tailgating

What this is: This article is meant to be a living reference for anyone planning to tailgate for a Michigan football game. Please add your own suggestions in the comments and I will edit the main body at intervals.

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Sponsor Note: Tailgater Concierge has sponsored MGoEvents in the past and is still doing their thing. If you need to put together a tailgate for a reunion, a bachelor party, or a corporate event, you can have Tailgater Concierge do all that for you, including setup and takedown. They have several excellent locations near the stadium, and packages can include everything from Zingerman’s to Satellite TV . Hit the links, call 888-301-2190, or email [email protected].

They have also been sending Kyra Kirkwood around Ann Arbor this year to pick up tailgating tips for Ann Arbor. She submitted her findings and I edited/rewrote it and submitted my own to create this.

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According to the latest census, the City of Ann Arbor has a population just under 114,000. On Saturdays in the fall, Michigan Stadium can fit that many with room to spare. The city estimates its population more than doubles when Michigan has a home game, and until kickoff most of them are tailgating. That’s where I come in. I carry a fork.

1. Parking

You’re in car country so you’re most likely driving to the game. Michigan Stadium is part of a vast athletic campus cornered on Stadium and Main Street. The school keeps an inventory of official parking. Those lots open between 6-8 a.m. on game days, and close approximately two hours post-game. Many are permit-only, but some are available for cash on game day. Spaces are first-come-first-served.

If you’re not parking in the school’s lots—and this is important—make sure you plan which direction you want to come from. The Big House is aptly named, and when you consider it’s attached to the Crisler Center as well it can be quite an obstacle to walk around if you’re parked on the opposite site from the tailgate you’re trying to get to. The other giant walking obstruction is the train tracks that angle southeast (the red line on the map below):

The neighborhoods tend to fill up for two miles around the stadium, and many Michigan fans have their favorite streets. Which one depends mostly on how you want to get out: Stay out of Burns Park unless you live off US23 (onramps to M-14 and I-94 tend to back up), and don’t try the West Neighborhoods unless you want to get to West M-14 and I-94, etc. Street parking tends to fill up early because the locals will take them the night before to save their driveways and garages for guests. Unless you want to arrive early in the morning or walk a very long distance you should probably plan on paying for parking.

The key is to park in an area on the same side of the tailgate you want to attend, and preferably near the gate that’s closest to your seat. The direction you need to get to matters as well. If you’re coming from the Detroit suburbs, campus or the West neighborhoods might be best for you because your way in and out of town is M-14 and you can skip US-23. If you’re coming from the south, the Golf Course and Pioneer are excellent choices since you can get right back on State Street or sneak out on 7th street. West-siders can often park at the myriad bars down Stadium or Liberty and shuttle to and from the stadium.

Getting a Ride to the Game

If you’re tailgating near the stadium you can park in a lot near the highway and take a hired ride. There is a dedicated Uber/Lyft drop-off location on Hoover Street that’s well-located for getting to most tailgate locations.

You can also take the bus. Copy-pasting this from their writeup on MGoBlue:

The Ann Arbor Transit Authority (AATA) also offers shuttle service between Michigan Stadium and Ann Arbor hotels and motels, U-M Parking Structures and lots, the Michigan Union, and downtown Ann Arbor. The Football Ride runs approximately every 20 minutes beginning two hours before game time and drops off passengers at Gate 2. Shuttles run for approximately 60 minutes after the game and pick up passengers at the assigned location on the south side of Michigan Stadium. During inclement weather, such as rain or heavy snow, the shuttle will run throughout the game. For more information on the Football Ride, call AATA at (734) 973-6500 or visit the AATA site.

[After the JUMP: the first draft of what I hope will become the definitive document on M tailgating.]

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[What is this? Joe Pichey, serious bbq-ing dude, has been writing up tailgating recipes on his blog MMMGoBluBBQ and we "borrowed" him. Stubb's sponsored it because they're fans of the site and good people, and this whole Joe-MGoBlog-Stubb's-Readers thing seems like a match of destiny. Who's got it better than us?]

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I think the Harbaugh Hype train is gaining a little momentum and rumor has it, it's fueled by Bacon Jam. Maryland has brought in a little hurricane hoping to slow us down, but didn't realize we are fueled by BACON JAM and DARK BEER. This condiment is extremely easy to make and can be spread on almost anything. I've loved it on brats, biscuits, hamburgers, waffles, chicken sandwiches, breakfast tacos, grilled cheese and on and on and ......... This is sweet, salty, spicy and spreadable. You can also finish this in the crock pot and keep it warm all game as your guests dig in.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs Bacon
• 1 medium yellow onion and 1 red onion (Diced)
• 3 garlic cloves (Minced)
• 1/3 cup Apple Cider vinegar
• 3 TBS Maple Syrup (Use the good stuff)
• 1/2 cup Dark Brown Sugar
• 8 oz Dark Ale Style Beer
• 2 TBS Stubbs BBQ Seasoning
• Cayenne pepper (optional)

[After the jump: due to the likelihood of bacon coma you probably should be warned not to operate heavy machinery or an FBS offense after consuming this, unless you actually do have an enthusiasm unknown to mankind.]

[ed-Seth: Sources close to Jim Harbaugh are now saying with 99.999999% certainty that whether he leaves Michigan to coach the Colts this offseason will not come down to who has the better barbecue. Again, we're not screwing around this.

So we're bringing out the big guns, and in the case of BBQ that is Joe Pichey from MMMGoBluBBQ. Stubb's has again offered to sponsor it. This is one of those things where we really liked their BBQ sauce, and they like this blog, and the blog likes Joe's recipes, and we all like to laugh at NFL people who think their stale, over-manufactured, flavorless product is more attractive than Michigan.]

[Also please know that Joe sent me the photo below with 1 hour left to go in yesterday's fasting holiday. Thanks Joe.]

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I love this recipe. If I had to choose only one hunk of meat to grill each season, this would be it. Every Saturday...Every Tailgate...Every opportunity to fire up the grill would include this part of the cow. The Flanken Ribs or TABLITAS as they are known in Texas would be my "GO TO". Flanken Style ribs are nothing more than cross cut beef short ribs. They are the fastest and tastiest cut of beef you will ever serve to your Maize and Blue guests. Not only are they super tender, they have huge flavor and can be cooked during halftime. Trust me, head to your local butcher shop and pick up a few pounds of these Flanken style Short Ribs.

Ingredients:

Flanken Style Ribs - aka "TABLITAS"
Stubbs BBQ Rub

[After the jump: no more excuses; you are going to make these]