1st Time in The Grove!

[MNRebelFan]

Ok...why is that? Are morning games better for tailgating after? Here is our thoughts. We will likely be out waaay too late on Friday night and will be in less than tip top shape to start tailgating 1st thing in the morning. Ideally, we were hoping for a game around 3pm. But is there a reason you like a morning game??

[JustBlues]

Ok...why is that? Are morning games better for tailgating after? Here is our thoughts. We will likely be out waaay too late on Friday night and will be in less than tip top shape to start tailgating 1st thing in the morning. Ideally, we were hoping for a game around 3pm. But is there a reason you like a morning game??

Well, I am a morning person so I prefer morning games anyway. However, that particular day I will likely only be able to watch the game if it is a morning game.

[Rebchuck18]

Ok...why is that? Are morning games better for tailgating after? Here is our thoughts. We will likely be out waaay too late on Friday night and will be in less than tip top shape to start tailgating 1st thing in the morning. Ideally, we were hoping for a game around 3pm. But is there a reason you like a morning game??

No you definitely want a night game so that you can enjoy the Grove longer and game atmosphere is better at night. With the multiple SEC games there is a chance it could be moved to later.

[StrongRebel]

Hello -

We are a group of 7 guys (college friends) from Minnesota who each fall travel to a college football game across the country. Recent visits have been University of Georgia, University of Texas and University of Notre Dame. It has become a great tradition and we all become fans of the home team we are visiting for a day!!

This year we have chosen Ole Miss and the Arkansas game on 11/9. We are extremely excited as we have learned about the legendary tailgating that happens in The Grove on Saturdays in the fall!!

To make our experience the best it can be, I am hoping to get some guidance and thoughts from some of the great fans of Ole Miss prior to our trip. We would truly appreciate helping us out with some questions we have as well as any other info you could provide to make our weekend the best one yet!

Here is what we have planned so far with some additional questions:
- Arriving on Friday night, departing Sunday morning
- We are staying at the Hampton Inn right in Oxford. Is this walking distance to campus and The Grove?
- We have hired a tailgating service to set up a tent, table, chairs and a cooler for us and plan on tailgating with the masses in The Grove. Where should we get food from? How is alcohol policed in The Grove? I have heard that everything has to be in a cup, does that include beer? Depending on the game time, when do people start getting to The Grove and how late does the tailgating continue after the game.
- We are all 41-42 yrs old, so not "college kids"...from what we have seen, it looks like people really dress up for the games. Is this true for just the college kids or really everyone? Normally we all buy tee shirts and hat of the home teams and wear those to the games. Will this be acceptable for a group like ours?
- What are some restaurants that we should check out on Friday night? What about night life? Is The Square the place to be on both Friday and Saturday?
- What are some "must see/do" things on game day in and around campus?

These were just some of the questions we had...again, any feedback with these or any other advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance for all your help!!

Let me try to answer more of your questions that you had.

- Hampton Inn - there are two in town and while you could walk to the square or grove it is probably not classified as a short walk. Schedule a cab in town.

- Alcohol - Always in a red solo cup even beer

- Food - I don't know if YOU GUYS have Chick-fil-a's in Minnesota, but I do love their platters of chicken fingers/nuggets or you can order from Abners or Obie's for food for the grove. Our tailgate does Obie's because they deliver it to us in the grove because they know where we set-up which will be key information from your set-up company.

- Time for Grove - Get there about 3-4 hours before hand team walks through about 2 hours before kickoff, and if it is not a late game depending on the win I would say 1-3 hours after.

- Jeans and shirt will scream midwesterner, but like they said if folks know you are from out of town they will converse even more with you. Just no Jerseys grown men in jerseys are ridiculous. Wear a gophers shirt and get you an Ole Miss hat or something from Rebel Rags just off West Jackson Ave.

- Square is the place to be. You could always make the trip out to Taylor Grocery in Taylor, MS and get you some fried catfish sit on a porch with your own cooler full of your choice in the fall air in Mississippi then listen to a bluegrass band pick away, but it will be busy and will have to wait but you have your own beverages. I agree on Pizza Den Stromboli but that is a Sunday lunch cure or if you are at the Hampton inn on West Jackson a great late night snack after going to the square. City Grocery, Boure, and Snackbar are all John Currence's restaurants and are really good if you can get a table. Lenora's has a good sunday brunch, and AJax's has a great lunch and bloody mary. Chicken on a stick late night at the Chevron. Bars- Upstairs of City Grocery or Boure, Library Bar & Grill (sports bar & has a music hall bar that is always packed), Proud Larry's (folk/Southern Jam Band music), Blue Rooster are just a few.

- Must thing if you like William Faulkner - go to Rowan Oak early in the morning on Saturday park off one of the streets leading back from Rowan Oak to the Square then walk to the square and buy yourself or kid a book at Square Books, and then buy your wife something nice at a boutique take those items back to the car then head back to the square and jump on the double decker bus which picks up in front of city hall, and you can ride it to the grove. Then the walk of champions happens 2 hours before game and then the band about an hour or so before the game will warm up then march to the stadium. After that the thing to must see is the female co-eds walking through the grove. After the game stop by the grove then just walk yourself back up university ave. to your car or the square.

- One last piece of advice never drive in Oxford if you have had a few. They take that seriously.

[StrongRebel]

Arkansas vs. Ole Miss will not be the 2:30 game. It will either be 11 am or 6 pm/later. I personally like the 11 am games because I like hanging out in the grove after the game, and I only get there about 1-1:30 hrs before the game, but night games are fun too. I personally like the 5-5:30 games that they sometimes do, but not often. I am not a big fan of the 7:30 game like last week then you don't get to enjoy the post game or square.

Bars close at 1 pm so doubtful you will be out late unless you don't tip your cab driver big when he drops you off then you could be waiting a long time after they close. Key is give him a twenty extra when he drops you off and get his cell phone then tell him to be expecting a number from your phone number and there is another twenty for him if he comes quickly. You won't be stuck on the square for hours after the bars close.

[MNRebelFan]

Continued great info!! I can tell already that we are going to have a great time at the game!! Maybe going to an Ole Miss game every year will become the new tradition!!

[Goroth]

They have to land us an afternoon game somewhere. I doubt this will be much for televised. So an afternoon game may be on the table for Arkansas.

[olemissreb10]

I dont know how accurate my memory is, but it seems like Arkansas has been the 11 oclock game the last few times at home. I dont ever remember a night one

[3rdR8Bromance]

I dont know how accurate my memory is, but it seems like Arkansas has been the 11 oclock game the last few times at home. I dont ever remember a night one

The 2001 7OT game was @ nite.

[1OLEMISSREBEL]

I dont know how accurate my memory is, but it seems like Arkansas has been the 11 oclock game the last few times at home. I dont ever remember a night one

The 2001 7OT game was @ nite.

I was at that game!!!

[AlmostForgotten]

We are staying at the Hampton Inn right in Oxford. Is this walking distance to campus and The Grove?

It is one of those journeys that isnt SO far away, but isnt that close either. But like the poster said above, with the parking situation this year, you'd be walking the same distance anyways.

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We have hired a tailgating service to set up a tent, table, chairs and a cooler for us and plan on tailgating with the masses in The Grove. Where should we get food from? How is alcohol policed in The Grove? I have heard that everything has to be in a cup, does that include beer? Depending on the game time, when do people start getting to The Grove and how late does the tailgating continue after the game.

Chicken is always a go to food for me and my family. Its easy. Chick Fil A, Walmart deli, Abners, etc, are always easy but you may have to pre-order due to high demand. Alcohol is permitted as 'beer in a solo cup'. Dont let the grove security see your cans and certainly not bottles, although I end up breaking this rule. For some reason whiskey and other liquors are permitted no problem. I always got to the grove by 8:00am no matter what the time. It was a long day that I always looked forward too. Try to spend lots of time there. But most people got thereby 11am, given the game was a night game. If we win, look for an extended grove stay. If we lose, people will be pulling their tents down asap.

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We are all 41-42 yrs old, so not "college kids"...from what we have seen, it looks like people really dress up for the games. Is this true for just the college kids or really everyone? Normally we all buy tee shirts and hat of the home teams and wear those to the games. Will this be acceptable for a group like ours?

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This is your call. Wear whats comfortable. Nobody will give you fits about t shirts. Frats and sorostitutes will be decked out in Sunday's best because thats how they roll. Alumni try to look nice. Its just what we do here. LSU fans will look homeless.

What are some restaurants that we should check out on Friday night? What about night life? Is The Square the place to be on both Friday and Saturday?
- What are some "must see/do" things on game day in and around campus?

Square is a big bar hopping area. It will be packed, and that will be fun. If you can hang both Friday and Sat nights, good for you. This guy makes a bee line to bed after a night game. I do my 'living it up' early on Saturday and am usually worn out after a night game. But thats just me.
Also, Restaurants to eat: Big Bad Breakfast, Ajax is always clutch. Keep in mind everything will be packed so allow for waiting time.

[rebeljim]

I dont know how accurate my memory is, but it seems like Arkansas has been the 11 oclock game the last few times at home. I dont ever remember a night one

The 2001 7OT game was @ nite.

I was at that game!!!

So was I. I was sitting in the north endzone during that game.