In the SEC, football is king. The pageantry of SEC football allows fans to travel the Southeast to watch their team. Football is the main reason for such road-trips, but each city has their own vibrant attractions that make these road-trips a must while in college. Auburn is centrally located, so it is a car ride away to most campuses across the Southeast.
To make your road-trip successful, there are a few guidelines to follow. Find several of your best friends or make friends who want to embark on the journey of a lifetime. Try to plan your trip in advance and find any side trips that you wish to see while on the road. I have done both, and they can be equally as fun and memorable.
My friends and I drove to Texas A&M two years ago, and we stopped in New Orleans on the way. Nothing is better than driving and telling stories with your friends while stopping at interesting sites along the way.
Every SEC stadium and town has their own atmosphere that makes them great. I have been to Texas A&M, LSU, Alabama, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Georgia. This fall I will experience Clemson, Arkansas and Missouri. All that leaves for me to see is South Carolina and Florida.
Each of these destinations are unique in their own way and have must see attractions. Texas A&M has the best stadium in the SEC. Kyle Field recently underwent $450 million in renovations, and it is a sight to behold. At LSU, Tiger Stadium at night has one of the most electric atmospheres in college football. The Parade Grounds is an excellent place to tailgate as well. Vanderbilt is the “city” school of the conference, and Nashville is a fantastic place to take a weekend trip. At Ole Miss, The Grove is one of the premier spots to tailgate in the country. Georgia has a beautiful campus and one of the best downtown areas in the country.
At Mississippi State, the downtown area of The Cotton District is vastly underrated and has good food. Kentucky has a newly renovated stadium that is not huge in capacity, but it is an excellent place to watch a game.
Tennessee has the river that runs right up to campus and the stadium. It is a beautiful scene and Neyland Stadium is massive. Lastly, even if we go to Auburn, Alabama can be fun, and most in-state kids will have friends that go there.
As for the places I will go this fall, I am excited for several reasons. At Arkansas, Fayetteville has a reputation as being a beautiful city tucked away in the Ozark Mountains.
Clemson has one of the neater pre-game rituals with Howard’s Rock and is the reigning national champions. Missouri has a unique stadium and will be a lengthy road-trip that leaves quality times for friends.
After this year, it leaves two campuses left to visit in the SEC. At Florida, the Swamp is one of the most historic venues in all of athletics. South Carolina has a big city feel and a nice downtown area as well. Williams-Brice Stadium is off-campus by a mile with a ton of land to tailgate around the stadium.
Every single SEC stadium and town is distinct in their own way. There are plenty of stadiums that seat well over 100,000, while several are smaller and less intimidating. All of these cites and campuses are must-see while in college. Stop making excuses, pile up a van of fellow fans and get on the road because being on-site for the hype is better than you’ll every imagine
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