{"id":117314,"date":"2016-09-26T10:32:25","date_gmt":"2016-09-26T14:32:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=117314"},"modified":"2016-09-26T11:43:44","modified_gmt":"2016-09-26T15:43:44","slug":"for-uconn-football-fans-tailgating-is-a-tradition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2016\/09\/for-uconn-football-fans-tailgating-is-a-tradition\/","title":{"rendered":"For UConn Football Fans, Tailgating Steeped in Tradition"},"content":{"rendered":"

A group of 10 loyal Husky fans started their Saturday morning with breakfast burritos, mixing the eggs and chopping the peppers and onions finely before they arrived to cook the feast while tailgating at the UConn football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium.<\/p>\n

\"Mark<\/a>
Mark Stevens of East Hampton explains what he had prepared for Saturday’s tailgating prior to the game against Syracuse. (Garrett Spahn ’18 (CLAS)\/UConn Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The group also enjoyed bratwurst and Italian sausage before biting into their burgers topped with Italian dressing. It reminded them of Syracuse, home of several packaged-meat companies, and the team UConn was set to face on the field just a few hours time.<\/p>\n

Tailgating is a tradition for this group of UConn football season ticket holders. After 11 years of it, the group has developed a system that makes food preparation much easier. It doesn’t take them long to setup, and two cooks are assigned for each game, said Mark Stevens, of East Hampton, Conn.<\/p>\n

On Saturday, the Rentschler Field parking lot opened four hours before the UConn vs. Syracuse matchup, and Stevens and his friends weren’t the only ones who pulled in at 9 a.m. Throughout the parking lot, colorful tents appeared and portable grills were lit. Music, laughter, and savory aromas came from all directions.<\/p>\n

Like Stevens, Glen Davis, of Stonington, Conn., has many years of tailgating experience and the team that UConn is playing impacts his group’s menu.<\/p>\n

“We try to plan according to the game,” Davis said. They served pork when UConn played Virginia, and a deep fried turkey is always devoured around Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n

On Saturday, Davis pitched his tent, raised both American and UConn flags, setup his UConn-themed cornhole game, and turned on his radio and grill. Both were decorated with worn UConn stickers \u2013 a testament to his many years as a dedicated fan.<\/p>\n

Davis tailgates with his son and a friend, and they started Saturday with breakfast sandwiches. Bratwurst and onions and chicken wings dripping with sauce followed, in a nod to the Orange. After the game, there was Philly cheese steak.<\/p>\n