UNC Rants: Tailgate Rankings, LSU Fans Cryin’, and Why The Grove Still Runs It

RedCupNews dropped their “Best College Football Tailgates 2025” list, and the second it hit r/LSUFootball the comments were hotter than a gumbo pot on Nicholson Drive. Predictable? Sure. Hilarious? Absolutely.

Let’s check the pulse of Baton Rouge:

• “LSU didn’t invent tailgating, we just perfected it!” one Tiger fan declared, chest puffed out like Mike the mascot.
• Another came with the knockout blow: “Nowhere that doesn’t allow open flame for cooking can be #1.”
• Then you had the food shots: “With below average food… the Grove is pretty in the fall, this is true. But LSU beats Ole Miss, and anywhere else in the country, 100% of the time.”
• Somebody just flat-out called it: “The Grove is SO overrated. Walmart finger sandwiches and everyone crammed into a small space SUCKS.”

This thread basically turned into a therapy session for LSU fans who can’t stomach the idea of Ole Miss being handed the crown. And look, I get it. Baton Rouge on a Saturday night is a sight to behold. The food? Unreal. The atmosphere? Mad house. People are generous, the drinks flow, and you’ll be fed even if you roll up in enemy colors. It’s top tier.

But here’s where Uncle steps in. Don’t let the purple-and-gold echo chamber fool you. The Grove is still The Grove. You walk in and it’s chandeliers hanging from tents, bow ties and sundresses, bourbon in crystal glasses, and more style than substance — but that style matters. It’s curated chaos. People rip it for being “overrated” because deep down, they know it still sits on the throne. You can’t grill there, sure, but you also can’t replicate the look, the feel, the sheer pageantry of that Oxford scene.

LSU’s tailgate is a meal. The Grove is a flex. And in college football, flex counts.

Unc’s Final Word

This list wasn’t wrong, it just touched a nerve. Baton Rouge might serve you the best plate you’ve ever had, but The Grove still runs the photo op, the mystique, the myth. LSU fans can scream “cold chicken tenders” all they want, but if you’re ranking tailgates on brand and spectacle, Oxford still got it. And deep down, y’all know it.