The Official Boston College Tailgating Guide, Volume IV: Logistics

It's game week folks! Time to forget about baseball, get out your Mark Herzlich jersey, cook, eat and be merry! Time to live life again!

Tailgating is a complicated art that only a few can do well. So in order to help you prepare for Boston College's opener against Northwestern on Saturday, we here at BC Interruption want to help you tailgate at the highest level. As the week progresses we have a series of posts ready to help you party like a BC fan should.

The 2011 BC Interruption Tailgating Series

Monday: Food
Tuesday: Drink
Wednesday: Clothing
Thursday: Logistics
Friday: Music and Entertainment

Logistics

We all know that Boston College isn't the best place to tailgate, but if you plan and time things right you can maximize your tailgating experience. Follow my simple rules and I will guarantee you will hate BC tailgating policies just a little less. But screw up and suddenly the three hours you planned will be completely wasted, and you'll be more depressed than watching Dave Shinskie face Clemson.

What to Bring

There is a long list of things that you must consider bringing for any tailgate: Music, beer, food, various liquors and wines, soda, tables, ice, coolers, cups/plates and silverware, BC Flags, and a giant cutout of Matt Ryan.

Before

1. Make sure you have a permit to tailgate on campus. On my podcast with Rodger from Sippin on Purple, the guys from Northwestern said they planned on just showing up at the field. Don't do that. Not only will you be turned away, but you will be giving directions to satellite parking in Needham. By the time you get to Needham, wait for a bus and get back to Chestnut Hill the tailgating time is basically gone. Rookie move.

2. If you want to tailgate make sure you have a big group. Especially a group that will be willing to help subsidize the cost of the tailgate. Tailgating at BC is REALLY expensive, especially if you are going in alone. Get like 8-9 friends to throw in with you, and that helps.

3. Have your tailgaters drop off food before hand (if possible). Most likely you are going to be the only person with parking on campus, and nothing is worse than having to carry a dip, bag of chips and two twelve packs on the bus from Needham. Help your guests out, if they live near you, have them drop it off before hand.

4. Have your guests take the T. As mentioned before the shuttle is slow. Don't send your guests on it. Instead have them park in Newton or one of the other surrounding communities and take the T in.

5. Get to campus early. If tailgating starts at 9am, get there at 8:45. BCPD and the Staties will have you waiting in line, but that is a good thing. As the minutes go by, the line can really stretch and the security guards aren't the fastest in getting fans in. Wasting time in lines that wrap around the Reservoir sucks and means less tailgating for you and your friends.

During

6. Walking around campus with solo cups are ok, but beer bottles are not. Not to say that we all haven't tried sneaking a beer by the Plex, I just don't think it's wise. The State Cops at the games always seem to be forced to be there, and not someone you want to mess with. Why tempt fate?

7. Porty potties are gross, but the lines in Alumni are 10000x worse

More do's and don't after the jump...

8. Buy whatever the BC students are selling you. At least once during your tailgate you no doubt will be approached by a BC group that is raising funds to rebuild a school, or solve world hunger. Donate to them, because it will make you feel better about yourself even as you destroy your liver, and those brownies go so well with a nice dark stout trust me.

9. When the State Troopers roll through on their motorcycles you still have time! They are very loud and annoying, but that doesn't mean you have to stop when the Staties come through. You usually have about 20 minutes before BCPD officially kicks you out and into the game. But if you want to be a "good fan" you probably are already in the game.

After

10. Tailgate afterwards! If there is tailgating after the game take advantage of it! There is usually a mass exodus of fans after the game, why wait in line when you could eat some more and be with friends? Celebrate the win, or curse Spaz.

11. Bring some champagne just in case. How do you make a big win like a Thursday night game against FSU even more special? Bring some bubbly!

Those are just some basic logistics on how to get your tailgate to run without a hitch. What other suggestions would you give for a new tailgater?