tree line for gents to leave the port-a-potty line light for the ladies. Even if we can’t get a line of cars right there, we can claim some ground and have just a short walk across a row or two.

Time

Lots open at 10am. Cars will likely start lining up around 9:30am. Those with cars & parking passes will meet up at 9am in a nearby location TBD (again, Discord, y’all, but my DMs are also open). We will likely depart from said nearby location around 9:15am and hop in line.

What the Hell Is Discord?

In short, it’s a live chat-server with voice. We’ve used it for podcast call-ins so it’s a useful tool. We have a whole channel dedicated to the Cotton Bowl tailgate and it’ll help with the planning and day-of locating, especially if things don’t go to plan.

It has a mobile app so you don’t have to worry about giving a bunch of internet weirdos your phone number or email. Click this link and you’ll be in our server and ready to go.

Will There Be a Live Podcast?

Maybe? I’ll at least have a digital recorder on me. Getting a full live setup might be a bit of a pain, plus speakers take up precious space for beer…

Anyways, stay tuned. My logistics focus is on the tailgate itself and not #content.

Will You Be Around After the Game?

Yes. I’ve never gone to an event at Jerry World that didn’t have the worst traffic known to man trying to get out. So I’ll probably hang around for an hour or so after eating some leftovers.

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Ryan Ritter

Editor-in-Chief
Texan by birth, Irish by choice.

First-generation Domer and a former student manager, HLS podcast host, HLS Sim creator, Extra Life streamer, and technical problem haver. You can find more non-Notre Dame related writing on his Patreon.