The Athletes First Tailgate Tour, the premier traveling college football festival, has officially announced a partnership between NFL and college football legends, premium hospitality, and brand activations to conceive the ultimate fan experience befitting of college football’s biggest matchups.
According to certain reports, the stated collaboration includes an Athletes First Tailgate expedition, which begins from Columbus, Ohio, in light of Ohio State hosting Texas, becoming the first of 11 stops across the country.
More on that would reveal how the Athletes First custom hauler will travel to each site and serve as the focal point of the action at each tour stop. For better understanding, this 55-foot hauler packs together a dedicated hospitality space, a VIP lounge, a podcast studio, and a live event stage.
Beyond the inaugural stop, the Athletes First tour will also cover Michigan at Oklahoma, September 6; Texas A&M at Notre Dame, September 13; Alabama at Georgia, September 27; Texas at Florida, October 4; Washington at Michigan, October 16; Texas A&M at LSU, October 25; LSU at Alabama, November 7; Texas A&M, November 15; Arkansas at Texas, November 21; Army vs. Navy (Baltimore, MD), December 12.
In fact, having completed its two editions before, this year Tailgate Tour will be the first to include Sinclair’s AMP Sports as the event’s exclusive media partner, who will create unique content from the tour’s stops. The company is expected to host live, original video podcasts from multiple stops on the tour.
You see, AMP Sports live shows will include The Script featuring former Buckeyes Cardale Jones and Beanie Wells in Columbus, OH; The Dynasty featuring former Crimson Tide AJ McCarron and Trent Richardson in Tuscaloosa, AL; The Stampede featuring former Longhorns Vince Young and Mack Brown in Austin, TX, along with The Echoes in South Bend; The Blue Print in Ann Arbor, and The Triple Option at the Army-Navy game.
On top of that, the tour also features sponsorships with Bud Light, NÜTRL Vodka Seltzer, Dollar Shave Club, and Pop-Tarts, among other key brand partners, who will all connect with fans throughout the tour.
In case that wasn’t enough, content from the events will also be distributed across Sinclair’s sports platforms to maximize exposure and engagement.
Another detail worth a mention relates to how Bud Light, the Official Beer Sponsor, as well as NÜTRL Vodka Seltzer, the Official Vodka Seltzer Sponsor, will both activate on site at the Ohio State, Oklahoma, Florida, and LSU stops. These experiences will include fan-first moments, as well as touchpoints with top NFL players.
Along with that, Dollar Shave Club will also serve as an official partner of the tour with on-site activations, including branded tailgate games and product sampling on site. The stated partnership will feature original game day digital content created by some of the biggest college football stars from each tailgate market.
Then, there is Pop-Tarts, whp will serve as an official partner of the tour and will feature the viral Pop-Tarts Edible Mascot at four tailgate stops i.e. Notre Dame, Georgia, LSU, and Texas. Athletes First NFL clients will also be on site to help attendees sample some Pop-Tarts and engage with the Edible Mascots, while simultaneously capturing content of their experience.
Among other things, Athletes First Tailgate Tour is a part of its wider owned and operated events’ portfolio. These events, for instance, include Athletes First presents The Block, an exclusive hospitality and brand activation destination; and the Athletes First Classic, which brings together athletes and celebrities for a series of charity events.
Apart from that, we have Big & Beautiful Las Vegas, an exclusive summit for NFL offensive linemen that features elite training sessions, advanced recovery offerings, and curated hospitality experiences.
“The Athletes First Tailgate Tour has become a staple of the college football season, bringing unmatched energy and access to some of the sport’s most iconic games,” said Danielle Spencer, Vice President of Events & Clients for Athletes First. “This year, our new partnership with Sinclair’s AMP Sports, along with the support of all our brand partners, will elevate the experience to a whole new level — combining premium hospitality, dynamic content, and fan engagement like never before.”
