Being a Tailgate Host

First off, we want to say “Thank-you”. At Somanystadiums.com, we know how friendly you Tailgate Hosts are. In the course of visiting over a hundred stadiums, we have met tons of tailgaters who have shared their food and drinks, told us great stories, given us free tickets and in one extremely generous situation bought us a Mississippi State Cowbell.

We also know that Tailgating can be hard work and expensive. From buying that annual parking pass to setting up the grill and cooking the BBQ, great tailgates don’t just happen.

At Somanystadiums.com, hosting a Tailgate brings that all together. You get the opportunity to meet new people, show off your tailgating skill, and possibly recoup a tiny bit of your investment.

Simply go to our Tailgating page and hit the List a Tailgate Button. There you will find all the details on how to set up a Listing. If you are on the fence, you can search our Wanted Tailgates section. You may find someone is desperate for a tailgate at your stadium.

Our Tailgates are divided into the following categories.

• Pleasant Pre-Game: Smaller tailgates that are low key affairs that at minimum provide some chairs, tent, a place to charge a phone, sunscreen, and one bottle of water per guest. Usually, 2 -10 people.
• Traditional Tailgate: Tent, chairs, table, power charger, coolers, utensils. Tent is expected, but may not be provided. May include games like cornhole, music and/or TV. May offer to supply food and beverage or accept potluck donations. Usually, 5 -15 people.
• Party Time: Everything in a traditional tailgate with more people, TV, and potentially a custom rig. May run across multiple parking spots. Usually, 10 or more people.

What if I have to cancel my Tailgate?

We will be honest – once you have Booked Guests, cancelling your Tailgate is bad. Your guests have undoubtedly made detailed plans and have probably incurred costs they can’t recover. Accordingly, our penalties for cancelling a Tailgate are aggressive if you have Booked Guests. No Booked Guests, no problem – cancel whenever you want. However, once you have Booked Guests the fee ranges from a minimum of $5 USD to a maximum of the total Bookings made on the cancelled Listing. The final cost is driven by the timing of the cancellation versus the date of the Tailgate. The closer to the Tailgate date, the bigger the fee is. All the grim details are located in our Host Cancellation Policy, which can be found in our other Policies Guide here.

Of course, there are always extenuating factors that may drive a cancellation. Those factors along with the Host Cancellation Policy can be found here in our Terms of Service, Policies and Guidelines page. Let’s be clear though, your team going on a three game losing skid is not an extenuating reason for cancelling a Tailgate.

Some High-level Guidance:

• No matter the tailgate, there’s a minimum level of service/stuff you should provide:
  • Chairs, Power source to charge phone, sunscreen, and one bottle of water per guest
    • YOU MUST DISCLOSE IF YOU ARE NOT PROVIDING ALL OF ABOVE
• Provide your guests at least two points of contacts (cell number and email)
  • Cell coverage can be spotty, three or more points of contacts is even better
• Send your guests detailed directions to your spot
  • Preferably drop a pin and send a map – at least a couple of days in advance when possible

What else do I need to know?

At Somanystadiums.com, we want everyone to have a good time. We have a set of standards we expect Hosts to follow.

• Safety: It should be a safe environment, meaning clean, well kept with hand-sanitizer and proper food safety. Here are some great tips on food safety from the Nittany Lions over at Penn State to leverage.
• Security: A respectful, non-threatening environment for everyone. No harassment or discrimination based on race, religion, gender or sexual orientation. If you can’t do this, don’t be a Host.
• Service: Hosts should always have available: a place to sit, a power source to charge a phone, sunscreen and one bottle of water per guest. You should be honest in the description of your tailgate, give good directions to the Tailgate, and have multiple points of contact for them to get hold of you, particularly on Game Day. Remember that your Guests probably will need logistical help. Overcommunicate with them. Send them a link to the Game Day guide and the tailgating site rules.
• Spirit: This is intended to be a community that has fun and socialization in a safe and friendly environment. Feel free to share with them all the traditions and what makes your stadium great. And remember, no jerks allowed – that goes for Hosts and Guests.

Again, there’s lots more guidance in our Terms of Service, Policies and Guidelines. But really, this isn’t hard. Be nice, Be honest and Don’t get carried away.

Keeping up with your stuff