Aztecs Scene & Heard: What’s up with four-figure cost to tailgate?

Don’t know how many hours of sleep has been lost on this, but when something is puzzling, when there’s just no way it makes any sense, it must be pursued.

I’m talking about Tailgategate.

Full-service tailgate experiences are offered at San Diego State football games. A company called REVELxp is in charge, with several packages available for fans.

The most basic package is for a 10-person tailgate. It’s called Varsity. It includes five chairs (don’t know if guests take turns sitting or they play music and when it stops it’s a free-for-all), one table (with table cloth) and a canopy.

The price: $1,017.50.

Food and beverage is an add-on.

Admittedly, the Cal game was priced higher than any other game on the schedule. The Varsity package is only $775 for the next home game, against Colorado State.

What gives?

An exhaustive 60-minute investigation in the River Park area 2-3 hours before kickoff did not provided any answers. Did not see any 10-person tailgate tents. Further investigation will be needed.

Of note: The Union-Tribune did determine the price of five chairs, a table and canopy at the Mission Valley Costco. Those items could be purchased before the game and then left behind for a savings of more than $500.

More traditional tailgating proved much more popular. There were dozens and dozens of pop-up tents in the Orange Lot three hours before kickoff. Even more desirable was the southern edge of the Yellow Lot, where 118 spaces back up to the grass area.

Vista’s Chad Baker and his among those who paid a slight parking premium for the privilege of the reserved spot.

“My boss took me to the 2010 Poinsettia Bowl, and I fell in love with college football,” said Baker, a season ticket holder since 2011 who was wearing a “Beat Cal” shirt circa 2015 as he started to fire up his grill.

Baker space No. 49, right where SDSU players and coaches pass to cross to get to the stadium on their pregame Warrior Walk.

“This is a great spot,” said Baker, who figuredd he wouldn’t spend $1,000 to tailgate for the entire season, let alone one game. “I always thought those (full-service) spots were more for a big (company) tailgate, but for the individual tailgating is a very American thing. So it’s unique to each person.”

Honoring 2015 team

Former SDSU running back DJ Pumphrey and former head coach Rocky Long served as Honor Warriors for the game. Pumphrey came out of the tunnel ahead of the team, planted a spear at midfield and then assisted with the “I Believe” chant in front of the student section.

During a timeout in the first quarter, more than three dozen players from the 2015 Mountain West championship team, along with Long and former offensive coordinator Jeff Horton, stood along the goal line and were recognized by the crowd.

Fan(atics)

Some of the loudest applause was reserved for Long (81-38 at SDSU), who is the Aztecs’ second-winningest coach behind Don Coryell (104-19-2), who is fondly remembered for spearheading one of the most successful decades in program history.

Even Long had his moments, though. In fact, that 2015 team’s 1-3 start had some sharpening their pitch forks. There are parallels to the current struggles, where more than a few fans are quicker to offer criticism rather than encouragement.

“You realize that a majority of fans are that way,” Long said. “You’ve got your true fans that stick with you. Win, lose or draw, they’re going to show up. Then you have the ones that want you to be good before they will admit that they’re fans. Every place that I’ve ever coached that’s the way it is.

“Then when you get good, the fans that have been with you the whole time, they take great pride in that and they know the ones that have been there and the ones that haven’t. So those are the ones that you really enjoy being around and those are the ones you really thank for their loyalty and all that.

“Sometimes you get lifelong fans when they’re that personality and they see a good team when they first join up.”

Bears band

A pair of SDSU coeds walking between tailgates happened upon members of the Cal band getting off buses, gathering their instruments and beginning the walk across the street to the staidum. The coeds shouted “Go Aztecs!” repeatedly as they weaved their way among the woodwinds, brass and percussions when. Then one of them stopped abruptly.

“Is that a little harp?” she asked.

“No, it’s a glockenspiel,” replied the musician.

“Can you play it for us?” the coed asked.

Before an answer came, a Cal band leader said, “They can’t play right now.”

The coed had a disappointed look on her face, replacing the puzzled look when hearing the word “glockenspiel.”

Quick hits

• SDSU opened the scoring in the second-quarter on a 6-yard touchdown by wide receiver Jordan Napier on a shovek pass from quarterback Jayden Denegal. The TD was set up by a 90-yard pass from Denegal to Napier. It was the longest pass play for the Aztecs since an 89-yard pass from Christian Chapman to Fred Trevillion in 2017 at Boise State.

• Senior transfer Mister Williams started at linebacker in place of Tano Letuli, who was injured against Washington State.

Coming up

SDSU closes out the nonconference portion of its schedule Saturday afternoon at Northern Illinois (1-2), which lost 38-10 at Mississippi State, before opening Mountain West play Oct. 3 against Colorado State at Snapdragon Stadium.