The “Tailgate Master” ranked North Dakota State No. 4 in his list of 50 best collegiate tailgates in an article written for Insider Magazine.

“This might be a small school, but the strength of the bison is the herd. Decked out in green and gold, their RVs dominate the parking lots outside the Fargodome,” Scott Backstrom, the “Tailgate Master” and founder of tailgatemaster.com, wrote.

The strength of the bison is the herd, indeed. The Forum reported in April that NDSU now has about “1,700 tailgating parking spots and on a typical game day comprises an estimated 10,000 fans.”

These numbers can be attributed to a recent expansion of tailgating lots. Earlier this year, NDSU expanded the reserved tailgating section on the west side of the Fargodome by an additional 279 spots in the south half of Lot G.

The estimated 10,000 fans only takes into account official tailgate numbers in Fargodome parking lots and does not include the number of students and fans preparing for the game at house parties and bars.

Other schools that cracked the top five are Louisiana State University, University of South Carolina, University of Mississippi and the University of Tennessee.

University of Delaware is the only other FCS school to make the top 50, barely sneaking under the radar at 49.

Backstrom is a member of the Viking World Order, a members-only group that requires a tattoo to get in and won the 2008 NFL’s Ultimate Tailgaters Award. The American Tailgaters Association, Ultimate Tailgate Inc and Parking Lot Pro choose a winner each year.

Backstrom has also been published in Tailgater Magazine and on CNN.com. Tailgatemaster.com provides lists of must make tailgating recipes, drink mixes and provides the ultimate tailgating checklist. 

Reserved tailgating spots open 5 1/2 hours before kickoff. All other lots open five hours before kickoff. Tailgating ends 30 minutes prior to kickoff.

The next tailgating opportunity is Oct. 21 against Western Illinois and please remember to tailgate responsibly.