For political theory and constitutional democracy junior Natalie Marinik, tailgating is an opportunity to catch up with friends she might not be able to see during the week.

Marinik has been tailgating at MSU since her freshman year. Her group gathers at Adams Field, where they can watch the Spartan Marching Band practice and visit the Sparty Alumni tailgate nearby.

“It's a nice setup,” Marinik said. “It's really nice to see each other, especially (friends from) our hometown, which is great because I don't see all of them throughout the week.”

Kinesiology junior Kennedy Thurlow said her parents host the tailgate and prepare a different menu each week. One week, they might bring a pizza oven for homemade mini pizzas. Another week, the spread might include a taco and nacho bar.

Thurlow said the weekly meet-ups have given her family a chance to come together more often, especially because she and her brother both attend MSU.

“My mom went to Michigan State, and so we always grew up coming to campus,” Thurlow said. “It's definitely made my family a lot closer because it's nice that my brother and I are both at Michigan State.”

While some tailgates center on students and their families, others bring together Spartans whose connections to the university stretch back decades.

Scott Ferry, a former Sparty from 2005 to 2007, said he has been tailgating for about 25 years. He now gathers with other former mascots through the Sparty alumni group, where the friendships built during their time at MSU continue long after graduation.

Ferry said the group gives alumni a familiar place to return to, even if they now live far from East Lansing.

“If you are living in Colorado or California or Minnesota or Oregon, you know that you can come back to this spot, and you always have a home,” Ferry said.

Music also helps bring the surrounding tailgates together. When the group plays AC/DC's “Thunderstruck,” Ferry said people from nearby tents often come over to join in.

Food remains another centerpiece of the gathering. On this particular game day, the group served pozole, a traditional Mexican stew, with Ferry emphasizing how shared meals help connect people across different stages of life.

“It is food that sometimes brings us all together,” Ferry said.

That sense of community extends to fans who did not attend MSU themselves but became part of Spartan game-day traditions through their children.

Vickie Catalina began tailgating when her twin sons attended MSU. Although her sons have since graduated, she continues to return to Adams Field, where she now has another reason to gather with family and friends.

Catalina said the location offers more than a place to eat before a game. Adams Field provides a close-up view of the Spartan Marching Band as its members warm up before making their way toward Spartan Stadium.

She encourages first-time tailgaters to take advantage of the opportunity to meet people and experience the atmosphere.

“Just go and meet people and have fun and have conversations,” Catalina said. “It's a good time every single time.”

For Catalina, continuing to tailgate has also given her family a chance to experience the university in a new way. She attended Wayne State University herself, but coming to MSU for her sons helped her discover a community she said she wished she had experienced as a student.

Whether it is a group of former mascots welcoming old friends home, parents preparing a new menu each week or alumni returning to watch the marching band, the traditions around Adams Field offer fans a reason to gather beyond the football game.

For many, Saturday is not just about cheering for the Spartans. It is about the people waiting for them when they arrive.