Top Five College Football Destinations

For college football fans, it’s time to put your game face on, along with your college colors, and have a tailgate picnic before the kick-off. These are the top five destinations for college football, according to CheapFlights.com, which will also help you find cheap flights to the game.

South Bend, Indiana – The University of Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish have won 11 national championships, sent seven players to win the Heisman Trophy, and has claimed the title for more All-Americans than any other Football Bowl Subdivision School.

• Another thing to see in South Bend is the Studebaker National Museum.  The legendary Studebakers were made in South Bend until the 1960s — and included one of the first American-made electric cars, in 1902.

Austin, Texas – Everything’s bigger in Texas, including the home stadium for University of Texas Longhorn’s. With a seating capacity of just over 100,000, it has the largest stadium seating capacity in the state, as well as the largest in the Big 12 Conference. It also plans to grow – capacity is expected to exceed 115,000 if the franchise expands its end zone, which would surpass the University of Michigan, which currently is the largest football stadium in North America.

• Austin also is famous for its live music scene, with more than 200 clubs and other venues to enjoy everything from country to alternative rock and hip-hop.

University Park, Pennsylvania –  The Nittany Lions is a team with seven undefeated seasons, two national championships and three Big Ten championships. The team’s legendary coach is  84-year-old Joe Paterno, who has coached more bowl game wins than any other coach in college football history, and is one of three active coaches inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Cambridge, Massachusetts – A little bit of history helps Harvard Crimson make the list. Built in 1903, the team’s stadium is the oldest permanent concrete structure in the country. Along with Harvard Crimson and their rivals, the Yale Bulldogs, legend Bob Marley took the stage here, and Janis Joplin played her last show ever here in 1970. Whether you visit Harvard for the Ivy League prestige or the rock and roll glam story doesn’t matter.

• While you are at Harvard, visit the Peabody Museum, one of the oldest and best museums in the world devoted to anthropology.  It has some spectacular exhibits, including those about sports that were played by ancient South American peoples long before anybody shouted “first and ten”.

Norman, Oklahoma – The University of Oklahoma Sooners have been playing since 1895, and have won seven national championships and 41 conference championships.  Since the AP poll began in 1936, the Sooners have the highest winning percentage of any team.

• Football players might ignore the weather, but the rest of us don’t, especially the scientists at the National Weather Center in Norman. Take a tour to find out how meteorologists predict storms.

Okay, that’s the top five collect football destinations. The next five are on the next page.

–          Ann Arbor, Michigan: Home of the University of Michigan Wolverines;

–          Columbus, Ohio –  Home of the Ohio State University Buckeyes;

–          Gainesville, Florida –  Home of the University of Florida Gators;

–          Lincoln, Nebraska – Home of the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers and

–          Los Angeles, California – Home of the University of Southern California Trojans