Tailgating: It's Bigger Business Than You Think

Tailgating has always been a big pre-game ritual for college students. But now, as its popularity grows beyond the college market, so grows the business behind it.

On "Power Lunch," CNBC's Darren Rovell said that the business behind tailgating has grown so much that there’s now even an American Tailgaters Association. CEO Kevin Joyce says the organization has over 90,000 members. And if you were wondering – here are the top items tailgaters purchase before the big game (41% of tailgaters will spend over $500 on tailgate-related purchases annually):

1. cooler
2. grill
3. alcohol
4. furniture
5. meat

Rovell took a closer look at one item - a motorized scooter that doubles as a cooler. It's called the Cruzin Cooler and can hit a top-speeds of about 13 mph (perfect for weaving through those crowds outside the stadium). The cooler-scooter hybrid sells for $349, with a souped-up version going for $100 more.

This might sound like a lot – until you look at the statistics for the average American tailgater: College-educated and married, with a household income over $75,000. In fact, the average tailgater is more educated and more affluent than the average American.