225’s guide to matchmaking LSU tailgate dishes

Correction: This article has been updated to correct the date of the Arkansas vs. LSU matchup.

It’s a well-established phenomenon that seasoned LSU tailgaters coordinate home game menus like sorority girls choose outfits—with lots of thought and serious precision.

What to cook is influenced by a variety of game-day factors, from the opposing team’s mascot and geography to the weather and expected crowd size.

This year’s at-home face-offs against Arkansas and Florida mean there’ll be plenty of whole hog and alligator on offer. But between those obvious eat-the-opponent guardrails, lots of creativity will ensue. Here’s a look at what you might see.

Sept. 8

Grambling Tigers

High temperatures; two in-state, tiger-repped teams

All-Louisiana menus led by jambalaya and red beans and rice

Sept. 23

Arkansas Razorbacks

Wooo, pig, sooie!

Pork-centric, from whole hog to cracklins

Oct. 14

Auburn Tigers

Large crowd sizes; likely a day game

Think volume—easy dishes like chicken wings and pulled pork

Oct. 21

Army Mules

Feel the patriotism.

All-American hot dogs and hamburgers, flag cakes

Nov. 11

Florida Gators

A team Tiger fans love to beat, with a mascot that brings Louisianians joy to eat.

Grilled gator, gator sauce piquant, fried gator bites

Nov. 18

Georgia State Panthers

Smaller crowd sizes mean niche menus with limited-supply ingredients.

Duck sauce piquant, venison chili

Nov. 25

Texas A&M Aggies

Thanksgiving weekend; Lone Star culture

Beef brisket, chili or fried turkeys and Thanksgiving sides

This article was originally published in the September 2023 issue of 225 magazine.