College football is back, so is National Tailgating Day

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — It is officially week one of the college football season, which means it’s time to fire up the grill and get ready for some tailgating!

Saturday is National Tailgating Day. It celebtrates a tradition that spans many generations.

The origin of tailgating is unknown, but it’s called tailgating for one simple reason — fans traditionally gather to serve food and drinks from the tailgate of a pickup truck.

Fans typically go to the game and tailgate outside the stadium, and others tailgate at the house leading up to the start of games.

My family is big Ohio State fans. My dad was from Ohio, so we were raised Buckeye fans, but going to the games wasn’t a realistic possibility as a kid, so my dad would always grill out before the games at home.

But, growing up in Indiana, I used to tailgate with my dad and brother at all kinds of events.

Especially the Monon Bell game every year between Wabash College and Depauw University. Thousands of people would be outside the stadiums, whether it was at Wabash or Depauw.

Everyone had their grills set up and televisions on watching other games while we waited.

Now, as a dad of two daughters, I try to carry on the tailgating tradition, and the first week of college football is always the perfect start to the tailgating season. I have it down to a science.

This weekend, I will start the morning by making bacon, eggs, and pancakes on the griddle outside, all leading up to the first kickoff at noon.

Then right around halftime, I will start to prepare lunch, the classics like hamburgers and hotdogs.

Sure, I love watching football, and I love the good food, but at the end of the day, it’s about spending time with my family and hopefully creating lifelong memories.