Goal: To thoroughly experience gameday at every FBS college football stadium. STADIUM COUNT: 108/134
Football in Boca Raton was born in 2001, but they already have a legend. Coach Howard Schnellenberger built this program from scratch, lifted it to FBS status, achieved two bowl appearances, and rightfully has a statue resting outside FAU Stadium. “Winning In Paradise” is the montra and the new expectation at Florida Atlantic.
Continue reading “Florida Atlantic – FAU STADIUM”
For a university that wasn’t in existence when Bo and Woody began their ten-year war in 1969, Liberty has the gameday experience figured out. It’s an atmosphere that is uniquely their own and embodies traditions that have taken strong roots. Its prosperous run as an FCS member in The Big South Conference has transitioned them smoothly into their current position as a budding force in the FBS.
Continue reading “LIBERTY – WILLIAMS STADIUM”
Lane Stadium rests in southwest Virginia and rises high into the Blue Ridge Mountain air. There are few places more welcoming than Blacksburg, where a spirited fan base spills over with pride for their Hokies. However, a welcoming group of fans doesn’t dilute the intimidation that courses through Lane Stadium. Passion pulsates throughout gameday making Virginia Tech one of the best atmospheres in college football.
Continue reading “VIRGINIA TECH – LANE STADIUM”
Fondly called “The Shoe,” Ohio Stadium ranks as one of the most colossal and intense sporting venues in the country. It’s dumbfounding just gazing at the vast amount of red and hearing the cranked up decibel levels of “O-H-I-O” exclaimed in unison.
This is a classic example of a place where sports dominate the entertainment category. Pre-game tailgating is fantastic, and the buzz on the streets in Iowa City is all about the team. Many fans point out visiting colors and start their battle cries and chants. Walking up to Kinnick Stadium, you see a beautiful brick façade that lines the outside. Rows of corn greet visitors to the main entrance along with a statue of Hawkeye hero and 1939 Heisman trophy winner, Nile Kinnick. The entire experience is midwestern perfection and one of the best college football stops in the country.
“Live Aloha” is a mantra that is intended to be a way of life in Hawai’i. This is equally true for the team and fans of the Hawai’I Rainbow Warriors. While “Aloha” is a welcoming greeting, its truer translation means love, peace, and compassion. The players work hard and the fans cheer hard, yet all is done with the spirit of aloha.
Continue reading “HAWAI’I – ALOHA STADIUM”
Tradition and Texas A&M are inexorably tied. Aside from the cavernous stadium that stretches high into the Lone Star sky, the traditions that have been in place for decades have not been altered – only improved with age.
Continue reading “TEXAS A&M – KYLE FIELD”
Even though Lexington lies on the northern portion of SEC country, southern flavor still lives strongly in Kentucky. The scenery toward Lexington is what one might expect with rolling hills giving way to fenced-in horse pastures. Fans tailgate around the stadium as sections of the Kentucky band visit random tailgates for a private show. The wide mass of fans dressed in blue moves like ocean waves toward Kroger Field to watch the band perform as the team makes their entrance during the pregame Catwalk. Kentucky’s band bangs out “Kentucky Fight” while fans welcome the team.
Established in 1766 as Queens College, Rutgers is older than the United States. History is a big deal around here as nods to the original Queen’s College can be seen in logos and landmarks around campus. That sense of history also spills onto the football field as Rutgers played in the first ever collegiate football game in 1869, thus earning the title The Birthplace of College Football. A statue commemorating that 6-4 victory over Princeton stands proudly outside HighPoint Stadium- an icon on the Rutgers campus.
Before even having attended LSU, I described it as one of my top 5 visits along the college football tour. I just knew – and I wasn’t disappointed. Few places blend hospitality and hostility so well – the fans are most welcoming and the stadium is most intimidating. This is especially true on a Saturday night.