In anticipation of the launch of NCAA Football 2011, EA Sports is sponsoring a series of posts across the SBNation college blogs about the essence of fandom.  Specifically, the fandom of you, the reader.  Everyone is starting to get the early signs of football fever, so join us in the comments to talk about your Irish tailgating traditions.

I was trying to think of a tailgating tradition that was uniquely Notre Dame, but there is nothing that jumps out at me.  Tailgating with Irish fans is great because of the level they take it to, but there are plenty of other schools that go at the pre(and post)game ritual just as hard.  But if there's one thing that possibly separates Irish fans, it's how well they take the show on the road.

Tailgating at an opponent's stadium is always tricky.  Much like the team, you have to prepare to face adversity in an unknown atmosphere.  You're not sleeping in your normal bed, you're not parking in the normal lot and there are foreign traffic patterns to deal with.  Most importantly, what are the alcohol laws in the state you're in?  It's easy to prep for a tailgate when you're in your home state and you're familiar with where and when alcohol is sold, but what about on the road?*  These are all incredibly important things you have to plan in advance. 

* I think my ideas of how alcohol laws work are overly complicated by growing up in Pennsylvania, which has some of the most randomly arbitrary rules you'll find anywhere.

Some of the best tailgates I've been a part of have been away from South Bend.  For Georgia Tech in 2006, we set up in a parking lot somewhere near the campus, but a lot closer to The Varsity (delicious decision), and actually started the day with some beers and grilling in Athens prior to a Western Kentucky/UGA game.  Against Navy in Baltimore in 2008, we had a motor home and coach bus set up next to one another, and in addition to the brats and chili, some American hero brought this wonderful device.  In 2007 against Penn State, we built up such an amazingly large party in the field across from Beaver Stadium that even the typically awful Nittany Lion fans didn't bother heckling us, and more often than not joined in our revelry.  The following week against Michigan in 2007, the wonderful MacKrell parents - Jim and Linda, perhaps the greatest tailgate hosts you will ever encounter - set up shop on the golf course in Ann Arbor, and ending up hosting most of the Class of 2008, despite the fact that was not their initial intention.

As I said above, I can't think of a tailgating tradition that solely belongs to Notre Dame.  I would imagine everyone loves singing America songs, doing Mad Dog Merry-Go-Rounds and joining in all-tailgate shotguns, but perhaps we are just the lucky few.  But if I had to guess something that's uniquely Notre Dame - that I can't imagine anyone else having any desire of doing - I would have to look to the members of Alumni Hall.  Ladies and gentlemen, I present you with Boxhead.

After you wrap your mind around what you just witnessed, feel free to share your favorite tailgating stories, recipes or drinks of choice.