Suggestions for a college football trip.

Fr Tod Umptious

I love college football.

I've watched a lot of it over the years.

When I lived in the US I was in the north east which is not exactly a college sports hotbed and the only game I ever got to was Harvard @ Holy Cross , which was good fun.

I was at Nebraska v Northwestern in Dublin this year and absolutely loved it.

So I decided that some day, not next year or the year after I'm going to go to a college football game in the US.

So has anyone experience of big college games in the US ?

I'm thinking about a direct flight to Atlanta and from there there are lots of possibilities only a few hours drive away.

Like Clemson, South Carolina, Georgia, Auburn or even Georgia Tech Alabama or Tennessee would be a little further but not much.

Equally a flight to Chicago will put you a short drive from ND and Wisconsin, which could also include a trip to Green Bay on the Sunday.

theoneeyedman

Where you go is up to yourself, I don't know how easy it is to get tickets though for the really big colleges.

What I would suggest though is not to rush it, to try to get too much in. From my limited experience 25/6 years ago going to a Division 2 college game or 2 is to make a day of it, from early on until late if you can.

We rushed into and away from one game and missed most of the craic, we went back a few weeks later and were around the town and ground several hours beforehand, and went out in town that night (which depending on your age may it may not be an option 😂) and making a while day out of it certainly added to it.

Xavi6

I've done one college game - Texas against West Virginia in 2018, Will Grier rushed for a two-point conversion in the last 10 seconds to beat Sam Ellinger's Longhorns 42-41. It was epic, crowd of 100,703 and the whole circus around it beforehand with Bevo being paraded into the stadium was exactly what I was hoping for.

Austin is a fantastic city to visit so if you're looking for a combination of a good destination as well as a full college football experience, I would recommend a Longhorns game. I had no issue getting tickets.

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120058632#Comment_120058632

Thanks for that.

I didn't actually consider Texas but since AerLingus fly to Austin (and hopefully continue to in years to come) it certainly makes it an option.

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120058621#Comment_120058621

Out of curiosity What Div 2 schools games did you go to?

theoneeyedman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120068952#Comment_120068952

I guess it's not really Division 2,rather what's now called the Sun Belt Conference. It wouldn't be as strong as say the SEC, but is based in the deep South. I was based in South mississippi for a while, and Hattisberg, home of University of Southern Miss is based there. Its a nice tidy ground, about 30k capacity. They wouldn't be a top team, but they produced an NFL great in Brett Farve whose Packers side won the superbowl the year we were there. Farve and USM have been in the news of late over the diverting of state money to the University's volleyball program, where Farve's daughter is a player.

I was at a couple of games, USM v Troy is a name that sticks for some reason, I think James Maddison was another one but it was a long time ago. We spent a night in Tuscaloosa too but typical idiots we were we went on a non game weekend.