USNA '70 Football Tailgates 2026
The 2026 Navy Home Tailgate Plan
by Terry Huff and
Gino Marchetti '70
USNA Class of 1970 Tailgating Profile: The United States Naval Academy Class of 1970 consists of graduates, former members of the Class, honorary members, their spouses, relatives and guests. The Class numbers about 725 individuals, with about 20-30 classmates/tailgate (including spouses, significant others and guests) expected to attend home games. Last season we teamed up with the Class of 1982 and now fully share space #44 with them. The Class of ’82 attendance includes about 15-20 more attendees. We fully share the infrastructure costs of tailgating (space and tent) between us.
Scope: The scope of this plan includes the resources to facilitate tailgating at 5 regular home games in Annapolis. These resources include physical space (Space #44), tent set-up and rental expenses for each regular home game, and food costs for the Classes of 1970 and 1982.
Summary of the Tailgate Schedule and Menus: The table below provides details for each Annapolis home game.
| Date | Opponent | Location | Time | Type | Menu | Game Coord |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 03 Sep 2026 | vs. Towson | Annapolis, MD | TBD | Catered | TBD | TBD |
| 10 Oct 2026 | vs. Tulsa | Annapolis, MD | TBD | Catered | TBD | TBD |
| 24 Oct 2026 | vs. North Texas | Annapolis, MD | TBD | Catered | TBD | TBD |
| 07 Nov 2026 | vs. Temple | Annapolis, MD | TBD | Catered | TBD | TBD |
| 21 Nov 2026 | vs. Memphis | Annapolis, MD | TBD | Catered | TBD | TBD |
| 05 Dec 2026 | AAC Championship | TBD | TBD | NA | NA | NA |
| 13 Dec 2026 | vs. Army | East Rutherford, NJ | 1500 | NA | NA | NA |
Tailgate Location: All home game tailgates will be held at Space #44 on the southwest side of the stadium. See the Tailgate Map Showing Space #44 for the specific location. The NAAA charges a flat fee of $2,000 for the season to reserve this spot, which defrays their costs for clean-up and sanitation. This amount has been approved by the Class Leadership and already paid to the NAAA for 2026.
Food: All tailgates will be catered. The main menu is selected by a class volunteer, known as the Game Coordinator, and communicated to the class via the class tailgate email distribution list. Classmates and guests may bring side dishes for themselves and others that complement the menu. Additional dishes include a variety of appetizers, sides, refreshments, hors d’oeuvres, water and desserts.
Tent: Class Leadership has approved contracting with Select Event Rental (SER) for a 20’x30’ tent to be set-up and taken down for home games. SER is the sole source for game day tent rentals through the NAAA. The total cost for tent rental for the season is $4,524.88. Two anonymous donors have defrayed $4,000 of this cost; each donating $2,000. The terms of the lease agreement call for upfront payment, which has been paid from the USNA '70 Checking Account via the USNAAA.
Costs: Costs for the location space are recovered by charging tailgate attendees on a per capita basis as described in the cost and recovery tables below. Food costs are fixed at $TBD/person for catered games.
Tailgate Payments: Payments for specific tailgates may be made online by credit card using the SignUpNow.Events USNA '70 2026 Tailgate Payment Website. This is our preferred method of payment. Note that you can make an online credit card payment usng your smart phone at the specific tailgate. If necessary, payment may also be made by check or cash at the specific tailgate attended.
Cost Summary Table for 2025 Tailgating Plan
| Cost Element | Amount | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Tailgate Location Space #44 | $2,000 | Paid to the NAAA |
| Tent for 5 Home Games | $4,248.15 | $4,000 paid by anonymous donors |
| Total for 5 Home Games | $2,248.15 ($450/game) |
Cost Recovery Table for 2026 Tailgating Plan*
| Tailgate Cost Recovery Charge* | Amount |
|---|---|
| Season Cost per Person (tent & food) | $100 |
| Season Cost per Couple (tent & food) | $200 |
| Individual Game Cost (tent & food) | $25 |
| Couple Game Cost (tent & food) | $50 |
| Additional Guest Game Cost (food only) | $20 |
| Children Under 12 Years Old (food only) | $0 |
| Children 12 to 18 Years Old (food only) | $10 |
| Young Adults 18 Years Old and Up | Adult Prices |
* Recovery charges assume a reasonable level of attendance for the six home games. If we are unable to fully recover our location and tent costs, we may need to augment these charges with donations from the class. Donations are gratefully accepted at any time!
Updated: May 23, 2026
Curator: Ed Moore