Partnership with the Pro Football Hall of Fame celebrates food and fandom
USA TODAY NETWORK Ventures, the events division of USA TODAY Co., Inc. (NYSE:TDAY) announced the USA TODAY Great American Tailgate, an inaugural event that brings fans together for an epic culinary celebration in the spirit of football. In partnership with the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the festivities will take place during football's biggest celebration weekend from August 5-9 in Canton, Ohio.
USA TODAY Great American Tailgate is a standalone experience within Sugardale Fan Fest, a five-day event taking over the Pro Football Hall of Fame campus. The ticketed tailgate experience offers fans a one‑of‑a‑kind opportunity to enjoy iconic foods inspired by all 32 Pro Football teams, bringing the flavors and traditions of their respective home markets together in a nationwide tailgate celebration. From Maryland crab cakes and New York bagels to Philadelphia cheesesteaks and New Orleans jambalaya, this tailgate will unite football fans with a smorgasbord of food and festivities.
"We're incredibly excited to launch the inaugural USA TODAY Great American Tailgate and bring fans together to enjoy everything that makes football culture so special," said Jason Taylor, USA TODAY Co. Chief Revenue Officer. "Partnering with the Pro Football Hall of Fame sets a powerful standard for an experience that promises to celebrate the game, the community fanbase, and the history that connects generations of fans."
2026 USA TODAY Great American Tailgate Schedule
August 5: 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. ET
August 6: 12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. ET
August 7: 12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. ET
August 8: 12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. ET
August 9: 12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. ET
General admission passport offers options of 6, 16 or 32 signature tasting samples, plus unlimited bottled water and opportunities to meet Pro Football Hall of Famers throughout the tailgate. Guests may also purchase full‑size portions of their favorite dishes. A limited number of VIP add‑on tickets are available, featuring commemorative gifts, access to a VIP tent with dedicated seating, and two full‑size food selections. Tickets for the USA TODAY Great American Tailgate are available at: https://ventures.enmotive.com/events/register/2026-usa-today-tailgate.
"Watching football and enjoying great food go together naturally," said Jim Porter, President & CEO of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. "This partnership with USA TODAY will create a tailgate-like atmosphere with 32 delicious offerings that represent each NFL team market allowing Football's passionate fans to sample game-day treats from every corner of the U.S. map in one place: right here in Canton, Ohio."
Sponsorship opportunities are available for businesses seeking to reach an engaged audience of sports enthusiasts. Contact Vanessa Warner for more information at: vwarner@usatoday.com.
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Learn more about the USA TODAY Great American Tailgate here: https://greatamericantailgate.usatoday.com/.
ABOUT USA TODAY NETWORK VENTURES
USA TODAY NETWORK Ventures, our events and promotions business, diversifies our media offerings by connecting communities through impactful experiences. In 2025, USA TODAY NETWORK Ventures hosted a variety of in-person and virtual events, attracting over 430,000 attendees. Our portfolio includes home and garden shows, food and wine festivals, high school sports recognition programs, including the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards, and major events such as the SKECHERS Hot Chocolate 15K/5K, RAGBRAI, and Detroit Free Press Marathon.
ABOUT SUGARDALE FAN FEST ‘26
Sugardale Fan Fest '26 is the ultimate tailgate experience, taking over the Pro Football Hall of Fame campus with live music, football, fun, great food, drinks and nonstop surprises. Whether you're attending the Hall of Fame Game presented by Novartis, Enshrinement, the Raising Cane's Concert for Legends or just soaking in the energy, this is the place to celebrate Football's Greatest Weekend. Five days of nonstop excitement – and it's FREE for everyone. For a complete schedule of events, please visit: https://www.profootballhof.com/events/fan-fest-26-football-s-greatest-weekend.
ABOUT PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME
Located in Canton, Ohio, the birthplace of the National Football League, the Pro Football Hall of Fame is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit institution with the Mission to Honor the Greatest of the Game, Preserve its History, Promote its Values & Celebrate Excellence Together. The Pro Football Hall of Fame is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. AAM accreditation is national recognition for the museum's commitment to excellence and the highest professional standards of museum operation and public service. Hundreds of thousands of fans from across the globe travel to Canton annually to experience an inspirational, interactive museum that chronicles America's most popular sport. Fans can also enjoy the Hall of Fame Store at the Hall, and online at shop.profootballhof.com, for merchandise from all 32 NFL clubs plus the Hall of Fame. Proceeds from the Store support the Hall's Mission.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that relate to our current expectations and views of future events. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release, including statements relating to whether this partnership will enable USA TODAY Co. to increase sales or revenues, beliefs, intentions, estimates or strategies regarding the future, which may not be realized. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as "believe," "may," "estimate," "continue," "anticipate," "intend," "should," "plan," "expect," "predict," "potential," "could," "will," "would," "ongoing," "future" or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions that are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Forward-looking statements are based largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy, short-term and long-term business operations and objectives and financial needs. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, contingencies, changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially and/or significantly different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statement. For a discussion of some of the risks and important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations, see the risks and other factors detailed in "Item 3. Key Information - Risk Factors" in USA TODAY Co.'s (fka Gannett Co., Inc.) 2024 Annual Report on Form 10-K and USA TODAY Co.'s (fka Gannett Co., Inc.) quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and USA TODAY Co.'s (fka Gannett Co., Inc.) other filings with the SEC, in each case as such factors may be updated from time to time. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof and accordingly undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. USA TODAY Co. disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than to the extent required by applicable law.
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MEDIA CONTACTS
USA TODAY NETWORK VENTURES
Heather Gidaly
hgidaly@usatodayco.com
Ethan Pflumm
EPflumm@usatodayco.com
PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME
Rich Desrosiers
Rich.Desrosiers@ProFootballHOF.com
Jacob Ray
Jacob.Ray@ProFootballHOF.com
Nick Licata
Nick.Licata@ProFootballHOF.com