Top 10: YSU Tailgate

By Emily Frazzini

On a Saturday afternoon you can hear the familiar sound of live music and the cheers of fans in Youngstown during the Youngstown State University tailgate. The colors red, black and white are worn proudly by students, faculty and alumni. You can find hundreds of tents all lined up for a place to bring past, present and future penguins together.

  1. GO GUINS — If you’ve never been to a game at the “Ice-Castle,” you might find the phrase “GO GUINS” a little odd. YSU’s mascot is Pete the penguin. Pete also has a wonderful accomplice named Penny, who usually makes an appearance during a football game. “GO GUINS” is the slang college students like to say instead of penguins — it saves energy for more cheering.
  1. ARE YOU HUNGRY? — Tailgates usually mean food. What better way to pass a few hours before kickoff by eating your body weight in food? No matter if you are tent hopping or staying put, you’ll be asked if you are hungry at least a dozen times.
  1. THE MARCHING PRIDE IS COMING — The marching pride is YSU’s marching band. The band marches through the tailgate lots to pump people up for the big game.
  1. DID YOU SEE THAT PLAY LAST WEEK — The YSU Football team has a 5-1 record since the win against Northern Iowa. You will most likely hear people discussing the plays that the team successfully executed the week before.
  1. BRING A JACKET JUST IN CASE — Good Ol’ Northeastern Ohio, the weather can change in a blink of an eye. During the tailgate the temperature could be 80 degrees, and then as soon as the sun goes down, the Ice-Castle really lives up to its name.
  1. HOW’VE YOU BEEN? — This is the most heartwarming of all the things that you will hear at a tailgate. Many graduates of YSU will come home for the games to visit old friends and to create more memories at the place that they loved for so long. It’s great to catch up with people that were on your team, in your Sorority or Fraternity, club or even someone you had a class with once.
  1. WHERE’D YOU GET THAT? — Tailgates are the fashion mecca of athletic wear. You can see many variations of different ways to wear red, black and white to watch your favorite team fight, fight, fight. People “DIY” their own shirts or even hit up the new Victoria Secret line for YSU!
  1. TURN THE MUSIC UP — You have to have music at a tailgate, and sometimes the volume isn’t high enough to get people dancing.
  1. TURN THE MUSIC DOWN — Sometimes the volume is TOO loud.
  1. Y AND PROUD — YSU is Y and Proud. You can find the logo on the back of our shirts and the Snap Chat filter. We are proud of our past, we look forward to our future, and we enjoy the present.

1 comment

  1. is all the tailgating done in one parking lot ?
    do you need to purchase a tailgating pass if you want to set up a little tailgate?

Comments are closed.