Mahjong is the new tailgate game taking over women’s college football — and even at home with head coaches

It’s not just college football that has captured my attention over the past three months. It’s also the new American pastime that has invaded the kitchen tables of Southern women and is making its way across the country every week.

This is not a new recipe, nor a new table design. Instead, it’s Mahjong.

A simple walk to Tiger Stadium on the campus of Louisiana State University during the opening weekend of the college football season certainly changed my view of the latest trend sweeping the country, one expensive ensemble at a time.

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It started a few months earlier when I discovered this game, thanks to a friend we’ll just call “Sam” to keep the wild world of Mahjong between the groups playing it.

I wouldn’t want to reveal any secrets and would learn over time that it was on the same level as men getting together for poker night.

The Tailgaters play Mahjong outside Tiger Stadium on the campus of Louisiana State University (Via: Trey Wallace. OutKick)

The one thing I didn’t expect to see while attending a college football game was four ladies sitting at a table in a tailgate playing this game while others around them were immersed in your normal pre-game activities that included alcohol.

Did I just stumble into a whole new world?

What caused women and men to find themselves sitting at a table covered with a “mat” playing with differently labeled “tiles” and a rule booklet that was also used to shuffle the same table of “cracks”, “bams” and “points”.

Yes, these are different items used to play Mahjong, which I still don’t know how to play.

Additionally, unbeknownst to me, the game had made its way to other college football tailgates, including Ole Miss, Alabama, and Indiana. Yes, I know for a fact that it’s being played at other tailgates across this country, although I haven’t been able to see it firsthand yet.

And why were there so many different colors involved, or why was each playing surface different?

Turns out I was about to be amazed at how much of this actually played out around college athletics.

No, I’m not just talking about the coaches’ wives who might get together every week to talk about life while playing this game.

The Tailgaters play Mahjong outside Tiger Stadium on the campus of Louisiana State University (The Tailgaters play Mahjong outside Tiger Stadium on the Louisiana State University campus)

A game of “tiles” on a tailgate: I had no idea what I was getting myself into

I still remember, about three months ago, when “Sam” told me that I would be surprised to know how many men take part in Mahjong to unwind. We’ll talk about it later, with a touch of coaching.

Now, for full disclosure, I have yet to learn the intricate details of this game, nor have I sat down to play a game.

And I’m not just talking about a hand of “cards”. These were elaborate meetings, with women hosting game nights usually on a rotating basis, while some outings will take place at a local studio or venue which could also be used as a showcase.

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This turned into a fact-finding mission to find out how far this Mahjong craze goes.

It turns out there are actual stores that sell “tiles,” “playmats,” sets that include marketing deals with the “Grateful Dead.”

Yes, the group.

Mahjong takes place at the Tuscaloosa Mahjong Parlor, in a game that has taken the country by storm (Via: Trey Wallace. OutKick)

How could I know?

I’m sure by now you’re wondering why a sports writer would be so fascinated by a game that women play the majority of the time. It probably helps that “Sam” is so interested in this game that I’ve been working on overloading the system for months now, although I love hearing about these game nights which can most definitely be competitive.

So what did I do?

This particular weekend I found myself in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, not far from my home. Besides my social media algorithm directing me to different social media pages through my curiosity, I needed to see what all the fuss was about.

One Google search later, I found myself taking a detour towards Bryant-Denny Stadium to the Tuscaloosa Mahjong Parlor, just off the boulevard near the University of Alabama campus. The nervousness I felt walking into that store was almost as intense as if I were interviewing a head coach after a game, wondering where my brain would take me in a press conference.

Luckily, Heather Fikes welcomed me into her store which also houses a business run by her husband, Steve, as if I was just another friend on a random Friday afternoon.

The colors were something I had never seen before, with boxes of ‘sets’ stacked eloquently all over the store. There were also “mats”, travel cases and just about everything one could imagine needing for such a hobby.

The awkward introduction from me as a sports journalist looking to learn more about this game turned into a 45 minute conversation about almost every item for sale in this beautiful region designed solely to sell the game known as “Mahjong”.

Mahjong takes place at the Tuscaloosa Mahjong Parlor, in a game that has taken the country by storm (Via: Trey Wallace. OutKick)

And no, sorry guys, this hobby isn’t cheap.

I had to think twice when I learned that the colorful “Grateful Dead” set that caught my eye would cost over $400, to which I immediately texted “Sam” in complete disbelief.

Not because it wasn’t worth it, but more so because I was shocked to learn how this game had come to life over the years, at least in the deep south, and if I get caught in the storm it can get expensive. But don’t worry, guys, there is a cheaper way.

I also didn’t know that it was possible to have a Mahjong “hookup” that could get you the same gaming equipment, but at a much cheaper price on what I would normally call the “black market”.

It was also Heather’s husband, Steve, who reaffirmed my thoughts that this game was essentially the same as poker for men. A way for women to come together within their communities either to let off steam, come together to share details of their lives, or even get involved in the spirit of competition.

Yes, it can also become confrontational at times, with words exchanged and attitudes checked either at the tailgate tent or at the door of each foster home.

It turned out to be more relevant than I had imagined, and not just outside of the college football stadium in this case.

Mahjong takes place at the Tuscaloosa Mahjong Parlor, in a game that has taken the country by storm (Via: Trey Wallace. OutKick)

Bringing the competition home after a long day around the football field

In order to not give other coaches ammunition to use in group texts within each conference’s community, I have decided not to name coaches who were dragged into this game by their wives or significant others.

Additionally, coaches from six different conferences were interviewed, so it would be difficult to pin down any specific school.

Thanks to “Sam” who gave me the idea, along with a few insider sources, I began randomly communicating with a number of college football head coaches to gauge whether they had been drawn into this lifestyle.

“Dude, who told you I was acting?” a Power Four head coach answered my question about whether they had ever played. “I use it to relax, but unfortunately the damn game is addictive. I come home from the office and play a few games with my daughters and wife.

“But man, I thought we were competitive on the football field. It’s a whole different animal. I still won a game last month.”

Mahjong takes place at the Tuscaloosa Mahjong Parlor, in a game that has taken the country by storm (Via: Trey Wallace. OutKick)

Then it was another message to an unsuspecting coach in another conference.

“Alright, who ditched me? That’s bullshit,” another Power Four coach responded jokingly. “Yes Trey, I probably play at least once every two weeks. When you sit down at the table and you have all these damn tiles, I was lost for the first two weeks.

“I have my wife here talking, and then my sister tells me. Then, if I come home and she has friends over, I like to play at least one game before I go upstairs. Every once in a while, I get to sit out for a few rounds until it’s time for me to leave the room so they can continue their night. If you want to play, you better lock yourself in, because they don’t give you a break after a few workouts.

Mahjong takes place at the Tuscaloosa Mahjong Parlor, in a game that has taken the country by storm (Via: Trey Wallace. OutKick)

For full transparency, I sent requests to ten different head coaches over a two-day period asking if they had ever played Mahjong.

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Of the 10, six of them let me know that they had at least played the game, and five of them informed me that they actually participated in it on a monthly basis.

“I’m so confused most of the time, but it also gives me something to spend a little more time with my girls,” another head coach told OutKick. “So if I spend an extra hour a week with them during this game, one day I will find a way to beat them.

“They don’t know it yet, but I’ve watched tutorials online.”

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And while I admit I haven’t had enough time to sit down and learn the intricate details of this phenomenon that was first brought to my attention by “Sam’s”…