We’ve all heard stories of college football fans inexplicably attending one college football game during every week of a given season. As logistically and financially impossible as this sounds, fans deep down wish they could do the same, were it not for a little thing called life that has a habit of getting in the way of achieving their ultimate college football odyssey.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t dream. So if money, free time, and logistics were no issue, how would we structure our dream tour of the 2025 college football season? Here’s our shot at it. The only rule was that we couldn’t visit the same stadium twice. And here’s what we came up with:
THE SCHEDULE
Week 1, August 30: LSU at Clemson
Week 2, September 6: Iowa at Iowa State
Week 3: September 13: Georgia at Tennessee
Week 4: September 20: Oregon State at Oregon
Week 5: September 27: Oregon at Penn State
Week 6: October 4: Oregon State at Appalachian State
Week 7: October 11: Oklahoma vs Texas
Week 8: October 18: USC at Notre Dame
Week 9: October 25: Northwestern at Nebraska
Week 10: November 1: South Carolina at Ole Miss
Week 11: November 8: Nebraska at UCLA
Week 12: November 15: TCU at BYU
Week 13: November 22: Miami at Virginia Tech
Week 14: November 29: Ohio State at Michigan
Bonus Game: December 13, Army vs Navy
We made our picks based on several factors, including matchup quality, stadium prestige/history, fanbase reputation, and the general environment – whether that was the gameday experience, the appeal of the college town, or the region’s compelling scenery, etc. We’ll discuss why we think these games are the best for fans to attend during the 2025 season and would make the ideal stops for a road trip they’ll never forget.
Week 1: LSU at Clemson
August 30, Memorial Stadium, Clemson, SC
To kick off this once-in-a-lifetime college football fandom pilgrimage, we’re headed to Death Valley, but not the Death Valley of Baton Rouge. Clemson’s Memorial Stadium is undoubtedly one of the gems of the college football world, with 81,000 seats and featuring one of the premier entrances in all of sports.
Week 2: Iowa at Iowa State
September 6, Jack Trice Stadium, Ames, IA
These two intrastate rivals can’t stand one another, making for a great spectacle if you’re a visiting neutral fan. With a rivalry matchup in a football-crazed state so early in the season, we’d be insane not to stop in Ames this week.
Week 3: Georgia at Tennessee
September 13, Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN
Neyland Stadium is a bucket list item on any college football fan’s itinerary. The atmosphere here during big games–and this one certainly will be a big game–is palpably electric, with Rocky Top playing on repeat. “Sailgating” on the winding Tennessee River, which flows beside the stadium, has been a tradition for Vols fans since 1962 and should be mandatory at every other school with a river next to its stadium.
Week 4: Oregon State at Oregon
September 20, Autzen Stadium, Eugene, OR
Autzen Stadium is a gorgeous venue and boasts an ear-splitting environment as Ducks fans cheer on their team. Opponents dread making trips to Eugene for this reason, but Oregon State is well acquainted with the noise. This year’s playing of “The Civil War” (as it’s referred to) is a must-see game for our list.
Week 5: Oregon at Penn State
September 27, Beaver Stadium, University Park, PA
Beaver Stadium is among the loudest in America for a reason, and its legendary whiteout games are considered one of the most intimidating atmospheres in all of football. It’s a big-time atmosphere for what surely will be a big-time game between two of the country’s top brands.
Week 6: Oregon State at Appalachian State
October 4, Kidd Brewer Stadium, Boone, NC
Boone, North Carolina, is undeniably a gem, with plenty of bars, restaurants, eco-tourism, and a deep connection to the university that’s evident everywhere you look. This gorgeous college town is buoyed by the Appalachian State Mountaineers football team, architects of the biggest upset in college football history.
Week 7: Oklahoma vs Texas
October 11, Cotton Bowl, Dallas, TX
We head west, stopping at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas for the annual Red River Rivalry, a matchup college football fans all know and love. This game has been played every year since 1929, and the matchup has taken place annually at the Cotton Bowl since 1932. A heated rivalry inside Dallas’ fairgrounds is too perfect a spectacle not to include on our list.
Week 8: USC at Notre Dame
October 19, Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN
Notre Dame Stadium is among the most hallowed and iconic venues in the world. The Fighting Irish strongly cling to tradition, going so far as to retain its stadium’s original bench seats from the 1930s until 2017. When the field’s grass was replaced with all-weather turf in 2014, plenty of debate emerged amongst the Notre Dame faithful, with some claiming it broke with the long-held tradition of leaving the 50-yard line bare. To each their own, but we’ll gladly sit back and soak in the nostalgia all day long, and hopefully get a closer look at Touchdown Jesus in the process.
Week 9: Northwestern at Nebraska
October 25, Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, NE
Any college football road trip list wouldn’t be complete without visiting Nebraska, with its devoted fanbase, strong traditions, and plenty of tailgating options. We chose this destination primarily because of the loyalty of Nebraska fans, who have sold out every home game since 1962: a whopping 403 matchups.
Week 10: South Carolina at Ole Miss
November 1, Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, MS
Rebels fans pack The Grove every game day in what many consider to be the best tailgating atmosphere in the country. Beneath rows of grove trees and bushels of Spanish moss, Ole Miss fans celebrate their fandom with great food, drink, and revelry that only SEC fans can attest to. Prior to entering Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, the Rebels are greeted by throngs of fans in their “Walk of Champions” which plays an equally important role in building up the Ole Miss gameday experience.
Week 11: Nebraska at UCLA
November 8, The Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA
Not only will a stop in southern California give us a much-needed break from the increasingly frigid temperatures we’ll be facing as the season goes on, but it will provide us with a chance to visit the sport’s píece de résistance: The Rose Bowl. It’s as iconic as it gets in college football. This revered venue is hallowed ground for college football fans, so it’d be just plain wrong not to include a game there on our list. Although it isn’t hosting “The Granddaddy of Them All” just yet, any time a trip to Pasadena is an option, you take it.
Week 12: TCU at BYU
November 15, LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo, UT
Do yourself a favor and Google “LaVell Edwards Stadium.” It should be self-evident why it’s on this list (assuming you’ve found an image of the mountains towering over the stadium). Beyond simply seeing a game in the Rocky Mountains, BYU is an attractive stop because of its passionate fans and welcoming atmosphere. Cougars fans are well known as being hospitable to visiting fans and show newcomers a great time, regardless of which team’s colors they’re wearing.
Week 13: Miami at Virginia Tech
November 22, Lane Stadium, Blacksburg, VA
Few things are more quintessentially college football than Lane Stadium in the fall. From the Hokies’ legendary entrance to Metallica’s Enter Sandman, to giant turkey legs, to expansive tailgating options, Virginia Tech is a can’t-miss stop on our journey. And to top it all off, being in Blacksburg when Miami is in town is a retro rivalry that has delivered heart-stopping moments for decades. Tucked away in the Blue Ridge Mountains in southwest Virginia, Blacksburg is a picturesque, football-obsessed college town of 45,000. The town itself is bustling, centered on a main street that is jam-packed with restaurants, stores, shops, and bars that sell beer for as cheap as $3 a pop.
Week 14: Ohio State at Michigan
November 29, Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI
All college football fans know that “The Game” is known as such for a reason. These are two of the winningest programs in the country, and they share a mutual hatred that’s tough to beat. The time-honored traditions of the Wolverines and their hordes of fans who pack the Big House every Saturday are an awe-inspiring sight, and we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see it for ourselves.
Bonus Game: Army vs Navy
December 8, M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, MD
Among all the stops on this list, Army-Navy stands alone in its pageantry, commitment to service, and meaning. It’s a showcase of more than just football and is an exhibition of two of the most well-respected institutions in the country. From the moment these two teams take the field, the atmosphere of Army–Navy becomes uniquely impactful, as all 22 players on the gridiron are more than just football players: they’re sailors and soldiers, ready to serve their country when their college careers come to a close. Being at such a special event steeped in such rich tradition is a can’t-miss bonus addition to our road trip of a lifetime.
