FARGO-Steve Dahl and his tailgating group started with a grilling trailer around 10 years ago.
"Then we just kept upgrading," said Dahl, who played linebacker at North Dakota State from 1982-85 and was part of two NCAA Division II national championship football teams.
The "Champions Tailgating" group now has a customized old beverage delivery truck, with a 20-foot bed, to anchor its spot in the Fargodome parking lot for Bison football games. The refurbished vehicle is new this season, and is five feet longer than the previous rig the group used. The grilling trailer is still part of the setup, but that too has been upgraded through the years.
"We have a rolling kitchen is what we have," said Dahl, who lives in Sabin, Minn.
Dahl along with Jared Anderson, Larry Bartholomay and Dan Sobolik are the core group, but their tailgating area generally grows to more than 30 people on game days.
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"It's amazing how large it's gotten the last 7 to 10 years," Dahl said of the tailgating scene at the Fargodome. "Everyone has been upgrading. ... (First) you started seeing cars parked. Now, it's all buses and all of these RVs that have been converted."
The inside of the "Champions Tailgating" truck bed features a custom-made bar that is topped and faced with reclaimed wood. The exterior has the same mural on both sides that features "Bison" clouds hovering over the prairie. Dahl said the idea came from artwork he saw on a program for a New York City play. He then contacted the artist to obtain a digital file.
He said tailgating has been a way for him to stay connected with the football team.
"For me it's following the program," Dahl said. "It's staying involved from afar."
