- January 12th, 2023, 4:13 pm
#650840
Sep 6th
University of Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
UB Stadium
Opened in 1993 - Seats 29,013
The first road trip of the season heads up to the Canadian border before it gets ridiculously cold or covered in lake effect snow. Buffalo is a surprisingly cool place to visit. There is amazing architecture (Frank Lloyd Wright et al), canals and a terrific naval military park. I know we have a few Teddy Roosevelt fans and there is a historical museum for his inauguration that occurred in Buffalo after McKinley's assassination. But the crown jewel of this trip is obvious ...
Even though passports are now required to head across the border, Niagara remains awe-inspiring. I recognize that many of the East Coasters on here probably have made this pilgrimage a time or two. But if you haven't, it is epic for new eyes.
Sep 23rd
Florida International University
Miami, Florida
FIU Football Stadium
Opened in 1995 - Seats 23,500
Any trip to Miami is a good excuse to travel. And with MIA offering cheap flights to most major cities, this seems like a no brainer for a weekend away. All of the CUSA fans talk about how the stadium is always empty and you can score tickets for less than 10 bucks with easy walking from local hotels. And since we have a large contingent of Floridians along our alumni, I suspect this will be a good showing for us.
Calle Ocho still offers killer Cubano sandwiches and if you are into outdoor art the Wynwood Walls are spectacular. I hit them up for a few hours on every trip to South Florida.
Oct 10th
Jacksonville State University
Jacksonville, Alabama
Burgess Snow Field at JSU Stadium
Opened in 1947 - Seats 24,000
There is no sugarcoating the obvious ... this is not the most attractive destination of the fall. And with it being a Tuesday night affair, I suspect most fans will happily watch from home. It sits roughly halfway between Birmingham and Atlanta making it accessible for many of our alumni. Just a 2-hour drive from the ATL. NASCAR rolls through Talladega on the 10th. But that is nine long days of not much in between.
Oct 24th
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Houchen Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium
Opened in 1968 - Seats 23,776
Yeah, another Tuesday night matchup. Even though we have a game with Bowling Green on our schedule, that is a different state. And I am not sure what it is with Kentuckians but they name their schools poorly. Western Kentucky is essentially in Southern Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky is in Central Kentucky. But I digress. Bowling Green is just an hour north of Nashville offering all of the great tourism options of the Music City. But those don't need selling.
Mammoth Cave National Park is just 40 minutes up I-65 and like Niagara is mind-blowing for first time visitors. I am also a big fan of the National Corvette Museum. You may have heard about the sinkhole collapse a few years ago and that is now an exhibit.
Nov 25th
University of Texas-El Paso
El Paso, Texas
Sun Bowl Stadium
Opened in 1963 - Seats 51,500
We start the season on the Canadian border and it on the Rio Grande. Let the record show that it is not a massive safety concern in El Paso. I highly discourage anyone from straying over to Juarez under any circumstances. It should be noted that you can escape the prolonged family hangout on Thanksgiving Day by catching a late Thursday or Friday morning flight to barely Texas. Don't even think about driving. El Paso is actually a terrific place to visit for a day or so. And a game at historic Sun Bowl is a great excuse to make the flight. But there is plenty more out in the desert. If you miss Mammoth Cave, the second largest cave system in the US is a 2-hour drive to Carlsbad Caverns. But just an hour and half north is the newest national park at White Sands.
It is actually closer to Las Cruces calls home. But unless you plan on making an annual voyage out west, I would highly recommend giving yourself a half day to take in this cool park.
So which destination catches your eye?
University of Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
UB Stadium
Opened in 1993 - Seats 29,013
The first road trip of the season heads up to the Canadian border before it gets ridiculously cold or covered in lake effect snow. Buffalo is a surprisingly cool place to visit. There is amazing architecture (Frank Lloyd Wright et al), canals and a terrific naval military park. I know we have a few Teddy Roosevelt fans and there is a historical museum for his inauguration that occurred in Buffalo after McKinley's assassination. But the crown jewel of this trip is obvious ...
Even though passports are now required to head across the border, Niagara remains awe-inspiring. I recognize that many of the East Coasters on here probably have made this pilgrimage a time or two. But if you haven't, it is epic for new eyes.
Sep 23rd
Florida International University
Miami, Florida
FIU Football Stadium
Opened in 1995 - Seats 23,500
Any trip to Miami is a good excuse to travel. And with MIA offering cheap flights to most major cities, this seems like a no brainer for a weekend away. All of the CUSA fans talk about how the stadium is always empty and you can score tickets for less than 10 bucks with easy walking from local hotels. And since we have a large contingent of Floridians along our alumni, I suspect this will be a good showing for us.
Calle Ocho still offers killer Cubano sandwiches and if you are into outdoor art the Wynwood Walls are spectacular. I hit them up for a few hours on every trip to South Florida.
Oct 10th
Jacksonville State University
Jacksonville, Alabama
Burgess Snow Field at JSU Stadium
Opened in 1947 - Seats 24,000
There is no sugarcoating the obvious ... this is not the most attractive destination of the fall. And with it being a Tuesday night affair, I suspect most fans will happily watch from home. It sits roughly halfway between Birmingham and Atlanta making it accessible for many of our alumni. Just a 2-hour drive from the ATL. NASCAR rolls through Talladega on the 10th. But that is nine long days of not much in between.
Oct 24th
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Houchen Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium
Opened in 1968 - Seats 23,776
Yeah, another Tuesday night matchup. Even though we have a game with Bowling Green on our schedule, that is a different state. And I am not sure what it is with Kentuckians but they name their schools poorly. Western Kentucky is essentially in Southern Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky is in Central Kentucky. But I digress. Bowling Green is just an hour north of Nashville offering all of the great tourism options of the Music City. But those don't need selling.
Mammoth Cave National Park is just 40 minutes up I-65 and like Niagara is mind-blowing for first time visitors. I am also a big fan of the National Corvette Museum. You may have heard about the sinkhole collapse a few years ago and that is now an exhibit.
Nov 25th
University of Texas-El Paso
El Paso, Texas
Sun Bowl Stadium
Opened in 1963 - Seats 51,500
We start the season on the Canadian border and it on the Rio Grande. Let the record show that it is not a massive safety concern in El Paso. I highly discourage anyone from straying over to Juarez under any circumstances. It should be noted that you can escape the prolonged family hangout on Thanksgiving Day by catching a late Thursday or Friday morning flight to barely Texas. Don't even think about driving. El Paso is actually a terrific place to visit for a day or so. And a game at historic Sun Bowl is a great excuse to make the flight. But there is plenty more out in the desert. If you miss Mammoth Cave, the second largest cave system in the US is a 2-hour drive to Carlsbad Caverns. But just an hour and half north is the newest national park at White Sands.
It is actually closer to Las Cruces calls home. But unless you plan on making an annual voyage out west, I would highly recommend giving yourself a half day to take in this cool park.
So which destination catches your eye?
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