At any given Ole Miss home game, longtime tailgater Keith Henley lays out pewter serving trays and chafing dishes. Under the cover of two 10-by-20-foot tents in the wooded center of his alma mater's campus, known as The Grove, Henley busies himself with the service. At the same time, his brother and stepbrother fill it with exquisite dishes of wild boar loin or grilled elk wrapped in bacon with cream cheese.

They bring along a generator so the flat-screen television and lamps work. The tables are covered in cloths embroidered with "Hotty Toddy" and finished off with elaborate centerpieces full of flowers - sometimes augmented by Jack Daniels bottles glued to wooden dowels. They'll taste bourbon balls from their tailgating neighbors, with whom they've long exchanged Christmas cards.

Thanksgiving is almost here and rivalries are top of mind for college football fans around the country. While athletes work hard to prepare for their final games of the season, some of their fans are just as focused on preparations for the big tailgate. For them, the communing crowd of friends and family is just as important as watching the game.

Read - Taking tailgating beyond BBQ and beer

Previously:
Local meat, hired help and other SEC tailgating touchdowns
Taming of the stew: The chili edition
Honoring the bond of barbecue
Win or lose, you'll always have the tailgate
The university of Y.U.M.
In search of tailgating supremacy
5@5 – Make your tailgate a touchdown