Football season is here! Learn exactly how to throw a football party with these top hosting tips! Here are the best football party hosting tips and game day essentials to make everyone want to attend your watch party!
Fall has arrived and it is the best time of year! Cooler temperatures, changing colors, and most importantly FOOTBALL SEASON! If you’re from the south like me, you know just how big of a deal this is.
College football is a way of life down here and we take it very seriously. The only plans we have on Saturday’s during the fall is watching college football. All day long. Especially the Georgia Bulldogs – BACK TO BACK 2 TIME NATIONAL CHAMPIONS! Fellow alumna over here so I had to brag on my dawgs for a bit!
If I’m not in Athens on Saturdays watching the game in the stadium, then I am at a watch party. Being in the south where football season is heavily celebrated, I know a thing or two about how to throw a football party! Like I said, between the months of September all the way through January, my Saturdays consist of being at a football party. I’m either attending one as a guest, or hosting one.
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With my experience over the years, I have learned a few secrets about how to throw the best game day party. Here are my best tips and the ultimate guide to hosting a successful football party.
In this post we will cover football party hosting tips, football party food ideas, football party decorations, football party entertainment ideas, and more!
This post is all about how to throw a fun football party!
BEST GAME DAY ESSENTIALS FOR FOOTBALL PARTY HOSTING
1. Football Food
To start us off we have football party food ideas! Besides actually watching the game, this is the most important part of hosting game day! If you feed them… they will come!
When hosting a football party, it’s important to have food that is easy to make and easy to consume. Different kinds of finger foods make the best football food! They are not only delicious but easy to eat while sitting or even standing around mingling at the party. Sliders, pigs in a blanket, chips and dip, wings, and veggie trays are great options! If you’re a grill master, the classic hamburgers and hotdogs are always a hit as well!
My family always divides up the food and each guest will bring a different dish to the game day party. This way, not all the responsibility falls on the host and it saves so much money with everyone pitching in. Some of our go-to game day food ideas are ham sliders, Chick-Fil-A nugget trays, buffalo wings, and $5 Little Caesars pizzas. It feeds a lot of people at an affordable price!
2. Hosting A Football Party – Take it outside
The fall season is the perfect opportunity to spend some time outside! The scenery is beautiful and dropping temperatures. Down here in the south, summer time is miserably hot so we look forward to the fall weather. Take advantage of the changing season and embrace hosting your football watch party outside.
Hosting your watch party outside allows for more space and the opportunity to spread out. If there is a spill or accident, clean up is much easier. An outdoor party is more casual and relaxing for guests.
So, set up your deck, porch, patio, or backyard for the perfect outdoor gathering space!
3. Football Party Entertainment Ideas
The next football party hosting tip is have available entertainment for everyone. Shockingly enough, not everyone loves watching football. So, besides watching the game itself, it’s important to have a few other activities or entertainment available for those not interested in celebrating touchdowns.
One of our go-to entertainment ideas is a good ole game of corn hole. Time to break out your boards and throw some bags. This outdoor activity is always a party favorite. It’s fun, it’s simple, and can be played while simultaneously watching the game or during halftime.
Other entertainment ideas include darts, pool, foosball, or passing a football around. Another great option is to have another designated area available for the ladies or whoever wants to join. Have a living room, den, or finished basement ready for the guests who want to talk, socialize, or watch something else.
This ensures everyone has a place to go where they feel comfortable without the football game being interrupted. Another party hosting tip I swear by is always have some low background music playing. Trust me!
4. Multiple Viewing Spots
The next hosting tip I have for you is having multiple viewing spots. What makes guests want to be invited to your football party is your tv setup! If you have a good viewing area, everyone will want to attend!
Get your hands on a large tv… or 2… or 3 if you can make it happen! Spread them out across the party or set them up side by side. Multiple opportunities to view the football game makes the overall experience better and more exciting!
A lot of tv’s are also great for playing multiple different games at once. Football games are aired on Saturday’s all day long. Multiple viewing options ensure you wont miss a game! Perfect if you have different fans at your party. Everyone can enjoy cheering on their team!
5. Football Party Decorations
A must-have essential for your game day hosting is football party decorations! There are so many great decorations out there for football party themes. You don’t have to go crazy but having some football decorations up brings life to the party!
Balloons are the perfect cheap football party decoration. They come in every team color, are easy to blow up, and simple to decorate with. Definitely add balloons to your football party decoration ideas.
Some more great football decorating ideas is a football banner to hang behind the food table or to hang for a photo op! Another fun, cheap one is football themed party straws. I love using things like football themed placemats, dessert toppers, table confetti, and a welcome yard sign.
Your football party decorations can go one of two ways. You can go with a general football party theme or stick to specific party decorations based on the team you’re cheering for. For example, my parties consist of a lot of red, black and bulldog decorations! You can go all out or keep it simple! It’s completely up to you. I base all my picks on what is the most fun. That’s what is most important to your guests after all.
Football Decoration Ideas
6. Football Party Supplies
The next game day essential on our list is football party supplies! Ensuring you have the right supplies will take some of the stresses of party hosting off your back.
Football themed party supplies like plates, cups, napkins, silverware, and serving trays can also fall into the football decorations category. Knocking out two birds with one stone with these football themed party supplies!
Must have football party supplies include plates, napkins, silverware, cups, goodie bags, and bags/boxes to send home leftovers.
7. Football Party Hosting Tip: Plenty Of Seating
Moving on to our next day hosting party tip! The key to hosting a successful football party is having a wide variety of seating options. This includes different areas to view the game along with couches, patio furniture, a table, a bar area, lawn chairs, folding chairs, adirondak chairs, etc.
Football games last around 4 hours so it’s important to have seating options that are comfortable. Don’t hesitate to ask your guests to bring their own folding chair with them!
8. Make It Comfortable Temperature Wise
Southerns know exactly how wild our weather is down here. Especially in the fall months! Football season starts off in 90 degree weather and by the end of the season the temperatures are in the low 40’s!
Since the weather is slightly unpredictable and all over the place, I suggest being prepared for any and all temperatures! You want your guest to be comfortable while they are attending your football party, not sweating their butt off or freezing to death! And in the south, both of these scenarios can happen… in the same night!
My advice is to expect the unexpected and be prepared! Set up fans, portable air conditioners, and tents with shade for the hotter months. Then break out the outdoor heaters and fire pits for those colder ones!
9. Light It Up With Party Lights
The last tip on how to throw a football party is light it up with party lights! Every party and celebration is better with party lights and that includes football parties!
Not only are they pretty and fun, but they are also practical! Football games can have late start times and it’s important to have ample lighting sources especially if you’re hosting outside. If you don’t have hanging party lights, deck lighting, entryway lighting, or porch lighting will suffice.
Hanging outdoor party lights add a festive, celebratory touch to the party aesthetic. Hanging lights up at your party is a simple way to make the atmosphere more warm and inviting. I know your guests will love it!
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This post was all about how to host a football party.
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