By Joy Donovan Brandon
I had never worn a dress, much less pearls, to a football game.
That changed Oct. 26, 2024, when I crossed something off my bucket list. I attended the University of Oklahoma game at the University of Mississippi. Yes, y’all, I had the lovely experience of tailgating at The Grove in Oxford, Mississippi.
I do not care about Sunday football, but I am a fan of Saturday football. My blood isn’t red, it’s OU Sooner crimson. My good friend, Cindy, who had a mid-life conversion of her loyalties from a Baylor Bear to an Ole Miss Rebel, called me a year ago. She asked if my husband and I would like to join her and her husband, also a convert, on a road trip to Oxford for the big game. I did not hesitate, I did not pass go and I did not ask my husband. Boomer Sooner and Hotty Toddy, oh gosh a’ mighty I certainly would like to go.
As a college football fan, I can attest to certain truths. Barry Switzer is The King. Texas A&M wins halftime. Ole Miss wins tailgating.
A 2023 issue of Southern Living Magazine called the pre-game ritual in acres for an Ole Miss home game “the fanciest tailgate you’ll ever see.” Well, I intended to see it. And experience it in all my pearled glory.
Now, my friend Cindy, whose trio of children had graduated from Ole Miss, had our road trip game plan, along with a tall order of history to accompany it. She said it wasn’t worth flying because you still had to fly from DFW to Memphis, rent a car and drive 75 miles to Oxford.
And now that I’ve made the trip, I highly recommend loading up the SUV with some snacks and just hitting the highway. Two days there — the scenic, historical route — and one day home — doable if the car conversation is fun like ours was.
Day one, we made it all the way to Vicksburg, Mississippi, for dinner at the charming Walnut Hills Restaurant, where they serve Southern-fried everything with a side dish of graciousness.
Our foursome began its first fried-okra tasting, pronouncing it excellent. After dinner, we peered past the black gates of the McRaven Mansion, a 1797 Southern Gothic mansion known as Mississippi’s most haunted house. Once, a Confederate army campsite and hospital, spirits supposedly move freely about the lush three-acre property.
We stayed at a nice-enough chain hotel, ate the free breakfast the next morning and hit the road first-thing the following day. It was Friday, the day before the big game, and we rolled into a full-blown pre-party at Oxford’s friendly downtown square. The sidewalks hummed with students, alums and football fans roaming from watering holes to retailers. The oldest store in the south, Neilson’s Department Store, founded in 1839, was a great place to start Christmas shopping, but leave Time, and money, for Square Books. Established in 1979, the literary landmark is home to signed first editions from notable authors, like Mississippi’s own John Grisham. The biggest literary hero, though, is Pulitzer Prize-winner William Faulkner, a true son of the South who called Oxford home. You’ll find a statue of him, sitting with one leg crossed over the other, just outside of city hall where he can assess the visitors, many of whom stop for a selfie.
An early dinner that night was at Ajax Diner, a favorite place of football great Eli Manning. With fried everything served on mismatched tables amid Ole Miss souvenirs, we again pronounced the okra excellent.
We had to eat early to experience the Friday night ritual at The Grove. A giant countdown happens before the big land rush — something we Oklahoma Sooners understand deeply — with police officers ensuring no one crosses into The Grove before 7:30. Young people get paid to stake their claim to tent sites, pitch the tent and do it all over again for another client. The fun frenzy, for us, was almost as much fun as the kickoff.
Then, the main event occurred on day three. Yes, there’s a game, but first things first. We are here to tailgate, and to treat it like the respectable tradition it is. It’s the SEC’s answer to the Kentucky Derby, sorority rush and a family reunion. It’s a day of back slappin’, where the sun barely rises before revellers drink their first Bloody Mary or mimosa from the sea of red and blue tents. As promised, the anticipated dress code of girls in pearls and guys in ties was the standard for those making it to The Grove.
The tents are packed into 10 acres of shady magnolia and oak trees, while the Ole Miss faithful share their hospitality with invited guests and perfect strangers. It’s elbow-to red Solo cup packed. Ole Miss officials say it’s difficult to say just how many people are there, but last year’s season broke records in football game attendance four times, combining for 471,601 visitors.
Now each of these tents showcases the hosts’ Southern style where modern football meets gracious manners. Chandeliers sway in the breeze, and candelabra decorate tables next to cardboard cutouts of Juice, Coach Lane Kiffin’s pooch and now unofficial university mascot. The tables are truly sights not only to be seen, but also to be experienced. Ole Miss’s traditional colors of red and blue, with powder blue accents, is reminiscent of a style usually reserved for bridal teas. Under the tents, guests will find monogrammed linens, TVs set for pre-game coverage, color-coordinated nibbles and even portable bars staffed by professional bartenders. We were indeed invited to be guests at a specific tent, which was very nice, but even if we hadn’t had a place to go, I have no doubt someone would have welcomed us in.
Now, no visitors need to worry about anybody being ugly. The Ole Miss folks will thank you kindly for travelin’ all this way to join their party. They are nothing but the most gracious hosts. If you look around, you’ll see guys dressed in Halloween costumes, pretty sorority girls in the latest trends and, if you’re lucky, even Oscar-winning actor Kevin Costner.
About two hours before kickoff, all eyes turn to Ole Miss’ Walk of Champions, as captured in the 2009 feature film “The Blind Side.” Led by the coach, the football team parades along brick path lined from the Walk of Champions arch, a gift from the undefeated 1962 Rebels, toward Vaught-Hemingway Stadium with thousands of fans high-fivin’, hollerin’ and cheerin’ their heroes.
Now, it would be best for everybody if the teams would arrange for a kick-off later than 11 a.m., to ensure a full Grove experience. But should you be so unlucky as we were to draw an early morning game time, I assure you the tailgating experience will be waiting for you. Luck was in short supply for my beloved Sooners that particular October day. As the sun beat down on us, we managed to win the first half 14 to zero. Then we suffered an unfortunate loss when we evidently decided not to score again. Ole Miss won it, 26-14.
I must stress here that their mommas did teach Ole Miss fans right. They were all as gracious in victory as they were at the early-morning tailgate. Their Southern hospitality even continued for dinner at Taylor Grocery, a super casual sit-on-the-porch-while-you-wait restaurant. With a musical duo providing music to celebrate the day in the corner of this restaurant, known for its catfish, our group tried its third installment of fried okra. Again, we pronounced it excellent.
Yes, ma’am, it sure was fun mixin’ Boomer Sooner with the Hottie Toddy. The Rebels’ southern hospitality was truly memorable. It was so much fun that I almost didn’t care that my Sooners lost.
Almost.