College football is the most traveled sport in the world - by the fans, that is. They plan trips months in advance. Then every weekend, starting in the heat around Labor Day, through the fall

"Hail to the Victors!" - Fans travel in style, showing support for their beloved Blue as they arrive at the Big House

foliage, and continuing past the first Saturday of December, legions of fanatics load up and head to the campuses - across town or hundreds of miles on the interstate. By car, plane, boat, RV - convoy or solo, every means of travel known - they won't be denied. They go. Only the scarcity of game tickets and hotel rooms keeps their numbers from being much larger.

They go because every week is crucial, and they feel a do-or-die excitement pulling them. They go to get away and have fun. They go to support their school, in "our house", or as an army invading the Evil Empire. They go to explore the town and partake of its restaurants, shops, bars and nightlife.  They go to walk the campus, then squeeze into a cavernous cathedral with thousands, to rise as one for the fight song, then ride the roller-coaster of emotion, standing and screaming their lungs out, until finally - they bring back a glorious victory.  College football fans - the reason the games are played.

I, Trip Captain, have indeed been very fortunate to attend college football weekends all across this nation for many years. I have visited venues from Penn State to USC, from Ann Arbor to Tallahassee, and most places in between - many several times.

And every venue is different. The history, traditions, gameday atmosphere, practices and rituals - each has its own identity, reflecting the people who founded the town and the university, and those who support them today.

Which is best? That depends - what are you in the mood for? Texas A&M, Notre Dame, Auburn, Washington, Ohio State, Virginia Tech - each has a distinctive style and feel - unique, original, genuine.

Throughout the season, the Trip Captain page will feature different venues. Drawing upon a composite of past experiences, you will walk in Trip Captain's shoes, through the weekend.

We’ll talk about getting to one of those college towns – like State College, Lincoln, Iowa City, Oxford, Tuscaloosa, Lawrence, Blacksburg, Madison, Athens, and a multitude of others – places where the University brings a boost of vitality, energy and prosperity to the community. Then, finding lodging, places to eat, shopping, parking and nightlife.

The Rotunda at Virginia

With Cap, you’ll explore the campus. The Grotto and the lakes at Notre Dame, the Columns at Missouri, the Buckeye Grove at Ohio State, Senior Walk at Arkansas, Union Terrace on Lake Mendota at Wisconsin, The Lawn at Virginia, the Unconquered Statue at Florida State, Samford Hall at Auburn, the Pentacrest at Iowa, the Campanile at Kansas, the Nittany Lion Statue at Penn State, Ventress Hall at Ole Miss, the Memorial Chapel pylons overlooking the Drillfield at Virginia Tech, and you’ll hike across the Quadrangle, through the Law Quad and down State Street, all the way to The Big House at Michigan – and much, much more.

Cap also looks at the football program of the home team - What's it like to be an Iowa Hawkeye fan, today? What braggin' rights do Iowa fans claim, and what's the outlook this year – through the eye of the Hawk? And what of their school colors, nickname, mascots, band, songs, stadium, traditions, and rivalries?

Then of course, countdown to kickoff and gameday.

RVs roll into college towns nationwide, beginning Thursday morning and increasing up to kickoff, and Cap describes the local scene as tailgaters scramble for a prime spot, then a good spot, then any spot at all. The fans arrive Friday afternoon in the shops and restaurants on College Ave. at Penn State, while the Student Boosters paint the game helmets before the pep rally at Notre Dame, and members of the Nebraska Band come down the stairs at Misty’s in red bow-ties, playing “Varsity,” as they march throughout.

Then the strips come alive along Cumberland Ave. at Tennessee and University Blvd. at Alabama, and Midnight Yell practice at Texas A&M brings out 30,000 Aggie fans, as the anticipation and intensity builds.

Toomer's Corner - The intersection of College and Magnolia is where Auburn fans "roll the trees."

I’ve found that when I leave a college town and campus after a football weekend, I invariably take something with me, for each place has its own flavor, its own feel.  I'm humming the fight song, mumbling a chant, seeing their colors, recalling the campus or mascot, a special restaurant - some things stick in my memory and then come tumbling out in the off-season or when I see that team play on television, later. Trip Captain will take a brief look into the Rearview Mirror - to see what sticks.

And maybe, by looking over Trip Captain’s shoulder, you’ll gain a little insight as to what its like - around town, on campus, in the stadium - at the game you're watching on TV, and your gameday experience will be enriched. There’s so much to enjoy, and if you’re like me - you don’t want to miss a thing. After all, there are a limited number of autumn Saturdays in a lifetime.

Where he's been:
Penn State     Ohio State     Missouri       Home Game   Florida            Red River Rivalry               Notre Dame
Iowa                Nebraska                              Virginia Tech
Alabama         Auburn