Your favorite college football gameday experience not at Michigan Stadium
WD's post of records at other B1G stadiums got me to thinking...what's the best gameday experience you've had at another B1G school? Or outside the B1G?
I haven't been to all the other B1G schools, but I'm close. Iowa and Wisconsin have to be my favorites, with Iowa a slight advantage because their fans were great. I think Iowa City is a little underappreciated, and Kinnick is an awesome venue.
Outside the B1G, Tennessee stands out - even though they're still bitter about the Heisman - among a number of SEC, ACC, ND and PAC## stops. (Is it just me, or does a BIG12 visit other than Texas seem like a waste of time?). I will add, any college football should try to see one game at ND - it is a great experience too though I know the view here is THWND.
The top of my list to still visit (outside my last couple B1Gs) are 'Bama, LSU, Texas, and Washington. I'm curious to hear of favorites from the board to add to my list.
Thanks in advance.
In no order...
(Gun to my head...that Lousiville/Clemson game from last year and that 2012 Bama/LSU game were two of the best experiences of my life).
- Virginia Tech (night game vs. FSU)
- Louisville @ Clemson last year
- UF vs. UGA in Jacksonville
- Death Valley at LSU (night games though, they don't care about day games unless it's Bama or a top 15 team)
-
Wisconsin in Camp Randall vs. OSU (with a Badger win) - incredible
Honorable mention:
Tennessee OR Georgia (I've only done day games at each...Georgia was the better pregame, Tennessee was the better in-game...they're both ahead of Florida. HOWEVER, I'm going to Florida/FSU this year so that could change).
I really want to do the Cotton Bowl, the Iron Bowl (at Bama), night game in Happy Valley, and a big game at Autzen Stadium and Husky Stadium out west. I've promised myself I'll do Army/Navy before I die.
I've done the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, and Orange Bowl's...but I don't think bowl games have the same umph as a meaningful regular season games with a true home team. So that means I have to go back to the Rose Bowl and do USC/UCLA.
Their home schedule isn't great this year...but I highly suggest it, maybe moreso than any other stadium in the country. A night game at LSU is incredible.
They get Bama at home next year. Probably Florida and/or Tennessee as well.
Utah fans were damn friendly in SLC.
Damn, I forgot that one! I want to do the Civil War in SLC...add that to the bucket list as well.
As a Utah student when Urban Meyer was there (UM post grad), and now working at BYU, I've been to about 10 "holy war" games. It is the most toxic football environment I've ever been in, and I've been to two OSU/UM games and three MSU/UM games. True hatred between the two teams and fan bases. On the outside in, it might be an interesting environment, on the inside, it's pretty viscious.
SIGN ME UP!!!
games you've been to? Because they are veeeerrrrrry different in Columbus than they are in Ann Arbor.
Michigan games in general are amongst the most pleasant, least hateful gameday experiences in the country. We're called a wine and cheese crowd for good reason.
Not sure if still the case, but I went to C-bus when I was a student 15 years ago, and while wearing Michigan gear it was the scariest place I've ever been, and I've been to some pretty dangerous central and south american cities, right in the favelas and barrios. It was pure trash (and it was the game they clinched their BCS title game berth in 2002 and they literally trashed their city).
Watch out for flying batteries, stray elbows, and people screaming right at your face.
I was also at the UCLA-USC game a few years when there was a brawl with 50-75 people and a couple guys got stabbed. That's a very chippy rivalry being crosstown rivals.
Mormons
winning. If they had lost, might have bene a little different story after the game.
Air Force games are a lot of fun. They always have a great fly over and have trained Falcons fly over the crowd at different times during the game.
I have been to Alabama vs Ole Miss at Alabama and that was also very cool.
I've been to OSU and didn't think it was anything special but the horseshoe looks cool from the outside.
I've been to MSU for a couple games and nothing special really
I saw Alabama vs OSU playoff game, that was cool because it was NOLA and New Years.
I went to Michigan vs Alabama in Dallas, but missed the pregame festivities, so didn't see the tailgate action but watching the game was cool
Geez, I love those big rivalry games!
That was fairly cool, but kind of overrated. The whole game atmosphere gave off a little bit of a mid-major vibe
I was at the Utah game in SLC too a few years ago. Utah fans are cool and their stadium was pretty nice. A good amount of crowd noise too.
Spartan Stadium sucks and the people in it suck.
But as a CFB junkie, every year for the past 4-5 years I've made it my mission to go to a "dream" non-Michigan CFB game. I'm going to FSU @ UF this year, I'm trying to figure out one more, but it'll depend on if I can afford the Michigan game in Dallas.
I put together this list at some point this spring of potential games to keep on my radar for this season. Some games (i.e. Texas v. Maryland) are more to see the home stadium and team than anything else. Some have to do with players (like seeing the Heisman Trophy winner). Some of these also have to do with location.
Michigan
I love seeing us play at Northwestern (made the trip twice). UM fans are half the crowd and there's an old-school vibe in that little stadium.
Upon entering that stadium for the first time to watch the Wolverines play, I might have actually blurted out, "Aw. This is cute"
in 2000 when Brees brought them back from an 18-point halftime deficit and they won on a last second FG. We moved to the aisle before the kick went up (it was a fairly easy kick) so we could run out of there immediately when we saw it go through.
Pretty nice fans the whole time though, and that's when they were good and had expectations (went to the Rose Bowl that year).
I like it, too. The crowd is usually very civilized (no surprise, given the neighborhood and the NW demographic profile).
Pretty much every B1G school shows up in force. I'd guess that NW never has more than half the stadium.
Just wait until Rutgers finally plays in Evanston; NW will finally have the whole stadium!
Hurts to have witnessed Bo's last loss, Rose Bowl, but seeing the win in the same venue in 1998 was pretty special.
The atmosphere has got to be so consistent excepting the colors in half of the stadium change from week to week. Sorry this has to be my choice because it's the only stadium besides Michigan that i've been to. The Jayhawks lost to the Rockets on that crisp fall afternoon but the tickets were cheap.
+1 for admitting that you were at a Kansas/Toledo game.
Forgot about this one as well...I've got to do Ole Miss and Utah, no question.
I wish I could've did Ole Miss when they were a top 10 team. Ol' Hugh may not survive the next couple of years.
Hottest Women you'll see on gameday Saturdays, and the tailgating food is what you'd expect from fans that have nothing much to do all week but get ready for the game.
{posted in wrong thread}
Here is my list of Michigan away games:
1997 IU W
1997/8 Rose Bowl W
1998 NW W
1999 Wisky W
2000 UCLA L
2000 Purdue L
2000 NW L
2001 Washington L
2004 ND L
2006/7 Rose Bowl L
2009 Iowa L
2012 Alabama L
2012 Purdue W
2012 ND L
2013 NW W
2014 ND L
2015 Utah L
This is all while essentially living in North Carolina and California for the majority of my years since graduating in 1998. I’ve also been to many other non-Michigan games including (5) LSU home (Bama @ LSU 2012 included), many at USC/UCLA/UNC, Texas A&M, (2) Purdue @ ND, UGA vs. Florida, UGA, Florida @Tenn 2016, LSU vs. Wisky @ Lambeau 2016, WMU, Hope, Albion, etc.
This year I plan to go to LSU @ Mississippi State, Auburn @ LSU, and probably USC @ ND, as well as most likely flying back for the OSU @ UM game over thanksmas.
As you can see, I do college football. My boss knows that I am taking off numerous Fridays in the fall, I'm lucky to have a job with that flexibility and it's obviously easier without a wife and/or kids.
Tough to pick a favorite as I've had a blast at nearly every game. Madison sort of stands out. LSU is always amazing because my best friend lives there and he likes to go big. A&M was cool. UW has an amazing location on the lake. I'd say UGA/UF cocktail party was a bit overrated. Tennessee was pretty damn cool as well. But nothing beats the big house.
we were 4-0 in those games away from the Big House in the 90s...and 2-11 since...yikes. Let's start winning some road games?