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Planning a college sports road trip? These are the 25 best stops worth making

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More than 1,100 colleges and universities sponsor NCAA sports, including 136 in FBS football. Visiting all of them would be impossible. On top of that, some of the most important college sports events of the year take place in off-campus venues.

With the 2025-26 school year about to begin, we figured we’d narrow down 25 college sports places to visit over the next 10 months. It’s a blend of historic stadiums and arenas, renowned atmospheres, bitter rivalries and high-stakes matchups.

While football represents half our list, you’ll find that 11 other sports make appearances as well. One rule: No city or campus could appear twice. It was hard to narrow the list to 25. It would have been nice to include an FCS football game, for one, and perhaps some conference tournaments in basketball. The good news, though, is that we get to pick 26 for 2026 next year.

 

No. 1: Columbus, Ohio

The iconic Horseshoe hosts a potentially iconic game.

Texas at Ohio State, Aug. 30 (football)

Start the college football season strong with a preseason No. 1 vs. No. 3 matchup at “The Horseshoe,” one of Ohio Stadium’s nicknames. ESPN College GameDay enthusiasts should arrive early to get a prime spot behind the set for Lee Corso’s final headgear pick.

No. 2: Chapel Hill, N.C.

Reigning champions against an upstart favorite

Florida State at North Carolina, Sept. 17 (women’s soccer)

The Tar Heels play on Dorrance Field, named after legendary coach Anson Dorrance, who retired before last season. UNC is coming off the program’s 22nd national title and begins the 2025 season back at No. 1. It just so happens FSU is No. 3.

No. 3: State College, Pa.

An iconic nighttime atmosphere

The White Out game, Sept. 27 (football)

Arguably the greatest atmosphere in college football takes place just once a year: Under the lights at Beaver Stadium, where 106,000 Penn State fans light up in white. This season’s matchup is awesome. Oregon takes on Penn State, both of which are in the preseason top 10.

No. 4: Dallas

For football and fried things

The Red River Rivalry, Oct. 11 (football)

Everyone should experience a football game played smack dab in the middle of the Texas State fair, where the aroma of corny dogs (not a typo) and fried everything fills the air. This year, the 50/50 Sooners-Longhorns crowd at the Cotton Bowl gets to see a juicy quarterback matchup: Texas’ Arch Manning vs. Oklahoma’s John Mateer.

No. 5: South Bend, Ind.

It could be the last chance in a while to see this rivalry game.

USC at Notre Dame, Oct. 18 (football)

A trip to see Touchdown Jesus and the Grotto should be near the top of any football fan’s bucket list, but especially for this game. After all, USC has been threatening to discontinue the annual battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh, just as the Fighting Irish are turning back into a national power.

No. 6: Jacksonville, Fla.

Experience the famous tailgate before its two-year hiatus.

The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, Nov. 1 (football)

Like Oklahoma-Texas in the Red River Rivalry, the neutral-site setting for Florida-Georgia only adds to its mystique. Get there this year before the game moves in 2026 and 2027 due to stadium renovations. Oh my, the Halloween costumes you’ll see.

No. 7: Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Saturday night in the SEC

LSU at Alabama, Nov. 8 (football)

There is truly nothing like a Saturday night in the SEC. While several stadiums give you the full ear-splitting 100,000-seat experience, these two rivals clashing at Bryant-Denny after a full day of tailgating is as good as it gets. Here’s guessing both will still be in College Football Playoff contention.


The Cornhuskers have sold out Memorial Stadium since the 1960s. (Dylan Widger / Imagn Images)

No. 8: Lincoln, Neb.

A Black Friday sporting bonanza

Iowa at Nebraska (football) and Penn State at Nebraska (women’s volleyball), Nov. 28

First, experience the Sea of Red at Memorial Stadium, which has sold out every game since 1962. Then head over to watch a preseason No. 1 vs. No. 2 volleyball showdown in the sport’s best home atmosphere.

No. 9: Ann Arbor, Mich.

Witness The Athletic‘s No. 1 all-time rivalry

The Game, Nov. 29 (football)

Michigan-Ohio State has gotten particularly heated recently with Michigan’s four consecutive victories, sign-stealing accusations, flag-planting and pepper spray at last year’s game in Columbus. Oh, and Ohio State answering Michigan’s national championship the year prior.

No. 10: Lawrence, Kan.

An early-season nonconference banger 

UConn-Kansas, Dec. 2 (men’s basketball)

Allen Fieldhouse is a must-see college basketball cathedral. Why wait for the Jayhawks’ Big 12 schedule when you can swoop in and see a big nonconference game against Dan Hurley’s Huskies, which welcome back forward Alex Karaban for what feels like his 27th season?

No. 11: Baltimore

The pomp and circumstance of a 125-year-old rivalry

Army-Navy, Dec. 13 (football)

Nothing matches the pageantry of this 125-year-old rivalry, from the pregame “March On” to the joint singing of alma maters by the two teams at the end. It just so happens that both academies are coming off double-digit win seasons.

No 12: Pasadena, Calif.

The Granddaddy remains the postseason’s most prestigious game.

The Rose Bowl, Jan. 1 (college football)

The Granddaddy is still the one postseason game you’ve got to experience, even more so than the national championship. It will be a quarterfinal CFP game played against the unparalleled backdrop of the San Gabriel Mountains, with the sun setting mid-third quarter.

No. 13: Storrs, Conn.

To see a top WNBA projected pick in one of women’s basketball’s best environments.

Notre Dame-UConn, Jan. 19 (women’s basketball)

Time to pay a visit to Geno Auriemma’s defending national champions. WNBA rookie star Paige Bueckers may be gone, but UConn’s Azzi Fudd and is currently projected to go in the top 3 of next spring’s draft.

No. 14: Iowa City, Iowa

These teams have combined to win 16 of the past 17 national titles.

Penn State-Iowa wrestling, date TBD (men’s wrestling)

College wrestling’s most heated rivalry returns to Carver-Hawkeye Arena, where Iowa has led the country in attendance since 2007. The two programs have combined to earn 16 of the past 17 national championships, with the Nittany Lions winning the past four.

No. 15: Boston

Bundle up for this old college tradition. 

Men’s Beanpot Tournament, Feb. 2 & 9 (men’s hockey)

It’s a tradition that dates back to 1952: Boston College, Boston University, Harvard and Northeastern square off over consecutive Mondays at TD Garden. A ton of future NHL greats have participated, and more will be there this year.

No. 16: Columbia, S.C.

Don’t sleep on this state capital’s buzzy sports scene.

Tennessee-South Carolina, Feb. 8 (women’s basketball)

Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks have led the country in attendance for the past 11 seasons, averaging 16,437 fans last season. They’ve won or reached three of the last four national title games and will be one of the favorites again this season.

No. 17: Syracuse, N.Y.

March up from Marshall Street

A regular-season lacrosse game (men’s lacrosse)

The Orange hold the sport’s most national titles (10, though none since 2009), and JMA Wireless Dome (the former Carrier Dome) is considered the best atmosphere in college lacrosse. When the schedule comes out, check if Cornell or Johns Hopkins is coming to town.

No. 18: Durham, N.C.

The most famous college basketball area in the world?

Duke-North Carolina, March 6 (unofficial) (men’s basketball)

Every college basketball fan should experience the Cameron Crazies once, ideally for an installment of the sport’s top rivalry. Cooper Flagg is gone to the Dallas Mavericks, but top-5 recruits Cameron Boozer Jr. (Duke) and Caleb Wilson (North Carolina) are ready to take their turns.


Cameron Indoor Stadium has one of the most well-known game day atmospheres in all sports. (Zachary Taft / Imagn Images)

No. 19: Salt Lake City

The Red Rocks held the NCAA record for attendance of any women’s sport for many years.

A regular-season Utah gymnastics meet (women’s gymnastics)

The Huntsman Center is usually sold out and rollicking whenever the Red Rocks compete, including last March when they knocked off Olympian Jordan Chiles and UCLA. Utah’s Makenna Smith is a 10-time All-American and electrifying crowd favorite. The Red Rocks at the time set the NCAA record for attendance of any women’s sport at 16,019 on March 6, 2015. The fire marshal was called in due to overcapacity.

No. 20: Fort Worth, Texas and Sacramento, Calif.

Set up the Final Four over two nights.

NCAA Tournament Elite Eight, March 29-30 (women’s basketball)

Because the NCAA splits the women’s regionals into two sites, not four, you can watch half the Final Four field decided over two nights. It was this round two years ago when Iowa’s Caitlin Clark put up 41 points to exact revenge on Angel Reese and LSU.

No. 21: Indianapolis

One of America’s most event-friendly downtowns plays host 

NCAA Tournament Final Four, April 4-6 (men’s basketball) 

The Final Four isn’t just about basketball. It’s like a big family reunion where coaches, players, athletic directors, agents and notable alumni all convene in one place. Indy is the ideal city for the event, as Lucas Oil Stadium, the concerts and almost all events are walkable from most hotels.

No. 22: Baton Rouge, La.

Million-dollar coaches prove their worth

Any regular-season conference series at LSU (baseball)

College baseball is huge in the South, and no one does it quite like LSU. The Tigers won their eighth national championship last season while also boasting the nation’s top home attendance (11,185). Yes, there will be tailgating and plenty of jambalaya.

No. 23: Oklahoma City

This midwestern town is riding high on sporting events.

Women’s College World Series Championship, June 3-5 (softball)

Sparkling 13,000-seat Devon Park hosts the annual mecca for college softball, as the initial field of eight winnows to two finalists that play a three-game series. The home-state Sooners will be itching to get revenge on Texas Tech, which knocked them out last season.

No. 24: Eugene, Ore.

Track Town, USA

NCAA Track and Field Championships, June 10-13

Eugene is known as Track Town USA, and no other venue matches the history of Hayward Field, built in 1919 and renovated in 2020. Generations of Olympic gold medalists competed here. You can bet future gold medalists will compete here in June.

No. 25: Omaha, Neb.

More than 75 years of history for this event

Men’s College World Series Championship, June 20-22 (baseball)

Your 25th and final stop is an event that’s called Omaha home since 1950. Around 25,000 fans pack Charles Schwab Field Omaha for the final series, which follows a format similar to the women’s. Check out the Jello Shot Challenge at Rocco’s while you’re in town.

 

(Illustration: Kelsea Petersen / The Athletic; Sean Rayford / Getty, Richard Gagnon / Getty, Paul Vernon / AP, Scott Winters / AP)





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CSUN Concludes Asics Invitational With 3-0 Sweep Over Kentucky State

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January 11, 2026

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GOLETA, Calif. — Redshirt freshman Grayson Albers led all hitters with a season-high 10 kills, and CSUN hit better than .500 in all three sets as the 11th-ranked Matadors wrapped up the 2026 UCSB Asics Invitational with a convincing 25-10, 25-10, 25-21 victory over Kentucky State on Saturday afternoon at Rob Gym.

CSUN (3-0) controlled the match from the opening serve, posting a .530 (40-5-66) team hitting percentage over the course of three sets while holding Kentucky State to a .150 clip (23-14-60). The Matadors utilized a season-high 13 players in the match and jumped out to early leads in each set, never trailing in the first two.

Albers was particularly effective, hitting .714 on 14 errorless attacks for the match. Albers and Joao Avila each had two aces as the Matadors posted a 6-2 edge in team aces.

Redshirt junior Jordan Lucas made his Matador debut in the match, putting down six kills on six errorless swings to go with a pair of digs. Freshman Noah Douphner also made his CSUN debut in the match, coming off the bench to chip in five kills (.167), two digs, and one ace. Avila, Santiago Mendoza, Nir Eitan, Niall Finnegan, and Logan Spencer each contributed multiple kills without an attack error.

In limited action, setter Owen Douphner posted 14 assists and three digs, and Spencer finished off the setting duties with 12 assists in his debut. CSUN finished with 40 kills and just five errors on 66 total attempts.

Kentucky State (0-3) was led by Charles Ababio, who had nine kills, but the Thorobreds struggled to find consistency offensively until the third set. After dropping the opening two sets in lopsided fashion, Kentucky State pushed CSUN late in the third, closing within 22-21 before the Matadors scored the final three points to seal the sweep.

HEAD COACH THEO EDWARDS SAID

“It was a fun match. You talk about the growth of the game, and Kentucky State is a new program that is now establishing itself in men’s volleyball. It’s great for our team to get an opportunity to play them. We got some great performances tonight; Jordan (Lucas) hit 1,000 and played incredibly well, Santiago (Mendoza) hit .500, Niall (Finnegan) hit .500, Nir (Eitan) hit .750, so a lot of really good volleyball from our guys. It was great to see a lot of guys get on the floor.”

MATCH NOTES

• Setter Owen Douphner and middle blocker Shane Nhem were named to the all-tournament team

• CSUN finishes 3-0 at the UCSB Asics Invitational for the second consecutive season

• The Matadors are now 59-37 all-time at UCSB’s annual tournament

 


UP NEXT

CSUN continues its season-opening five-match road trip next week as the Matadors travel to St. Charles, Mo., to meet Lindenwood and Purdue Fort Wayne as part of the 2026 Under Armour Challenge at Hyland Arena on the Lindenwood campus.

#GoMatadors





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Bailey Sinish named Gatorade Player of the Year

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January 11, 2026

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Jan. 10, 2026, 4:04 p.m. ET





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Pride Men’s Track and Field Takes on Wesleyan Winter Invitational

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January 11, 2026

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MIDDLETOWN, Conn. — The Regis College men’s track and field team traveled to Connecticut on Saturday morning to compete at the Wesleyan Winter Invitational, where Justin Thuotte set another indoor program recird in the long jump. 

Inside the Numbers

  • Brian LaPorte earned a fourth-place finish in the 800 meters, crossing the line in 2:14.40.
  • Justin Thuotte turned in a standout performance, claiming a top finish in the long jump with a mark of 6.70 meters to set a new indoor program record, besting his own previous mark of 6.65 set at the last meet. He also placed third in the triple jump at 12.99 meters and rounded out his day with a 10th-place finish in the weight throw, posting a personal-best mark of 13.59 meters.
  • Brady Elliott placed seventh in the high jump with a leap of 1.80 meters.
  • Additional Pride personal-best performances came from Michael Hatch in the long jump (4.92m), DJ Marks in the long jump (5.31m), and Griffin McGahan in the weight throw (10.26m).

Up Next

The Pride return to the track next Sunday, January 18, when they head to Track at New Balance for the Suffolk Ice Breaker, beginning at 9:00 a.m.



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2025 Providence Journall All-State Girls Volleyball Team

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January 11, 2026

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Take a look: 2025 Providence Journall All-State Girls Volleyball Team



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Track and Field Opens 2026 Calendar year at Wesleyan Winter Invitational

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January 11, 2026

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MIDDLETOWN, Conn. — The Regis College women’s track and field team traveled to Connecticut on Saturday morning to compete at the Wesleyan Winter Invitational, where Zoe Kirk set a new indoor program record in the high jump.

Inside the Numbers

  • Zoe Kirk continued her strong rookie campaign with a pair of top-10 finishes. She placed third overall in the high jump with a mark of 1.50 meters, setting a new indoor program record and surpassing the previous mark of 1.46 held by teammate Grace Miklon. Kirk also finished ninth in the 60-meter hurdles, posting a time of 9.93.
  • Hannah Griffin claimed the top spot in the 800 meters with a time of 2:44.36, edging her nearest competitor by nearly one second.
  • Olivya Bush joined her fellow first-year athletes with a top-10 performance in the 400 meters, as the Texas native recorded a personal-best time of 1:09.67 to finish 10th overall.
  • Grace Micklon added another solid result for the Pride, placing seventh in the pole vault with a mark of 2.15 meters.
  • Aleyo Amasa-Titus rounded out the day with a sixth-place finish in the triple jump (9.86m) and a seventh-place showing in the long jump (4.66m).

Up Next

The Pride return to the track next Sunday, January 18, when they head to Track at New Balance for the Suffolk Ice Breaker, beginning at 9:00 a.m.



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Nowak Paces Jaspers; Men’s Volleyball Opens Program at Penn State

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January 11, 2026

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STATE COLLEGE, PA – The Manhattan Jaspers’ Men’s Volleyball program (0-1, 0-0 NEC) fell in its inaugural match against the No. 13 Penn State Nittany Lions (2-0, 0-0 Big Ten) in straight sets (21-25, 16-25, 20-25) inside the Recreation Hall South Gym on Saturday afternoon.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

  • On top by a couple of points were the Nittany Lions, before an attack error by Penn State gave the Jaspers the program’s first ever point.

  • Two points ahead, it was Kasen Owens who posted the first ever attempt and kill off a perfect Drew Blonski setup.

  • Back and forth went the Jaspers and Nittany Lions, before Wojtek Nowak tied the game at nine with the program’s first service ace. Then, two points later, it was Nowak again, who was fed a perfect pass to give Manhattan its second tie in just three points.

  • The Jaspers would keep the game within two until Nowak continued his all-around game by tacking on a block solo to his resume to narrow Penn State’s lead 15-14.

  • Down the stretch, Owens and Nowak added another two points before the Nittany Lions took the first set.

  • Looking to bounce back in the second set, Blonski set up Kasen Owens for a go-ahead kill, before Max Larcheid added his first point of the afternoon to go ahead of the home team.

  • Trailing by three midway, the Jaspers, once again, took advantage of a Penn State setback, before the Nittany Lions pulled away down the stretch.

  • Opening the third set trailing by two, Chase Marston joined the inaugural party with a kill, before Manhattan tacked on another two for the program’s first scoring run. The Jaspers would tack on the next three of four points, before Marston tied the match at 12 with back-to-back service aces.

STATS AND NOTES

  • Junior outside hitter Wojtek Nowak led the Green and White with nine kills on the afternoon while attempting a total of 13, and a hitting percentage of .538. Nowak posted the program’s first service ace and logged one block solo for a total of 11 points on the day.

  • Sophomore outside hitter Kasen Owens posted six kills on 19 attempts, while blocking three and totaled 7.5 points on the afternoon.

  • Freshman opposite hitter Blake Perkins registered three kills in 10 attempts, added two digs, and one block.

  • Freshman opposite hitter Chase Marston logged three kills in five total attempts and added two aces and a pair of blocks.

  • As a team, the Jaspers posted 25 kills on 64 total attacks, while logging three service aces, and 14 team digs, while blocking seven.

NEXT UP:
The Jaspers are back in action on Friday, January 16, and Saturday, January 17 when the Green and White trek to Boston to face the Harvard Crimson beginning at 7 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively. The contests can be viewed on ESPN+ with a paid subscription.
 
Follow Manhattan Men’s Volleyball on X and Instagram (@ManhattanMVBall).



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