The ultimate college football tailgate playlist with 10 songs to get fired up for the season
College Football Season Kicks Off With Full Slate of Games, Fans Gear Up for Tailgate Season
AUGUST 2024 — College football has returned, and fans across the country are preparing for what promises to be an action-packed weekend of games, with matchups scheduled from Thursday through Monday.
The season opener weekend brings together traditions as old as the sport itself, including the ceremonial tailgating that has become synonymous with game day across college campuses nationwide. From the Deep South to the Great Lakes region, fans are dusting off their grills, loading up coolers, and curating playlists designed to fuel the pre-game atmosphere.
Toby Keith's "Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue" remains a staple at many tailgate gatherings, continuing to resonate with fans years after the country music icon's passing. The song's place in football culture exemplifies how certain tracks become woven into the fabric of game day traditions.
Regional preferences vary widely, with Southern fans often gravitating toward anthems like Alabama's "Song of the South," while Midwestern supporters frequently include Gordon Lightfoot's "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" in their rotations—a nod to the maritime history of the Great Lakes.
Rock classics dominate many playlists, with AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" and "Hells Bells" frequently cited as essential pump-up tracks. Metallica's "Enter Sandman," famously used by Virginia Tech for player entrances, has become a national phenomenon at sporting events of all kinds.
At Wisconsin's Camp Randall Stadium, House of Pain's "Jump Around" has become a quarter-by-quarter tradition, with the iconic track played between the third and fourth quarters, literally shaking the historic venue.
John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads" continues to rank among the most popular choices for tailgate playlists, capturing what many fans describe as the essence of fall football weekends.
As teams take the field across the country this weekend, the soundtrack of tailgate parties will serve as the backdrop to what many consider the most wonderful time of the year for college sports enthusiasts.
