OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – College football season is almost here, and fans across Oklahoma are getting ready for another fall filled with friends, food, and football. For many, game day starts long before kickoff; it starts at the tailgate. At the University of Oklahoma, Sooner fan Ethan Slavin has been part of the tradition for decades. "I started coming to games when I was roughly five, so late 1970s," said Slavin. He grew up going to his parents' tailgate before eventually starting one of his own. What began with just a few friends and lawn chairs has grown into a much larger gathering near the NOUN Hotel in Norman, sometimes drawing as many as 50 people. Slavin says OU's move to the Southeastern Conference has brought even more excitement to game days.
KFOR College Football Kickoff: A behind the scenes look at our Bedlam schools football broadcast operations "I think the SEC has obviously changed a little bit. The excitement, the different teams that we're getting to watch has changed a lot more. More and more people want to come down and experience it, so it does grow," said Slavin. In Stillwater, the tradition runs just as deep at Oklahoma State University. Wes Milbourn and his wife Sandy have been tailgating at OSU football games for more than 25 years. "We started out in the back of our SUV, underneath a streetlight in a parking lot over by the military science building," said Milbourn. Now, their tailgate has become a family affair. Their three children attended OSU and now have children of their own who join in on game days. Milbourn may also look and sound familiar to longtime News 4 viewers. Before retiring, he spent 34 years at KFOR in several leadership positions, including president and general manager. Over the years, his tailgate has also attracted some familiar faces. "We've been fortunate that we've had several dignitaries stop by our tailgate. Most importantly, Kevin and Ginger Ogle, they have stopped by Admiral Greg Sullivan, Senator James Lankford, just to name a few," said Milbourn. But pulling off a traditional tailgate takes time. Milbourn said his group typically uses a four-hour rule when deciding when to arrive. "If it's 11 a.m. game, we want to be there by 7 a.m., and it takes a while," said Milbourn. A lot of fans think tailgating is all about doing it yourself; however, there is a full-service tailgating option. "Everything from beginning to end. You just show up and have fun," said Shelby Kirkes, executive general manager, REVELxp. REVELxp takes the hassle out of tailgating and is available at both OU and OSU. "We provide everything from your catering service to beverage services, and then we set up everything from the tent, the coolers with ice, your tables, your chairs, TVs," said Kirkes. Fans can reserve a setup for a single game or an entire season, with several package sizes available. The added convenience comes at a price, though. "Our individual games for the smallest package, the standard varsity, is going to be $650 on Boyd Lawn. And then it goes all the way up to a full season club, which is about $2,200," said Kirkes. This season, RevelXP expanded its OU offerings to Boyd Lawn in addition to Bud Lawn. At OSU, full-service tailgating is offered at Spears Walk, Classroom Lawn and Stadium West. Whether fans spend the money to have everything waiting for them or spend hours setting up themselves, both Slavin and Milbourn say the tradition is about who you're sharing it with. "It's, you know, getting together with the group that's just passionate about OU football and hanging out before the games is really the best part and really hasn't changed over the time," said Slavin. "You're making new relationships. You're meeting new people; you become friends with all the other tailgate people that are kind of around your area. You see people walking by, you tell them 'Howdy' and, and invite them in," said Milbourn. From Norman to Stillwater, the colors and teams may be different, but the game day tradition remains the same. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.