Method to tailgating madness: Fans pack parking lot at Hornet Stadium for Causeway Classic
Tailgating can be a strategic operation. Show up early or run the risk of not finding a place to park, to enjoy the sites, sounds, eats and drinks.
Brei Davis understands all of this. She is the mother of Sacramento State’s starting strong safety, Gavin Davis-Smith, and she arrives early to set down stakes for prime parking spots, all the better to drum up a festive scene hours before kickoff at Saturday’s Causeway Classic rivalry rumble against UC Davis.
“I got here at 4 a.m.,” Davis said with a laugh. “We drove two cars, dropped one off to save a spot.”
How serious is this scheming?
“We bring cones!” Davis said. “We learned there’s a method to all of this.”
Some of the best action Saturday was on full display outside Hornet Stadium, well before the Big Sky Conference showdown. The parking lots were jam-packed, a carnival or sorts with the backdrop of a stadium that would fill up.
There was a bounce house and cornhole bag-toss fun, action right and left with music, the savory smell of barbecue, and beer. Lots of beer. There was also a police presence, be it on horseback or on foot.
Sacramento State president Robert S. Nelsen wore his trusty jersey, No. 75, marking the age of the university. Hornets athletic director Mark Orr was bouncing around the lots, shaking hands, thanking people for coming.
“Three hours before kickoff and look at this place,” Orr said. “We had a few RV’s come in last night. We’ve got old alums telling stories, students, fans, everyone having a good time. This is what college football is all about. The city has been waiting for something like this.”
Orr added, “UCD’s here. We put them in the back.”
Orr laughed at that one. That was rivalry talk. UCD had its own party and occupied plenty of parking lot acreage, but the Aggie faithful were otherwise engulfed by Hornets green and gold.
“We’re a bit outnumbered, but we’re having a great time,” said Monica Ellis, a longtime UCD fan, surrounded by Aggie backers.
Another thing about tailgating: the coach’s wives have it figured out and dialed in. Kris Richardson is Sacramento State’s assistant head coach and offensive line coach. The quarterback coach is Bobby Fresques. Their wives — Kelly and Wendy — are the spirit of a lot of this tailgate fun.
For starters, it wasn’t always like this.
“When we first started tailgating, it was paltry, skeletal,” Kelly Richardson said. “People now are happy to see the success. During games, I’m into the game. Out here, I’m super social.”
Said Wendy Fresques, “There were times Bobby and I would come to games, years ago, to support, and we’d walk out feeling, ‘Oh, God, another loss.’ There’s a buzz now. It reminds me of when the Kings started to win.”
Wendy Fresques worked as director of game operations for the Kings for years, ending in 2004. The same theme applies to sports of any level, she said.
“People love a winner,” she said. “People love sports. It’s a fabric of the community, and when you win, there’s a gold thread in there.”
Said Kelly Richardson, immediately interrupting her friend, “Make that a gold and green thread!”
Across the parking lot, Donna Lavalleur and her family savored their pasta and assorted eats. A teacher in Auburn, Lavalleur wore a custom made Cameron Skattebo jersey as a fan of Sacramento State’s leading rusher. She was delighted that it arrived in time for the game, and she surprised her longtime boyfriend, Mark, with the same jersey.
People noticed in Roseville well before she got to the Hornet Stadium parking lot.
“I was in the grocery store, and three different people stopped me and asked me about the jersey,” Lavalleur said. “It was super fun. One said the Kings are doing great, the 49ers are doing great, and then someone said, ‘Don’t jinx it!’”
The only bummer for a lot of tailgaters was getting into the stadium. Clogged lines meant it took up to an hour to get in, with fan Tom Nunes saying: “The lines at all gates are at least a quarter-mile long. It’s crazy. My wife and I have been here for 45 minutes and we’re not even close to the entrance.”
This story was originally published November 19, 2022 at 6:12 PM.