Why short bus tailgates are reliable bangers
Having traveled all over the country for college football games and scoured campuses far and wide for the best tailgates, I’ve arrived at an important theorem: tailgates featuring short buses are, without fail, some of the most fun and inviting on campus.
The reasons are simple. In order to invest in a tailgate vehicle at all, three things are typically true:
- You have enough money to throw a good party
- You tailgate regularly enough to make the investment worthwhile
- You have a consistent group of family and friends who share your commitment to tailgating glory.
To have any type of tailgate vehicle, the basic components of quality tailgating are already in place. But what separates short bus tailgates from their more expensive and exotic cousins — ritzy RVs and tricked-out touring buses — is that they come without the pretense inherent in having every amenity at hand, parking in specially designated lots (often right outside the stadium), and generally feeling elite. Short buses are tailgate vehicles for the common man.
In just the past couple of seasons, I’ve come across amazing short bus tailgates at NC State, Oregon, Kansas State, Duke, and Michigan State, among others. In every single instance, I’ve been warmly welcomed into the tailgate and aboard the bus to enjoy various luxuries, from air conditioning (or heat, depending on location) to semi-functional bathrooms to maybe even a little stash of the good bourbon. Add to that TVs, memorabilia, and snacks, and you’ve got a tailgate that blends the outdoor campus vibes of traditional tailgating with a few comforts of home.
It’s also important to note that I use the “short bus” moniker a bit loosely. In addition to actual school buses, that terminology is also intended to include small delivery trucks, ambulances, and — in rare instances — even garbage trucks or combines. If you go to Manhattan, KS for a game, you may even see all of these on the same day.
While short buses are a virtual lock to be elite tailgate environments, full-size converted school buses are usually solid picks too. For example, in Salt Lake City, the Utah Pig Bus crew throws a heck of a tailgate, often including a live band playing on a platform at the end of the bus.
In somewhat less common instances, RVs, yachts, and big corporate rigs that eschew their inherent hoity-toity nature can still pan out, but there are typically more misses than hits.
That’s why I salute the Short Bus Kings, who NEVER miss and ALWAYS offer a good time.
CFB Travel Guy 