The Grove ( Ole Miss ) The Grove is the legendary tailgating area located at the center of the University of Mississippi ( Ole Miss ) campus . It is approximately in size . The " Grove takes its name from the oak , elm and magnolia trees surrounding the area . Surrounded by ancient oaks , mysterious elms , and Mississippi magnolias , the Southern legend known as “ The Grove ” graciously plays host , most autumn Saturday afternoons , to thousands of Ole Miss Rebel tailgaters . History . Originally , gathering in The Grove was an informal tailgating get - together when most serious pre - game socializing took place at the fraternity and sorority houses . By the 1950s , the Grove started to become its own pregame tradition . Automobiles , including RV campers , have been kept out of The Grove since a rainstorm in 1991 that reduced the Grove to a rutted swamp . The autos were replaced by tents . As a result of fans claiming certain areas within The Grove for their tents , and often getting angry when they arrived and found someone else in " their spot " . The Ole Miss Alumni Association ' s Grove Society began in 1998 to preserve the green space . The Grove Society posts a strict schedule for the event . Game day . Described as " the Holy Grail of tailgating sites " by " Sporting News " , The Grove comes to life for Ole Miss Rebels football home games with as many as 25 , 000 fans . Fans arrive often around 12 : 00PM the day before the game ( campus rule is no one allowed to " stake their claim " before 9 : 00 pm , which is strictly enforced by campus police ) to grab their spot in The Grove . This usually serene area of campus becomes a sea of red , white and blue tents . Ole Miss students generally dress in their Sunday best : Men wear slacks , button - up shirts , bow ties , Sperry Top Siders , and coats while women wear cocktail dresses or brightly colored sundress es and high heel shoes . Some older fans also dress in this style . Many tents are set up with fine kitchen ware . You ' ll often find lots of lace and designer doilies , fine china , chandelier s , sterling silver or silver plated candelabra s and sterling silver or silver plated utensils along with chandeliers in some tents . Much of the food is laid out on table cloths in sterling silver or silver - plated servers . The food fare often consists of hors d ' oeuvres , but as with most tailgating parties , barbecue still has authority . There ' s also the traditional Southern food : fried chicken , pork , homemade dressings , mashed potatoes and stuffed eggs . Every now and then , a loud voice breaks the hum of the crowd present in The Grove with the yell , " Are you READY ? " This is the beginning of the Ole Miss cheer , known as " Hotty Toddy . " On cue , hundreds of fans reply , " HELLLLL YEAH ! DAAAAMN RIGHT ! " Then , in unison , they begin to chant the Hotty Toddy cheer : There ' s also a " G - rated " version of " Hotty Toddy " for the kids : The bathrooms setup in The Grove on gameday are even located in trailers called the " Hotty Toddy Potty " and the " Hotty Toddy Potty Too " respectively around The Grove . Former Ole Miss football quarterback Eli Manning shared his times in The Grove as a child and as a former student : Legendary . ESPN ranked The Grove as the number two college football tailgating spot in the country . In its review , it said : Additionally , " Sports Illustrated " ranked The Grove number one . In its review , it said : The New York Times called The Grove " the mother and mistress of outdoor ritual mayhem " : A common saying by " grovers " is " We may not win every game , but we ' ve never lost a party . " Joe Cahn , known as " The Commissioner of Tailgating " , said after his 2003 Tailgating tour that The Grove is " probably the most single outstanding tailgating area in the country . " He continued : The " Columbia Missourian " newspaper called The Grove , " the mecca of tailgating in American sports . " Walk of Champions . When Billy Brewer became head football coach in 1983 , he was looking for a way to give fame to the football team . He would take them on a different route each game . Brewer would walk the team from Kinard Hall , the athletic dormitory , across campus to Vaught - Hemingway Stadium . In 1985 , Brewer decided on a specific route so that the fans could always see the players . Every Saturday the team would divide The Grove on the east side of the Student Union and then continue down a sidewalk in the middle of the Grove . Ole Miss fans swarm both sides of the sidewalk in order to greet the players with loud cheers before the game . The overly excited fans reach out and touch the players as they pass before them . As the tradition continued , a " Walk of Champions " arch was built in the fall of 1998 on the east side of the The Grove . The 1962 football team , which is the only team in Ole Miss football history to finish with a perfect record , gave the arch to the University . The 1962 team won the SEC title and was also named National Champion by the Litkenhous Ratings . Grove Bowl . The Grove Bowl is the name of the annual spring intrasquad scrimmage in Vaught - Hemingway Stadium . The game is played between the " Red " squad and the " Blue " squad . Ole Miss football players are assigned to a squad by the coaches and then play a full - contact game . Tickets are sold to the game . A school - record Grove Bowl crowd of 28 , 375 fans attended the 2009 Grove Bowl . Tailgating in The Grove also takes place at the Grove Bowl .