The exhibit: The "Coca-Cola Fans' Game Day" gallery focuses on what happens outside the stadium or off the field, including tailgating, mascots, cheerleaders, bands and traditions.
Touring it: The tailgating display traces the history of that pregame ritual to the first college football game in 1869, when "fans were served sandwiches off the back of a wagon pulled by a horse whose tail flapped about as they ate." Fast-forwarding 145 years, this wing includes interactive experiences such as digital face-painting and superimposing oneself into the mascot-headgear-donning role of Lee Corso on ESPN's "College GameDay" set. Those experiences and others can be electronically saved and later downloaded as digital keepsakes.
Talking about it: "We decided to use the college game-day experience as a way to engage all ages, all sexes and bring back memories people had of what game day was like on their campus or in their town," said Patrick Gallagher, president of exhibits designer Gallagher & Associates.
