SACRAMENTO, Calif. (February 13, 2019) — Sacramento Republic FC announced today the club has partnered with Raley’s to bring tailgating to home matches at Papa Murphy’s Park in 2019. It is the first time in club history that fans will be able to engage in pre-game tailgating festivities outside the stadium.

“We are excited to introduce tailgating into our gameday experience,” said Republic FC President & COO Ben Gumpert. “This is something our fans have been asking for in many of our discussions and we’re thrilled to be able to bring it to life this season. There is no better way to start the gameday experience than with a proper tailgate amongst fellow fans.”

“We are proud to partner with Republic FC to help bring tailgating to fans for the first time ever,” said Kevin Buffalino, Raley’s Partnership Development Manager. “Raley’s is the perfect fit for fans looking to enhance their tailgating experience and we’re looking forward to kicking off the inaugural Raley’s Tailgate Zone on March 9.”

Starting with Republic FC’s season opener on March 9, the Raley’s Tailgate Zone will be located in the lot directly adjacent to the main Papa Murphy’s Park entrance and will be open two hours prior to kickoff. Fans will be allowed to bring their own food and beverages, including alcohol, small tents, and gas-powered grills to the tailgate. A rotating food truck on-site will provide additional food options for fans in the tailgating zone, while Raley's stores will offer made-to-order and ready-to-go trays, sandwiches and salads for pickup on the way to the game.

Tailgating reservations will only be an additional $5 (above standard parking fees) and available for purchase online on a game-by-game basis. Fans can sign up to be notified when tailgating spots go on sale to the public by visiting SacRepublicFC.com/tailgating. More information on Republic FC’s tailgating experience will be released soon.

The introduction of tailgating adds to the club’s list of ongoing stadium enhancements ahead of the 2019 USL Championship season. Yesterday, Republic FC announced that the field at Papa Murphy’s Park has undergone a complete renovation. The grass has been completely replaced with ~90,000 square feet of Latitude 36™ Bermudagrass. The hybrid sod type and re-constructed drainage is designed to better withstand and recover from the wear and tear of games and events at the stadium.