Visits to 14 Best College Football Stadiums in the USA
College football stadiums come alive each fall season across America. It is a tradition for families to pack their overnight bags and drive hundreds of miles to watch a game either because a child is playing or they are alumni of the college.
The
National Football Foundation states that college football stadiums drew about 49 million fans each year. These are fans that drive across several states or are in state attending the games live at 639 NCAA schools. The numbers are growing each year.
This post is inspired by
NFL.com’s 14 for ’14: Best college football stadiums by Bryan Fischer. We are going to visit all 14 stadiums featured with the help of Travelmath’s tools.
Wisconsin’s Camp Randall
The University of Wisconsin’s Badgers Camp Randall is located in Madison WI.
Dane County Regional Airport (MSN) is the nearest airport and is six miles from the city center. The airport is served by
seven airlines.
Camp Randall offers scheduled tours except on Thursdays and Fridays before a home football game or during football practices. Walk-in tours are available to a group of less than 10 people.
Information:
Camp Randall
Boise State’s Albertsons Stadium (formerly known as Bronco Stadium)
Boise State University’s Bronco plays at the Albertsons Stadium in Boise, IH. The Albertsons Stadium is also home of the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl every December.
Boise is about
1,657 miles from Madison WI and
429 miles from Portland OR.
While you are there, check out Boise’s natural attractions. Some of these
attractions are Balanced Rock, Banbury Hot Springs, Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge and Bitterroot National Forest.
Information:
Boise State’s Albertsons Stadium
Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium
The University of Nebraska’s Huskers play at the Memorial Stadium in Lincoln NE. Lincoln is only
an hour 13 minutes flight from Chicago and United Airlines is the only airline that flies directly from Chicago to Lincoln.
The Memorial Stadium is home to the Huskers since 1923. It is known as the “Cathedral of College Football” with words to commemorate the men of Nebraska who served and fell in the Nations Wars. These words are inscribed on the four corners of the stadium to inspire players and fans.
Guided and self-guided tours of the stadium are available to visitors. Check their website for details.
Information:
Huskers
Army’s Michie Stadium
West Point’s Black Knights play in one of the most beautiful and oldest college football venues in the country. The Michie Stadium is located next to Lusk Reservoir with a 335 feet elevation and by the Hudson River.
The area becomes even more gorgeous during fall foliage season. If you are driving from Trenton NJ, West Point is about
a two-hour six minutes drive, assuming there is no heavy traffic.
While you are there, visit the West Point Museum and the beautiful grounds of the campus.
Information:
Army’s Michie Stadium
Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium is home of the Michigan University’s M Go Blue. Located in Ann Arbor it is the largest college-owned stadium in the country and seats about 115,000 people.
Nicknamed “the big house” the stadium has a newly renovated museum inside Schembechler Hall dedicated to football fans. Find out more about your favorite game at the Win Wall and Legends Area where you will see artifacts and interactive displays.
The
nearest airport to Ann Arbor is the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW). It is about 25 miles from Ann Arbor. Or find out the
cost of flying compared to driving using FlyvsDrive’s cost to drive or fly tool.
Information:
University of Michigan
Georgia’s Sanford Stadium
University of Georgia’s Bulldogs’ home is located in Athens GA about a
one hour 20 minute drive from Atlanta. Sanford Stadium is known as the greatest spectator stadium in the south with a capacity of over 92,000, it was used as one of the venues of the 1996 Olympic Games.
According to
Visit Athens’ website, the top five things to do on a football weekend road trip to Athens should include attending a Live Music, Brewery Tours and Tasting, visiting Historical Sites, checking out the Roadside Wonders and getting the real taste of Athens food and shopping.
Information:
Sanford Stadium
Ohio’s State Ohio Stadium
Ohio State University’s Buckeyes play in the most recognizable landmarks in all of college football – at the Ohio Stadium. The stadium is located on the banks of Olentangy River in Columbus OH.
The stadium offers one of the best football stadium tours in the nation.
Find out why.
Columbus is located about a
five hour 50 minute drive from Chicago.
Information:
Ohio Stadium
Clemson’s Memorial Stadium
Clemson University’s Memorial Stadium is home to the orange Tigers. The stadium is also known as the Death Valley and is located near a cemetery in Clemson SC. Clemson is a
four hour five minute drive from Charleston SC. The nearest airport is the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP) which is 46 miles from Clemson.
Hiking trails, mountain biking and horseback riding are some of the fun activities families can do together while visiting Clemson.
Information:
Clemson’s Memorial Stadium
Notre Dame Stadium
This is America’s most renowned college football facility. Rich in history and tradition the Notre Dame is located in Notre Dame, IN and the nearest airport is located
five miles away in South Bend.
The extensive renovation and extension is ready for the 2014 season as seen in this tweet by Notre Dame Football.
Oregon’s Autzen Stadium
Located in Eugene, OR, Oregon’s Autzen Stadium is home to The University of Oregon’s Ducks. There are
three direct flights from Los Angeles to Eugene and Eugene Airport (EUG) is about
12 miles from the city center. Or you may want to fly into Portland, OR for more flight options.
Information:
Ducks
Texas A&M ‘s Kyle Field
The Kyle Field is home to the Texas A&M’s Aggie football team since 1905. Located in College Station, TX, a
three hour two minute drive from Dallas and one hour 59 minute drive from Austin, the capital city of Texas.
We suggest combining a visit to either Dallas or Austin when visiting A&M’s Kyle Field.
Read more here:
Free Things to Do with Kids in Dallas
Austin Texas: The Next Nashville or Silicon Valley
Information:
Texas A&M’s Kyle Field
Washington’s Husky Stadium
University of Washington’s Husky Stadium is home of the Huskies. It is located in Seattle overlooking the Cascade Mountains, Mount Rainier and Lake Washington.
Seattle has
three airports and the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) has better flight connections and more
flight options for travelers.
Information:
Husky Stadium
LSU’s Tiger Stadium
USA Today called it “the Tiger Stadium by day and Death Valley by night” because after a long day of tailgating, the party moves inside the stadium. Tailgating tradition is legendary at LSU’s Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge.
It is a big family affair with music, drinks, cookout and more.
Visit Baton Rouge, the official tourism website has suggestions for visitors to Tiger Stadium.
To get to Baton Rouge, you can drive about
80 miles from New Orleans or
400 miles from Birmingham AL.
Information:
LSU’s Tiger Stadium
The Rose Bowl
NFL.com called The Rose Bowl the Granddaddy of Them All. This is where the best college football game is played every year on New Year’s Day after the Rose Parade.
The Rose Bowl Stadium is located in Pasadena CA and Bob Hope Airport is the
closest airport to Pasadena. For better flight connections get to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
Stadium tours are available to the public. Tourists can walk through this National Historic Landmark, take a look at behind the scenes locations of the stadium, the original 1922 locker room, the Working Press Room and many more.
Information:
Rose Bowl Stadium
We have the tools to help you plan your trip to a college football event. Browse through the many tools on our website and let us know which works best for you.
