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Mississippi State University Fan Named Winner of CLC’s Inaugural Great College Tailgate Competition

ATLANTA, Ga. (December 3, 2021) – While teams continue to battle on the field for a football national championship, off the field, CLC, the nation’s leading collegiate licensing company, has named Mississippi State University fan Ashley Wynne the winner of its inaugural Great College Tailgate Competition. As the first-place finisher, Wynne will receive a trip to a college bowl game of her choice and tailgate prize packs, including merchandise from top licensees LOGO Brands and WinCraft.

Wynne beat out nearly 100 other entries representing fans and institutions from across the country. Fans were asked to showcase their tailgates by uploading photos and videos along with a description of why their tailgate was the best in the nation. Judging was based on school spirit, creativity, and scale of the tailgate, with a fan vote for the finalists.

A dual graduate of Mississippi State with master’s degrees in Chemical Engineering and Business Administration, Wynne has been gathering with family and friends at her Hail State Tailgate for more than 12 seasons.

“We tailgated every game when we were in school, and now that we’ve all scattered around the country, our tailgate is an annual promise to each other to gather as friends to support our team and keep the tradition alive,” said Wynne. “Mississippi State is so engrained in our lives—we became friends there, we met spouses there, our kids were born into it—and while we don’t need our tailgate to maintain friendships or love the Bulldogs, it absolutely is one of the best parts of every year, and we look forward to it from the moment the football schedule comes out.”

Wynne’s tailgates include a big spread of food, lots of Mississippi State branded products, and often different themes based on the opposing team, such as a huge papier-mâché hog when Mississippi State played Arkansas.  

“We are excited that Ashley Wynne can represent our passionate Bulldog fans as the winner of CLC’s Great College Tailgate Competition,” said Leah Beasley, Mississippi State’s deputy athletic director for external affairs. “Game day in Starkville is a special experience full of tradition and spirit, and we are pleased to have that recognized on a national level through this competition.”

“Tailgating is a key part of the college game day experience, and the Great College Tailgate Competition showcased the unique ways fans have developed to gather to celebrate their teams through food and festivities;” said Nicole Armentrout, SVP of marketing for CLC. “We are thrilled to present the grand prize to Ashley Wynne of Mississippi State, and we remain committed to working with our partner institutions, licensees, and retailers to deliver all the best college branded tailgate products to fans like Ashley who create a great community experience.”

In addition to Wynne, tailgate prize packs were awarded to second-place finisher Michael Galati, a Cincinnati Bearcats fan, and third-place finisher Brian Johnson, a fan of the East Tennessee State Buccaneers.


Media Contact:

Tammy Purves, CLC, tammy.purves@clc.com

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