The Tailgate Connect® Podcast — College Football, NFL & The Game Day Life

Tailgate Connect®
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The go-to podcast for college football tailgates, NFL game day culture, and the people who make it legendary. If you live for the parking lot as much as the game, you're in the right place. Every week host Luke Lorick brings you conversations with the tailgaters, hosts, operators, athletes, and personalities who define game day culture across America. Whether it's a 25-year tradition at the University of Texas, a sold-out pregame at SoFi Stadium, or a first-time host figuring out how to run a paid tailgate — we tell the stories that don't make the highlight reel but make the experience unforgettable. We also cover the business side — how to host your own tailgate, how to sell tickets, how to build a community around your setup, and what it really takes to turn a passion into an operation. Powered by Tailgate Connect — the easiest way to find and host tailgate events across the country.  New episodes every Thursday at tailgateconnect.com.

  1. He Grills at First Base — Inside Banana Ball's Wildest Coach | Coach Bart, Texas Tailgaters

    APR 9

    He Grills at First Base — Inside Banana Ball's Wildest Coach | Coach Bart, Texas Tailgaters

    He coaches first base in a floppy hat, short shorts, white Nikes, and a six-pack beer belt — while running a lit grill. Meet Coach Bart, the utility man of the Texas Tailgators, and the most authentically tailgate human being in professional sports. Andrew "Coach Bart" Bartman spent 12 years coaching college baseball, two years running the world's biggest baseball coaches convention, and six years as USA Baseball's Director of Coaching Development before landing exactly where he was always meant to be: grilling hamburgers at first base in front of thousands of screaming fans while simultaneously coaching base runners, assigning umpires, and running youth camps. This episode goes deep on what it's actually like to be part of the Banana Ball world — the pregame tailgates sponsored by HEB, the custom Coach Bart smoker that travels city to city, the 4.2 million people on the ticket waitlist, what the TV deal with ESPN and ABC looks like, the foster family visits with gift cards and no cameras, and why the "Get To" mindset changes everything. What we cover: How Coach Bart went from USA Baseball to cooking at first base · The floppy hat, short shorts, and beer belt origin story · The HEB sponsorship and pregame tailgates at Texas games · A lit grill at first base — Jesse Cole's actual instructions · 4.2 million on the ticket waitlist and how the K Club works · Every Banana Ball game is free on YouTube, always · Banana Ball on ESPN, truTV, CW, and a primetime ABC slot · Foster family gift basket visits — no cameras, no PR · The custom Coach Bart smoker with hot dog dampers · Favorite tailgate food: ribeye, olive oil, butter, Kinder's SPG · Favorite drink: Natty Light, no apologies · Dream tailgate guest: John Kruk

    43 min
  2. Cornhole Is Going to the Olympics — and Paying Six-Figure Salaries | Athena Delgado, ACL

    MAR 26

    Cornhole Is Going to the Olympics — and Paying Six-Figure Salaries | Athena Delgado, ACL

    Cornhole started as a backyard game people played at tailgates. Today it's on ESPN, it's paying six-figure salaries, and it's pushing for the Olympics. Athena Delgado, National Director of Player Engagement for the American Cornhole League, joins Luke to explain how that happened — and why cornhole and tailgating will be inseparable for generations to come. Luke and Athena have history — they judged a cornhole trick shot competition on ESPN's The Ocho, then teamed up for the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl tailgating challenge in Tucson. In this episode they break down the full rise of the ACL, what professional cornhole actually looks like, how to get involved at any level, and why 80% of tailgaters name cornhole as their favorite game. What we cover: How cornhole became a professional sport on ESPN · The Olympic push and what it means for the game · ACL pro player salaries and the competitive circuit · The tailgating challenge competition at the Arizona Bowl · How to join the ACL and start competing · The cornhole app and where to find tournaments

    51 min
  3. Inside the Wildest Tailgate in College Football | Official Ken, LSU

    FEB 12

    Inside the Wildest Tailgate in College Football | Official Ken, LSU

    If you've ever wondered what it looks like when someone takes their love for a team to a completely different level — this is that episode. Kendrick, known as Official Ken, is the LSU superfan whose reaction videos have hit 1.2 million views in two days, earned shoutouts from Shaq, Ryan Clark, and Marcus Spear, and made Tiger Nation feel like the loudest community in college football. Luke and Kendrick break down what it's like to tailgate at LSU's Death Valley night games, why the pregame atmosphere in Baton Rouge is unlike anywhere else in the SEC, the food that makes LSU game day legendary, and how Kendrick went from crying in his room after a loss to building one of the most genuine fan channels on social media. What we cover: What makes Death Valley night games the wildest tailgate in CFB · The 1.2M view reaction video and how it happened in two days · Cajun food culture at LSU tailgates — jambalaya, gumbo, and more · How Kendrick built his social following through pure energy and authenticity · Shaq, Ryan Clark, Marcus Spear, and Benny Brazil showing love · Why LSU followed him on Instagram (manifestation incoming)

    44 min
  4. He Built a Tailgate Business from Cornhole Boards to 10,000 Fans | John Mikulec

    12/18/2025

    He Built a Tailgate Business from Cornhole Boards to 10,000 Fans | John Mikulec

    He started making cornhole boards in his garage at 16. Today his company runs more tailgate events than anyone else on Earth — 350 planned for the next year across 15+ NFL cities, 9 college markets, and every major soccer venue hosting World Cup matches in 2026. John Mikulec, founder of Gameday Hospitality, is the rare operator who's scaled a passion into a genuine industry force without losing the core of what makes a tailgate great. He joins Luke for the longest episode in TGC podcast history to tell the full story — from the early days to the Super Bowl, from Buffalo to Ann Arbor, and everywhere in between. What we cover: How Gameday Hospitality grew from cornhole boards to 350 events a year · 13 NFL cities, 9 colleges, and World Cup 2026 goal zones · What it takes to operate tailgates in multiple markets simultaneously · The business of premium hospitality vs traditional tailgating · Bills Mafia culture and what makes Buffalo different · Lessons from nearly a decade in the tailgate industry

    1h 13m
  5. The Woman Running Louisville's Most Legendary Tailgate | Rensha, Tailgaters U

    12/11/2025

    The Woman Running Louisville's Most Legendary Tailgate | Rensha, Tailgaters U

    She's the first female tailgating host to appear on the Tailgate Connect Podcast, and she's been running one of Louisville's most beloved tailgates for nearly 20 years. Rensha, co-host of Tailgaters U, joins Luke to talk about what it looks like when a tailgate becomes a full community — complete with bake-offs, dip-offs, bourbon tastings, Papa Murphy's pizza on-site, and a chant that makes the whole parking lot lose its mind. Tailgaters U has been a staple of Louisville Cardinals football since 2006, and Rensha brings the same energy to every home game. This episode covers the origin of the "Tailgaters U" name (it's a quarterback university pun — and a promise), what newcomers can expect, how to pitch Lamar Jackson to come to your tailgate, and the bonfire failgating incident nobody will ever let go. What we cover: Why female tailgating hosts are underrepresented and what Rensha is doing about it · The Tailgaters U origin story and the QB University connection · Bake-offs, dip-offs, bourbon tastings, and why Louisville does it different · The "You Don't Want These Cards" song and the chant everyone needs to know · Pitching Lamar Jackson in 15 seconds · The bonfire failgating moment that created new safety rules

    34 min
  6. 45 Years of KC Chiefs Tailgates — Recipes, Stories & Secrets | Tailgating With Rod

    12/04/2025

    45 Years of KC Chiefs Tailgates — Recipes, Stories & Secrets | Tailgating With Rod

    He's been tailgating for over 45 years, drives three hours from St. Louis to every Kansas City Chiefs home game, and holds what he calls "the Rod Rate" at the same hotel for 15 years straight. Some people call him the grandpa of tailgating. Rod, known as Tailgating With Rod, calls it a state of life. Rod joins Luke to talk 45 years of game day obsession — from his first Indy 500 in the 1970s to the KC Chiefs dynasty era, from the homemade porta potty to the legendary brat recipe and the stuffing burger bun that will change how you think about tailgate food forever. This episode is a masterclass in game day hospitality from someone who has been doing it longer than most people have been watching football. What we cover: 45 years of tailgating — from the Indy 500 to Arrowhead · Driving 3 hours from St. Louis to every Chiefs home game · The Doubleheader — Missouri on Saturday, Chiefs on Sunday · The homemade porta potty (you need to hear this) · Rod's legendary brat recipe and drink concoctions · The stuffing burger bun — freeze it, grill it, use it as a bun · Crown shades giveaways and giving back to fans

    43 min
  7. Spurrier's QB Tells All — College Football, NIL & the Perfect Tailgate | Stephen Garcia

    11/20/2025

    Spurrier's QB Tells All — College Football, NIL & the Perfect Tailgate | Stephen Garcia

    He had Bullet bourbon in his cup before the recording started, and it only got better from there. Stephen Garcia, former South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback and one of the most memorable players in the Steve Spurrier era, joins Luke for an unfiltered look at tailgating through the eyes of a player who lived it from the inside. Stephen talks about what game day felt like as a player vs as a fan, why tailgating equates to the locker room for him, the UCF game day scene that shocked him, his honest take on NIL and how it changes the college football culture he knew, and his own podcast Tailgate Talks with former teammate Pat DeMarco. Note: This episode contains explicit language. What we cover: How tailgating feels like a locker room from a player's perspective · UCF vs SEC tailgate culture — and the differences are wild · The 2010 win over #1 Alabama — what it was actually like · Steve Spurrier stories and coaching insight · NIL thoughts from someone who played in the era before · Tailgate Talks podcast with Pat DeMarco

    48 min
  8. Texas Tech's Most Legendary Tailgate Group — How Matador Mafia Was Built | Chris Evans

    11/13/2025

    Texas Tech's Most Legendary Tailgate Group — How Matador Mafia Was Built | Chris Evans

    He played defensive back at Texas Tech in the 1980s — including a game against Michael Irvin's Miami, where Irvin told him he was one of the toughest white kids he'd ever played against. Now Chris Evans is back in Lubbock running the Matador Mafia, a 13-year tailgating institution that has become one of the best game day experiences in the Big 12. Chris joins Luke to talk about why he turned down USC and Miami to play at Tech, how the Matador Mafia name came from a real Italian connection in his California hometown, the actual mafia member who visited his tailgate, and what makes Texas Tech's game day one of the most underrated experiences in college football. What we cover: Playing for Texas Tech in the 1980s — and facing Michael Irvin · How Matador Mafia got its name (there was a real mafia connection) · 13 years building one of the best tailgates in the Big 12 · What Game Day's visit to Texas Tech said about the program · Why visiting fans love the Lubbock experience · Patrick Mahomes and Michael Crabtree — the dream tailgate guests

    47 min
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About

The go-to podcast for college football tailgates, NFL game day culture, and the people who make it legendary. If you live for the parking lot as much as the game, you're in the right place. Every week host Luke Lorick brings you conversations with the tailgaters, hosts, operators, athletes, and personalities who define game day culture across America. Whether it's a 25-year tradition at the University of Texas, a sold-out pregame at SoFi Stadium, or a first-time host figuring out how to run a paid tailgate — we tell the stories that don't make the highlight reel but make the experience unforgettable. We also cover the business side — how to host your own tailgate, how to sell tickets, how to build a community around your setup, and what it really takes to turn a passion into an operation. Powered by Tailgate Connect — the easiest way to find and host tailgate events across the country.  New episodes every Thursday at tailgateconnect.com.

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