Glorious memories of the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship game, along with a common mascot and stadium nickname, add jet fuel to this Tigers-on-Tigers rivalry on Aug. 30. The Bayou Bengals’ chancy season opener in Clemson, South Carolina, promises to bring a sea of purple and gold to the charming college town in the Blue Ridge foothills. Here’s how to win the weekend.

Friday

Start things off with lunch and smack-talk at one of Clemson’s storied watering holes, like the Tiger Town Tavern downtown or The Esso Club, a 92-year-old sports bar housed in a former gas station on the Old Greenville Highway. Head to your hotel to freshen up. Clemson offerings include brand accommodations and boutique options like The Inn at Patrick Square. Or stay at the Hyatt Regency in bustling Greenville about 30 miles away, where fellow fans will be posted up with the LSU Alumni Association. Attend the Traveling Tigers’ ticketed welcome event that evening, or make your own fun at the First Friday Parade downtown, a monthly Clemson ritual awash in orange and white.

Saturday

It’s game day! Head for farmhouse-chic SunnySide Café to fuel up on shrimp and grits or pecan praline-stuffed French toast. Begin pregame festivities at the Tiger Nation Tailgate outside Memorial Stadium—the other Death Valley—or explore on your own and compare tailgate traditions. Meander to the outdoor amphitheater to hear the Clemson University Tiger Band’s 90 Minutes Before Kickoff Performance ahead of its stadium procession. Claim your seat in time for kickoff at 7:30 p.m. EST.

Sunday

A bloody mary is the perfect salve for post-game hoarseness, so head for brunch in restaurant-rich Greenville. Enjoy a French-inspired menu and picturesque view of the Reedy River at Passerelle Bistro. Before the journey home, walk off your Parisian ham benedict at the South Carolina Botanical Garden, a lush 230-acre park on the Clemson campus with display gardens, a wildflower meadow, trails and an arboretum. The tranquility will help lower the weekend blood pressure. Stop by the gift shop and pick up artisan Clemson Blue Cheese, made by the university’s dairy department since 1940.

Nashville – Oct. 18

Vanderbilt isn’t one of LSU’s traditional rivals, but this year’s matchup on Oct. 18 feels electric. The Commodores saw fresh success on the gridiron last season, finishing with a winning record that included an Alabama upset and goalpost teardown. Plus, this away game means a chance to visit Music City.

Friday

Check into one of the area’s numerous brand or boutique hotels, including LSU fan hub, Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt University, or the luxury Hermitage Hotel downtown. Attend the ticketed welcome event hosted by Traveling Tigers, or seek out meetups planned by LSUMusicCity, the city’s unofficial LSU fan organization. Don’t let the weekend pass without hearing original live music performed by local singer-songwriters at The Listening Room Café, 3rd and Lindsley Bar and Grill or The Bluebird Café.

Saturday

Mild, mid-October temps invite a stroll through Vanderbilt’s historic campus before the midday kickoff. Make your way through Vandyville, the tailgate and entertainment zone around FirstBank Stadium complete with food trucks, a kids’ area and live music. After the game, enjoy a taste of Nashville’s diverse dining scene. Try for a table at Iberian restaurant Peninsula, whose chef Jake Howell won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southeast this year.

Sunday

Before heading home, treat yourself to brown butter beignets or a pistachio croissant at the bakery-restaurant Butter Milk Ranch in Nashville’s 12th South District. Die-hard music fans could opt for a visit to Vinyl Tap, a record shop, bar and taproom in East Nashville. Its outdoor food trailer, Dreamburger, features smashed burgers stacked with thin patties, grilled onions, American cheese and the simplest of trimmings. An epic recovery meal.

Other away-game destinations

Oxford – Sept. 27

This Southern charmer delivers Ole Miss’ chichi tailgating and an exalted restaurant scene led by James Beard Award-winning chef and New Orleans native John Currence. His City Grocery, Bouré, Big Bad Breakfast and Snackbar are tasty starting points, but don’t overlook local holes-in-the-wall, like 4 Corners Chevron for chicken on a stick.

Tuscaloosa – Nov. 8

Intrepid Tigers braving houndstooth-happy Tuscaloosa find satisfying drinking and dining spots. Explore the red-brick downtown, where Druid City Brewing Company and Black Warrior Brewing show off the local beer scene. Dig into creative eats like pork belly and biscuits or peach cobbler French toast at River Restaurant overlooking the Black Warrior River.

Norman – Nov. 29

This midsize college town, less than 30 miles from Oklahoma City, gets high marks for its friendly people, campus-wide tailgates and well-organized Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. The Campus Corner district is packed with restaurants, retailers and entertainment. Stop by the Sam Noble Museum to learn more about the state’s prehistoric creatures and native peoples.

This article was originally published in 225 Magazine’s 2025 Tiger Pride edition.