The Woman Running Louisville's Most Legendary Tailgate | Rensha, Tailgaters U

She's the first female tailgating host to appear on the Tailgate Connect Podcast, and she's been running one of Louisville's most beloved tailgates for nearly 20 years. Rensha, co-host of Tailgaters U, joins Luke to talk about what it looks like when a tailgate becomes a full community — complete with bake-offs, dip-offs, bourbon tastings, Papa Murphy's pizza on-site, and a chant that makes the whole parking lot lose its mind.

Tailgaters U has been a staple of Louisville Cardinals football since 2006, and Rensha brings the same energy to every home game. This episode covers the origin of the "Tailgaters U" name (it's a quarterback university pun — and a promise), what newcomers can expect, how to pitch Lamar Jackson to come to your tailgate, and the bonfire failgating incident nobody will ever let go.

What we cover: Why female tailgating hosts are underrepresented and what Rensha is doing about it · The Tailgaters U origin story and the QB University connection · Bake-offs, dip-offs, bourbon tastings, and why Louisville does it different · The "You Don't Want These Cards" song and the chant everyone needs to know · Pitching Lamar Jackson in 15 seconds · The bonfire failgating moment that created new safety rules

Transcript

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Intro

Luke 0:00

All right, welcome back to the Tailgate Connect podcast. I'm your host, Luke Lorick, with Tailgating Challenge. I love all things tailgating. And in tonight's episode, we're going to go to school. Louisville Tailgator Rensha with Tailgators You is going to drop some tips, gonna have some awesome drink recipes, or maybe not so much, and you're gonna learn why tailgating at Louisville is something you have to put on your bucket list. Stay tuned.

Music 0:48

Tailgate Connect's got a story to tell.

Meet Rensha — first female tailgating host on TGC Podcast

Luke 0:55

All right, welcome back to the Tailgate Connect podcast. We have Rensha with Tailgators U over here from Louisville. Rensha, how you doing this evening?

Rensha 1:06

I'm good. How are

"Always in male-dominated arenas"

Rensha 1:08

you?

Luke 1:08

I'm doing great, doing great. Uh Rensha, I'm just gonna be honest, like, you are our first female tailgating host. We've had some like chefs and things on here, but you were the first female tailgating host with Tailgate Connect. So just wanted to give you a shout out for being the first one out here. And I guess another question, too, is like, well, like, why are there not more female tailgating like hosts out there? Just because I know there's a lot of people that love tailgating of the female variety. So why are you the first? We're episode 19 coming in right now. Why are you the first one?

Rensha 1:42

I just think that's how it was meant to happen, you know? It's the story of my life. I'm always kind of in male-dominated um areas and arenas. So of course I'm gonna be the first.

Why we need more female tailgaters

Luke 1:55

No, I love it. I love it. And again, like I want to help spread your message too, because I feel like we're we need more, it doesn't need to be male-dominated. Like I said, to be tailgating, one of the reasons I love it is because it is so inclusive with everything. And so I was, as I was preparing for our episode now, I was like, oh my gosh, like Rinsa's our first like female tailgating host, and like this is gonna be amazing to have a conversation and to spread the uh the tailgating gospel from your lips out there to all the other uh female tailgators out there to have them get out there and do some amazing tailgating too. So let's let's pause right there though and go back because obviously, like I'm just getting to know you right now, but I know if you're on this show, you have a passion for tailgating. And I want to know where that came from. How early in life did you know we like, I'm a tailgator? When did when did that click?

How the love started — early 20s, leaning into others' tailgates

Rensha 2:45

You know, I am naturally like a people person, and the more the merrier. Um, event hostess with the most is. So I think early 20s is when I kind of started getting my toes wet. Then I just remember like one football game, like, I want to tailgate. I want to see what that's about. I want to get out there. I've always gone to football games and, you know, walked past all the tailgates and kind of lean in to other people's tailgates. And finally, um, I linked in with my friend, who's actually kind of like our founder at Tailgator's U. And I was like, I know you be tailgating. Tell me all the things. And he lined it up for me, and I've been hooked ever since.

Tailgaters U founded 2006, Rensha joined 2009

Luke 3:28

Excellent. So so how long ago was that? Whenever, I guess, when did Tailgators U like officially form or start?

Rensha 3:36

I feel like Tailgators U maybe started like in 2006, and I officially jumped in 2010, 2009.

Coming up on 20 years

Luke 3:46

So, but okay, so the start of 06. I mean, you're coming up like on 20 years next year, right? Like as the official Tailgate. So, I mean, that is nothing to be sneezed at and a pretty awesome accomplishment on top of everything else. So tell us like, so obviously, like this is Louisville, right? And you told me before the show started, but I want you to say it again now that we're on the air. Like, Tailgators U, how did you come up or how did your group come up with that name?

The name — Quarterback University and what it means

Rensha 4:13

Tailgator's U is just a pla a play on what we do here in Louisville to begin with, you know, University of Louisville football, we're we're quarterback university. This is where you're gonna go and get all your QB schooling. Tailgators U is kind of playing on that. If you want to learn how to tailgate, you come to Tailgator's U.

What happens at Tailgaters U — bake-offs, dip-offs, bourbon tastings

Luke 4:31

Okay. Well, you know, I got to ask you the question then. If someone decided to come to class, so to speak, at uh Tailgator's U, what are they gonna learn at your tailgate?

Rensha 4:40

They're gonna learn how to A, lay the spread out, um, B, kind of get the communication going, leading into the tailgate. Um, we do all kinds of different fun things. We have uh bake-offs, dip-offs. Uh, we've done, we've had the Papa Murphy's come up right to our tailgate and make pizzas on the spot, chili cook-offs. We do bourbon tastings right in our tailgate. I mean, we do it all at our tailgate. And that's what people will learn when they come to Tailgate as you.

Papa Murphy's van and on-site pizza

Luke 5:12

Excellent. Uh so pizza and bourbon. I'm sold. I'm sold. Let's go. So how it out of curiosity, like with Papa Murphy's, like the pizza, like, are y'all using, like what what type of cooking are you using to make the pizza out there?

Rensha 5:25

So we actually have one of our members that's a um store manager at Papa Murphy's. And I mean, he pulls up. He has the Papa Murphy's van. He has everything right there with him, the uh oven style pizza, cooking utensils, everything. He does it right on the spot.

What makes Louisville tailgating different

Luke 5:41

Excellent, excellent. All right, so University of Louisville. So tell me, what makes tailgating at Louisville amazing? Just in general, think outside of your tailgate for people that are wanting to think about coming to a Louisville game. Like what makes Louisville the spot to go for tailgating outside of you?

Dancing, dominoes, cards, cornhole, no weather stops them

Rensha 6:00

When you outside of me for sure. Right. But when you think about tailgating in Louisville, it's not just we're gonna sit around, throw cornho, um, have a TV on and watch the other games. We're dancing, we're cooking, we're baking, we're playing dominoes, we're playing cars, we're doing cornho. We're doing um the you don't want these courts chant. Like it goes down at Tailgator's U, and it goes down at Louisville and Tailgating for sure. And no weather can stop us.

The chant — C-A-R-D-S and the L

Luke 6:31

So tell I think I heard something about a chant. Can you can you you can can you give us the chant right

"You Don't Want These Cards" by B Sims — it's a song

Luke 6:37

now?

Rensha 6:37

Well, you know, we can do the courts chant, but what I was talking about specifically was the you don't want these courts uh song, which is by local artists or in Louisville B Sims. When that song comes on, it no matter where you're at, the tailgate goes crazy.

Luke 6:53

Okay, so it's actually a song. I'm assuming it's a local artist that because I don't think I'm familiar with that song, but I'm intrigued now I need to listen to it after our show this evening.

Throw up the L — Louisville traditions

Rensha 7:01

Yes, it's it's a nice song. And then of course the chorus chant is C-A-R-D-S cards. And you'll see us throw up the L. You know, other teams be trying to throw the L's down. We don't have that. We don't let people step on our bird. We don't do none of that.

Horns down comparison

Luke 7:19

So I don't know if I've heard, because obviously I've heard of like horns down, like when you think about kind of that Oklahoma, Texas rivalry. So you're saying that opposing fans turn the L upside down is like a similar sign of maybe giving you a hard time, so to speak. Yeah, it's very disrespectful and very lame. Okay, okay. Yeah, I've never been a fan of that personally. It's interesting how people get down for it, but I haven't seen that one as of yet, which is maybe a good thing, right? So maybe it's maybe it's not as prevalent out there where people are showing that disrespect out there for the Louisville Cardinals.

You'll see it everywhere now

Rensha 7:50

Now when you go when now when you go look, you're gonna see it everywhere. It's oh yeah.

Luke 7:54

Now that you mentioned it, I'm gonna hear that song, I'm gonna see that everywhere after the show tonight, I am sure. I am sure. All right. Um, what would you say? What's the what's the best part of tailgating?

Best part of tailgating — camaraderie and new people

Rensha 8:05

The best part of tailgating is just the camaraderie and meeting new people and just kind of having something to do like all day. The anticipation of the game is one thing, but then you're just kind of leading up to it and having more fun with like-minded people. I think that's the best.

People are the reason

Luke 8:22

I know I agree with that. People are the reason why I enjoy tailgating. It's my utopia or happy place, so to speak. So I know we shared that in common. Um, what does like when you're preparing? Because again, a lot of people that don't tailgate, like, and I say kind of air quote, like professionally, like, don't always understand or appreciate what goes into setting up an amazing tailgating party. Can you tell us a little bit behind the scenes of what that looks like for tailgaters, you, and what that looks like at getting ready for game day?

Tailgating standards — tailgate shirt vs game day shirt

Rensha 8:52

I'll put it to you like this, Luke. We have tailgating standards. We have tailgating shirts. You know, you got your shirt you're gonna wear to the game, but you got your shirt you're gonna tailgate in. We have tailgating drinks, tailgating cups. Don't, this is my tailgating cup. This is not my game cup, you know. It's just levels and people don't understand it.

Your tailgate shirt can get dirty

Luke 9:14

Give me an example, like, because again, like I I love the idea of the tailgate shirt versus the game day shirt. Like, what does that look like? Like, what's the difference between a tailgating shirt and then it's game time going to stadium shirt?

Essential gear — tents, tables, chairs, seafood boiler

Rensha 9:27

You know, your tailgating shirt could or could not get a little dirty. You know, you could or could not get a stain on it, but you also still want to represent. So you have to have a fresh shirt to tailgate in, and then you need a game day shirt.

Luke 9:42

Okay. No, that that is fair. I have seen some people that have either uh spilled a drink or maybe gotten some barbecue sauce or whatever the case may be on their on their gear. So you're saying prepare to have so much fun you might get it dirty and you got the backup ready to go and look fresh in the game. Absolutely. Okay. I'm with that. I'm with that. Talk to me about tailgating gear. Do you have what what are a couple of the top products or things you're like? I need to have this at every tailgate because it's just an amazing product that makes a tailgate better, in your opinion.

Everything at Tailgators U is branded

Rensha 10:16

I mean, of course, you have your basics, your tents, your tables, your chairs, your grills. I mean, we also do seafood boils. So, you know, we have the big gas, um, cursing pot. You need your silverware, your your, it's just so many things that if you don't have it, um, like one of our grill masters, he has a certain spatula. If that spatula didn't get packed up, it's almost like the burgers don't taste the same. You know, it's like, and nothing's too special about this spatula, but it's his tailgate spatula. It's what he's gonna flip the burgers with. So you need it.

Luke 10:54

I mean, like what I'm hearing, it's like you it there's a tailgating spatula, a shirt, a dress, like everything is specific for the tailgate. And I I gotta ask the question now. It's like, can those items from spatula to shirt or whatever the case may be be utilized on non-tailgating days?

Off-season dress rehearsal tailgate

Rensha 11:13

Ooh, that's that's a good one. You know, and we even do leading up to the season, we even do like a tester tailgate sometimes. So we'll bring all the stuff out, just make sure everything's nice and need to be cleaned if it's working right. We check in gas can levels. We do it all. So I don't necessarily know if it can be used during non-tailgating, but it's definitely ready to be used if it needs to be.

Bad juju if you're not prepared

Luke 11:40

Fair, fair. And did I hear correctly? You said like you kind of do a full dress rehearsal before the season and do like a tailgate before the first game to make sure you don't have any pickups on game day.

Rensha 11:51

You know, you might you might make bad juju on the team if you don't have all your stuff ready before the first game.

Luke 11:57

I mean, to be fair, it's like the athletes, they gotta train. They don't just show up on game day without any training. Tailgators need to do the same thing if we're taking it serious because, in my opinion, tailgating is a sport if you do it correctly.

Tailgating is a sport — she tracks her steps

Rensha 12:10

If you, I mean, the amount of calories I burn during tailgating, I think it is a sport.

Luke 12:17

Now I gotta ask, have you ever tracked your uh steps or calorie burn during a tailgate? What does that

10,000 steps from setup to stadium

Luke 12:23

look like?

Rensha 12:23

You love a workout, and from the moment you set up to the moment you go to the stadium, 10,000 steps easily.

Luke 12:31

Nice. So again, basically, like tailgating is your cardio. There it is.

Rensha 12:38

I like how you think. I don't know if any trainers out there would believe it, but I track it.

Luke 12:45

I mean, I get a lot of steps when I'm getting around the tailgate as well and checking everything out. So I know like it's a real thing. Now, the question is, is maybe do some of those tailgating drinks and food offset that? That is up for debate, right?

Rensha 12:58

Right. Now we're just getting into the weeds.

Favorite food — fish fry and fried chicken

Luke 13:00

No need to do that. Well, but let's get into the weeds though with the food and everything. So tell me this like, what is your personal favorite tailgating food?

Rensha 13:13

You know what? We do a fish fry and a a a fried chicken kind of day, at least once a season. And the batter and the flavor in the fish and the chicken, it's just you know, I know other people can fry fish and fried chicken, but it's something about what happens with tailgators. You you just you want it fresh out the grease. You you don't even care. You gotta do the reverse blow when you're chewing because it's still hot. It's so good.

The tailgating pot makes everything taste better

Luke 13:45

Because I'm sure that's probably your tailgating um grease or tailgating pot, so it tastes better because it's made just for tailgating.

Rensha 13:53

Absolutely. You got a certain container that you shake the batter in. It's the tailgating container. You can't just use a regular container.

Drinks — vodka and Cardinal Punch

Luke 14:01

Okay. All right, so if we I we shift over to drinks. I know you mentioned earlier about like a whiskey bourbon sampling, but for you personally, what's I I know you don't always ask another person what's in their cup, but what is in your cup on tailgating day? What's your go-to?

Rensha 14:16

So I am definitely a vodka girly, but I also make a cardinal punch for our um tailgate, and I will make a vodka, well, a a dark and a clear version. Um, but I will never tell what's all in that.

Cardinal Punch — don't ask questions, just drink

Luke 14:30

I was about to ask, because you said it was cornhole punch. Did I hear that correctly? Cardinal punch. Cardinal punch, my bad, my bad. Because I was gonna ask, like, what all was in there, but it sounds like that might be a trade secret. Mm-hmm. Yeah. But it's worth it's worth coming to your tailgate just to taste it, I'm bad.

Rensha 14:47

Absolutely. And don't even ask any questions if you're old enough to drink and you're drinking, just partake and accept it.

Fried chicken, catfish, and Cardinal Punch — the lineup

Luke 14:55

Okay, okay. All right. So some fried chicken, catfish, and some cardinal punch is gonna be how it gets down on tailgate day for the perfect day for you personally. All right, so I heard a few games you threw out earlier. What is your favorite all-time tailgating game?

Favorite tailgate game — Spades

Rensha 15:11

My favorite all-time game is spades, easily. Spades, okay.

First time Spades has been named on the show

Luke 15:17

We haven't had that one on the show as of yet. And I'll be like, my wife loves playing spades. That's like her favorite game when people come over is to play spades. So I was like, she'd be like, I'm coming to the tailgate just to just to play spades in probably the Philadelphia.

Rensha 15:30

So many spades today, Luke. So many first. I love it.

Does she make every home game? Almost — one missed

Luke 15:34

Oh, awesome. All right, so with tailgators you, do you are is it fair to say you all set up for every Louisville Cardinal home game? Is that like tradition to be out there every single home game? Absolutely. Dare I ask, I know this sounds negative, but when was the last time you missed one?

Rensha 15:53

You know, I I'm gonna lose points for this, okay? But it wasn't all. It was a family obligation. I don't necessarily like to miss the big rivalry game, but I did miss the little Kentucky game last week.

Louisville handled business that game anyway

Luke 16:09

Okay. And I'm trying to re- Gosh, memory serves me though, that um they Louisville handled business still in the field, from what I recall. Is that is that fair enough?

Rensha 16:17

Yes, they played like the team that we've known them to be before the three previous games before that one. Absolutely. They did what needed to be done to those kitty cats.

What to expect at Tailgators U — the full experience

Luke 16:30

All right. Um, so let's say somebody goes on to tailgateconnect.com, they get a ticket to come to your tailgate. Give us like, what does that user experience feel like for someone that's coming to your tailgate that's never been before?

Very welcoming — no "who invited you" energy

Rensha 16:43

First of all, it's very welcoming. We don't do a lot of who are you, who invited you. We don't do none of that. You have on red, black, and white, your family immediately. Are you hungry? Let's make a plate. Are you drinking? Here's this. Do you know where the restrooms are? Let us show you. Do you know how to do the cards chant? We go over everything. And from the moment you come to our area, you're locked in. You're not just stopping by, you're here now. Get settled in, have a seat, get comfortable.

Opposing fans welcome — wear your team colors

Luke 17:15

Okay. So I did hear one thing I got to ask a follow-up question on. You said, if you're wearing the team colors, what let what if it's the opposing fan base? What if it is Kentucky, the blue and the white, and they come over there? How are they gonna be welcomed?

Clemson fans came and were respectful

Rensha 17:32

We've had a couple of, you know, opposing teams. Actually, when we played Clemson a couple of games back, we had some Clemson fans. Uh, our founder, he went down to Death Valley a few years back and met these Clemson fans and they connected online and stayed in touch. And they, it was always like if you're ever in Louisville and make the trip up. And you know, we it was nice. We're we're never rude, you know, but it's definitely when when the ball is kicked, you know, let all that go back. All that niceness me going through the window.

Tailgate shuts down before kickoff

Luke 18:09

Okay, so as long as so I'm assuming though the tailgate shuts down and kickoff, right?

Rensha 18:14

Yeah, yeah, definitely.

Luke 18:15

Maybe like 30 minutes beforehand. So they probably say things because you say it until a kickoff, everybody's cool. Everybody's friends. Yeah. You're not putting them over in the corner with you, you don't get any card to punch or five kickers. No, we wouldn't.

Kentucky fans never make it to the game

Rensha 18:31

Drink up, enjoy, because you we want you here for this beating. And nine times out of ten, Luke, uh, Kentucky fans never come into our tailgate. If they are, it's like somebody's long-lost relative that just doesn't have anywhere else to go.

Average attendance — 20-30, up to 50-70 for big games

Luke 18:49

How many people on average would you say are attend one of your tailgating parties for home games?

Rensha 18:54

Um, average, we're probably like 20-30 average. Bigger game, we could get up to 50 to 70.

Biggest rival — Kentucky

Luke 19:01

Okay. All right. And with that, um, I've got to say, like, I know Kentucky's probably your biggest rival, right? Does that is that fair to say? Who would you say, like, outside of Kentucky fans, is there a fan base where you're maybe just kind of like, oh God, they're coming to our tailgate type of deal? Like, there'd been another fan base that has maybe rubbed you the wrong way in the past.

Clemson — nice nasty when they're winning

Rensha 19:26

Oh, for sure. Clemson, no doubt. I feel like um, Clemson is like nice, nasty. As long as they're beating you, they're very humble and very nice. But the moment you get on their neck, it's like they're very not as welcoming. And then believe it or not, James Madison. Their fans was very arrogant. Really?

Clemson in the CFP conversation

Luke 19:51

Was that just this year? Because they're they're in the college football playoff, right? As as we sit today.

Rensha 19:55

They're in the college football playoffs, and they definitely feel like they were the better team and should have beat us. Hey, whatever happened when that score is over, take it up with whoever. But their fans, I mean, they came in very, you know, they had the and I was like, okay.

Fan bases Rensha respects

Luke 20:14

Well, let's shift it to a more positive thing. What what are some fan bases you're like, these are these are some really cool people? Like, what are the fan bases that have surprised you with how awesome they are?

SMU and Cincinnati had nice fans

Rensha 20:26

Um That's a tougher question. I think uh when we play SMU, their fans was kind of nice. Um Cincinnati, we kind of have a little cross the river rivalry with them too, but for the most part, they're okay. You know, they did us a favor by taking our previous coach off our hands, and then they're dealing with that. So it's like, hey, you see what we dealt with for a few years. Come on over and eat.

Music 21:01

Sure.

Luke 21:02

But yeah.

Music 21:03

Okay.

Away games — Louisville vs Alabama in Orlando

Luke 21:04

All right. So um, have you gotten to like travel any to like tailgate on the road and follow the team? Have you been to some other stadiums?

Rensha 21:12

I have, I have. We um when Lilva played Alabama a few years back in Orlando, that was fun. That was like our biggest travel tailgate ever. Um, I think we took up a fourth of the tailgate in lot, which it was like 20 spots that we had to pre-pay for. So that was pretty huge. Um I've been to um I don't know why these teams aren't coming to my the names of the teams aren't coming to my head now. But I've I've been to a couple places and I have been to Death Valley. It's something that you should experience, but it's something that I don't need to experience ever again.

Death Valley — it's called that for a reason

Luke 21:52

So I didn't re like you know me, I'm always trying to stay positive, everything. I'm a Gamecock alumni over here. So it's like I understand. Some of the struggles with that. I have never been able to go to Death Valley. I think as I've gotten older, I can probably accept it now because I love Tailgate so much that I can connect with people on that level. But in my younger days when I lived in South Carolina, it was challenging. And I would, I've not been to Death Valley for a game. So that is, I guess I need to overcome that.

Rensha 22:18

I understand the nickname. It's Death Valley for sure. I get it.

Bucket list tailgate — Florida in the Swamp

Luke 22:23

Oh, all things coming back to Clemson this evening. All right. Okay, so what about like, is there a bucket list? Like, you know, I'd really love to go to like see this school and this stadium and how they tailgate. Any bucket

Friend just got dream job at University of Florida

Luke 22:37

list items?

Rensha 22:37

No, no, I have a good friend that um just got their dream job at University of Florida and we went to visit and we kind of did a tour of the stadium, but it was a nine-game day. I wouldn't mind seeing how the gators. I mean, I feel like I would get sick of, you know, this all day long, but the stadium was really nice. It was really nice.

Early season Florida heat warning

Luke 22:58

For sure. And again, I could imagine an early season game. It could be a little muggy there in the swamp. Um, so maybe you're tiny with that so you can enjoy the weather a little bit more too when you go. Absolutely. Excellent. All right. Well, tell me this. So, like, you've been doing the tailgating thing now, because I think you said you've been in this for about 15 years. Is that I did that math right? So if somebody else was like, you know, I really want I'd love to start up a tailgate and like and like take it to the next level. Like maybe, maybe come be a tailgate connect host. Like, what kind of tips would you give someone that loves tailgating but hasn't really done it on a bigger level like you're doing it?

Preparation is key — ice, water, gas, paper towels

Rensha 23:38

Preparation is key. Um, a lot of times I see people they tailgate and you know, they don't have ice, water, gasoline, paper towel, you know, just the bare minimum things that you would think people would think about, because we've all done cookouts, right? But people just pitch up their tent and they just think magically stuff happens. It's like, no, prep. Prep your food. Don't do everything at the site. You know, do some stuff at home and just open that thing up and throw it on the grill. You don't need to be doing all this chopping and cutting and prepping on site. When you get to your tailgate location, you want that grill going. You want that food on there, you want people to be able to eat sooner than later. So prep, prep, prep is my number one suggestion.

Enjoy the tailgate, not just work it

Luke 24:28

For sure. I mean, and plus you want to enjoy the tailgate some too, and not just be working the whole time, right? So it's a win-win.

Rensha 24:35

Yeah.

Born and raised Louisville — basketball family turned football

Luke 24:37

All right. Tell me this. Um, because I I could the more I talk to you, the more I can just tell, like, you are a Louisville fan through and through. Like, was that from birth? Were you born into it? Or like, tell me, how did you become a Louisville Cardinal fan?

Rensha 24:50

Born and raised, you know, my family were big basketball people to begin with. And then kind of football um got ingrained in me as my nephew came along and was playing little league, et cetera. But to be a Louisville fan is not something you can just kind of do lighthearted. You know, we call ourselves the Cardiac Cards for a reason. You may or may not stroke out watching a Louisville game, you know. So you have to be in the right shape. You have to be ready to, when that whistle blows, you never know how it goes. You might be the favorite, but you just never know. It's fun times, though. I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Passion for Louisville football

Luke 25:30

For sure. I love that fandom and passion you have over there. All right. So I know we we've kind of winded down the 2025 football season at the time that we're filming this right now. So again, if we if we look off into the future in our crystal ball for 2026, I want to know, like, if I said, what is one thing you're like, you know what, we're gonna upgrade our tailgate with this item, this game, this whatever. Like, is there something on your mind after going through another season where you're like, you know what? We need to upgrade blank and to continue to take it to the next level since uh you are the ones doing the teaching over there at the

Luxury of coolers — they keep upgrading

Luke 26:06

U.

Rensha 26:06

Yeah. I think um we've we've kind of encountered like a um a luxury of coolers, you know. Now we just have so many coolers. So I think we we would do better from tailgators you end of just um labeling. We would do way better with that because sometimes it's like, where's the water? Where's the this? Where's the consumption ice? And then you're just scrambling in all of these coolers. That's something that I think can up our game. And then we kind of added this inflatable later on in the season, kind of for photo ops. I think we could do more of those.

Inflatable Cardinals bird for photos

Luke 26:43

Okay, when you say inflatable, is that like an inflatable like mascot, or what does that look like?

Rensha 26:48

Yeah, it's a um coronal bird with the and it says Louisville. But yeah, it's pretty neat. Okay.

Social media — Tailgators U on Facebook and X

Luke 26:56

And so when you when you were talking about the photos and everything, that always brings me back to social media. So do you are you all on social media? Can you give any shout-outs to your social handles now? People want to go follow you and see what you're all about.

Rensha 27:08

We are. We're tailgators you on Facebook and um X. It's still so hard to get used to saying that in X. So tailgators, T A I L G A T E R S, and then the letter U.

Have players or celebs ever visited? Mascot, cheerleaders, band

Luke 27:23

Excellent. Now, let me ask this question. So, with being like in Louisville, so passionate about everything, have you had any players, former players, parents come tailgate with you before from the University of Louisville?

Rensha 27:38

We have, we have, and it's been fun. We've we've also had um the mascot come before. We've had the cheerleaders come. Um, one year my friend Sons was in the band. We kind of got a little drum live performance. So we try to work our connections as best we can, but we definitely have.

Manifest: one former Louisville player

Luke 27:59

So if there was, I'm gonna let you up, we're gonna try to manifest this right now to come to fruition next year. If there's one former Louisville player that you would love to come to your tailgate, shout them out right now and let's make it

Lamar Jackson — obvious answer

Luke 28:13

happen.

Rensha 28:13

You already know where I'm going, Lamar Jackson.

Luke 28:16

Great. I mean, I was assuming that, but again, that's from a guy that doesn't know as much about Louisville as you do. There could be like some like iconic hero that maybe we're not as familiar with, because it's like, of course, Lamar is probably one of the most famous Louisville athlete out there right now. Is that is that fair?

Lamar + Donovan Mitchell holding it down

Rensha 28:33

I would give Lamar Jackson, Donovan Mitchell, they're kind of holding it down for us on the NFL and the NBA side.

15-second pitch to Lamar Jackson

Luke 28:41

Okay, so if if if I gave you uh 15 seconds to pitch um Lamar to come to a tailgate when he's having a bye week with the Ravens, right? And come into the tailgate, like how would you pitch them to be like and hook him in right now?

"Pull up on Tailgators U, Lamar"

Rensha 28:54

Okay. Lamar Jackson, you need to come to Tailgator's U if you want some love, if you want some good food, if you just want to lay back. We won't be all up in your face, but we do need our pictures and we will lay it out for you, and we will be a great host. Pull up on Tailgators You, Lamar. Come on.

Tag Lamar right now

Luke 29:13

Oh man, if anybody knows Lamar Jackson listening to this episode right now, tag him in here. Let's get that to happen because that would be amazing for everybody. And I think Lamar would probably have fun too, based on everything I've heard from you this evening.

Lamar is laid-back — he'd have a ball

Rensha 29:27

He would have a ball. Lamar, I've met him a couple of clients. He's a really easy laid-back kind of go with the flow. So he would have a ball.

Failgating — the bonfire incident

Luke 29:35

Nice. Nice. Okay, one, there, there's a, I don't know if I coined the word, but it's a word I use a little bit with all this tailgating stuff I do. Instead of tailgating, I substitute the tail for fail. So failgating. Has there been a moment at one of your tailgates where someone has, you know, I've heard everything from somebody, you know, was dancing and they thought they were on the, on, on the pole for the uh the tent, they missed it and they fell over. Like, is there any kind of one of those like like, oh my gosh, like this really happened? You had to be there to believe it, type failgating moment that you can remember.

Post-gate bonfire — friend caught fire

Rensha 30:10

You know, what comes to mind is um, so I don't know how their tailgates do it, but we also postgate. So after the game, especially after when, we will postgate. We're coming back up, everything's still there. We we lighten them back up, we're going at it. One tailgate, post-gate, we had a bonfire. And we were literally going to kind of start it back up. And I don't know what my friend did, but he turned quick. And next thing you know, everybody had to pat him out. He's on fire. Oh my goodness. I think that would be our failgate. He was smoky and it was like code 10.

He was fine — had layers on

Luke 30:50

And and so again, my ho was he was he okay?

Rensha 30:53

Oh, yeah, he was he was fine. It was a cold game. So he had on layers. He just took off that top jacket after we patted him down and just left that on there.

Still give him a hard time about it

Luke 31:03

Okay, well, I'm I'm glad I'm glad he's okay. And I'm sure y'all give him a hard time about that to this day. Is that is that

New bonfire safety rules

Luke 31:09

normal?

Rensha 31:09

We did. And yeah, we have rules around the the bonfire, like, hey, keep it around this circuit feet, because we don't want to do that no more.

He's on fire is usually a good thing

Luke 31:19

No, no, definitely. I mean, we love to like he's on fire. It's usually a good thing, like when you're playing a game, but not so much when you're actually on fire. So that would be a failgetting moment. Oh boy. All right. Well, hey, I appreciate you sharing that and appreciate you being on the show this evening. Um, before we wrap here, though, like for everybody that's listening is like, oh man, Richard's an awesome person. I gotta get to Louisville. Like, pitch them one more time why they need to come to your tailgate, why they need to go to Tailgate Connect and get tickets for future Louisville home games to check you and your Louisville crew out.

Food, family, and football — the motto

Rensha 31:52

The number one reason why you need to come to Tailgator's U is food, family, and football. If you like any of those three things, Tailgator's U is the tailgate for you.

Luke's planning the 2026 Louisville trip

Luke 32:03

Yeah, I know that I after talking to you, I'm like, hmm, I need to start looking at the 2026 schedule when it comes out so we can plan some of that. Because I need some of that punch. I need some of that punch over there.

Cardinal Punch — may or may not need a DD

Rensha 32:14

Don't ask no questions. You know, you may or may not need a D D, but hey, we'll get you settled.

Be safe — Uber, Lyft, or DD

Luke 32:22

Uh as always, I say uh Uber and Lyft or having a D D are always good things for everyone that's really enjoying the tailgates out there. So be safe so you can have fun the next day as well, too.

Rensha 32:34

Yes.

Find Rensha — Facebook and X @TailgatorsU

Luke 32:35

All right. Well, Rensha, thank you so much for being on the show this evening. Enjoyed having you on here. Check her out on Facebook and on X, I believe, are the two platforms that Tailgator New is on for it. And for everybody that uh tuned in to the end, thanks for hanging with us and making it to the end of the show. And if you're looking for those easy button tailgating tickets, just like going to see Rensha Louisville, check out tailgateconnect.com for all your easy button tailgating needs from college football to NFL and everything in between, we make tailgating easy and more fun. Thanks for tuning in and have a good night. See you to tailgate soon. Thank you, Go Court.

Outro

Music 33:14

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