School: Louisiana State University
Team: LSU Tigers
Location: Baton Rouge, LA
Conference: SEC
Stadium: Tiger Stadium (Capacity: 102,321)
If we are talking peak college football experience, a night game in Death Valley might just be it. The “Cathedral of College Football”, Tiger Stadium has an aura about it that maybe no other stadium has. There is something about being on the Bayou at 8pm on a Saturday night that is incomparable. The stadium is as loud as any in country, the fans are fiercely loyal to their purple & gold, and Tiger football almost always delivers. As the sun finds it’s home in the western sky, it’s Saturday night in Death Valley!
The Weekend
Travel: There are two ways to do this trip. If you are not from Louisiana, you may want to try a night or two in New Orleans before the game – Baton Rouge is only a little over an hour away. A night or two on Bourbon Street will do good to rev the engines for Saturday. However, a full weekend in Baton Rouge is an incredible experience from the Friday night partying in Tigerland and post-game celebrations at Chimes just off campus.
Lodging: There are a number of hotels right on the Mississippi in downtown Baton Rouge, which is the best place to stay if you are here for a quick weekend visit. I am a fan of the Watermark Baton Rouge. There are also a number of hotels over on College Drive.
Local Food: A very popular taco place, due to Food Network fame, is Gov’t Taco which is a short drive from downtown in the Capital Heights area. If you are up for sampling some Cajun/Creole food, try Cecelia Creole Bistro which is a block or two from the water downtown. Since this is Louisiana, I would also try Coffee Call on gameday for a beignet and coffee.
Local Drink: There are tons of bars off of Florida Street from Bengal Tap Room, Boudreaux and Thibodeaux, and the Bald Eagle Pub. You will also want to check out Tigerland on Friday night (tip: Fred’s Bar & Grill for location). The rooftop at Chime’s is a great spot for Friday afternoon when classes are letting out and the weekend is kicking off and is located a few yards off campus. Drew Brees’ Walk On’s is a bit out of the way, but a solid sports bar for anyone looking to watch a lot of games.
The Tailgate
Immerse yourself in southern hospitality on gameday. I suggest leaving this one up to the professionals and hiring a tailgate company to set you up for the day. Most all tailgating occurs in the fields around the stadium and you will want to lock down a spot to park yourself for the day. Revelry Tailgating manages a lot of the locations around the stadium, the food from BRQ is spectacular and all the clean up is done for you. Gumbo, jambalaya, gator (especially if UF is in town) – you must sample the local cuisine as it’s unlike any other you’ll get at a tailgate around the country. Bring some Abita and brown liquor and you have yourself a quintessential Bayou Barbecue for hours on end.
Unique Tradition
If this doesn’t pump you up then I don’t know what will. Right before the game starts, the announcer comes over the loudspeaker with his weather prediction: “Chance of rain…never!” and his announcement “as the sun finds it’s home in the Western sky, it’s Saturday night in Death Valley!”
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