By Dana Woodruff
Contributing Writer
Dominating both on and off the field, The University of Alabama has earned many championship titles over the years. UA received another accolade from Southern Living magazine, which recently announced the top 20 best tailgate schools in the south.
Ranking in “The Powerhouses” category for most bowl victories, the University stands a chance to be crowned the overall winner of the magazine’s competition if it racks up enough votes from public voting. The other categories include “The Most Spirited,” “The Traditionalists” and “The Style Setters,” with each category containing five schools, adding up to a grand total of twenty schools pitted against each other in a contest that will have only one winner.
“One of the determining factors of [selecting UA] was that we packed tents a thousand deep on the Quad each Saturday on Game Day,” said Rebecca Gordon, Southern Living’s Test Kitchen Director, UA alumna and die-hard Bama fan. “We were also very aware that Alabama fans are trendsetters. There’s no doubt that Tuscaloosa is the houndstooth capital of the south.”
Aside from its football triumphs, however, some students think Alabama has much more to offer than just points on a scoreboard and feel the overall sense of pride and unity that is rooted so deep within the community fosters within the UA tailgating committee.
“There’s a lot of camaraderie and you get that ‘Roll Tide’ experience that you wouldn’t get at a lot of other schools,” said Tanner Glenn, a junior majoring in political science and finance. “It’s almost as if you’re tailgating with thousands of family members.”
Alabama is not the only university with a reputation for school spirit and tradition. In this contest, the University will be competing against other big-name schools such as Auburn, Louisiana State University, Texas A and M and the University of Tennessee.
Many students and faculty feel that not only does Alabama pride itself on having such a strong sense of community, but it also cultivates a tradition of excellence.
“To say that tradition runs deep is an understatement at Alabama,” said Guy Caldwell, a professor of biological sciences here at the University. “It permeates the campus and city, and tailgating is just an extension of that sense of pride and love for UA that exists.”
Caldwell regularly attends tailgates on gameday, along with his students and staff of his biomedical research lab on campus.
In order to win the title of South’s Best Tailgate, Alabama must earn more votes than any of the other ranked schools. According to the current votes, UA is ranked third, with Clemson taking the lead and Ole Miss following in second place. The official third place winner will be announced on Oct. 2, second place on Oct. 9, and finally, the first place champion will be announced on Oct. 16 at a home game on the winner’s campus.
To cast your vote for the Crimson Tide, students, faculty, alumni and others can vote at every day until Oct. 1 at 11:59 p.m. Votes placed on Saturdays count twice toward the final tally.
