Travel Blogger Daily Blog: Southern Campuses On College Football Saturdays

Why University Towns Are Top Fall Traveling Destinations

By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger

There are a lot of great places in the world to travel to in the fall, and one of the best that’s off the radar for many travelers and even fellow travel bloggers is college towns.

The reason for that is it’s football season and being on campus for a college football Saturday is a unique experience that goes beyond anything you can get any other time of the year.

Since I’m from the South – and an SEC guy – that’s what I like the most. I would, tho, like to experience the atmosphere at other places, most notably at Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Oklahoma and Nebraska and Boise State.

Heck, even Purdue. Even tho the Boilermakers are rarely more than a .500 team I have a feeling their fans party pretty hard at the games; after all, their nickname is a combination drink, a shot of whiskey poured into a beer.

There’s something special about being on a college campus on a fall Saturday. When I was a sports writer for daily newspapers in the South, I’ve been to several of them: Georgia, Clemson, South, Carolina, Auburn, Georgia Southern, and of course my alma mater, Alabama.

I’m also from Knoxville and have been to many UT games at the University of Tennessee.

I love the college traditions. At Tennessee, the band walks through campus then stops to play the “Salute To The Hill” in the middle of the street. It then goes into Neyland Stadium where it “splits the T” when the players run out onto the field.

Every Southern school now has a walk of the players and coaches through campus with fans lined up 10-deep. This is called the Tiger Walk, the Elephant Stomp or something similar.

There’s also the tailgating. Some are literally out pickup truck tailgates while others – like Alabama and the ultimate tailgate party of them all, the Grove at Ole Miss – are in grassy areas on campus with pop-up tents.

I’ll have my own cocktail with me but sometimes I’ll be invited into a tent and can party with a group.

Alabama also has a great scene at the bars along University Ave., before games and most certainly after the games. And if I’m fortunate enough to have a ticket to the game well, it’s just that much better.

The feel, the atmosphere, the college spirit and all the other elements make this a very special time and I highly encourage people to travel to a college town on a college football Saturday in the fall.

Cheers!