Learn to Tailgate From the Pros

Once on the boat, the tailgating feel is different from that in the parking lot, says Hassing. Elaborate spreads dot the decks, with platters of cheese, wine, hors d'oeuvres, barbecue and salmon. Before the game, the Huskies arrive in their purple and gold, and fans salute them from the water. Many stay happily moored during the game, as the makeshift harbor becomes lined with high-definition flat-screen televisions.

Plan to be in Washington anytime soon? Contact the Tyee Office at 206-543-2234 to arrange for a private permit for boaters wanting to dock. They also have information on charters for game day.

Louisiana State University: Geaux for the home cookin'

There are plenty of reasons to head to Baton Rouge to watch football. Number one, of course, is the football team. These are your defending national champions, a team that is 37-6 since the start of 2005.

Almost equally enticing, though, are the opportunities afforded to the tailgating fanatic. And they are aplenty.

Thousands of RVs pack themselves onto campus, and tents spring up starting on Friday. Friday night can be an all-night affair for the truly dedicated partygoer, and games like baggo, tailgate golf and washers abound, while myriad high-flying purple-and-gold flags line the landscape above 20-foot high funnels and smoke rising from thousands of grills. The award-winning LSU band makes its way throughout the campus, and live mascot Mike the Tiger growls his way menacingly around the stadium prior to kickoff.

But what really makes the LSU tailgate unique is the food. Tailgaters Krewe'd Awakening , are celebrating their 10th year of partying before football, a self-earned moniker that describes their propensity for waking up super early to a loud, live DJ. Early is 5 a.m. on the day of a 7 p.m. kickoff. According to Krewe'd founder Matt Bryant, the group features food from "Emeril Live" contest winner Chad Roberston. "We're really gonna cook it up good this year," says Bryant.