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An Exploratory Study of Sober Tailgate Programming at Colleges With Football Teams
Christopher M Seitz1, Marianne Yingling2, Muhsin Michael Orsini2
1Appalachian State University, Boone, NC, USA.
Health Promotion Practice
|July 25, 2026
Summary
Collegiate recovery programs (CRPs) can implement successful sober tailgate events. These programs, though rare, are well-attended and encourage participation in campus recovery meetings, offering a valuable health promotion strategy.
Area of Science:
- Higher education
- Public health
- Substance abuse research
Background:
- College football tailgating is often associated with heavy alcohol consumption.
- Scholars advocate for collegiate recovery programs (CRPs) to offer "sober tailgate" alternatives.
- Limited data exists on the prevalence and implementation of sober tailgate programs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the number of colleges with sober tailgate programs.
- To understand the logistical implementation of these programs.
- To explore the perceived success and impact of sober tailgates from a socio-ecological perspective.
Main Methods:
- Online questionnaire distributed to leaders of CRPs at colleges with advertised sober tailgate programs.
- Data collected in Fall 2023 from a sample of colleges with football programs.
- Analysis of responses from 7 CRP leaders (50% response rate) out of 14 identified programs.
Main Results:
- Only 14 (2%) of 667 colleges with football programs advertised sober tailgate programming.
- Funding and support for sober tailgates came from diverse on-campus and off-campus entities.
- Despite implementation barriers, most leaders viewed sober tailgates as successful, well-attended, and beneficial for recovery meeting engagement.
Conclusions:
- Sober tailgate programs are a feasible and effective health promotion initiative for colleges.
- Collaboration with various campus and community groups is crucial for program support and funding.
- Findings can inform health practitioners planning similar recovery-supportive events.
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