Pullman comes to Pasco with 20th annual Tri-Cities Cougar Tailgate
One-of-a-kind memorabilia, speeches from a who’s who of WSU athletics personalities, a musical performance and a barbecue dinner — Friday’s Cougar Tailgate will be a treat for any Tri-City Coug.
The 20th annual event kicks off at 5:30 p.m. at Gesa Stadium in Pasco.
“Martin Stadium doesn’t get filled on game days, Beasley Coliseum doesn’t get filled on game days without the support and fans from the Tri-Cities,” said Mitch Stiltjes, the regional director for the Cougar Athletic Fund in the Tri-Cities. “So this is an opportunity to bring Pullman to the Tri-Cities in kind of a relaxed setting, crack some peanuts, eat some pretzels, and have a drink with the coaches.”
Between dinner and live music from country rock group Stompin’ Ground, the Cougar Tailgate will be highlighted by speeches from former WSU quarterback and Hall of Famer Jason Gesser, and men’s basketball coach Ernie Kent. There will be several other coaches and staff members from various WSU squads, including the football team.
Through live and silent auctions, attendees will be able to bid on unique WSU swag, such as a baggo board signed by football coach Mike Leach, custom table runners, pellet grills and a 100-by-100 patch, hand-stitched quilt, Stiljes said.
“What’s unique about the Tri-Cities tailgate, is that pretty much all the items that we collect are hand-crafted, custom-made, WSU-themed items that you’re not going to find anywhere else at any of our events throughout the state,” he said.
One of the big-ticket items, Stiljes said, will be a three-day RV pass, pregame sideline passes and four tickets to the WSU football game against Nevada on Sept. 23.
Tickets are $30 for CAF members and $40 for non-members, and can be purchased in advance through cougarathleticfund.com/events through Wednesday night, or at the door Friday. For an extra $20, guests can join the mug club and get two drink tickets and a commemorative mug.
Dustin Brennan: 509-582-1413, @Tweet_By_Dustin
This story was originally published May 16, 2017 at 4:23 PM with the headline "Pullman comes to Pasco with 20th annual Tri-Cities Cougar Tailgate."