college football road trip 2023

Road to CFB

College Football Stadium News Conference Realignment

Visiting America One College Football Stadium At A Time

Thank you for a great 2023.

The 2023 season may have been lighter than years past, but it was filled with plenty of new amazing memories.

In 2024, I hope to tackle more unexplored ground around the Great Lakes Region and beyond. Check back late Summer for next year’s scheduling announcements! It’ll be back to business as usual on the road.

Traveling cross-country to visit my first (and last) Pac-12 game. Arizona State hosted Heisman frontrunner Bo Nix and No. 6 Oregon.

You can find all of my 2023 game day writeups here .

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2023 SCHEDULE

9/16/2023: Central Michigan 17 at #9 Notre Dame 44 (Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN)*
9/30/2023: #6 Penn State 41 at Northwestern 13 (Ryan Field, Evanston, IL)
10/31/2023: Buffalo 13 at Toledo 31 (Glass Bowl Stadium, Toledo, OH)*
11/1/2023: Kent State 27 at Akron 31 (InfoCision Stadium, Akron, OH)*
11/8/2023: Bowling Green 49 at Kent State 19 (Dix Stadium, Kent, OH)
11/18/2023: #6 Oregon 49 at Arizona State 13 (Mountain America Stadium, Tempe, AZ)*
11/24/2023: Ohio 25 at Akron 14 (InfoCision Stadium, Akron, OH)

* New game day experience ** New stadium visit and game day experience

Keep an eye out on the Road to CFB Instagram and Twitter to follow along every season.

Radio Spot From 97.1 The Fan In Columbus

About road to cfb.

Welcome to Road to CFB ! The goal is to experience a game day at every FBS college football stadium.

Every school has their own culture, their own atmosphere, their own traditions, their own experience. This is a 130-part series that will take years to accomplish , but will dish out a lifetime full of stories .

College football is the sport of the everyman . The story of America is best told through the lens of college towns, football stadiums, and over a few beers. The FBS has stadiums in BIG CITIES…

…and in SMALL TOWNS .

The other key to Road to CFB comes in “Road.” Instead of flying to games, we’re hitting the highways and byways and recording the experience all along the way.

Join me on my journey on Instagram (@roadtocfb) or on the road . Welcome to Road to CFB !

The 2023 Ultimate Texas College Football Road Trip

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The Lone Star State loves to do things big. Sam Houston’s move up to the FBS ranks means that the state of Texas is home to 13 FBS programs – more than any other state. And thus, a pilgrimage awaits. Would it be possible to attend a game at each of the 13 FBS stadiums within the same football season? It turns out that the answer is yes.

Here is the 2023 Ultimate Texas Tour that includes a trip to each FBS stadium in Texas . You'd watch 21 games over 13 weeks. Eight of the 13 weeks include two games due to the growing presence of midweek matchups.

WEEK 1 – Colorado at TCU

Start the year with a trip to Fort Worth to watch national runner-up TCU begin the year against Deion Sanders’ new look Colorado Buffaloes. Sonny Dykes led the Horned Frogs to a 12-0 regular season and a victory over Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl. Sanders, who makes a home in the DFW area, is a former Dallas Cowboy who turned over an FBS roster in an unprecedented manner during his first offseason in Boulder. This might be the most anticipated game in Week 1 across all of college football with Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff expected in town.

The other option is heading to Houston to watch the Cougars host Jeff Traylor’s Roadrunners. It’ll likely be the better game. Houston won the 2022 matchup in San Antonio in a three-overtime thriller.

Second choice: UTSA at Houston

WEEK 2 – Oregon at Texas Tech

There are big-time out-of-state matchups with Texas heading to Alabama and Texas A&M traveling to Miami, but the name of the game is to stay in Texas. Luckily for us, the Red Raiders host Oregon in a potential top 25 matchup in West Texas. Come out on Friday and hang out with the Gamblin’ Gauchos and then take in a great game and atmosphere at Jones AT&T Stadium. Grab a bite at Dirk’s Chicken or take a quick drive to Rejino Barbecue in Olton.

Second choice: Baylor vs. Utah

WEEK 3 – Army at UTSA (Fri.); Jackson State at Texas State

The first double dip of the season involves a pair of quality G5 contests. The first is in San Antonio when UTSA takes on Army. The 2022 game between the two teams was a classic. Find Lot C and have a blast. Stay near the Riverwalk after the game and then head to San Marcos the next day to watch Texas State host Jackson State. The weather should still be warm enough to walk around campus and take in the beautiful scenery. The other option is to head to Houston and watch the Cougars play TCU in their first Big 12 contest. Dana Holgorsen and Sonny Dykes are great friends, which should add to the drama.

Second choice: TCU at Houston

WEEK 4 – Texas at Baylor

The press box view in McLane Stadium is arguably the best in Texas, though the Sun Bowl in El Paso would hold an objection. The Longhorns are the early betting favorite to win the Big 12 thanks to a loaded roster and experience on the offensive side. Baylor is an enigma with two losing seasons bookmarking an historic 12-win season that culminated in a Sugar Bowl win and a Big 12 championship. This might be the last time Texas plays in Waco for a long time. The crowd should be outstanding.

Or go to DFW and watch the Iron Skillet between TCU and SMU. Dykes has won the last three Iron Skillets.

Second choice: TCU at SMU

WEEK 5 – Jacksonville State at Sam Houston (Thursday); Texas A&M vs. Arkansas (Arlington)

Unique scheduling in Conference USA allows us to head to Huntsville on Thursday to watch the Bearkats’ conference debut against a fellow former FCS power. Head up I-45 towards Arlington on Friday and then hit the always fun contest between former SWC rivals Texas A&M and Arkansas in Jerry World.

Second choice: Texas Tech at Houston

WEEK 6 – Texas vs. Oklahoma (Dallas)

This was a tough week with the Aggies hosting Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide on the same day, but the State Fair offers a unique backdrop that every college fan should enjoy at least one time. Buy more tickets than you expect to use (you’ll use them) and grab a corny dog, some beer, and dominate a few carnival games before heading into the Cotton Bowl to watch two rivals play in their final Big 12 meeting. Hopefully, Texas A&M vs. Alabama is in primetime so that a double header is possible.

Second choice: Texas A&M vs. Alabama

WEEK 7 – West Virginia at Houston (Thur.); Kansas State at Texas Tech

Another two-game week appears in Week 7 as Holgorsen’s Cougars host his former club in the two schools’ first battle as conference foes. Get to the game early and climb to the top of TDECU Stadium for a beautiful view of Houston. Take a plane from Houston to Lubbock on Friday to watch the reigning Big 12 champion Kansas State battle Big 12 dark horse Texas Tech. An easier drive is up I-45 to Fort Worth to watch the Horned Frogs face BYU.

Second choice: TCU vs. BYU

WEEK 8 – New Mexico State at UTEP (Wednesday); Texas at Houston

A college football trip through the Lone Star State isn’t complete without a visit to the Sun Bowl. El Paso is a unique place in the Texas landscape with tremendous food, people, and a lot less traffic than other big cities. A midweek game provides ample opportunity to explore on Thursday before hopping in a plane on Friday to Space City to watch the Longhorns play on Houston’s campus for the first time in ages. That is the only FBS game taking place in Texas on that weekend.

Second choice: N/A

WEEK 9 – UTEP at Sam Houston (Wednesday); South Carolina at Texas A&M

Another midweek game provides us an opportunity to become true Sickos. El Paso vs. Huntsville is a cultural clash of the ages, which is a perfect illustration of the size and diversity within the Lone Star State. You’ll also be less than an hour from College Station and a trip to Kyle Field, which, for my money, is the best game day experience in the entire state.

Second choice: North Texas vs. Memphis

WEEK 10 – UTSA at North Texas

One of the more underrated rivalries in Texas takes place in Denton, America in Week 10 when UTSA travels up I-35 to face the Mean Green. The two teams have met 10 times in the regular season with each program winning five times. The last game between the two was for the Conference USA title in 2022. Now, both programs play in the American Athletic Conference. A home win would be a huge feather in the cap for first-time FBS head coach Eric Morris.

Second choice: SMU at Rice

WEEK 11 – North Texas at SMU (Fri.); Texas at TCU

Another opportunity for two games in two days takes place in Week 11. Start the festivities in Dallas when SMU hosts DFW rival North Texas in their first meeting as conference opponents. You won’t even need to change hotels to make the drive on I-30 to Fort Worth on Saturday to watch the Horned Frogs host the Longhorns for the final time as Big 12 opponents.

WEEK 12 – USF at UTSA (Fri.); TCU at Baylor

Start the weekend in San Antonio to watch the Roadrunners face USF on Friday night before driving north on I-35 for an historic matchup between TCU and Baylor on Saturday. The 119th meeting between the two old rivals will surpass Texas vs. Texas A&M as the most-played intrastate game in Texas college football history.

Second choice: Texas Tech vs. UCF

WEEK 13 – Texas Tech at Texas (Fri.); FAU at Rice

By now, you’ve probably noticed a trend. Watching Texas play in-state Big 12 opponents for possibly the last time in a long time should create memorable atmospheres. The home game against Texas Tech the day after Thanksgiving shouldn’t be any different as at least one of the programs is in the hunt for a Big 12 championship game appearance. Take 290 or 71 (dealer’s choice) to Houston for a season-capper at Rice. Tom Herman’s FAU might be what stands between the Owls and a bowl bid.

Second choice: UTEP vs. Liberty

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College Sports | Coach Prime, Rams and Mines, oh my! How to plan…

College Sports

College sports | coach prime, rams and mines, oh my how to plan perfect colorado college football road trip for 2023, week by week..

Nebraska fan Mary Pistillo is cheering ...

If Coach Prime has you thinking that Boulder, and not Athens, Ga., is the epicenter of the college football universe, he might not be wrong.

But the potential narratives around the Front Range run wilder than Ralphie at full tilt. Within 75 miles of downtown Denver, you can watch Deion Sanders in person (for a price), the defending Division II national runners-up and more live mascots per capita than an Animal Planet marathon.

Heck, if you wanted to plan a road trip of just Front Range games between now and Thanksgiving, there’s something for just about everybody each and every week. Want to check out the reigning winner of the Harlon Hill Trophy, the Division II Heisman? Mines quarterback John Matocha is back slinging it in Golden. Dig trophy games? CSU is playing in two of them over back-to-back weekends.

To that end, the Denver Post sports staff has laid out a planner for a drivable 2023 college football tour of Front Range games over the next few months — although with a couple of side notes to get out of the way first.

First, while September is loaded with cool local options, November … isn’t. Secondly, and on the plus side, the NCAA’s Division II playoffs are almost certain to include at least one in-state representative and will get underway the weekend of Nov. 18.

As the song goes, check your local listings. In the meantime, though, let’s hit the road!

Week 1 (Aug. 31-Sept. 2)

CSU vs. Washington State

When: 5 p.m., Sept. 2.

Where: Canvas Stadium, Fort Collins

Lowest get-in price as of Week 1 (VividSeats.com): $36

Why you can’t miss it: Jay Norvell’s Rams have had payback on their minds, and their lips, for the last 10 months. Wazzu blitzed CSU by 31 points last September in Pullman, so we’ll find out just how far the Rammies have come in Norvell’s second season right from the jump.

Week 2 (Sept. 7-9)

CU vs. Nebraska

When: 10 a.m., Sept. 9

Where: Folsom Field, Boulder

Lowest get-in price as of Week 1 (VividSeats.com): $260

Why you can’t miss it: Come on. Do you even need to ask?

Week 3 (Sept. 14-16)

When: 8 p.m., Sept. 16

Lowest get-in price as of Week 1 (VividSeats.com): $128

Why you can’t miss it: See Week 2. First Rocky Mountain Showdown in four years (thanks, COVID). First Rams visit to Boulder in 14 years. While the Buffs are riding a five-game win streak in the series, and the last two Showdowns (’18 and ’19) have gotten fairly ugly, Rams fans are hoping to spring a trap on Big Brother: CSU gets a bye before this one while the Buffs are busy entertaining the Huskers (and Nebraska fans).

Week 4 (Sept. 21-23)

CSU Pueblo vs. Mines

When: 2 p.m., Sept. 23

Where: ThunderBowl, Pueblo

Lowest get-in price as of Week 1 (for an adult, via CSU Pueblo athletics): $9

Why you can’t miss it: The two best teams in the Rocky Mountain Conference — and two of Division II’s elite gridiron programs — also happen to be one of the best local options during a wild weekend, given that CU is at Oregon; CSU is at Middle Tennessee; and UNC is visiting Cody Hawkins’ squad at Idaho State. The Orediggers have won six of the last eight in the series, including four straight, and haven’t lost to CSU Pueblo on the road since 2017.

Week 5 (Sept. 28-30)

When: TBD, Sept. 30

Why you can’t miss it: CU has never beaten USC in football. Deion Sanders has never faced USC as a head coach. Lincoln Riley vs. Coach Prime is going to have the networks salivating, even if the Buffs happen to be 1-4 or 0-5 going into the weekend. And they shouldn’t be.

Week 6 (Oct. 5-7)

Wyoming vs. Fresno State

When: TBD, Oct. 7

Where: Memorial Stadium, Laramie, Wyo.

Lowest get-in price as of Week 1 (VividSeats.com): $20

Why you can’t miss it: The Pokes haven’t beaten the ‘Dogs since 2014. They haven’t scored a touchdown on Fresno since 2017. And they haven’t won a game in this series in Laramie since 1996. Something’s gotta give, right?

Week 7 (Oct. 12-14)

CU vs. Stanford

When: 8 p.m., Oct. 13

Lowest get-in price as of Week 1 (VividSeats.com): $142

Why you can’t miss it: Welcome to Friday the 13th, under the lights, and welcome to what might be the only home Pac-12 game in which the Buffs are actually the favorites going in.

Week 8 (Oct. 19-21)

Western Colorado vs. New Mexico Highlands

When: 1 p.m., Oct. 21

Where: Mountaineer Bowl, Gunnison

Lowest get-in price as of Week 1 (for an adult, via Western Colorado athletics): $10

Why you can’t miss it: Western wideout Victory David is a threat to take it to the house — and get you out of your seat — every time he touches the rock. The Nevada speedster, who also ran track for the Mountaineers as a freshman and sophomore, led the RMAC last fall in kick return average (32.0) and longest return (100 yards).

Week 9 (Oct. 26-28)

CSU vs. Air Force

When: 5 p.m., Oct. 28

Lowest get-in price as of Week 1 (VividSeats.com): $31

Why you can’t miss it: Good news for Rams faithful? Over the last 20 tussles in the rivalry, dating back to 2002, whenever CSU scores at least 28 points, it’s got a 5-1 record in the series. Less good? CSU’s managed to hit that mark just three times since 2010 and has averaged just 18.3 points vs. the Zoomies over its last four meetings.

Week 10 (Nov. 2-4)

CSU at Wyoming

When: 5 p.m., Nov. 3

Lowest get-in price as of Week 1 (VividSeats.com): $27

Why you can’t miss it: Because even if Norvell and Wyo coach Craig Bohl seem to like each other, their respective fan bases absolutely, unequivocally, do not. And never, ever will.

Air Force vs. Army

When : 12:30 p.m., Nov. 4

Where : Empower Field at Mile High

Lowest get-in price as of Week 1 (VividSeats.com) : $40

Why you can’t miss it : Two games in one weekend? Well, when the service academies meet at the Broncos’ stadium — an Empower Field first — with the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy potentially on the line, that’s a can’t miss.

Week 11 (Nov. 9-11)

CU vs. Arizona

When: TBD, Nov. 11

Lowest get-in price as of Week 1 (VividSeats.com): $48

Why you can’t miss it: You like points? You like tempo? This might be the game for you. New Buffs offensive coordinator Sean Lewis ran an average of 75.1 plays per game last fall at Kent State, while Arizona coach Jedd Fisch snapped it 70 times per tilt. First one to 30 points wins.

Week 12 (Nov. 16-18)

CSU vs. Nevada

When: 1 p.m., Nov. 18

Lowest get-in price as of Week 1 (VividSeats.com): $26

Why you can’t miss it: If things break right, CSU could have a chance to lock down bowl eligibility in its home finale. If things don’t, well, at least Rams fans can express their love for Wolf Pack coach Ken Wilson in person, especially if he goes after Norvell during pregame again.

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For a Florida Gator fan, a 60,000-mile road trip leads to 77 games — and a Georgia title

On the day the college football season began, Ben Chase — a 33-year-old lawyer from Florida who was living in Arizona and had recently lost his job — posted a video on social media.

“I’m going on a little bit of a road trip,” he said.

This was an understatement, kind of like saying Bear Bryant had a little bit of a following in Alabama, or the Stanford band had a little bit of a role in a memorable play, or — since Chase is a Florida Gators fan — Tim Tebow created a little bit of a stir while in Gainesville.

That day Chase hopped in “Betty White” — what he calls his white 2017 Dodge Caravan — and drove about four hours from Tucson to Las Cruces, New Mexico, where he watched New Mexico State lose 23-12 to Nevada.

On Monday, Chase and Betty White were in Los Angeles for the final game of the college football season , Texas Christian against Georgia .

In between, he went to 75 other games, from coast to coast, from games like Auburn vs. Alabama in Tuscaloosa to ones like Stonehill vs. St. Francis in Loretto, Pennsylvania.

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There were times when Chase managed to make it to six games in a week. Seven times he went to two games in one day, always making it to the second game in time for kickoff and never leaving any game before the final whistle.

Along the way, he and Betty White blew past what had been touted as the record for most epic college football road trip ever — two brothers driving 25,000 miles to attend 50 games in 2016 .

He drove more than 60,000 miles — including 6,000 on a rental car after Betty blew her transmission in Georgia, on the way to a game in Ohio — and was in the stands for 77 games in 75 different stadiums, involving 115 teams.

“That’s like 115 religions — 115 sects of our culture, our country,” he said.

Started with bus rides to UCF games

To understand his love of college football, maybe it makes sense to start with his childhood in Orlando.

His parents divorced when he was about 2. His mother worked multiple jobs to make ends meet. In elementary school, he went to an afterschool program that on weekends took kids to UCF football games. This was before UCF built a stadium, back when it played football games off campus at the Citrus Bowl.

“They never could fill the stadium,” Chase said. “So if we wanted to go, all we had to do was show up at the local community center. We’d hop on a bus. They’d give us food before the game. We got shirts and would sit behind the goalposts.”

He was hooked — and maybe not just on college football, but on the adventure of getting to a game.

In middle school, one of the teachers at his school became sort a father figure. He was a UCF grad. So he’d have Chase tag along for games and help with the setting up of another key piece of the college football experience – pregame tailgating.

After high school, Chase worked at Disney before heading to Valencia College in Orlando and then UF. While in Gainesville, he not only went to home sporting events, he and his friends often piled in a car and made long road trips. He enjoyed that part of it. The long drive, even if it didn’t lead to the outcome he’d hoped for.

“The year I graduated, we went 4-8 and Florida State won the national championship,” he said, adding with a little bit of sarcasm: “So it was a great year.”

When he ended up at George Washington for law school, he’d hop in his car and drive the nearly 800 miles back to Gainesville for a game. When he started tweeting about his trips, people followed along. In 2020, when the Gators played at College Station, Texas and he drove from Orlando overnight, through parts of a hurricane, some Florida State fans sent him money via Venmo “because they thought it was the stupidest thing ever.”

People also kept sending him Reddit posts of a map of the “ultimate college football road trip.”

But who has the time and money to do something like that?

In August, he got the time. He had been working for a company creating programs related to the NCAA’s relatively new Name, Image, Likness (NIL) policy. When he was let go, he applied to a few other jobs – but he also looked at the “ultimate college football road trip” map and read about the two brothers who had been to 50 games in a season.

He decided he wanted to go to 60 games. And he wasn’t going to simply do the most efficient itinerary. He was going to make a plan — but, to a degree, he also was going to wing it.

“Can I afford this?” he said in the video he posted on Aug. 27. “Absolutely not.”

In the end, a Georgia game

I tried to meet up with Chase when I went to the Army-Navy game in Philadelphia in early December. He, of course, was there. It just didn’t work out. But we caught up by phone a few days before the national title game.

He was in Frisco, Texas, crashing at a friend’s place before finishing off the road trip.

When he started, Betty White had 74,000-some miles on her odometer. Now that’s over 127,000. There have been a few times, he says, “when Betty has not been in the best of moods.”

Still, she made it this far. And in the last five months, he also successfully fit in three weddings (he says he’s grateful to the brides for scheduling Sunday weddings) and, just for fun, a couple of basketball games. He made it to several states he hadn’t seen before – adding the ones needed to be able to say he’d set foot in all of the Lower 48 — and touched the water in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

He bought gas for everywhere from $2.30 a gallon to $7.50 a gallon. He does not know how much he has spent total.

“I don’t want to look,” he said. “I’ve maxed out two credit cards. I’ve paid some of it off. But I’ll look at that stuff in February when I have an income.”

He has saved money by spending close to 100 nights sleeping in his minivan in Walmart parking lots and truck stops. And he figures he’s only paid for tickets for 14 of the 77 games.

When he went to that first game, he walked up to a tailgate party and asked if they had any extra tickets. They gave him one. And that has continued, particularly as word of his trip spread. Some schools have given him tickets. When he went to a game at Benedict College, a track coach walked him in through a gate.

When he went to a Central Michigan game, the head coach — former UF coach Jim McElwain — invited him to stay at his home.

He, of course, included a Florida game (the Gators’ opener, a 29-26 victory against Utah ) and a UCF game ( a 41-19 victory against SMU) . But he points to a Florida State game against LSU in New Orleans — a blocked extra point to win the game — as one of the most memorable.

Ask him about the most memorable atmospheres and while he starts with a disclaimer — these were his experiences for these particular games, yours may vary — and he mentions a night game at Auburn, the Penn State White Out, the Michigan Maize Out, and the Army-Navy meeting in Philly.

He says that if there’s one game he could picture trying to get to every year it’s Army-Navy.

But he keeps coming back to his road trip to Texas for a TCU game at Baylor — and not just because it ended in such dramatic fashion, with TCU kicking a walk-off field goal to preserve its then-unbeaten record.

He described the Baylor Line — a tradition where thousands of new students run across the field to create a human tunnel for the team to run through — and said “it’s the only place I’ve been to that the crowd is yelling something on every defensive play.”

Along the way, he’s done quite a few interviews. One time he made the mistake of reading some of the comments. Someone said something along the lines of “imagine this is what you’re known for.”

That inspired him to do what the afterschool program did for him. Get kids to a game. Before a game at the University of South Florida, he posted a video about hoping bring about 70 kids to the game. The USF athletic director contacted him and the school ended up taking care of the tickets.

He’s gotten all kinds of other messages from people who say they’re traveling vicariously, following along all the way to SoFi Stadium.

He did buy a ticket in advance for the championship game. When it turned into the TCU Horned Frogs against the Georgia Bulldogs, the Gator fan knew which team he’d be rooting for.

He arrived in Los Angeles, wearing purple and screaming for “the underfrogs.”

Throughout the season, people kept asking him if he was going to include a Georgia game. He didn’t come to Jacksonville for the Florida-Georgia game. He was out West, wrapping up a three-games-in-three-days trip with a return to Tucson for USC vs. Arizona. He kept saying he’d end up seeing the Bulldogs eventually.

“I knew this was the inevitable outcome,” he said before the title game. “The fairytale ending to this road trip is seeing my archrival lose the national championship. I don’t expect that to happen, but … TCU is 2-0 with me in attendance.”

That ending didn't happen. But as he was watching Georgia roll to 65-7 victory, the biggest blowout of the 77 games he saw this season, he tweeted an update about where he's heading soon: "I'm excited to announce that it's time to go home. I've officially accepted the position of Director of NIL Strategy at my Alma Mater the University of Florida ..."

That, he said, is the dream. And no matter the ending to the road trip, it lived up to his hopes.

One of my questions for him was: Did it ruin his love of college football? Or did it add to it?

That was one of my concerns when I spent a year traveling to national parks. I worried that maybe it would make me less excited about visiting parks. It didn’t. And traveling to 77 games in one season didn’t make Chase want to spend next fall avoiding games.

“It only made me fall in love with the traditions of college sports even more,” he said. “My thesis of this trip was that college football brings people together more than anything in our country. And this trip only strengthened that belief. … I just want more.”

While he’s planning to move back to Florida, he’s hoping that in the long term what he did the last five months can lead to even more adventures. He’d like to pitch a TV show that is sort of Anthony Bourdain meets college sports. But first he plans to take a brief break, maybe with another road trip.

“I’ll probably just go to the Grand Canyon and turn my phone off for a day,” he said.

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College Football 2023: Realignment Dominates, On And Off The Field

Visiting fans will have to travel further than ever before after latest reshuffling.

As the temperatures (slowly) become cooler and the days become shorter, fall brings the promise of football and the pageantry of the college game — an experience unmatched almost anywhere in sports. Tailgating is a four-day weekend where the sport is a religion and for an elite few, the idea of a national championship sits atop the list of desired outcomes at season’s end.

And as college football undergoes historic changes, the theme of change just like the leaves on a tree in the fall months is at the top of mind of every fan. This year, the Big 12 has 14 members with BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and the University of Central Florida joining. The American Athletic Conference, having lost Cincinnati, Houston and UCF, welcomes six new schools in Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Rice, Alabama-Birmingham and the University of Texas-San Antonio. And Conference USA, which lost those six schools to the AAC, bring in four new members in Jacksonville State, Liberty, New Mexico State and Sam Houston.

Confused? It doesn’t stop there. Recent seismic shifts at the top of the sport have college football on the cusp of a generational if not a geographic shift. It is the final year for Oklahoma and Texas in the Big 12 before both leave for the Southeastern Conference; the Pac-12, meanwhile, will lose UCLA, USC, Oregon and Washington to the Big Ten plus Arizona, Arizona State, Utah and Colorado to the Big 12. When the 2024 season kicks off, the Big 12 will have 16 teams, the Big Ten will have 18 and who’s to say the Pac-12 will even be around?

Oh, well. That’s a concern for another day. Instead, let’s look at the issue from the vantage points of college towns that this fall will see something new, goodbye for pastures new and deal with the current uncertainty the best they can by trying to wrap their heads around the rapid pace of change.

[Related: Realignmen’s Toll on The Most Historic, Unknown Trophy in Sports]

A New Adventure Beckons

BYU has football tradition, claiming a national championship in 1984. Being a Mormon campus brings a unique gameday atmosphere, with no alcohol served on university property. But “once they’re inside the stadium, they’re just as passionate and crazy and loud as any football fan would be,” said Lee Adamson , executive director of Visit Utah Valley . “The game day atmosphere is great in Provo.”

This year the atmosphere has a new level of anticipation. BYU went independent in football in 2011 but this year starts play as a full member of the Big 12 Conference.

“It elevates BYU and elevates Provo in visibility,” Adamson said. “It’s obviously bigger teams, bigger alumni, bigger fan bases that are following the teams in the Big 12. We’re really excited to welcome those groups here.”

BYU’s inaugural season in the Big 12 brings home games against Cincinnati, Texas Tech, Iowa State and most notably Oklahoma on November 18. “The Oklahoma game is going to be awesome having a team of that caliber and tradition,” Adamson said. “It’ll be a hard one to get (tickets to).”

But while BYU is in its first year as a Power 5 member, it has hosted plenty of big-name opponents since Kalani Sitake took over as head coach seven years ago. In that stretch, the Cougars have hosted UCLA in 2016, Wisconsin in 2017, USC and Washington on back-to-back weeks in 2019, Arizona State and Virginia in 2021 and both Baylor and Arkansas last season.

“During the independence era, we had big-name teams coming into Provo and a lot of teams from the Pac-12,” Adamson said. “And we had big alumni bases come in and those were so much fun. But it’s been a long time since we were able to consistently showcase this area and especially from the Big 12 footprint.”

While maybe not on the scale of the Big 12, the AAC’s realignment gives UAB and Memphis the chance to renew a burgeoning Group of 5 rivalry. Last played in 2012, Memphis and UAB have been two of the better Group of 5 teams in the past seven seasons.

This year’s game at Protective Stadium in Birmingham may be even more anticipated for what’s at stake: The Battle for the Bones, a trophy that features a slab of ribs going to the winner on the field with a sanctioned rib cookoff outside the stadium before the game.

“I think there’s a real excitement and the proof will be in the pudding, but I think people are definitely going to come out,” said David Galbaugh , vice president of sports sales and marketing for the Greater Birmingham CVB . “I think fans are really excited about what Protective Stadium has brought to the table in terms of tailgating opportunities and restaurants and things around the stadium. The attendance is growing and I think there’s going to be a real appeal and a real excitement about UAB moving into a different conference as well.”

Birmingham’s location makes it a bit unique as a college football market. It has UAB and its conference move to the American, which is a more prominent league than Conference USA, but it also sees significant visitation in the fall from fans who stay in the city for the weekend but attend games 45 minutes away in Tuscaloosa, home to the powerhouse Alabama program.

[From 2022: Why College Conference Realignment Reshapes the Sports Tourism Landscape]

“I think it just speaks to the culture of collegiate sports and particularly football in Birmingham and around the Southeast,” Galbaugh said. “Particularly LSU, Tennessee, Auburn, when they come in, that really affects Birmingham and it affects our hotel occupancy in a very positive way.”

One Crimson Tide home game in particular this season will help Birmingham’s hotel occupancy this fall: the September 9 home game against Texas, which this season is a non-conference game but gives a preview of next season when the Longhorns join the SEC.

“I think some of our properties already sold out and I don’t know if that’s completely driven all by Texas, but I know it plays a role,” Galbaugh said. “I’ve seen the fan base with Oklahoma, they’re just out in rabid force as well. I expect whenever they come into Tuscaloosa, Birmingham’s going to see residual impact for that.”

Oklahoma and Texas are rabid fan bases, to be sure. This year, those fan bases will be seeing some Big 12 towns for the final time. And the towns home to those schools will also have the same experience when it comes to visitation — while planning for a highly anticipated future.

Time to Move On

From Longhorn City Limits, which ties into some of the things that make Austin so famous, to Bevo Boulevard for fans of all ages, “the gameday experience at UT is second to none and that’s why they make a good fit with the SEC culturally,” said Drew Hays , director of the Austin Sports Commission .

So while this year’s Texas schedule includes final road stops at Baylor, Houston (a new Big 12 school), TCU and Iowa State, this season is a mix for fans with a little bit of sadness for saying goodbye to rivalries but high levels of anticipation for the Longhorns’ SEC future.

If anything, there may be as much anticipation for Texas’ home games in the Big 12. For Kansas, Kansas State and Texas Tech, it will be the final visit to Austin in conference play (Texas also hosts new Big 12 member BYU).

“I definitely think you’re going to see a lot of Big 12 fan bases travel to Austin being that it may be the last game they’ll match up with UT,” Hays said. “Then when you look at 2024, there’s a whole new set of fan bases that may never have been to Austin before.”

Visits from LSU in 2019 and Alabama in 2022 also hint at what Texas’ SEC future will mean for fall visitation. The average daily room rate for Austin’s central business district was $370.42 for LSU’s visiting weekend and $367.47 for Alabama last year. The occupancy rate for LSU was 97.5% and for Alabama it was 81.6% (which is in part because of a big increase of hotel supply downtown from 2019 to 2022).

Which leads to one of the other sports tourism-related questions that all of this conference realignment brings: How far can you expect fans to travel?

“If you’re a casual fan, you’re probably going to remain at home no matter what,” Hays said. “What it’s going to affect is the diehard fans who would go drive for a few hours and then drive back if they didn’t want to stay overnight. If you’re a USC or UCLA fan, your closest option soon may be Lincoln, Nebraska, which is (1,500) miles. The whole realignment process is going to put a new twist on how you’re going to travel to collegiate sports.”

And there’s one school where the fan base faces a much-changed future if it wants to travel to conference road games.

No More Car Adventures

They’re in the Pac-12. Then they were headed to the Big Ten. Then it looked like maybe the Pac-12 would survive. Then they were headed east again. And now, future travel could mean some big trips for its fan base.

Welcome to life as a Ducks fan in Eugene, Oregon, where the program has become a national presence in football and beyond for more than two decades thanks to its billionaire benefactor. After a whirlwind summer, Oregon will soon join Washington, USC and UCLA as new members of the Big Ten, leaving the Pac-12 that it called home since 1964.

“Football has always been really strong in the fall honestly from a hotel restaurant and overall tourism standpoint,” said JB Carney , senior director of sports for the Eugene, Cascades and Coast Sports Commission . “It’s always been extremely important for the community and not just Eugene proper, but Springfield and some of the smaller communities that see an uptick. College football and the Ducks are just a big, big part of the local tourism economy and a huge driver for economic impact in the fall.”

With Oregon leaving for the Big Ten, the question becomes how will that affect fan visitation in the future. One example is the Ducks’ game November 11 at home against USC, which was going to be the Trojans’ final true road game at a Pac-12 opponent (USC does play another road game the following week but it will be against intra-city rival UCLA). Oregon’s game against USC will be the first time the Trojans have been in Eugene since the 2015 season.

The atmosphere would have been one of anticipation not only because of the game’s conference title implications but the final chance for the two fan bases to compete on the football field. Now, suddenly, the teams will be in the same conference moving forward. Instead, home games against Colorado, Washington State, Cal and in-state rival Oregon State will be “goodbye” games.

“People who in the last couple of years may not have traveled down and stayed the night that are Duck fans from other communities may reconsider knowing that things are going to change long-term and may not be the same,” Carney said. “The flip side is people say ‘I’m done with this whole mess.’ With media contracts and the way games are televised, sometimes it’s just easier to stay at home and watch. It’ll be really, really interesting, this year in particular with all the unknowns.”

The changes leave Carney, a self-admitted fan of college sports more than any pro sports, wondering what the future holds. “There’s something about being on campus in the fall for a big football game and the pomp and circumstance that’s around college football,” as he remembered attending Oklahoma State.

“Because of the regional nature of conferences, historically, I think it allowed for college kids to be able to hop in a car on Friday night and make the trip up to Lawrence or Lincoln or drive down to Austin and watch the game,” Carney said. “As we look at college football and the conferences that are spread out … I could eat my words, I don’t anticipate an Indiana, a Purdue, really traveling in heavy numbers to come to Eugene and vice versa.

“Getting down to San Francisco, L.A., even Tempe and Tucson, is a little different than flying across the country to visit Chicago or further than that. You’re removing the ability to travel to a game by car. Maybe fans pick that one game a season that they’re willing to go across the country for and see a new stadium and a new town, but I don’t know if season-ticket holders are going to travel to every road game if you’re talking about traveling out of the Pacific Time Zone.”

What Carney and Hays mention is the heart of the issue for college sports. Will there be more money for the schools? Absolutely. But what is undetermined for the destinations involved is what changes will result in fan visitation and the moments and memories that make college football such a compelling sport.

“Some of the changes with OU and Texas moving into the SEC, it’s not that far a stretch,” Carney said. “But when you talk about West Coast schools joining the Big Ten, it’s a little bit different. Will it continue to be a major (tourism) driver and especially from the tourism standpoint, really provide that economic boost that it’s done for a long time? I don’t know. I’m interested to see what happens.”

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College Football Road Trips

Tuesday, january 2, 2024, sugar bowl (cfp semifinal): washington vs texas (2024).

Year: 2024

Saturday, December 2, 2023

Pac 12 championship game: washington vs. oregon (2023).

Appalachian State (Sun Belt) 2023

Team: Appalachian State Mountaineers

Tuesday, October 10, 2023

University of north carolina (acc) 2023.

Friday, September 22, 2023

Arkansas (sec) 2023.

Team: Arkansas Razorbacks

Monday, September 4, 2023

Illinois (big 10) 2023.

Team: Illinois Fighting Illini

Sunday, November 27, 2022

Minnesota vikings.

Team: Minnesota Vikings

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Are Utah or BYU games more fun for fans? I asked a man on an epic college football road trip

Rodger sherman left his job at the ringer to go on a college football fan’s dream journey.

Fans watch the BYU-Washington college football game in LaVell Edwards Stadium on Sept. 21, 2019, in Provo, Utah.

By Kelsey Dallas

Rodger Sherman became famous for his takes on college football without ever leaving his couch. Over the past decade, he watched and wrote about hundreds of games, but only rarely had a chance to actually cheer along with fans or eat at concession stands.

Earlier this year, Sherman decided that he desperately needed to visit the stadiums he’d spent hours watching on TV, even if it meant forgoing a paycheck and being away from his wife and dogs for long stretches. He quit his job at The Ringer and started planning an exciting, exhausting, almost unbelievable college football road trip.

When I got ahold of Sherman on Wednesday, he’d just returned to the road from a short stop for gas. I could hear his GPS chirping as he described his upcoming plans.

Sherman, 33, was on his way to Middle Tennessee State University for a rare Wednesday night game. He was going to watch the school take on Jacksonville State before making his way to four more college football games over the next three days.

By the end of this weekend, Sherman will have been to 20 games in six weeks. He’s tired and even a bit traumatized from all the driving, but he’s still in love with the trip.

“It’s terrifying and exhausting, but it’s also incredible. I’ve always wanted to do something like this,” said Sherman, who attended journalism school at Northwestern University but never had a traditional sports reporting job at a paper.

On our call, I asked Sherman about how he plans each weekend’s journey and what he listens to on the road. I asked him about his experience at Utah at the end of August and at BYU last week. And I asked him to tell me, a sports and religion writer who works from home, why it’s worth it to leave the couch.

Here’s what he said.

Kelsey Dallas: Why did you want to do this?

Rodger Sherman: I’ve been writing about football for about a decade, but it was more like blogging. It didn’t involve a lot of travel.

And the thing about college football is that the environments are very special. The atmospheres are incredible. You can see the mountains by the Utah and BYU stadiums on TV, but you can’t fully appreciate them unless you’re there.

So I decided after seeing all these places on TV that I needed to go and actually see what they were like. I wanted to feel what it was like to be in the crowd, not up in the press box or on my couch.

KD: Is it living up to your expectations?

RS: Absolutely. I’ve gone to 15 games so far, and I still get a rush when I get into a stadium and see 60,000+ people wearing the same color of clothing. It’s a wall of color and noise.

Every place is unique. Every place has its own feel to it. It doesn’t get tiring, because every place has something you’ve never seen before.

KD: How do you pick which games to go to?

RS: A few factors go into it. The most important thing is what games are happening on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. There aren’t a lot of games on those nights, so you choose one and map around it.

Another factor is whether I know somebody with an extra ticket for a game or somebody who lives near a game who will let me sleep on their couch. Convenience and money are pretty heavy factors.

And then there are also just a few games that I’m going to go to no matter how much it costs because I’ve always wanted to see them.

This year, that includes some rivalry games that won’t exist any more after this season because of conference realignment, like Oklahoma-Oklahoma State, Oregon-Oregon State and Washington-Washington State. Seeing those games this year will be a once-in-a-lifetime moment.

KD: Do you try to sit in a certain spot in each stadium?

RS: I’m just looking for the cheapest ticket. I don’t need the seats to be good, since being in the stadium and feeling the atmosphere is as important as being close to the game.

Really high seats are awesome at Utah because you can see the mountains over the rim of the stadium. I was totally fine not being down by the field.

KD: Tell me more about your experience at the Utah-Florida game. What stood out to you?

RS: Like I said, I had the perfect view from up top. That backdrop is something you don’t get on TV or at most other stadiums.

Utah’s stadium definitely feels underrated.

If you look at the way they win games there, their style of play, the altitude, the crowd noise — those things come together and make it one of the most annoying places for a visiting team. You can feel it when you’re there. It really deserves a little bit more credit.

ITS BEAUTIFUL pic.twitter.com/oGzePHvMJS — Rodger Sherman (@rodger) September 1, 2023

KD: How does Utah compare to BYU? You saw BYU last week.

RS: The pregame atmospheres were very different. I was handed several beers in the parking lot at Utah. I was handed zero beers in the parking lot at BYU.

I was impressed with both stadiums. They’re both intimidating places to play. Both have the altitude factor and extremely loud fans.

KD: But what if someone had to choose between going to a Utah game or a BYU game? Which one would you recommend?

RS: I guess I’m trying to be political. Here’s the distinction I’ll make: Utah was a better football experience, but BYU was a better experience experience.

I was really impressed with the show BYU put on, like with Cosmo jumping over fire and the fire dancers. The student section is ridiculous.

But at Utah, I was more locked into the game.

Utah reminds me of some of the other stadiums I’ve seen; BYU is its own world. I am really glad I got to experience it.

Part of the goal of this trip is to go to places that are one-of-a-kind and show me something I’m not going to get anyplace else in the sport. I think BYU fits that description a little bit more than Utah.

KD: I admit I was pressuring you to say something controversial.

RS: BYU and Utah both have great fan bases, and the fan bases don’t like each other. But what’s really interesting about the rivalry is the religious overtones.

It was interesting talking to (Latter-day Saint) people who are Utah fans about how and why they came to care about Utah as opposed to BYU. And then I asked non-(Latter-day Saint) people about what their experience is like with BYU.

I can’t experience those kinds of conversations anywhere else.

I’m really glad Utah and BYU will continue to play each other in the future. It’s much better to actually play each other in a game than to let a random sports writer decide which one is better.

Game #14. They let me on TV. @BYUSportsNation pic.twitter.com/GRsD4mkAa9 — Rodger Sherman (@rodger) September 30, 2023

KD: How do you travel from game to game? Are you always driving?

RS: I’m based in New York, which I’ve found is not a convenient starting point. I flew to my first game of the season (in Week 0) at Vanderbilt in Nashville, and I also flew to BYU because the ticket was free since I was appearing on their pregame show.

When I went to see Utah in Week 1, I drove and it was too much. It took three days to get there from New York, and it was not exactly the most enjoyable drive. There was so much corn and so many mountains.

It scarred me a little. It was a warning. It was like, “Caution. Don’t try this again.”

Now I won’t drive more than eight hours on most days.

KD: Will you be going to bowl games, too?

RS: Yes, I’m planning to go to at least 10 bowls.

RS: It’s always fun when people respond to my plans with horror.

KD: Sorry. It’s just that I can’t imagine being away from home so often. I’m definitely a homebody.

RS: I’m also a homebody. I like staying at home. But if you’re going to force yourself out of the house, you should just max it out.

KD: Let’s wrap up with some rapid-fire questions. What’s the best concession stand snack you’ve had so far?

RS: Most of the time, I eat outside the stadium. But I’d say the pepperoni roll at West Virginia. It’s a hot piece of bread filled with cheese and pepperoni.

The concession stand items at BYU ... there was just so much sugar, man. I do not understand. Do people eat “ Cougar Tails ” by themselves over the course of football games?

When I have too much sugar, I feel physically uncomfortable, and that’s how I felt after eating half of a Cougar Tail.

After 24 hours in Provo this tweet makes so much sense https://t.co/CFmV2igg20 — Rodger Sherman (@rodger) September 29, 2023

KD: What’s the worst state to drive through?

RS: The drive to and from Utah involved a long stretch of Nebraska. It was really, really exhausting.

KD: What’s the best song to listen to during a road trip?

RS: This rental car has satellite radio on it and, for whatever reason, this one station keeps playing “ You Get What You Give ” from the New Radicals. It’s firing me up.

I was also given a recommendation by Ben Chase , who did a college football road trip last season and inspired me to listen to boy bands and ’90s pop music when you’re driving late at night and feeling tired. That has proven to be an extremely useful tip.

KD: What’s your biggest regret so far?

RS: I’ve got two of them. Two big ones.

I drove through Nebraska to make it to the Utah game, and I was in Lincoln, Nebraska, the day before they played that record-setting volleyball game in Memorial Stadium. I should have figured out a way to stay for that game and still make it to Utah.

Then, last Saturday, I went to Colorado-USC and I should have gone to the Air Force game that night. I did Colorado and failed to double up.

KD: What’s been your favorite moment so far?

RS: It was singing “ Country Roads ” with West Virginia fans after West Virginia beat Pitt for the first time in over a decade.

KD: Do you know what’s next for you after college football season ends?

RS: I don’t know what I’m doing after this. I’d like to cover the Olympics next year, but it’s just a vague plan.

ACC Network Unveils Season-Long Travel Plans for ACC Huddle and ACC PM ; Kelsey Riggs Named New Huddle Host

Wes Durham and Taylor Tannebaum to join ACC Primetime Football
ACCN’s Football Road Trip to visit all 14 ACC campuses for a third straight year, Aug. 7-24
Multi-part All Access with Carolina Football series debuts Thursday at 4 p.m. ET
New ACCN football anthem “Come for It All” debuts

ACC Network unveiled a series of exciting programming announcements and initiatives in anticipation of the 2023 college football season as ACC Football Kickoff officially started Tuesday in Charlotte, N.C. For the first time in the Network’s history, two of ACCN’s signature programs, ACC Huddle and ACC PM , will travel to game sites each week this fall, and Kelsey Riggs will serve as the new host of ACC Huddle . It was also announced that longtime ACC football voice Wes Durham will call ACC Primetime Football games with Taylor Tannebaum serving as the new sideline reporter in addition to her ACC PM co-host role.

ACC Huddle and ACC PM to Travel All Season; Kelsey Riggs Named New Huddle Host

Two of ACC Network’s signature programs, ACC Huddle and ACC PM , will travel to college football game sites every week of the regular season this fall for the first time in the Network’s history. A year ago, ACC Huddle and ACC PM , the network’s newest studio show, originated from ACC campuses six times in the regular season in addition to the ACC Football Championship Game.

Kelsey Riggs , the popular host/reporter who has been a part of ACC Network since launch in 2019, will be the new host of ACC Huddle . She will be joined by analysts Eric Mac Lain , EJ Manuel , Mark Richt and Eddie Royal. The show will be live every Saturday from the site of the ACC Primetime Football game from 11 a.m. – noon ET and continuing with wall-to-wall coverage throughout the day featuring halftime reports, a primetime show from 6:30-8 p.m., and a one-hour show at the end of the day recapping all of the ACC football action and featuring live on set interviews with winning players and coaches.

Entering its sophomore season, ACC PM will feature co-hosts Mark Packer and Taylor Tannebaum . The football-focused weekday show will continue to deliver news and commentary from around the ACC, weekdays from 4-7 p.m. on ACCN. Friday editions will join ACC Huddle on the road at ACC campus sites this fall, while Monday through Thursday editions will originate from Packer’s basement studio in Charlotte.

ACC Huddle and ACC PM will be live from Blacksburg, Va., in Week 1 before ACC Primetime Football ’s season-opening Old Dominion at Virginia Tech matchup on Sept. 2 (8 p.m., ACCN), followed by trips to Tallahassee on Sept. 9 (Southern Miss at Florida State) and Clemson on Sept. 16 (FAU at Clemson).

Wes Durham and Taylor Tannebaum to Join Tim Hasselbeck on ACC Primetime Football

Wes Durham , who has called ACC football games for nearly three decades and has been a prominent voice on ACCN since launch in 2019, will be the new play-by-play voice of ACC Primetime Football games this fall, joining analyst Tim Hasselbeck in the booth. ACC PM ’s Taylor Tannebaum will also be part of the primetime announce team as the new sideline reporter. Their first Saturday night game will be the Hokies’ Lane Stadium opener in Blacksburg against Old Dominion on Sept. 2 at 8 p.m.

Third Annual ACC Football Road Trip to Visit All 14 Campuses, Aug. 7-24

For the third straight year, ACCN will embark on a three-week, 14-school road trip in anticipation of the upcoming season. ACC Football Road Trip begins at Florida State in Tallahassee on Monday, Aug. 7 and concludes Thursday, Aug. 24 with a visit to the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill. ACCN will air a one-hour primetime show at 7 p.m. from each of the 14 campuses. The Road Trip will preview each team’s upcoming season and include exclusive interviews with head coaches and student-athletes, while showcasing unique aspects of each football program.

ACCN anchors and analysts scheduled to participate in the ACC Football Road Trip include Dalen Cuff , Wes Durham , Roddy Jones , Eric Mac Lain , EJ Manuel , Mark Packer , Mark Richt , Kelsey Riggs , Eddie Royal and Taylor Tannebaum . The complete schedule is listed below.

2023 ACC Football Road Trip Schedule:

*Commentator schedules subject to change

All Access with Carolina Football Debuts Thursday at 4 p.m.

ACC Network’s new multi-part series All Access with Carolina Football will offer a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the North Carolina football program leading into the 2023 season ( Preview ). The first episode (30 min.) will premiere exclusively on ACC Network on Thursday, July 27, at 4 p.m. at the conclusion of ACC Kickoff coverage. Part 2 (one hour) will air at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 24 (following the ACC Football Road Trip special spotlighting the Tar Heels).

Part 1 of All Access introduces new members of the UNC program and shows how players spend their free time, while Hall of Fame head coach Mack Brown evaluates the offseason. Notable scenes include:

Quarterback Drake Maye, linebacker Cedric Gray and many others mic’d up during the Spring Game
Access with athletes at the ACC Unity Tour in Washington, D.C.
Spring Game film room session with coaches
Exclusive footage from players’ summer abroad studies

ACCN Debuts New “Come For It All” Football Anthem

ACC Network has debuted its 2023 football anthem, an evolution of its “Come for It All” brand platform. The new spots – voiced by ACCN analyst and Florida State legend EJ Manuel – lean into the pageantry, traditions, community and how ACC fans and teams deliver the “IT” factor – that special ACC feeling. The storytelling is complemented by the song “Hope” by rapper NF.

The anthem will continue to run through preseason ACCN programming and serve as a brand message throughout the season across multiple platforms. Watch .

Bill Hofheimer

Related media kits.

ACC Network

Related bios.

ESPN and ACC Network Play-by-Play Voice

Kelsey Riggs

Host/Anchor/Reporter

Taylor Tannebaum

ACC Network Host/Reporter

In-Person Schedule for 2024 Season

2023 Year in Review

2023 – Best Of List
Game 25 Report – Oregon State Beavers
Game 24 Report – Oregon Ducks

College Football Road Trip

Visiting all 134 FBS College Football Stadiums

Statistics to recap all the trips that were taken in 2023:

Stadiums Visited This Year – 5 Stadiums Visited Total – 23 States Visited This Year – 4 States Visited Total – 19 Miles Traveled This Year – 9,974 Miles Traveled Total – 38,939 (Miles calculate travel to cities, not travel while in the city.)

Home Team Winning Percentage This Year – 2-3; .400 Wins – West Virginia, Oregon; Losses – Pittsburgh, Navy, Oregon State Home Team Winning Percentage Total – 11-14; .440 Favored Team Winning Percentage This Year – 3-2; .600 Wins – West Virginia, Air Force, Oregon; Losses – Pittsburgh, Oregon State Favored Team Winning Percentage Total – 19-6; .760

Women’s Volleyball Game Attended – 1

Women’s Basketball Games Attended – 1

Men’s Basketball Games Attended – 1

← 2023 – Best Of List
In-Person Schedule for 2024 Season →

The ultimate college football road trip: Why a sportswriter quit his job to take it

Rodger Sherman really loved his job.

How couldn’t he? He spent the past seven years as a staff writer at The Ringer writing about college athletics, the NFL and “The Bachelor.” His offerings ranged from entertaining power rankings to enterprise stories about a 5-foot-8 star of March Madness to think pieces asking if the grandiose Deion Sanders experiment would work at Colorado (he predicted it would, for what it’s worth). He had, if you asked any sportswriter — including Sherman — one of the coolest jobs in the industry.

Why did he quit? How could he? The magnetism of the ultimate college football road trip was something he’d always daydreamed about. He used to map out hypothetical road trips from one college football game to another on Google Maps just for fun.

“I was always planning on it sort of as a fantasy in my head,” he said.

A few months ago, Sherman told his colleagues he was quitting to embark on a four-month road trip across America to watch college football the way it should be digested: in person, with the wafting scent of tailgates and spilled beer and a collective belief that on any given day, something absolutely wild might take place. It’s no longer a fantasy or a daydream — it’s a dream he’s living day-to-day, week-to-week, truck stop-to-truck stop, podcast-to-podcast.

Like most college football enthusiasts each fall, Sherman would get the most comfortable seat in the house on Saturday: the couch. From sunup to sundown and beyond, he’d watch college football in his apartment in New York City and get to determine what storyline or event or play would drive his coverage from that weekend. The couch, he’d always tell himself, was not going anywhere.

Maybe, just maybe … he should?

Last December he told his wife, who is getting her doctorate in nursing, about this thirst to experience an entire season on the road, to ingratiate within a culture he either knows a ton about or absolutely zilch. She told him to go for it. So for the first few weeks of the season, Sherman has been binging hours of podcasts, welcoming long phone calls from friends and family members, alternating between his favorite road snacks like Costco turkey jerky and cashew clusters and putting his right foot to the floor of the trusty Toyota Corolla rental he’s been zipping around highways and byways.

So far, he’s driven through 19 states, logged somewhere around 8,200 miles and watched the home teams go 9-1.

And he’s involved followers to point him in which direction to go each week. Utilizing a 21st century social media tool belt , he asks folks to vote on which games he should attend. He’s been splicing together YouTube clips of each week’s experiences and is routinely posting on Twitter/X, Instagram and TikTok. Fan interaction is one of the reasons Sherman wanted to do this in the first place.

“There is really something to how we can use the internet to show people things they can’t see on TV and give them a full experience of what they can’t see on the TV,” he said.

The Week 4 “Road Rodge” schedule tackled a Thursday-Friday-Saturday slate of games that will take him from Coastal Carolina on Thursday to Purdue on Friday and then to Cincinnati for the Bearcats’ Big 12 opener against Oklahoma .

WEEK 4 ROAD RODGE SCHEDULE Teal Turf Thursday Big Drum Friday Cincinnati’s first Big 12 game vs. Oklahoma Saturday pic.twitter.com/LjHzJqkhG5 — Rodger Sherman (@rodger) September 19, 2023

He’s gone from New York to Salt Lake City in two days to see Utah beat Florida , hit Penn State on the way back east, got to storm the field at Duke when the Blue Devils knocked off Clemson and recently experienced the Backyard Brawl when Pitt traveled to West Virginia. He’s eaten bacon-wrapped alligator in Utah and had a Hattie B’s hot chicken sandwich in Nashville. He found out how easily you can get sunburned at altitude in Salt Lake, too.

The week-to-week slate is difficult to predict because not all games have designated kickoff times and some aren’t set until six days out. Thinking of how he might get from BYU ’s Big 12 home opener against Cincinnati on Sept. 29 to Boulder, Colo., the following morning for USC at Colorado for a 10 a.m. local kick is daunting, and frankly, potentially dangerous.

Sherman’s ultimate road trip also provides a glimpse into the shifting existence of college football as a whole. With conference realignment combining schools that have no regionality in common, this experience also proves how the sport is losing the shine that made it so compelling for so long.

“We are moving away from the era of road tripping to see your school play a conference game,” he said. “This sport is changing. The things that make this sport so road trippy are going away because it is more valuable to watch games on your couch. That’s generating the most money for the sport is if we get all the games delivered to us on TV.”

The three games Sherman said he will not allow his followers to vote him out of: the last Big 12 Bedlam rivalry between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State in Stillwater on Nov. 4, the last in-conference rivalry game between Oregon and Oregon State in Eugene on Nov. 24 and the Apple Cup between Washington and Washington State in Seattle on Nov. 25.

Initially, he planned to spend Thanksgiving in Mississippi at the Egg Bowl, but with news of the Pac-12 crumbling, he chose to come out West.

While the reward is easily seen on Sherman’s smiling face in all of his YouTube and TikTok posts, this is no easy physical feat. The biggest limitation so far, he said, is bladder size. He’s already admitted to pushing himself too hard in Week 1 and needs to prioritize rest in trying to get through the rest of the fall. He’s astonished at how quickly a car can go from clean to chaos.

In the meantime, Sherman joked that he’s waiting for a rental car company to make the most obvious sponsorship deal imaginable, but has yet to hear back. He’s keeping his fingers crossed, though. Road trips might get more hairy as the weather turns in a couple of months, but for now, he’s soaking it all in. He’s met fellow college football stadium enthusiasts who are knocking individual stadiums off their own respective bucket lists. Fans have shouted out Rodger at almost every stop, too.

There have been moments already that have left Sherman with feelings of pure validation. On his drive from Durham, N.C., to Louisville, Ky., earlier this month, he abandoned the highway and took the backroads through the Appalachian mountains. After he couldn’t get through another minute of the podcast he was listening to, he flipped over to a local public radio station. It was playing bluegrass.

“I was on winding turns of mountain roads listening to the music that was made there and being played for and by the people of that place,” he said. “Appalachia immediately jumped to the top of my power rankings. The mountains out west are pretty … but they’re intimidating in a way.”

Sherman will get reacquainted with them soon enough. The season is still young, and the road beckons.

(Photo courtesy of Rodger Sherman)

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Christopher Kamrani is a college football enterprise writer for The Athletic. He previously worked at The Salt Lake Tribune as a sports features writer and also served as the Olympics reporter. Follow Christopher on Twitter @ chriskamrani

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Big 12 Football: Best CFB Road Trips With New Teams for 2023

The Big 12 is beginning its makeover for the 2023 college football season, but the conference will once again look different when Texas and Oklahoma depart for the SEC in 2024. This one “hybrid” season provides college football fans with even more travel opportunities inside the conference with 14 possible destinations before the Longhorns and Sooners join the SEC.

With four new schools (UCF, BYU, Houston and Cincinnati) joining the Big 12, this is a perfect time to plan a few road trips for the upcoming fall. You will have your own factors to consider when constructing a trip but here is the criteria for my rankings.

Cities with a close proximity to other potential sporting events received strong consideration. For example, several Big 12 teams present the opportunity to attend a college football game on a Saturday followed by the NFL on Sunday (assuming the schedules align). Texas and Oklahoma are high on the list given the opportunity for most Big 12 fanbases to see their team play in Austin or Norman will be much more challenging after this upcoming season.

What each city has to offer is also an important factor including potential outdoor activities (hiking, skiing, going to the beach, etc.), the food scene and things to do near the campus. Finally, both the quality of the current football team combined with the gameday atmosphere and traditions were considered.

We are using the term “road trip” loosely realizing most of these destinations will be reached via plane for the majority of fans. Be sure to leave your Big 12 travel rankings in the comments below.

Here are my power rankings of Big 12 college football destinations for 2023. It is time to hit the open road.

No. 1 Texas Longhorns (Austin): Tacos, Brisket & Football

Another beautiful morning in Austin, TX 🤘 pic.twitter.com/SeJwom4996 — Texas Football (@TexasFootball) February 13, 2023

This is your last year to visit Austin with the Longhorns as a member of the Big 12. Much has been made about how the Texas atmosphere stacks up with some of the more rabid venues, but Austin remains one of the more unique cities in the United States. The combination of seeing a game at the historic Darrell K Royal Memorial Stadium while finding the best spots for tacos and brisket puts Texas atop the list.

As for the football, you will either get to watch Quinn Ewers or Arch Manning at quarterback. The one downside is the strength of Texas’ home schedule is not the greatest, especially given the rivalry matchup against Oklahoma is played at a neutral venue. Your best viewing options include BYU (October 28), Kansas State (November 4) and Texas Tech (November 24).

If your friends or family are up for a Thanksgiving road trip, you could spend the holiday in the Dallas area to watch the Cowboys annual NFL showdown at AT&T Stadium before driving to Austin for the Longhorns-Red Raiders season finale. The drive from Austin to the Dallas-Fort Worth area is a little more than three hours and can also be added to another week’s itinerary if the Cowboys are playing a home game.

No. 2 TCU (Fort Worth, Texas): The Ultimate Sports Trip With Cowboys, Mavericks & More

Not @TCUFootball casually dropping this on TikTok tonight like it’s not the hardest edit of the off-season 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/fqXRNxzPte — Melissa Triebwasser (@TheCoachMelissa) May 9, 2023

TCU finds itself a little higher on the list than a traditional season given it is coming off an appearance in the national championship game. The Horned Frogs’ ranking is bolstered by its proximity to Dallas which opens up the opportunity for an epic sports weekend with the presence of the Cowboys, Mavericks, Rangers, FC Dallas and Stars depending on when your trip takes place.

The Dallas-Fort Worth area gives you the rare opportunity to pull off two sporting events in the same day. For example, attending a Horned Frogs Saturday afternoon game followed by a Mavericks contest at night.

Once the Cowboys schedule is revealed there will likely be some overlap allowing you to attend an NFL game at Jerry’s World as well. It also does not hurt that you are close to an excellent food scene in nearby Dallas with plenty of great barbecue and Tex-Mex options.

Your PRIME TCU viewing opportunities include the season opener versus Colorado (see what we did there) on September 2, West Virginia (September 30), BYU (October 14), Texas (November 11) and Baylor (November 18).

No. 3 Oklahoma (Norman): They’ll Be Gone Soon(ers)

Like Texas, Oklahoma is on their way out of the conference, so this is your last chance (at least in the Big 12) to see the Sooner Schooner wagon roll onto Memorial Stadium. Oklahoma City is less than an hour away if you want to watch a (hopefully healthy) Chet Holmgren and the Thunder when they are in town. For the particularly ambitious crowd, Norman is also a three-hour drive to Dallas which opens up more potential opportunities for additional sporting events during a long weekend.

As for which games to attend, Oklahoma’s October 21st matchup against UCF could get particularly spicy as quarterback Dillon Gabriel goes against his former team. It will also be UCF fans’ lone chance to visit Norman unless an out-of-conference game gets scheduled down the road. Some of Oklahoma’s marquee home games include Iowa State (September 30), West Virginia (November 11) and TCU (November 24).

No. 4 UCF (Orlando, FL): Bounce House, Beaches & Disney Magic

UCF is one of the more underrated college football gameday experiences, especially for marquee games. The Bounce House lives up to its nickname as the 45,000-seat stadium literally shakes as “Zombie Nation” is played. Walk down Memory Mall at your own peril, as many over-eager younger students have struggled to make it into the stadium for the game. After all, tailgating is a marathon not a sprint.

This new addition to the Big 12 will rank even higher for families given Orlando has many tourist attractions to offer. UCF’s campus is a short drive to amusement parks like Disney World and Universal Studios.

Do yourself a favor and spend some time in the downtown and Winter Park areas. You will get to experience some of the local culture if you grow tired of the 17 Applebee’s on I-Drive. The international district offers food from all over the world and can slide under the radar on things to do in Orlando.

UCF is also just an hour drive to the beaches (Cocoa and Ormond are good starting points). If the ocean is what you crave, it is feasible to stay beachside and commute for the game of your choice. With the Magic and Orlando City, there is also plenty of overlap to expand your sports weekend. Orlando City’s new soccer-specific stadium is a gem worth checking out and within walking distance to the Amway Center where the Magic play.

If the schedules align, UCF is also two hours away from the University of Florida in Gainesville and Raymond James Stadium where the Buccaneers call home if you are craving more football. UCF’s home schedule gets an upgrade from the old AAC slate of games headlined by visits from Baylor (September 30), West Virginia (October 28) and Oklahoma State (November 11).

No. 5 BYU: From the Slopes to Salt Lake City, It Provo(kes) a Utah Road Trip

The #Big12 is going to be one of the most fun places to watch college football. Some I love: -Mountain backdrop of BYU -Unbeatable florida sunsets -Texas Tech stadium upgrades makes it look like it belongs in the SEC (plz stay) -Baylors bears beautiful tiered decks pic.twitter.com/s7f8j6fVol — BYU Florida 🐆⚔️ (@BYUFlorida) July 12, 2022

BYU is another new addition to the Big 12 and does not disappoint with its road trip potential. Provo is less than one hour away from Salt Lake City which not only puts you near a big city, but allows for the potential to catch both BYU and Utah play football on the same weekend. Unfortunately, the 2023 schedules do not appear to align, but it is good to keep in mind for future football seasons.

Sadly, there is not an NFL team a reasonable distance away from BYU’s campus. Skip the NFL for one Sunday and hit the slopes with the best nearby ski offerings of any Big 12 school. You can still catch the Jazz (Salt Lake City) or Real Salt Lake (Sandy) play while you are in town.

Even if you are only attending a BYU game, the picturesque stadium nestled in the mountains makes for one of the most scenic venues in college football. If you are looking for the best 2023 matchups, Cincinnati (September 29), Texas Tech (October 21), Iowa State (November 11) and Oklahoma (November 18) headline the Cougars’ inaugural Big 12 home schedule.

No. 6 West Virginia: Skis, Steelers & a Weekend in Morgantown

College football is king in West Virginia with no pro sports teams in the state, but that does not mean your road trip cannot be equipped with plenty of other opportunities. The good news is the West Virginia campus is within driving distance of skiing locales with the Canaan Valley Resort and Timberline about a two-hour drive. The well-known Snowshoe is located three hours away from campus if you are up for a longer trip.

The one caveat here is that ski season generally peaks from December through March, but there are times in November when there is enough snow on the ground. This eliminates a good portion of the West Virginia football schedule. Your best opportunities for this upcoming season are home games against BYU (November 4) and Cincinnati (November 18).

Skiing aside, the campus is about an hour away from Pittsburgh giving your sports weekend plenty of pathways to morph into something bigger. The most obvious combination is seeing a Mountaineers game on a Saturday followed by the Steelers on Sunday. If the schedules align, there is also a golden opportunity for multiple college football games in one day allowing you to watch West Virginia and Pitt play on the same Saturday.

After more than a decade hiatus, the Backyard Brawl rivalry matchup between Pitt and West Virginia returned in 2022. This season, the Mountaineers play host to the Panthers on September 16 and highlights West Virginia’s schedule for 2023.

No. 7 Cincinnati: Bearcats, Bengals & Painting This Ohio Town Red(s)

Nippert Stadium is LOUD on a Friday night for ECU-Cincy 👀😎 pic.twitter.com/tEB7fn4hgV — PFF College (@PFF_College) November 12, 2022

Cincinnati re-emerged as a force in college football in recent years which makes Nippert Stadium a great place to watch a game. Luke Fickell helped return the program to greatness, but the Bearcats will now transition to the Big 12 without their longtime coach who moved on to Wisconsin during the offseason. Options abound for making your time in Ohio an epic sports weekend.

Cincinnati is a major sports town allowing you to catch star quarterback Joe Burrow lead the Bengals or head to the ballpark for a Reds game. You can also attend an FC Cincinnati match in the team’s brand new soccer-specific stadium .

There are other college football options as Cincy is about an hour and a half away from Ohio State. If the kickoff times cooperate, you could catch the Bearcats during the afternoon and head to Columbus to see the Buckeyes at night. Cincinnati’s new Big 12 schedule is strong with home games against Oklahoma (September 23), Iowa State (October 14), Baylor (October 21) and UCF (November 4) headlining the 2023 slate of games.

No. 8 Oklahoma State (Stillwater): Eskimo Joe’s, Pistol Pete & a Thriving College Football Atmosphere

Oklahoma State has unveiled plans for a massive, $325 million Athletic Village — with facilities upgrades across seven sports. pic.twitter.com/zfPoNVBveS — Front Office Sports (@FOS) February 27, 2023

If we were just ranking destinations based on the college football gameday atmosphere, Oklahoma State would be much higher on the list. The challenge with Stillwater is the fans have limited options to extend the sports weekend, but we strongly co-sign looking for a weekend where you may be able to combine Cowboys and Sooners games.

The two rival campuses are about one hour and thirty minutes apart meaning you could catch both teams on the same day if they are alternating afternoon and night kickoffs. Tulsa is also an option given it is a one hour drive away from Stillwater.

Oklahoma State’s campus is worth checking out and home to some of the biggest squirrels I have ever seen. Eskimo Joe’s is an iconic restaurant and fans of the establishment have been spotted wearing the shirts all over the world. I’m partial to the cheese fries and a big fan of the plastic cups they let you keep with your drinks.

Boone Pickens Stadium has one of the closest distances between the stands and the field in the country making you feel on top of the game. Attending an Oklahoma State night game is still on my bucket list, and the school gets bonus points for the Pistol Pete logo being one of the best in college sports. Oklahoma City is also in driving distance making it possible to catch a Thunder basketball game as part of your weekend festivities.

No. 9 Houston: A Pro Sports Weekend Dream in Texas

The 10,000 yard moment! @claytontune7 ➡️ @KingSawyer80 pic.twitter.com/0vzw3pIzSP — Houston Football (@UHCougarFB) October 29, 2022

It feels criminal to put Houston so low given you have so many sports options in the city for your weekend. Houston is home to the Astros, Rockets, Texans and Dynamo FC. The city is also one of the best food locales in the country not only with tasty barbecue but a huge international scene.

Houston may give you the most available sporting events for your trip to Texas. The school’s basketball program is back on top and also worth checking out as one of the best programs in the country.

There are a number of great 2023 home games for the Cougars football team including TCU (September 16), West Virginia (October 12), Texas (October 21) and Oklahoma State (November 18). If you are looking to do a road trip to different Texas sporting events, Houston’s matchup against West Virginia on October 12 is a Thursday and could be a launching point for an extended weekend in the Lone Star State.

The addition of former college football stars C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson suddenly makes a Texans game much more appealing. The challenge for the Cougars is the actual gameday atmosphere is hard to compete with some of the other schools on this list.

No. 10 Baylor: Everything to Gaine(s) in Waco

Can’t wait to get back in McLane Stadium with Baylor Nation! #TurnUpTuesday #SicEm 🐻 pic.twitter.com/FA9enAtCHs — Quintin Jordan (@_QuintinJordan) April 28, 2020

If these were rankings put together solely for couples, Baylor would be higher on this list thanks to Joanna and Chip Gaines. Waco has become a travel destination thanks to the former HGTV “Fixer Upper” television stars. The couple has created their own Magnolia complex in Waco full of restaurants and shops. You can also drive around Waco to see some of the houses featured on their signature shows.

The main challenge with Baylor is the university is the signature part of the city, and you will need to make a drive to see any other sporting events during the same weekend. Depending on traffic, it is about a one hour and a half drive from Waco to see the Cowboys play at AT&T Stadium.

This also puts you in striking distance to see other Dallas pro sports teams including the Mavericks and Rangers. It is possible to see two of TCU, Baylor and Texas play on the same day if there are alternating early and late kickoffs.

The beautiful McLane Stadium opened in 2014 providing an appealing gameday atmosphere. Baylor’s marquee home games include Utah (September 9), Texas (September 23), a 2014 Fiesta Bowl rematch against UCF (September 30), Iowa State (October 28) and West Virginia (November 25).

No. 11 Iowa State: Ames-ing for a College Football Weekend With the Cyclones & Hawkeyes

#CyHawk trophy back to Iowa State. pic.twitter.com/TZNgYmJks3 — Keith Murphy (@MurphyKeith) September 10, 2022

Iowa State could prove to be the launching point for a great college football weekend. What the state lacks in pro sports, it more than makes up for with two enticing college football environments in Ames and Iowa City.

Head to Ames on September 9 to see the two rivals square off for the Cy-Hawk Trophy. Aside from the rivalry matchup, there are several weekends of overlap where both schools are hosting home games. Dancing between the two on the same day will depend on the kickoff times. Both schools have home games on September 2, October 7 and November 18, so fingers crossed the times will align in your favor.

The highlights of Iowa State’s home schedule include Iowa (September 9), Oklahoma State (September 23), TCU (October 7) and Texas (November 18). Head coach Matt Campbell has built Iowa State into a consistent threat in the Big 12 and the Cyclones have a particularly enticing home schedule for 2023.

No. 12 Kansas State: Catching the Big 12 at the Little Apple

Kansas State HC Chris Klieman has signed a new extension with the school that runs through 2030, per @PeteThamel Klieman’s new deal will earn him $5.5M per season, which ranks among the top half of coaching salaries in the Big 12💰 pic.twitter.com/wnWejRTDSi — PFF College (@PFF_College) May 8, 2023

Kansas State would be higher if we were only ranking college football atmospheres as the Wildcats have a long history of being a great watch dating back to Bill Snyder’s track jacket. A weekend with the Wildcats presents a few logistical challenges if you are looking to do more than catch a college football game, but we didn’t come this far just to come this far.

If you are willing to do a bit of driving , you can stack a few more sporting events into your weekend in Kansas. The Chiefs and Royals are about a two-hour drive from campus into Kansas City. Heading up to Lincoln for a Nebraska game is slightly farther if you are willing to drive.

Make sure to have a strong rental car option in case you opt to make either drive and enjoy the small-town feel of Manhattan. Some of the top options at Bill Snyder Family Stadium include UCF (September 23), TCU (October 21) and Baylor (November 11).

No. 13 Kansas: Rock Chalk Patrick Mahomes

In honor of 5/6 pls enjoy the 5+ TD games from JD6 🔥 pic.twitter.com/kKsfEWEYRT — Kansas Football (@KU_Football) May 6, 2023

Lawrence does not offer a lot of additional options outside of the Jayhawks, but you are within striking distance of Kansas City. Head coach Lance Leipold has helped Kansas dig out from the bottom of the Big 12 emerging as one of the surprise stories of 2022.

There are a few advantages of being in Lawrence itself including the Cradle of Basketball museum which explores the city’s rich history with the sport. It is definitely worth checking out, and if you wait until later in the fall you can try to add a Jayhawks basketball game to your itinerary boasting one of the best atmospheres in the country.

Kansas City is less than one hour away meaning you could set up shop for the weekend in K.C. and drive over to Lawrence on gameday. Attending Jayhawks and Chiefs games in the same weekend is more than doable and you will get bonus points for adding in some college basketball action as well. Let’s call Kansas football the appetizer while ending the weekend watching Patrick Mahomes and the defending Super Bowl champs at Arrowhead Stadium is the entree.

As for the Jayhawks, some of the marquee home games include BYU (September 23), UCF (October 7), Oklahoma (October 28), Texas Tech (November 11) and Kansas State (November 18).

No. 14: Texas Tech: Let’s Get Weird in Lubbock

2x NFL MVP. 2x SB Champ. 2x SB MVP. Red Raider. @PatrickMahomes | #SBLVII pic.twitter.com/DNY9psAhBQ — Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) February 13, 2023

Things tend to get weird during night games in Lubbock. Just see the 2008 Texas-Texas Tech matchup as a prime example of the Lubbock factor with late coaching legend Mike Leach’s squad pulling off the notable upset to shakeup the college football season. While the Red Raiders promise an electric atmosphere, the chances of putting together a complete sports weekend is slim with the majority of major cities with pro sports team not in driving distance.

Texas Tech should still be on the bucket list to see a college football game, but you will have to find some non-sports activities if you are hoping to enjoy an extended stay in Lubbock. One appealing matchup is Texas Tech hosting Oregon star quarterback Bo Nix and the Ducks on September 9. Other notable 2023 home games include Kansas State (October 14) and TCU (November 2).

is a sports and news contributor based in Atlanta, Georgia. Jonathan has had exclusive interviews with a number of the top athletes in the world. He graduated from UCF with a Master of Sport Business Management degree and has worked inside the industry in a variety of capacities in the sports world. Follow him on Twitter @JonDAdams.

ACC Network unveils 2023 season travel plans for ACC Huddle and ACC PM

Charlotte, NC – ACC Network unveiled a series of exciting programming announcements and initiatives in anticipation of the 2023 college football season as ACC Football Kickoff officially started Tuesday in Charlotte, N.C. For the first time in the Network’s history, two of ACCN’s signature programs, ACC Huddle and ACC PM , will travel to game sites each week this fall, and Kelsey Riggs will serve as the new host of ACC Huddle . It was also announced that longtime ACC football voice Wes Durham will call ACC Primetime Football games with Taylor Tannebaum serving as the new sideline reporter in addition to her ACC PM co-host role.

The 24/7 national network dedicated to ACC sports also announced: ACC Football Road Trip is returning for the third straight year with visits to all 14 campuses, Aug. 7-24; the new multi-part series All Access with Carolina Football will take fans inside the Tar Heel program (debuts Thursday, July 27); and ACCN introduced its 2023 football anthem, an evolution of its “Come for It All” brand platform. Details: ACC Huddle and ACC PM to Travel All Season; Kelsey Riggs Named New Huddle Host Two of ACC Network’s signature programs, ACC Huddle and ACC PM , will travel to college football game sites every week of the regular season this fall for the first time in the Network’s history. A year ago, ACC Huddle and ACC PM , the network’s newest studio show, originated from ACC campuses six times in the regular season in addition to the ACC Football Championship Game. Kelsey Riggs , the popular host/reporter who has been a part of ACC Network since launch in 2019, will be the new host of ACC Huddle . She will be joined by analysts Eric Mac Lain , EJ Manuel , Mark Richt and Eddie Royal. The show will be live every Saturday from the site of the ACC Primetime Football game from 11 a.m. – noon ET and continuing with wall-to-wall coverage throughout the day featuring halftime reports, a primetime show from 6:30-8 p.m., and a one-hour show at the end of the day recapping all of the ACC football action and featuring live on set interviews with winning players and coaches. Entering its sophomore season, ACC PM will feature co-hosts Mark Packer and Taylor Tannebaum . The football-focused weekday show will continue to deliver news and commentary from around the ACC, weekdays from 4-7 p.m. on ACCN. Friday editions will join ACC Huddle on the road at ACC campus sites this fall, while Monday through Thursday editions will originate from Packer’s basement studio in Charlotte. ACC Huddle and ACC PM will be live from Blacksburg, Va., in Week 1 before ACC Primetime Football ’s season-opening Old Dominion at Virginia Tech matchup on Sept. 2 (8 p.m., ACCN), followed by trips to Tallahassee on Sept. 9 (Southern Miss at Florida State) and Clemson on Sept. 16 (FAU at Clemson). Wes Durham and Taylor Tannebaum to Join Tim Hasselbeck on ACC Primetime Football Wes Durham , who has called ACC football games for nearly three decades and has been a prominent voice on ACCN since launch in 2019, will be the new play-by-play voice of ACC Primetime Football games this fall, joining analyst Tim Hasselbeck in the booth. ACC PM ’s Taylor Tannebaum will also be part of the primetime announce team as the new sideline reporter. Their first Saturday night game will be the Hokies’ Lane Stadium opener in Blacksburg against Old Dominion on Sept. 2 at 8 p.m. Third Annual ACC Football Road Trip to Visit All 14 Campuses, Aug. 7-24 For the third straight year, ACCN will embark on a three-week, 14-school road trip in anticipation of the upcoming season. ACC Football Road Trip begins at Florida State in Tallahassee on Monday, Aug. 7 and concludes Thursday, Aug. 24 with a visit to the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill. ACCN will air a one-hour primetime show at 7 p.m. from each of the 14 campuses. The Road Trip will preview each team’s upcoming season and include exclusive interviews with head coaches and student-athletes, while showcasing unique aspects of each football program. ACCN anchors and analysts scheduled to participate in the ACC Football Road Trip include Dalen Cuff , Wes Durham , Roddy Jones , Eric Mac Lain , EJ Manuel , Mark Packer , Mark Richt , Kelsey Riggs , Eddie Royal and Taylor Tannebaum . The complete schedule is listed below. 2023 ACC Football Road Trip Schedule:

*Commentator schedules subject to change All Access with Carolina Football Debuts Thursday at 4 p.m. ACC Network’s new multi-part series All Access with Carolina Football will offer a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the North Carolina football program leading into the 2023 season ( Preview ). The first episode (30 min.) will premiere exclusively on ACC Network on Thursday, July 27, at 4 p.m. at the conclusion of ACC Kickoff coverage. Part 2 (one hour) will air at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 24 (following the ACC Football Road Trip special spotlighting the Tar Heels). Part 1 of All Access introduces new members of the UNC program and shows how players spend their free time, while Hall of Fame head coach Mack Brown evaluates the offseason. Notable scenes include:

Quarterback Drake Maye, linebacker Cedric Gray and many others mic’d up during the Spring Game
Access with athletes at the ACC Unity Tour in Washington, D.C.
Spring Game film room session with coaches
Exclusive footage from players’ summer abroad studies

All Access with Carolina Football is the latest installment of ACC Network’s signature All Access series, which has provided a unique, up-close look at a number of ACC programs, including Louisville, Miami and NC State football, North Carolina men’s basketball, and the Miami and Notre Dame women’s basketball teams. ACCN Debuts New “Come For It All” Football Anthem ACC Network has debuted its 2023 football anthem, an evolution of its “Come for It All” brand platform. The new spots – voiced by ACCN analyst and Florida State legend EJ Manuel – lean into the pageantry, traditions, community and how ACC fans and teams deliver the “IT” factor – that special ACC feeling. The storytelling is complemented by the song “Hope” by rapper NF. The anthem will continue to run through preseason ACCN programming and serve as a brand message throughout the season across multiple platforms. Watch .

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The dream big 12 football road trip for 2023 season.

The college football season is right around the corner and its time to put together the dream Big 12 football road trip for the upcoming fall, as I have been doing for the past several years. There is always a caveat, as I made it so I had to go to each Big 12 stadium at least once. That made it more interesting as I had to plan around every stadium, not just picking the best game each week.

Obviously, with the Big 12 at 14 teams this season, I can’t go to each stadium, since there are only 13 weeks in the season. So I am going to go to every stadium, other than either Oklahoma and Texas. It’s only fair, right? They’re leaving anyway. Find out which one I skip by reading through the article. So here is the Big 12 dream road trip, and the rule is I can’t go to a stadium more than once.

Here we go.

Week 1: TCU vs. Colorado

This feels right for so many reasons. Right out of the gates we get to see the Big 12 team that reached the National Championship game last season, while also getting to see what will be a future Big 12 match up, along with catching Deion Sanders ‘ coaching debut at Colorado. It’s a no-brainer.

Week 2: Baylor vs. Utah

In Week 2, we’ve got another match up that will be a future Big 12 Conference game starting in 2024. Utah brings in a preseason Top 15 team to Waco and it will help us figure out whether or not Dave Aranda and the Bears will be a sneaky Big 12 team to keep an eye on this season.

Week 3: West Virginia vs. Pitt

The Backyard Brawl is back for a second-straight year. Last year’s game in Pittsburgh was a classic rivalry match up. This year it moves to Morgantown in a game that could determine whether or not Neal Brown is still the head coach come Halloween. Can’t wait.

Week 4: Cincinnati vs. Oklahoma

We’ll then stay on the east side of Big 12 country and skip from Morgantown to Cincinnati for the short trip and watch the Bearcats open up Big 12 play against the Oklahoma Sooners. Nippert Stadium should be rocking with their first Big 12 game, plus it being OU.

Week 5: Texas Tech vs. Houston

It’s an old Southwest Conference match up in Lubbock as Dana Holgorsen takes Houston on the road for the first time in Big 12 play against the Red Raiders, who have very high expectations this season. Also, Donovan Smith, who was just named the starter for Houston, will be going to his old stomping grounds in Lubbock, where he started several games in recent seasons.

Week 6: Iowa State vs. TCU

Early October in Ames is one of the most beautiful places and times of year in the entire Big 12. Plus, I admittedly want to get to Ames on this theoretical dream Big 12 road trip before Iowa State’s season unravels, which it may, depending on how the first month goes. The last two years have been blow outs on both sides in this match up, but three of the last five games have been decided by a touchdown or less. So let’s see how this game plays out.

Week 7: Houston vs. West Virginia (Thursday)

After that, it’s a short week to Houston where Dana Holgorsen welcomes in his former squad, the West Virginia Mountaineers on a Thursday night. There are so many storylines here from Dana facing his former team to Neal Brown ‘s job status at this point in the season. This game is going to be a fun one. Plus, it gives me a nice breather in the middle of the season and a weekend to rest!

Week 8: Kansas State vs TCU

It’s time to head north to watch Kansas State and TCU. These two teams played a pair of great games last season. In the regular season, K-State blew a 28-10 lead in Fort Worth and lost 38-28. But then, the Cats got revenge in the Big 12 Championship Game at AT&T Stadium to win the conference title. Now we get their third meeting in two seasons, and I’m not missing that.

Week 9: Kansas vs. Oklahoma

It’s a short road trip in Week 9 to go to Lawrence as Kansas hosts Oklahoma. Remember two years ago, it was KU who almost pulled off the huge upset against Lincoln Riley’s Sooners, before OU came back late to seal the win. This is the last time KU and OU will play for likely many seasons, so let’s see if Lance Leipold has a little late-season magic in him.

Week 10: Oklahoma State vs. Oklahoma

Speaking of OU, I’m following them in Week 10 to watch the last Bedlam for what could be decades. It is one of the great rivalries in college sports and it’s sad to know that it won’t happen again for likely a very long time. But there’s nothing I can do about that other than be at the game and enjoy it. So I won’t go through the season without catching the final Bedlam.

Week 11: UCF vs. Oklahoma State

It’s mid-November, so I’m going to get a break from the Midwest temperatures and head to Central Florida where the Knights take on the Cowboys. Maybe I’ll get in a round of golf too. Who knows, in the unpredictable Big 12, it would not shock me if there’s some type of Big 12 Title Game implications for one of these teams.

Week 12: BYU vs. Oklahoma

It’s a cross-country trip to BYU for the first time as the Cougars take on Oklahoma. It’s a team that will likely play OU this one time and then not again for years, if ever. The BYU home crowd should be incredible, as Big 12 fans got a glimpse of last year when they hosted Baylor. Now, they get OU in late November with the snow-capped mountains in the background? Sign me up.

Week 13: Texas vs. Texas Tech (Friday)

And here we go. The last game of the regular season, and last game of the road trip, will be at Texas for their final Big 12 regular season game. It will likely be a game with Big 12 Title implications for possibly both teams, as Texas and Texas Tech should have hopes of reaching the Championship Game this season. And it’s the last time Texas Tech will get to play UT for possibly years to come. So many storylines for this Black Friday match up and what a way to end the road trip!

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After the Deion Sanders Hype Traveled the World, Reality Has Finally Gotten Its Boots On

By Rock Westfall

After a sellout for its 2023 spring game, Colorado played before a more sparse crowd in 2024. The dramatic change is indicative of the Deion Sanders media mania and hype machine. Colorado fans see the future and that it won’t work in the end.

Last One Out Turn Off the Lights

Upon arrival, Deion Sanders loudly warned all that he would lead a college football revolution as head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes. In his first team meeting, he warned the Colorado players to hit the road as he was “bringing his own luggage, and it's Louis (Vuitton).”

With that polarizing statement, the Sanders era began. Indeed, he pushed away most of the roster he inherited. But what Sanders brought in has been outed to be a cheap, faux version of Louis. His luggage has been exposed as not durable and hasn't held up with the everyday wear and tear of college football. It is torn, tattered, and starting to shred.

At first, most of the media fed into the radical transformation of the Colorado roster, seen as a revolutionary approach to roster building. But after one year, Sanders's tactics have reminded everyone that football is the ultimate sport of substance and a game without shortcuts.

Coach Prime's roster was roughly 80% comprised of players from the transfer portal. But now, many of those players are gone, with fewer replacements to fill spots. In the 15-day Spring Transfer Portal window, 23 players have departed. Meanwhile, Sanders's adamant refusal to take part in traditional recruiting has put Colorado’s future in peril.

Much to its regret, the sycophant media has finally been forced to admit that the players are bailing from a sinking ship and that they were wrong to promote it.

Sanders & Sons – A Family Business Losing Its Hired Hands

When a prospect joins the Colorado Buffaloes, it doesn’t take long for him to realize what he has gotten himself into. Colorado football is all about the family business.

Indeed, Sanders & Sons incessantly promote themselves more than the actual football program. Deion refuses to get off his soft, luxurious chair to make any home visits . And when the first 2024 spring football team meeting was held, he excused sons Shedeur Sanders and Shilo Sanders for a Paris trip to promote Louis Vuitton .

If Sanders wanted to turn over a football culture, he could not have done a better job. Locker rooms notice such antics, especially from the starting quarterback, and resent builds when the QB jets off to Paris for a high-end modeling gig while everyone else is getting ready for spring football

What is most bewildering about this is that Sanders has spent most of his life in a football culture. Thus, he should know better, but he either doesn’t care or never knew.

That defining moment was the ultimate of many wake-up calls for the rest of the players that they are nothing more than hired help for the Sanders & Sons family business, which takes priority over the concept of building a serious, winning football team.

Recently, Shedeur and Shilo put out social media requests for portal prospects to contact them. But players now see Colorado football for what it is. Thus, there are not as many quality applicants for work at Sanders & Sons.

Boulder, Colorado – An Unlikely Home for Coach Prime

Deion Sanders arrived at the University of Colorado from Jackson State, where he had great success coaching at an HBCU. Jackson, Mississippi, is not a wealthy locale and is a much tougher town than Boulder, Colorado.

Initially, Sanders said he wanted to raise the profile of HBCU football. He had hoped to draw talented black players to play for black coaches at black schools, at least until he was seduced by Colorado’s black and more golden bag.

Sanders’s departure drew criticism from many quarters. They believed he was just another sellout in it for himself. In the end, those who had placed faith in Coach Prime transforming HBCUs were bitterly disappointed.

Sanders left the relatively hardscrabble Jackson area for the riches of Boulder, Colorado, a self-promoted progressive town primarily populated by affluent residents who have never truly been into college football. As far as football goes in Boulder, the nearby Denver Broncos have always been the center of attention.

Consider that not even a national championship program under Bill McCartney could sell out Colorado’s Folsom Field for an entire season. McCartney won the 1990 natty and put CU in the AP Top 4 in three of his final six seasons before retiring after the 1994 campaign. But there still weren't any complete sellouts.

In 2023, Folsom Field was sold out every game for the first time ever. One year later, the sugar rush is starting to wear off and it can be seen in the Buffaloes' Spring Game.

My, What a Difference a Year Makes - Football’s Eternal Truths Prevail

The 2024 Colorado spring game had an attendance of 28,424, albeit under poor weather. Either way, the weather was bitterly cold in 2023 when Folsom Field was sold out for the spring game. Thus, the excuse-making about bad weather doesn’t hold as well.

Deion Sanders spent the past weekend bloviating about taking CU to a bowl game for the upcoming season. But the hype train isn’t what it used to be. Football fans are tuning back into the offseason and NFL Draft news from the Broncos.

In one year, Deion Sanders’s friends in Boulder and the media are learning the eternal truth about championship football. It is all about substance, work, sacrifice, an emphasis on team, and toughness. The late great George Allen once said, “The Future is Now,” but a realistic plan is needed to address it. Allen had it. Coach Prime does not.

There will always be hype surrounding Deion Sanders. But increasingly, more football fans are beginning to realize that the hype dog doesn’t hunt—and NEVER will.

IMAGES

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The 2023 Ultimate Texas College Football Road Trip
FULL 2023 ACC FOOTBALL ROAD TRIP
Ultimate College Football Road Trip: 43 Games & 28,000 Miles
2023 Season Preview
Colorado college football road trip for 2023, week by week

COMMENTS

2023 Schedule
Game 1: Cincinnati at Pittsburgh - September 9th, 2023. Game 2: Pittsburgh at West Virginia - September 16th, 2023. Game 3: Air Force at Navy - October 21st, 2023. Game 4: USC at Oregon - November 11th, 2023. Game 5: Washington at Oregon State - November 18th, 2023. College Football Road Trip - 2023 In-Person Schedule.
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2023 Year in Review 2023 - Best Of List Game 25 Report - Oregon State Beavers Game 24 Report - Oregon Ducks Game 23 Report - Navy Midshipmen College Football Road Trip. Visiting all 133 FBS College Football Stadiums Home; Teams. ACC. Boston College; Clemson; Duke; Florida State; Georgia Tech; Louisville; Miami; North Carolina ...
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Road to CFB

College Football Stadium News Conference Realignment

Visiting America One College Football Stadium At A Time

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2023 SCHEDULE

Radio Spot From 97.1 The Fan In Columbus

The 2023 Ultimate Texas College Football Road Trip

WEEK 1 – Colorado at TCU

WEEK 2 – Oregon at Texas Tech

WEEK 3 – Army at UTSA (Fri.); Jackson State at Texas State

WEEK 4 – Texas at Baylor

WEEK 5 – Jacksonville State at Sam Houston (Thursday); Texas A&M vs. Arkansas (Arlington)

WEEK 6 – Texas vs. Oklahoma (Dallas)

WEEK 7 – West Virginia at Houston (Thur.); Kansas State at Texas Tech

WEEK 8 – New Mexico State at UTEP (Wednesday); Texas at Houston

WEEK 9 – UTEP at Sam Houston (Wednesday); South Carolina at Texas A&M

WEEK 10 – UTSA at North Texas

WEEK 11 – North Texas at SMU (Fri.); Texas at TCU

WEEK 12 – USF at UTSA (Fri.); TCU at Baylor

WEEK 13 – Texas Tech at Texas (Fri.); FAU at Rice

Teams and Tags

College Sports | Coach Prime, Rams and Mines, oh my! How to plan…

College Sports

Week 1 (Aug. 31-Sept. 2)

Week 2 (Sept. 7-9)

Week 3 (Sept. 14-16)

Week 4 (Sept. 21-23)

Week 5 (Sept. 28-30)

Week 6 (Oct. 5-7)

Week 7 (Oct. 12-14)

Week 8 (Oct. 19-21)

Week 9 (Oct. 26-28)

Week 10 (Nov. 2-4)

Week 11 (Nov. 9-11)

Week 12 (Nov. 16-18)

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For a Florida Gator fan, a 60,000-mile road trip leads to 77 games — and a Georgia title

Started with bus rides to UCF games

In the end, a Georgia game

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Time to Move On

No More Car Adventures

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