Jack Trice Stadium recently underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation to enclose the south end zone of the stadium, increasing the capacity to 61,000.

With that many potential fans in the stadium, Iowa State needs somewhere for them to meet beforehand. Luckily, parking lots surround Jack Trice, allowing for plenty of tailgating.

ISU football hasn’t been great the past two years, going a combined 5-19. However, fans still flocked to Jack Trice Stadium on game day. Before 2015, Jack Trice Stadium had a capacity of 56,000 and averaged 55,361 fans per game in 2013. In 2014, that number dipped to 52,197.

If an incoming student wants to tailgate, no kiddie pool exists to wade in for a few games; they’ll have to dive head first into the jam-packed parking lots encircling Jack Trice.

First things first — students should not drink alcohol if they are under 21. Plenty of police officers and event-management staff roam the parking lots to keep tabs on things like that.

Also, students and adults should make sure they are safe.

“Don’t be dumb; use common sense,”  said Kevin Fitzpatrick, 2015 graduate. “And somewhat related — don’t be a jerk. Those are real people you’re tailgating around, believe it or not.”

A student lot for tailgating is southeast of the stadium, but students can roam wherever they choose. Most incoming students will be living in the residence halls, which are north of the stadium. If the students want to go to the student lots, they should keep walking south once they arrive at the stadium.

“I didn’t really have a certain spot, per se,” Fitzpatrick said. “Usually I got invited by friends and ended up where they happened to be.

“Sometimes I’d walk around with some fellas from my dorm when I was a freshman,” he said. “It’s nice to do that and then get in line for the student section together since it’s general admission seating.”

The student gates, which are on the east side of the stadium, open 90 minutes before kickoff, so most people will have ample time to kill because tailgating lots open six hours before kickoff.

“My favorite games [as a student] were bags [also called cornhole] and tossing a football around. I’ve got a good arm, so naturally I had to show it off,” Fitzpatrick said. “Also, don’t forget to wear an ISU shirt. You might have some outfit you think you’ll look great in, but it’s much more important to show off your school pride.”

Eating and drinking are also essential to tailgate time wasting.

“Usually I just brought some kind of non-alcoholic beverage as an underclassman and sipped on it while playing whatever games the spot I visited had,” Fitzpatrick said.

As for food, Fitzpatrick’s go-to is burgers, and his favorite adult beverages are Busch Light for cheap beer and Blue Moon for a slightly more expensive beer.

Students will want to get good seats, and no pecking order exists like at high school stadiums. If freshmen want to sit in the front of the action, they can get first row with no backlash if they get in line early enough.

Waiting in line for long periods of time can be boring, so prepare for long conversations.

“I enjoy talking about the game itself,” Fitzpatrick said. “Our football team has been less-than-stellar over the past few years, but part of being a Cyclone fan is being relentlessly optimistic for as long as you can muster it during the season. It’s always fun for me to get other people’s opinions on how Iowa State is going to play that day.”

The first game incoming students can test their new-found tailgating skills is a night game against Northern Iowa; kickoff is at 7 p.m. on Sept. 5.