LA_MERC_Drax
August 27th, 2006, 11:33 PM
By Jim Caple
ESPN.com
Archive
• Send in your travel questions for Jim Caple.
When there are as many commercials for back-to-school supplies as there are for Cialis and Viagra, it can mean only one thing. The college football season is so close at hand they're going to have to bring in the chains to measure.
College football is superior to the NFL in almost every way, but especially in its venues. The NFL doesn't have stadiums so much as it has massive TV studios. And sitting through another TV timeout in one stadium is pretty much the same as sitting through a TV timeout in any other.
College stadiums are different. For one thing, they're old. Not in a "This dump doesn't have a Starbucks and it dares to call itself a big-time stadium?!'' way but in a "Bronko Nagurski clotheslined a running back near that goal line and Bear Bryant leaned on this goalpost" way. They're historic and distinct and as vital a part of the campus experience as a freshman gagging on a beer bong. More importantly, the college football experience is as varied as the states in which they're located. NFL stadiums are just locations. College stadiums are destinations.
By no means have I been to every college football stadium -- my apologies for missing way too many stadiums in the south and east -- but here are 10 experiences worth at least a 12-hour road trip when you really ought to be studying for your midterms:
1. Tiger Stadium, LSU
College football is just different in the south. The RVs start pulling into campus the Wednesday before the game and then it's party until kickoff (and after kickoff as well). And if there's a tailgate party more delicious than LSU's, it must be outside the Pearly Gates. There may be more food other places but there isn't any better food than at Death Valley, where ESPN's GameDay and the Food Network practically intersect. And a night game gives you plenty of time to enjoy it all. The football is pretty good, too. In fact, these fans get so fired up about their Tigers football that the LSU geology department seismograph registered a tremor during a big play in 1988. When the gumbo is boiling, Mike the Tiger is roaring and the Golden Band of Tigerland is blaring those first familiar notes of "Hold That Tiger,'' you'll have goosebumps the size of Mardi Gras beads.
If you go: There probably is a great campus hangout but why bother? Mingle among the tailgaters. I found most were willing to share a story -- along with gumbo, barbecue and more food than I could eat. Just be neighborly by bringing something to share yourself.
• 2003: Jim Caple's visit to Death Valley
2. Notre Dame Stadium, Notre Dame
The College Football Hall of Fame is in South Bend but you get a better feel for college football history by just strolling through and around the Notre Dame campus: Take photos by No. 1 Moses, Fair Catch Corby and Touchdown Jesus. Light a candle at the Grotto, pay your respects at Knute Rockne's grave and listen to the band play the most inspiring college music outside of a recording of "What I Like About You'' at volume 11 in a crowded dorm party.
If you go: Celebrate another Irish victory at the nearby Linebacker tavern.
• 2002: Jim Caple's visit to Notre Dame
3. Michigan Stadium, Michigan
If you're going to a big college football stadium, you might as well visit the largest. The Big House holds 107,500 fans but don't worry -- they're expanding it. But the amazing thing to me is that it doesn't seem that big when you're sitting there. It seems almost cozy. Until the band strikes up "Hail to the Victors,'' that is.
If you go: grab a beer at the Arena and pizza at Bell's.
4. Memorial Stadium, Nebraska
The inscription above the stadium's main entrance reads, "Through these gates pass the greatest fans in college football," and the words might not be hyperbole. If a big game in Lincoln isn't the main artery of college football, it at least looks like the world's largest blood clot because everyone -- and I mean EVERYONE -- wears red.
If you go: Dine at Misty's Steakhouse, which is kind of like the college football hall of fame, only with steaks and alcohol.
5. Husky Stadium, Washington
OK. My alma mater has fallen on hard times (but Willingham is going to turn it around!). But the sublime setting remains the same. The Cascade mountains to the east, the Olympic mountains to the west and boatloads of Husky fans bobbing around Portage Bay to the south. Come here in the early fall for the views, come here in the cold rain of November for the true Husky experience.
If you go: Get a couple cheeseburgers at ****'s on 45th or pizza at the Northlake Tavern.
6. Neyland Stadium, Tennessee
Now, in the interests of full disclosure, I've never been to a game at Neyland Stadium. But I've been to the campus several times and seen this enormous stadium located hard on the banks of the Tennessee River. And I know the Knoxville area code is 865 (VOL). And I know the splendid band prepares through a grueling week of summer heat to be the best around. And I can only imagine what it must look like on game day. But if you insist on hearing an endorsement from someone who's been there, here's a story an alumnus told my colleague, Mary Buckheit, during a visit last March. "Honey,'' she said while taking a long drag on her cigarette, "I conceived two children in Neyland Stadium.'' Now, the impressive part of that story (which her friend assured was true) is not that a woman would actually conceive a child in a football stadium but that she would conceive TWO children there. They like their Vols here.
If you go: Grab some barbecue at Buddy's.
7. Autzen Stadium, Oregon
It isn't easy to top the experience at the campus that served as the site of Faber College in "Animal House.'' And when more than 54,000 fans are shoehorned into one of the most intimate (and intimidating) venues in college, it can be a little like sharing a dorm room with John Blutarsky.
If you go: Be sure to tour the Animal House sites and pay homage to Steve Prefontaine by carbo-loading at Track Town Pizza.
8. Camp Randall Stadium, Wisconsin
Madison is a great college town and Camp Randall is special. Other stadiums give you four quarters of football. Camp Randall gives you those plus a fifth quarter of music and dancing with one of college's best bands.
If you go: Don't miss State Street, home to enough bars and restaurants (including State Street Brats) to make Bucky Badger's chest swell even further with pride (or gas).
9. LaVelle Edwards Stadium, BYU
A beautiful setting against the Wasatch mountains.
If you go: True, Provo isn't exactly a party town. But it's close to Salt Lake and Park City.
10. Sun Devil Stadium, Arizona State
Come November, while the rest of the country breaks out the snowblowers, there may be no more pleasant spot to take in a college game than Sun Devil Stadium, nestled against Tempe Butte.
If you go: For a good, inexpensive meal, walk over to historic Monti's and eat your fill of Roman bread.
And yes, I know I left out a lot of great places: Texas, Ohio State, Georgia, South Carolina, Auburn, Cal, Virginia Tech, Florida, Mississippi... but give me time to experience them all. Hell, I'm still recovering from the tailgate at LSU.
ESPN.com
Archive
• Send in your travel questions for Jim Caple.
When there are as many commercials for back-to-school supplies as there are for Cialis and Viagra, it can mean only one thing. The college football season is so close at hand they're going to have to bring in the chains to measure.
College football is superior to the NFL in almost every way, but especially in its venues. The NFL doesn't have stadiums so much as it has massive TV studios. And sitting through another TV timeout in one stadium is pretty much the same as sitting through a TV timeout in any other.
College stadiums are different. For one thing, they're old. Not in a "This dump doesn't have a Starbucks and it dares to call itself a big-time stadium?!'' way but in a "Bronko Nagurski clotheslined a running back near that goal line and Bear Bryant leaned on this goalpost" way. They're historic and distinct and as vital a part of the campus experience as a freshman gagging on a beer bong. More importantly, the college football experience is as varied as the states in which they're located. NFL stadiums are just locations. College stadiums are destinations.
By no means have I been to every college football stadium -- my apologies for missing way too many stadiums in the south and east -- but here are 10 experiences worth at least a 12-hour road trip when you really ought to be studying for your midterms:
1. Tiger Stadium, LSU
College football is just different in the south. The RVs start pulling into campus the Wednesday before the game and then it's party until kickoff (and after kickoff as well). And if there's a tailgate party more delicious than LSU's, it must be outside the Pearly Gates. There may be more food other places but there isn't any better food than at Death Valley, where ESPN's GameDay and the Food Network practically intersect. And a night game gives you plenty of time to enjoy it all. The football is pretty good, too. In fact, these fans get so fired up about their Tigers football that the LSU geology department seismograph registered a tremor during a big play in 1988. When the gumbo is boiling, Mike the Tiger is roaring and the Golden Band of Tigerland is blaring those first familiar notes of "Hold That Tiger,'' you'll have goosebumps the size of Mardi Gras beads.
If you go: There probably is a great campus hangout but why bother? Mingle among the tailgaters. I found most were willing to share a story -- along with gumbo, barbecue and more food than I could eat. Just be neighborly by bringing something to share yourself.
• 2003: Jim Caple's visit to Death Valley
2. Notre Dame Stadium, Notre Dame
The College Football Hall of Fame is in South Bend but you get a better feel for college football history by just strolling through and around the Notre Dame campus: Take photos by No. 1 Moses, Fair Catch Corby and Touchdown Jesus. Light a candle at the Grotto, pay your respects at Knute Rockne's grave and listen to the band play the most inspiring college music outside of a recording of "What I Like About You'' at volume 11 in a crowded dorm party.
If you go: Celebrate another Irish victory at the nearby Linebacker tavern.
• 2002: Jim Caple's visit to Notre Dame
3. Michigan Stadium, Michigan
If you're going to a big college football stadium, you might as well visit the largest. The Big House holds 107,500 fans but don't worry -- they're expanding it. But the amazing thing to me is that it doesn't seem that big when you're sitting there. It seems almost cozy. Until the band strikes up "Hail to the Victors,'' that is.
If you go: grab a beer at the Arena and pizza at Bell's.
4. Memorial Stadium, Nebraska
The inscription above the stadium's main entrance reads, "Through these gates pass the greatest fans in college football," and the words might not be hyperbole. If a big game in Lincoln isn't the main artery of college football, it at least looks like the world's largest blood clot because everyone -- and I mean EVERYONE -- wears red.
If you go: Dine at Misty's Steakhouse, which is kind of like the college football hall of fame, only with steaks and alcohol.
5. Husky Stadium, Washington
OK. My alma mater has fallen on hard times (but Willingham is going to turn it around!). But the sublime setting remains the same. The Cascade mountains to the east, the Olympic mountains to the west and boatloads of Husky fans bobbing around Portage Bay to the south. Come here in the early fall for the views, come here in the cold rain of November for the true Husky experience.
If you go: Get a couple cheeseburgers at ****'s on 45th or pizza at the Northlake Tavern.
6. Neyland Stadium, Tennessee
Now, in the interests of full disclosure, I've never been to a game at Neyland Stadium. But I've been to the campus several times and seen this enormous stadium located hard on the banks of the Tennessee River. And I know the Knoxville area code is 865 (VOL). And I know the splendid band prepares through a grueling week of summer heat to be the best around. And I can only imagine what it must look like on game day. But if you insist on hearing an endorsement from someone who's been there, here's a story an alumnus told my colleague, Mary Buckheit, during a visit last March. "Honey,'' she said while taking a long drag on her cigarette, "I conceived two children in Neyland Stadium.'' Now, the impressive part of that story (which her friend assured was true) is not that a woman would actually conceive a child in a football stadium but that she would conceive TWO children there. They like their Vols here.
If you go: Grab some barbecue at Buddy's.
7. Autzen Stadium, Oregon
It isn't easy to top the experience at the campus that served as the site of Faber College in "Animal House.'' And when more than 54,000 fans are shoehorned into one of the most intimate (and intimidating) venues in college, it can be a little like sharing a dorm room with John Blutarsky.
If you go: Be sure to tour the Animal House sites and pay homage to Steve Prefontaine by carbo-loading at Track Town Pizza.
8. Camp Randall Stadium, Wisconsin
Madison is a great college town and Camp Randall is special. Other stadiums give you four quarters of football. Camp Randall gives you those plus a fifth quarter of music and dancing with one of college's best bands.
If you go: Don't miss State Street, home to enough bars and restaurants (including State Street Brats) to make Bucky Badger's chest swell even further with pride (or gas).
9. LaVelle Edwards Stadium, BYU
A beautiful setting against the Wasatch mountains.
If you go: True, Provo isn't exactly a party town. But it's close to Salt Lake and Park City.
10. Sun Devil Stadium, Arizona State
Come November, while the rest of the country breaks out the snowblowers, there may be no more pleasant spot to take in a college game than Sun Devil Stadium, nestled against Tempe Butte.
If you go: For a good, inexpensive meal, walk over to historic Monti's and eat your fill of Roman bread.
And yes, I know I left out a lot of great places: Texas, Ohio State, Georgia, South Carolina, Auburn, Cal, Virginia Tech, Florida, Mississippi... but give me time to experience them all. Hell, I'm still recovering from the tailgate at LSU.