RE: Best (and Worst) Away Game Experience
I use to work and travel with the AstAte football team from 2008-2012 so I have quite a few to share. So without further adieu...
SUNBELT CONFERENCE:
La-La: Boy will get you get an earful and irritate the hell outta some cajuns if you call them anything BUT Louisiana but damn, that is the best tailgating (in terms of atmosphere, food and activities) in the whole conference. The fans are quite inviting up until kick-off, then get pretty mouthy. Stadium is pretty cool and lafayette is a fun town like to experience more in the future.
South Alabama: Mobile is very fun city and have mad respect for the university officials at South Al. Fans are very approachable and helpful. Ladd Peebles definitely not in the nicest part of town and really shows it's age, along with the visiting locker-room (cramped and leaky). The neighborhood felt more uninviting than the Jaguar nation.
Troy: Troy has the best press box facility in the conference (IMO). The city itself doesn't off much in entertainment and tailgating seemed scattered. The biggest problem I had in terms of getting bad mouthed and smacked talked to was from the band of all people.
ULM: I have been to Monroe and Malone stadium the most out of all the current and former conference members and I have to say...really hit and miss here lol. The stadium is definitely old, and one trip down there, their was tall, saw grass that was growing underneath the GA side that reached 5-6 rows up. The crowds, though small many of the times, had the ROWDIEST STUDENT section of the league, often times being extremely vulgar and borderline racist to players. The city itself is quaint, and I had quite few entertaining night trips with ULM employees and officials.
FORMER SBC Members:
North Texas: I unfortunately never got to go to the new stadium, just fouts field (WHICH WAS A DUMP-THE PRESS BOX WAS LIKE AN EXTREMELY MINIATURE VERSION OF AstAte's Press Box! NOT TO MENTION THE VIEW FROM THE STANDS WAS EXTREMELY FAR). But man...without a doubt the most fun night outing was in the Denton/Dallas area. Enough Said. Never had any problems with the fans because I saw VERY FEW.
MTSU: The 'skillet' is one of the more unique stadiums I've been to (in terms of design). Enjoyed visiting their museum they have for athletics traffic in Murfreesboro was TERRIBLE. Fans were small but douches.
WKU: Their press box SUCKS...ABSOLUTELY SUCKS. The new grandstand they constructed was nice. The crowd/tailgating was virtually non existent when we traveled there in December and it was EXTREMELY COLD. Very lovely campus I will say.
FIU: While the trip outside the actual game was a very memorable one (caught a Heat game that friday night during Lebron's first season in Miami and the night life is definitely active) the FIU experience was terrible. The stadium still sucks despite it's renovations-the home/visiting coaching "booths" were actually tents and foldout tables set up on top of the extremely tiny, 4-5 room press box. This game in particular was pretty much for FIU to clinch a share of the SBC title and a bowl bid and no one was there. The few that were there actually set off the fire alarms/water sprinkler system after their victory.
THE OTHER PLACES:
Southern Miss: Was there in december of 07 and they were in the middle of constructing their endzone seating area. Their stadium reminded me of a slightly larger/nicer centennial bank stadium. Some golden eagle fans were cordial others were definitely trash talkers.
Texas A&M: I was there when in the first game as the Red Wolves, ASU upset the aggies 18-14. Even in defeat and before the game, Aggies nation was one of the friendliest, nicest group of fans I've ever met. During my whole time their, I was absolutely flabbergasted by the sheer size of college station, the campus and the stadium itself. I remember leaning to a friend and telling them "this is borderline SEC/NFL atmosphere." If you ever get a chance, catch a game at Kyle Field.
Nebraska: THE LOUDEST PLACE i've to this day experienced a game. Cornhuskers are extremely passionate about their team and they'll let the visitors now it. Had an opportunity to tour their offices and trophy case room and it was simply incredible. I will say their's some pretty bad seats in the corner endzone seating areas, but still an awesome place. Lincoln was a pretty laid back yet fun mellow going city.
Iowa: First off, Hawkeye fans are A-HOLES. Remind me of Razorback fans (very self entitled and smug). Stadium was quite nice though I had to film in the "visiting coaching teams booth"...which was literally a deer stand bolted at the very top of the endzone. Iowa City was actually kind of lame because (as I also found out in Lincoln) many mid-westerns actually turn in and close up shop at about 10-1100 and will wake up at 430 to start boozing and tailgating.
Virginia Tech: Very steep stadium! Hokies fans are almost virtually on top of you. Their third down call to rally the fans is literally a turkey gobbling..kind of odd but unique. The pressbox is extremely nice and seeing "Enter Sandman" in person was very, very cool. Seeing the memorial for the victims of the Virginia Tech massacre was very humbling.
Memphis: ...I hate memphis. I hate the city of Memphis, I hate Memphis fans and I hate the Liberty bowl (it's located in the extremely shady party of the city and though it's large, you can tell its a 40+ old stadium. Next to ULM fans, the Tigers student section was VERY rambunctious and you think of every curse and slur words and put them together, and they screamed it at the team.
(SIDE NOTE: I was also there for the 2010 liberty bowl and was right in the middle of the ECU Pirate section. To this day it is the coldest I've ever been at a football game and boy did Pirate fans make Razorback fans look classy....wow.)
Louisville: Louisville was extremely fun, both the city and the gameday experience. Cardinals fans invited me on an old train caboose that had been converted into a tailgating party area which was very sweet and fun. Papa John's stadium was undergoing an upper deck construction at the time, yet the stadium was still extremely impressive. The crowd was surprisingly small, but probably thanks to the fact they can sell beer at their games were quite spirited lol.
Auburn: I have pretty high respect for Auburn-they have some very classy officials working on the Plains and they definitely showed myself and other staff members a good time in Auburn. The stadium, though old, is very impressive in terms of size. It's one of the very few places where I've experienced an open air press box. Tiger fans are quite passionate, but for the most cordial and jesus...their war eagle that fly's onto the field is FREAKIN huge.
Arkansas: Having several family members being U of A graduates, I've been to quite a few of Hogs games in both Fayetteville and Little Rock. In Fayetteville, tailgating-though very very abundant-is extremely spread out and isolated due to the crappy parking situation on and off campus. Students wanting the best seats in the student section start lining up at 2:00 pm for a 7:00 pm kickoff (crazy!). I will say DW Reynolds is a very nice stadium and the video board is quite impressive. Having been to A&M and Auburn, the fans and atmosphere puts Arkansas to shame.
LITTLE ROCK i have to admit is crazy fun and crazy...crazy in Little Rock. For those that don't know, stadium and city officials let fans tailgate literally on a golf course that surrounds war memorial stadium and it's borderline close to mardi gras for rednecks.
UCA: Finally, my sister attended UCA and I visited her one weekend for a game in Conway. Though it was small yet quaint, their's definitely a HUGE difference in both fan support, tailgating and overall game atmosphere between UCA and ASU. I felt as if I was at a glorified high school game...with drinking and baggo.
BONUS: MOST ANNOYING TEAM CHANT EVER: Oklahoma State
"ORANGE!....POWER!..."
.......
BONUS: HIGHLY AMMUSING MASCOT: ARMY's insanely ripped Mule.
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