All-star tailgates: big on flavor - and tradition - recipes - includes related article on college football - Tailgate Traditions

Sunset, Sept, 1993 by Christine Weber Hale, Bill Crosby, Peter Fish

Extracurriculars. All of Portland is at your feet, so go wild! The stadium, just off main drag Burnside Street, is just up the hill from the lively downtown.

Washington State University, Pullman

In the heart of the Palouse wheat fields, Pullman is a true land-grant college town. Its population of about 7,000 swells to 24,000 during the school year, and on Saturdays Martin Stadium hosts a 4-hour population averaging 32,000 (or its 40,000 capacity for big games). Fair-weather teams fear playing the Cougars around Halloween: the "curse of the Palouse"--and the fickle weather--has helped the underdog Cougars triumph inexplicably too many times to ignore.

Ambience, spirit. The atmosphere is idyllic, wholesome, 1950s; you almost expect Ricky Nelson to be playing at the Compton Union Building (CUB) after the game. CUB is right next to the stadium (its balcony looks down into the stadium); it hosts a variety of pre- and postgame events.

The battlefield. Adding 12,500 seats to Martin Stadium back in '79 made it more intimate; workers lowered the playing field 16 feet and removed the track, expanding inward. The enlargement also meant the big games stayed at home instead of moving up the road to Spokane.

How about those Cougs? Drew Bledsoe is a hard act to follow; the first pick in this year's NFL draft leaves his WSU quarterbacking duties in the hands of Mike Pattinson, who has waited four years for his shot in the Pac 10. If the Cougs stay true to their long-standing form, figure on another 4,000-yard season and an average 25 points per game; a little defense and the team should find itself bowl-bound again this year. WSU always seems to surprise someone; the hated Huskies fell 42-23 in a Pullman blizzard during last year's Apple Cup. Will the curse befall UCLA or ASU this fall?

Extracurriculars. Cheese tastings, featuring the cheddar-like Cougar Gold produced by WSU's creamery, are set up near the deli in CUB. A Taste of Washington, held in CUB's Carey Ballroom, offers an elegant pregame sampling of eastern Washington bounty, from wines and produce to grilled lamb and freshly baked breads ($8 worth of samples should amply fortify an adult).

Ferdinand's, whose name and decor were inspired by the flower-sniffing bull, sits out on the campus fringe in the Food Quality Building, next to the food science and nutrition building. There, you can get a scoop of Cappuccino Crunch or 13 other flavors of student-made ice cream. Or buy a can of Cougar Gold to go. Ferdinand's is about a 5-minute walk from the stadium and is open 3 1/2 hours before kickoff.

After the game, follow the band to Hollingbery Fieldhouse (next to the stadium) for what is always hoped to be a raucous celebration (pregame food and festivities are also offered at this hangout). If it's a chilly day, stop by Lewis Alumni Centre, the converted campus dairy barn, and warm yourself by the roaring fire.

Arizona State University, Tempe

Tempe's historic Old Town district, in the shadow of Sun Devil Stadium, becomes one giant party during football season. Most of the action takes place on Mill Avenue between University Drive and First Street, just west of the stadium. In the restaurants, bars, and shops here, fans can warm up before the game and celebrate afterward well into the wee hours.