Illini pre-game programme to feature Toby Brown’s Lot 31 tailgate
The 8 September programme will visit the Mahomet resident’s custom-built trailer outside Gies Memorial Stadium before an Illinois home game.
A pre-game programme covering Illinois home games is scheduled to visit fans tailgating outside Gies Memorial Stadium on 8 September, with Toby Brown’s Lot 31 setup among the featured stops.
The programme is due to begin at 11.30am and will include Brown’s custom-built trailer, which has a back porch, rooftop balcony and a sign welcoming fans to Lot 31.
According to Yahoo Sports, the trailer was modelled on a school bus Brown used for years and which attracted attention from ESPN and BTN. Brown regularly arrives early to secure a spot across from Grange Grove.
Brown, a Paxton High School graduate from the class of 1990 who lives in Mahomet, also hosts an annual “Lot 31.5” tailgate at his home for an Illini away game.
He credited Illinois coach Bret Bielema with reviving enthusiasm around the football programme, describing Bielema’s work as “a miracle”. Brown said home games were “the greatest day of the year” for him.
