As I call myself an avid college football fan, I'm a bit ashamed that I have yet to visit many of the great stadiums in college football. To begin to remedy this situation, I'm getting a group of friends together to roadtrip up/down to one of the cool stadiums in the Big 10 (I refuse to acknowledge their stupid new logo) or the SEC or even Notre Dame during one, two, or all of the Hokies' off-Saturdays. In order to generate some ideas for myself, as well as just for funsies, I'll pose this question to the TKP community:
Which venue/game would you attend if you could go anywhere in the country (or even just on the East coast/South) for one of VT's off-weeks?
*EDIT: For those of you wondering, Tech is off the weekends of Sept 28, Oct 19, and Nov 23.
Comments
I would go to PSU if you've never been there. Fun atmosphere and the tailgating is incredible.
It's definitely on the short list.
Yeah, it's fun. The stadium seating is a nightmare. The fans are pretty good, though. The tailgating is a shit show. It's like a giant field with a frat party. Kinda disgusting sometimes too.
I would like to see the Minnesota-Wisconsin game for Paul Bunyan's Axe in Madison.
Incidentally, Byrd Stadium just got a little more appealing for DMV residents starting in 2014 with the big name conference opponents coming to town.
If you enjoy watching UMD lose by 40 then I'm sure it is. Their students will show up to the OSU game, realize how truly bad their team is and then go back to having a quarter filled stadium.
like any good American.
EDIT: You know you just read that in his voice
If you enjoy being surrounded by morons who don't care about the game, sitting in a stadium that feels like you're going to roll forward on to the field because of the steep grade, and tailgating in Parking garages, UMD is the place for you for sure.
I'd do the Ohio State-Iowa game at the horshoe on 10/19 and the Iowa-Michigan game 11/23 at Kinnick. I'm assuming I'd be accompanied by my wife, who is a Hawkeye.
I have to say that I would like to go to South Bend, The Big House, and LA Memorial Colliseum right off the bat. After that, I think UGA, LSU Death Valley, Clemson Death Valley, Neyland Stadium, The Shoe, Beaver Stadium, and Nebraska's Memorial Stadium would probably be up there. And no, this isn't a schedule for this year as much as just a general stadium tour bucket list. My goal is also to make it to every ACC (or whatever conference we are in) stadium as well.
Not sure if I will have the money to make the trip, but a good friend's bachelor party is the Oregon vs Tennessee game in September at Eugene. If I make it, that should be a good one. I have heard that Clemson, Ole Miss, and Penn State are must visits.
As a Stanford fan growing up in CA, Oregon has definitely been on my bucket list for a while. Never made it up there yet though. I have been to Clemson, definitely a solid trip.
Sounds awesome! I wish I could pull off a trip like that. Based on the dates you gave I would try this...
The SEC experience. LSU @ georgia - sept 28th (close to Ga tech if you're going to be down there for the thursday night game)
Night game in South Bend. USC @ Notre Dame - Oct 19th
Columbus. Indiana @ Ohio State - Nov 23rd
Personally been to Florida and South Carolina games. Both are a great time.
I think I am going to try to go down to Clemson to see them play Florida St. in October.
In addition, I want to see Texas A&M play LSU at Tiger Stadium.
Yeah, aTm at LSU seems like it'd be a great game on several levels.
Death Valley in Baton Rouge is a must. Went when we played them last. Great time. Ole Miss, Georgia, and Texas A&M are all on my short list too.
I've only been to VT games. I don't think I could bring myself to pay for a ticket if VT isn't playing...
I got to go to the PSU/Nebraska game two years ago - the first game since about Jesus where Paterno wasn't the coach. My week that week went a little like this:
Me: "Self, I think this will be Paterno's last game at Beaver Stadium. This Sandusky thing looks like it is going to explode, and this is the last game of the season here in State College. Buy those two tickets your coworker has and walk over for this one." (Estimated Ticket Value: $55 apiece, face value)
Me (next day, Paterno says the administration should not worry about him, and he will retire at season's end): "Self, good call on getting those tickets. This will surely be Paterno's last game at Beaver Stadium, and your first. I'm glad we'll be there." (Estimated Ticked Value: $1 million dollars)
Me (two days later): "Well Self, it was a good idea. But now that Paterno has been fired, I guess I get to see the first game after the Joe Paterno era." (Estimated Ticket Value: < $55)
Me (at game with a friend): "Wow look at all those empty seats in the next section. These bench spaces are about eight inches wide, let's go sit over there instead"
Wow....bummer! They did Paterno wrong. I guess if I lived near another campus besides VT I might think about it. But I've already decided my next non-VT football game will either be a Redskins or Ravens game. Never been to an NFL game either.
I definitely recommend a Ravens Game! However, ticket prices can get pricey.
I'm going to save you here. Don't go. There is no professional sport (baseball included) as boring live as the NFL. It's just a bunch of drunk 40+ year olds. There can be fun drunk 40+'s but the ones at NFL games tend to be the idiots who want to fight anyone that isn't rooting for their team. And it's not like a college game where everyone is having a good time during the commercial breaks, NFL commercial breaks happen more often and all you hear the entire time is some moron who is cursing up a storm for no apparent reason. Save your money, stay warm, and watch on your couch.
I will agree, college football definitely trumps NFL football. However, Ravens games can get pretty darn loud on defense. Like you said, it's only worth it if you get a good deal. Or in my case, happen to know a handful of people with season tickets / the former offensive coordinator.
AMB, go if you can. I've been to a few NFL games and I've had fun at every one. Granted, it's nothing like LANE but it's still awesome to see the best athletes in the world live. I went to the Pats-Ravens game last year (regular season, not AFC Champ) and it was a great time, even though we lost and I got heckled a few times. My seats were great though (picture below), so maybe that matters. Already got tickets to go back this year for the Sunday Night showdown week 16.
Oh I will! It's on my bucket list :)
I'll concur with most everyone else here. NFL games (which I've only attended a few times) are cool because they're big sporting events in huge stadiums, but unless the Redskins fight song is playing, you don't get all the fans chanting, jumping, or singing. Pro teams just don't have the embedded traditions that college teams do. If you want a good time at a pseudo-pro sporting event, go to a DC United game and sit in or near the Barra Brava section. That's a blast, everyone is drunk and having a GREAT time, and they sing. Somewhat in unison.
I've always enjoyed that too. As bad as the MLS is talent-wise I'm impressed by the fan sections at each stadium. The rest of the stadium might be empty but the fan section is always rowdy. That's why going to an EPL or Serie A game is a goal of mine. And obviously I wanna go to the World Cup next year.
I'd love to hit up a Portland Timbers game. The teams in the northwest (Portland and Seattle, I believe) draw big, enthusiastic crowds. Same with the Canadian team. They sell out the place all the time.
VT needs songs. 66223 people singing at once? Money.
I think I'll wait on the World Cup until it goes back to Europe. I went to all the games in DC in '94, which was a good time. But I don't want to spend the money right now. And I'm not sure I want to go to Russia or Qatar in the next two. I vote for World Cup 2026 in Holland.
That would be an amazing trip! However I would be an old fart by 2026 LOL
In 2026 I'll be...also old. 44? Sounds right.
yep...44-45....that's quite scary lol
Just watch, I'll be planning for that trip for the next decade and by time it arrives I'll have kids. The better want to go to Holland!!!
Haha! Find a good babysitter or use Grandparents like my sister does. They will just cost extra $$ anyways. ;-)
We have a song, just nobody knows the words. Tech triumph and the vpi victory march are pretty much the only songs a new cadet hears their first week on campus.
Hang out with MVs and you'll learn a few good songs.
Most of which shouldn't be repeated on a mostly family-friendly forum such as this one
Or say, on a bus you happen to be sharing with some of the cheerleaders. Pretty Ricky seemed a little offended. And that was before Yo-ho.
Camp Randall looks like an amazing venue. They play "Jump Around" in between the third and four quarter and the student section goes (almost) as crazy as Lane Stadium during "Enter Sandman". Scott Van Pelt named Madison, WI the best college town in America (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_UtXG9YagE&feature=youtube_gdata_player)
Army/Navy game. Honestly only game I've been to besides tech games. It is a pretty awesome experience to see the academies face off even though it tends to be lopsided.
Also, made the trip to Pittsburgh for the game last year and Heinz field is pretty cool. Definitely made the trip worth it even if the result sucked.
I'd recommend a game at the Horseshoe if you can swing it. I have an ex-GF who was an OSU alum and got two tickets to a TBD home game through an alumni program each year. Our first game we went to was when Ohio State played USC a few years ago there. I love Lane, but man that was a crazy experience from the tailgating all the way through the game. When USC scored at the last second for the win, it was also funny watching 100k+ OSU fans collectively shit themselves in rage simultaneously! Lots of screaming at Tressel the rest of the night.
The next season we saw OSU destroy some sister's of the poor team. And they tailgated like they would never get to again for that game too.
I keep meaning to try to get over to Athens for a UGA game since it's less than an hour drive from my house. Haven't made it yet. Maybe this is the season.
I'm not interested in GT unless VT is the opponent.
But Clemson and USCe are also short day trips and I want to make runs to them one day.
Supposedly, Arkansas is cool place to see a game too.
USCe has great tailgating and the fans are great. i was unimpressed by the atmosphere once inside the stadium. and it was also the game where Lattimore shredded his knee last year so the atmosphere got even worse after that
Well that's unfortunate. Guess they're off the list... alas.
For college football, I recommend going to an NC State game. I went when Tech played them in 2010 and had a great time. Nice stadium, but strange location with respect to campus.
To be biased, go to a Ravens game. I usually get to go to at least one a year and they're awesome and pretty rowdy. Definitely a good time.