TexanMark's Tailgate Guides

Penn State Tailgate and Visitors Guide '09

2009-07-06T18:34:00.020-05:00

Penn State is the "Big Daddy" of tailgating in the northeast. It is the "Flagship" of the football rich state of Pennsylvania and has a large student body (about 45,000) that really gets into football weekends. Being a rural campus it has plenty of parking and you definitely know that the college and the game is the biggest event around central Pennsylvania.

GETTING THERE

Penn State, a land grant school, is the most eastern school of the Big 10 and can be hard to get to by car depending on which direction you're coming from due to the Appalachian Mountains (more precise the Alleghenies). The closest Big 10 school (Ohio State) is 5.5 hours away. The good news is Penn State is RV friendly and allows parking starting on Thursday evening for RVs. The school is located in the small city of State College in Centre County (Pop. 150,000). State College however lately has become a popular destination for retirees that enjoy the four seasons and outdoor activities.

Pattee Mall on the campus

Flying and Riding
State College is served by the small regional University Park Airport (SCE). Delta, United and US Airways offers limited service. The airport is conveniently located just a couple miles from the campus. Train service is not available into State College. However, it is a short trip away (about an hour) from several Amtrak train stations, located in Altoona, Lewistown, and Huntingdon. Greyhound Bus Service is another option for those living close by as it offers service to the University. An easy to read map showing Penn State and State College is here.

Hotel State College on Allen Street in State College, PA a nice place to spend a weekend
Picture from Nittany Memories check it out

The stadium is situated on the expansive Penn State Campus. Click to enlarge

Directions to the Stadium

Lots of different printable maps here.

All info taken from the 2008 Penn State Parking and Stadium Information Guide except where noted. This is a good read from 2007. The newest 2008 stadium brochure is smaller and suitable for printing. Additionally Penn State offers up a great game day web site for the visiting fan.

A nice overview map to use--centered on Beaver Stadium.

Fans arriving from the West via U.S. 322 SHOULD USE THE MOUNT NITTANY EXPRESSWAY (East/West Expressway just north of the stadium US 220/322).

U.S. Interstate 80 Traffic: Fans arriving from the West should take Exit 158 and follow Route 150 South to Route 26 South. Fans arriving from the East should take Exit 161 to Route 26 South or U.S. 220 South.

Persons without parking passes should follow the football directional signs from their route of arrival. Parking fee payment will be made at the lot entrance. Day of the game cost is $20 for parking instead of $10 if you prepay. You will be directed to lots# 11 and 26.

TRAFFIC ON UNIVERSITY DRIVE SOUTH OF CURTIN ROAD IS RESTRICTED TO BUSES AND
BLACK PASSES ONLY. PORTER ROAD IS RESTRICTED TO PRE-PAID PERMITS ONLY.

If you have a prepaid (highly recommended) parking pass click here for directions. If you want to avoid gameday hassles--here is the prepaid parking website--operated by Ticketmaster. NOTE: The website for prepaid doesn't seem t be working. I did hear you canbuy a prepaid parking pass at the Bryce Jordan Center up to Friday closing before the game. If you are a visiting fan without a prepaid pass you will be directed to lot 11 or 23 depending on where you arrive from. Non prepaid RV's will be directed to lot 9. Non prepaid RVs will cost $40 instead of $20 if bought in advance.

Arriving via the Mount Nittany Expressway, YELLOW pass holders will be directed to: Lots# 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 26 northeast or east of the stadium.

Arriving via Porter Road, YELLOW pass holders will be directed to Lot# 25.

Arriving via Park Avenue (Atherton Street, Business Route 322), YELLOW pass holders
will be directed to: Lots# 11, 12, and 13.

Arriving via (Airport) Fox Hollow Road, Yellow pass holders will be directed to Lots# 16, 17, 18 and 19 northwest of the stadium.

Driving to Beaver Stadium--Can be a slow process

RV's are a Common Site at Penn State--photo from Tailgater's Handbook

Overnight and Gameday RV Parking

Limited overnight parking for recreational vehicles ONLY is permitted Thursdays after 6 p.m. in the designated area (see Parking Map--Lots# 19 + 20 NE of the stadium). A $60 per-night fee (for Thursday and Friday) is charged for this service. There will be separate charges for towing and towed vehicles. Gameday RV parking is $40 or $20 prepaid. Lots# 13 and 25 are set aside for Gameday RV parking.

A Printable Parking Map is here.

Disabled Parking

From the PSU Parking and Stadium Information Guide

(Automobiles) Patrons using a Disabled License Plate or Placard in accordance with Pennsylvania law must arrive via Park Avenue traveling East(from Atherton Street) to access Lot #9. For those with pre-paid parking, a limited number of spaces are available behind Wagner Building. If you have pre-paid parking and wish to park behind Wagner Building, indicate that to the parking attendant as you enter Lot #9. An accessible parking lot for wheelchair spectators only is located adjacent to the Bryce Jordan Center on Curtin Road. Arrangements for wheelchair parking must be made in advance by calling the Penn State Ticket Office. Directions to the lot will be
provided at that time.

Scalping

From what I could tell Pennsylvania allows you to resell tickets to football games over the Internet (if you are instate) for whatever price the market will bear. The buyer of course can be out of state. It appears to be illegal to do it in person to sell above face value. The linked article above stated they arrest between 50-100 people each season. Penn State fans have told me tickets are easy to come by right in front of the stadium along Curtin Road. 'Pro' scalpers and regular fans are selling and buying tickets in that area. Earlier in the day tickets are also easy to find anywhere along College Ave especially between McLanahans (Grocery Store) and the book store. With that warning above (about arrest) in place if you still want to buy tickets above face value the following techniques usually have worked for me in other states: I have always found the best spot to find extra tickets is at the tailgates. I would troll the tailgate lots before game time. As game time approaches you can find tickets leading to the stadium. It is always preferred to buy extras from fellow fans.

If you are willing to risk arrest the following techniques have served me well where it is legal. If you run into a professional scalper as opposed to a fan some off the following tips are key. A few tried and true techniques to get the best price buying I have used from both scalper and fan: 1. Know what a legit ticket looks like 2. Buy from your own fan base first 3. The smaller the group the smaller the price--single tickets are cheapest 4. Prices usually peak 1-2 hours before kickoff--inside an hour the closer to game time the cheaper the ticket, right after kickoff they plummet to near nothing 5. A fan walking to the stadium in with a group of friends and still holding extra tickets to sell will usually dump them for a cheap price (they do not want to miss the game and often they are doing a favor for a buddy to sell them) usually you'll spot them holding a finger or two out to their side or over their head or saying selling one, etc... 6. If you have to deal with a professional scalper--NEVER give him what he asks, have a seating chart with you, check to make sure all tickets are really together and for that game, offer him lower and be prepared to walk away, after you turn and walk away more than half the time in my experience they'll give in and take your offer, if you can afford to wait...wait inside 20 minutes to kickoff as see the prices drop (assess the situation for the number of tickets available, how many you need before employing that strategy) 7. Don't be embarrassed to go back to a scalper to buy ticket(s) 10 minutes after you said no to his previous offer 8. Don't fall for their tactics to make you feel like you're ripping them off by offering $20 less per ticket, etc...they love to play games with your self-image and ego.

Beaver Stadium Seating Chart--don't forget your binoculars

TAILGATING

Penn State has been argued by many to be among the best tailgating schools in the country. They come early and stay late. From the Penn State Parking and Stadium Guide:

Parking lots generally open at 8:00 a.m. For Noon games lots open at 7:00 a.m. For late afternoon or night games lot openings will be posted on the Web site: Plan to arrive at Beaver Stadium after the lots open in order to avoid standing traffic prior to opening.

Fans have told me it is best to arrive early before the lots open. Park your car in queue and wait.

Most of the tailgating is done in fields. Just remember, "No Charcoal Grills!" As long as it isn't pouring rain this creates a much nicer environment than compared to most other northeastern schools who heavily rely on paved parking lots.

PSU fan, "psufleish23" said:

There are green dumpsters spread around the tailgate areas and on them are rolls of Trash/Recycling bags. At the very least put all your trash in bags in a neat pile so the crews working overtime on Sunday can easily pick them up.

Bathrooms
Lots of port-a-potties but the lines are usually pretty long at them. A tip is that most of the public campus buildings within walking distance are open on weekends, especially the Law Bldg, Forestry Bldg, Business Bldg, Findley Commons, and IM Building. They have nice restrooms in them and the lines are not nearly as long.

Wearing The Other Team's Colors
Most of our fans are pretty nice to opposing team's fans, but we have had a few bad apples in some high-profile incidents recently. Most of those were with major rivals in town. For most games, don't be surprised to have people invite you over for some food or a beer. Some tips to avoid any trouble (applies to all sporting events): Try not to provoke. Avoid the larger tailgates with lots of students/drinking at them. Night games tend to be worse.

Also, a lot of fans like to give some good-nature ribbing to each other on game days. I've found that if you can be a good sport with them about it when you're at their venue, then they are usually pretty nice to you after that.

Photos from: Straight outta Johnstown

Tailgating Alternative

If you are downtown or along South Atherton (Business US 322) in one of the hotels...try setting up in your hotel parking lot and take the shuttle to the stadium. From the Penn State Parking and Stadium Information Guide:

Shuttle Bus (CATA) For the convenience of fans, shuttle buses provide continuous service between the many area hotels along South Atherton Street, Downtown State College, and Beaver Stadium(the corner of Curtin Road and University
Drive). They begin three hours before kickoff and run continuously until one hour after the game is over. They operate in both directions approximately every ten minutes before the game and every twenty minutes during the game. Following the game, they run continuously one-way from the stadium. All shuttle buses are fully accessible and the fare is $2.00 (exact fare only) each way. Individuals presenting a valid U.S. Medicare Card, Senior Transit Identification Card, or a CATA Reduced Fare Identification Card may ride for half the fare ($1.00). Call CATA at 814-238-2282 or visit the Special Services section of CATA’s website.

Parking on campus in most lots is free on the weekends after 9 pm friday. If you can get their early enough on Saturday, you get free parking and it's usually a short walk to the stadium. But, this DOES NOT apply to the parking garages on campus.

A lot of the streets in the Highlands Area (the residential area basically bordered by Beaver Ave, University Drive, Easterly Parkway, and Atherton Street) all say that parking is prohibited from 2am-6am, and it's usually enforced pretty well based on all the yellow envelopes on windshields come Sunday morning. If you come in for the weekend, you can call the State College Police Department before 10pm at 814.234.7510 with your license plate # and the location of your vehicle and they won't ticket it for the weekend.

Hope this helps.

Last Minute Tailgate Supplies

A couple things make this more of an ordeal than many other schools. Pennsylvania has archaic alcohol laws and doesn't do the consumer any favor. Beer can not be bought in grocery stores or convenient markets. Hard Liquor and Wine is only available the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board Stores. Centre County has several shops listed. Beer is not available at PLCB stores. For beer in State College you'll need to go to one of the larger distributors (Pletchers is one and is located near the largest PLCB store) or to a smaller 6-pack bottle or take away shops. The 6-pack shops are always attached to a restaurant - for example Hooter's has one and there is another attached to Sharkies. At the larger distributors you can get only get full cases and kegs (kegs are illegal in the tailgating lots). The smaller shops sell smaller packs but have a limit on the volume of beer purchased and are much more expensive. Wine and liquor are only available at the PLCB stores. So either bring it from home or get severely inconvenienced by finding one of these stores on gameday.

PSU fan "psufleish23" said:

The distributors usually carry all major brands, they generally align themselves with certain brands, giving better prices for that brand than its competitors. For example, Nittany Beverage gives better deals on Miller products, and W.R. Hickey gives better deals on Anheuser-Busch. I'm not sure about Pletcher's alliances, but I've heard they have a better overall selection, including micros. If you're looking for a semi-local beer, PA-brewed Yuengling Lager is a pretty good choice.

Although State College has an ordinance against open alcohol containers, it is relaxed during game day in the tailgate areas around the stadium. Also, they made a new rule a few years ago that prohibits drinking at the tailgate during the game. Once the game starts, cops patrol the lots and this will be enforced.

The closest store for all the other tailgating and food supplies is Mc Lanahans Penn State Room. The sell PSU merchandise and all sorts of tailgating supplies. Note: They don't sell beer, wine or liquor.

McLanahan's--a must for any one looking for PSU Merchandise and Tailgate Supplies.
If you are looking for a regular grocery store State College has several options. State College has a Wegman's Market on the west side. Wegman's is huge and competes with the best grocery chains in the US. Giant has two locations in State College. One on the east side and one on the west side. Weis Super Markets have four stores in the State College Area. Finally, Walmart has two Supercenters. One on the west side and one on the east side. Wegmans, Giant, and Walmart are all open 24 hours. Finally, if you are buying food for your tailgate be sure to pick up some Seltzer's Lebanon Bologna...it is one of those must try local foods.

Money Saving Tip: Both Wegmans and Giant use loyalty cards. Either apply for one online or at customer service and maybe ask someone to scan their card for you to get the discounts.

TAILGATE HAVEN--Total Tailgating Resource

Tailgate Haven is your total resource for setting up and managing your football tailgate online. Do you think the tailgate is sometimes just as important as the game? The goal of Tailgate Haven is to make your life easier by organizing your tailgate group; thus eliminating countless emails, text messages and phone calls about the current weeks tailgate information. The concept is simple but pure genius. You easily register by choosing your favorite team and picking a creative name for your tailgate group. Now log in and instantly each of your teams games becomes its own webpage with your team colors. Next, invite your friends to join your tailgate group and the site comes to life. In addition to this tailgate manager, every team has its own tailgate profile. Do you travel to away games? This is where you can find the best information on where to park, find extra tickets, where to stay, eat, party and golf. Navigate the city easily as you travel to a stadium for the first time.

LODGING

State College boasts over 3000 hotel rooms and they need all of them for football weekends. The key thing is to book early if you want to be close. Here are some of the more popular motels in State College. Of course if you do some detective work you can find some hidden gems like the Nittany Budget Motel on the budget end or the Carnegie House on the higher end. The Hotel State College only offers 11 rooms but can't be beat for location. If you are a Bed and Breakfast fan this link will sure to please. This is the most comprehensive list I found for the listing of all lodging in the State College area.

Some out of town options: Clearfield, PA is about 45 miles NW located next to I-80. It has a nice assortment of motels. Altoona, PA is about 45 miles SW and also has quite a few motels. Another resource for Altoona showing all types of lodging options. About 70 miles east is Milton/Lewisburg and they offer options for those coming from the east coast. Finally, this guide is good for giving you phone numbers for various "Mom and Pop" Motels.

DINING
Famous Berkey Creamery
Okay let me get this out of the way first before talking about food: you need to go get ice cream at the University's Berkey Creamery (the largest college creamery in the US). They open early and close late on the weekends. Parking is available in the East Deck Parking Garage on Bigler Road located directly behind the Creamery Store and the Food Science building. The first 30 minutes is FREE. Just go you won't be disappointed.

FINE DINING: The Carnegie House, a few miles west, is a lodge but offers meals in a nice setting. The Atherton Hotel boasts the Tarragon Restaurant and a varied menu. The Tavern Restaurant is a long standing tradition and is very popular. Mario and Luigi's offers up the finest in Italian...they have an extensive menu. Spat's Cafe and Speakeasy offers Cajun Food on their varied menu. Zola's Bistro has a varied menu and popular.

CASUAL DINING: The Diner is just that but they offer the Grilled Sticky. Sounds interesting. The Diner is also a popular breakfast place. If you want something different try Korean at the Korean Kimchi Restaurant. Herwig's Austrian Bistro has fine food in a casual,cozy setting. Try Penn State Sub Shop#1 for great subs, cheese steaks and wraps. If you want steak, seafood and don't want to spend a fortune then Hoss's Steak and Sea House is for you. It offers alot of food for the money. Try Kelly's Steak and Seafood...it offers a nice menu at reasonable prices but is more upscale than Hoss's. Barbecue is hard to find in State College but west of town (about 10 miles) is Clem's Wood Fired BBQ. Clems also sell BBQ on the weekend in State College. Fat Jack's also come recommended for BBQ. See Buelah's below for another BBQ option. If you are looking for Mexican Food--State College offers the fast food chain Qdoba Mexican Grill. Burritos are their specialty. The Rathskeller offers lunches by day and lots of beer and coeds by night. The Saloon is another college bar. Okay where do I go on Sunday morning after a hard night of partying? The Original Waffle Shop is outstanding. Expect a wait on Sunday mornings.

Beulah's BBQ: Get your Q fix here

Sports Bar Alert Beulahs BBQ serves Kansas City Style BBQ and offers HDTV to watch your sporting events. The Arena offers lots of TVs and is a full fledged sports bar--they should be able to find your game. Bill Pickle's Tap Room is Bar/Restaurant that also has TV's. Champs Sports Grill has reviews all over the place. It might be worth a look. One regional chain also has a sports bar in State College. Damon's offers their famous ribs as well as a full setup of TVs.

Bars

State College has a ton of bars catering to the younger crowd. Check out your specials here: Bar Guide
SHOPPING If you are looking for a slightly older crowd, I heard the Rathskellar, Adam's Apple (at the Tavern), or Allen Street Grille should be to your liking.

If you have a spouse that doesn't want to go to the game the Nittany Mall should keep them busy. The Woolrich Clothing Store is a must see if you love their outdoor wear. It is located about 45 minutes NE off US 220. Other shopping possibilities are here.

GOLF

Penn State Golf Coures--Blue and White Courses

Blue Course--from the official website:

The Blue Course finished renovations in 2006. We added three ponds and lengthened the course over 640 yards. The front nine, par 36, measures 3691 yards off the New Nittany tees. Its layout is quite different than you will find on the back nine. Tee shots require close attention to placement. A rewarding tee shot puts you in position to try your luck at carefully guarded greens. Twenty seven strategically placed green side bunkers on the front nine will challenge your course management skills, and patience. The front nine provides a challenge to the most experienced player by demanding not only length but accuracy.

The Blue Course back nine awaits your arrival. The back nine, par 36, is a newly constructed nine holes completed in 1994 and new additions in 2006. It measures 3481 yards off the New Nittany tees and provides a quite different experience than the front nine. The back nine not only includes 16 green side bunkers, but adds to the challenge by including 11 strategically placed fairway bunkers. Water hazards on the 14th and the 18th can add pressure to a seemingly easy tee shot. The back nine will provide you with large undulating greens and a links style atmosphere. Bring your "A" game. The Blue Course is the more expensive of the two courses.

White Course--from the official website:

The White Course, renovated in 2005, provides a challenging alternative to the Blue Course. With holes dating back to 1922, the White Course will test even the most skilled player. The front nine, par 36, measuring 3245 yards from the blue tees. The older course provides smaller crowned greens adding to the character and demanding a creative short game. Nearly 40 bunkers on the front side alone force you to manage your game, in your efforts to shoot a low score.

The back nine, par 36, measures 3099 yards and starts your journey with a straight forward par 5. Take advantage of these first few holes and you will be in good shape as you approach the home stretch. Elevation changes and deceptively placed fairway and green side bunkers will challenge your distance control and depth perception. Your finishing hole is a 492 yard, uphill slight dog leg right, that can make a strong case of being one of the toughest finishing holes in the area. The White Course par 3's will prove to be some of the most challenging you have played. This course will test your creativity. When in doubt, bump and run. Greens Fees here.

Toftrees Golf Resort and Conference Center

This might be the best choice for the Football Fan who also wants to play alot of golf. They offer stay and play packages. Five different tee settings allow you to play easy or play hard. Toftrees - meaning "Home among the trees" - is nestled amid 1500 scenic wooded acres in beautiful Centre County, Pennsylvania.

Toftrees Golf Resort has recently been rated 4 1/2 stars by Golf Digest magazine's "Places to Play" and one of Pennsylvania’s Best Resort/ Public Golf Courses. Toftrees was selected by Meetings and Conventions magazine as one of the Top 75 Golf Conference Center Resorts in the U.S.A.

Navy Tailgate and Visitors Guide '09

2009-07-04T14:31:00.015-05:00

The United States Naval Academy (USNA) is located in Annapolis, MD, 30 miles east of Washington, DC and 30 miles south of Baltimore, MD. Annapolis, the capital of Maryland, is situated at the mouth of the Severn River on the Chesapeake Bay and is known for its sailing (the city is known as “The Sailing Capital of the World”) and historic downtown district. Perhaps the most important piece of information to have up front is that the Navy Marine Corps Stadium where the game will be played is not on the Naval Academy campus. It is actually located about a mile and a half northwest from downtown on Rowe Blvd. Visit the Annapolis Visitor Center website for a slew of information. If you are visiting Annapolis for the first time I highly recommend getting in a day early. A visit to the the Naval Academy is a must. Parking and Visitor info is available in a nice printable map. There is so much to do in the area. I suggest using the Official Maryland or the Washington D.C. Guides.

Midshipmen March On About 30 Minutes Before Kickoff Thanks to DC Pages.

Naval Academy Things to Do List
(Thanks to Scout poster Unrep)

1) Go to "Noon Meal" formation in front of Bancroft Hall in Tecumseh Court.
2) Turn around and see Tecumseh painted up for spirit before the game.
3) Once noon meal formation is over go inside Bancroft and see Memorial Hall. The Annapolis Peace Conference was just held there. Dedicated to fallen Navy and Marine Corps heroes and Academy Alumni. Some neat Naval Artifacts. Sample Mid's room as you enter Bancroft on the right.
4) Tour the Chapel and John Paul Jones Crypt.
5) Naval Academy Museum in Preble Hall has historic artifacts and priceless sailing ship models. (was closed for renovation last fall)?
6) Drydock in Dahlgren Hall a good place for a bite to eat and a soda on campus.
7) Armel-Leftwich Visitor Center has a 12 minute movie about "The Academy", exhibits, and gift shop. The visitor center is where you go to start your USNA tour.

Noon Formation--hated by the Mids, loved by all others

FLYING

There are three major airports in the area. The closest to Annapolis is the Baltimore-Washington International Airport (aka BWI or Thurgood Marshall Airport). BWI has Southwest Airlines, AirTran and USA3000 and because of that the airfares are usually very competitive. The other Airports are Reagan National (DCA) in Washington DC and Dulles International (IAD) on the west side of DC. Both DC airports will require considerable more travel time, although cheaper airfare can be found at times. Reagan is literally within about a mile or two from the US Capital. It should be a serious option if you plan on visiting DC. It has several discount air carriers. Washington Dulles (IAD) is the international gateway but is the furthest away. NOTE: DC and Baltimore traffic is atrocious. I would try to avoid traveling by car anytime from 6-9am and 3-7pm during the work week.

GETTING FROM BWI TO ANNAPOLIS

All major car rental companies are represented at BWI. Driving from BWI to Annapolis is very easy. Airport traffic is relatively light for a major airport and the drive to Annapolis is quick and easy. About 30 minutes total travel time, most of which is on limited access highways.

Airport Shuttle
Van transportation from BWI to many destinations in the Annapolis Area. Reservations are recommended (you can reserve a private van or share one with other travelers). Prices generally run about $40 one way for a single person on a shared ride (prices go down with more passengers on a reservation). A reserved van runs about $111 each way

TAXI AND BUS

Taxi service to Annapolis is relatively easy. Make sure you make return reservations as there are not a large number of taxis in the Annapolis area. RMA sedans and Limos also serve BWI. Trip cost is approximately $69 to Annapolis.

Annapolis Transit Buses
Only operates Monday through Friday
Departs BWI at :45 after odd hours
Last bus departs BWI at 5:45pm

TRAIN

Amtrak service is available. You should arrive at Baltimore-Washington Airport (BWI) train station. The station is actually a couple miles from the Airport Terminal but is connected via free shuttles. The airport shuttle offers convenient service for Amtrak patrons to Annapolis. Another option is to rent a car at the train station station.

GETTING TO USNA

Directions to the campus can be found on the Academy’s website:
It’s important to note that there are restrictions on the campus as it is a military base. Unless you have DOD stickers and military ID, you can not drive on the installation and there is no public parking on site (vehicles with handicap placards can park on campus after a vehicle inspection). There are parking decks in downtown Annapolis within short walking distance to the main gate. You must have photo ID if you’re over age 16. Visiting hours are 9am – 5pm. During these hours, there are guided walking tours of the campus which depart from the Armel-Leftwich Visitor Center (home to a gift store and Naval Academy museum).

For those driving down from points north of Wilmington, Delaware – if you’re driving down on Friday before the game and want to avoid rush hour traffic around Baltimore, you might consider alternate routes, such as the one found here.

Annapolis has a Great Downtown to Browse

DIRECTIONS TO STADIUM

DIRECTIONS TO THE STADIUM (Courtesy of the Navy Sports Dept)

FROM THE NORTH
• Take I 97 South to US 50 East
• Exit US 50 at Rowe Blvd. (exit #24)
and bear to the right
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial
Stadium is on your right
• Right on Farragut Road gives
access to gates 1&2
• Right on Taylor (second right) gives
access to gates 5&6

FROM WASHINGTON
(WEST)
• Take US 50 East
• Exit US 50 at Rowe Blvd. (exit #24)
and bear to the right
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial
Stadium is on your right
• Right on Farragut Road gives
access to gates 1&2
• Right on Taylor (second right) gives
access to gates 5&6

FROM THE SOUTH
• Take I 95 North to 495 East
• Take I 495 East to 50 East
• Exit US 50 at Rowe Blvd. (exit #24)
and bear to the right
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial
Stadium is on your right
• Right on Farragut Road gives
access to gates 1&2
• Right on Taylor (second right) gives
access to gates 5&6

FROM THE EAST
• Take US 50 West across the Bay
Bridge
•Exit US 50 at Rowe Blvd. (South)
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial
Stadium is on your right
• Right on Farragut Road gives
access to gates 1&2
• Right on Taylor (second right) gives
access to gates 5&6

The stadium is named Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. It was built in 1959 and renovated in 2004. It seats about 35,000.

Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium

PARKING

The Blue and Gold parking lots at the stadium are all reserved parking spaces. There are single game parking passes, but these go fast and are determined after season parking passes are sold. Check early with the Navy ticket office for availability (1-800-US4-NAVY). There is a parking lot at Germantown Elementary school (here is another google map view) for $20 a car…but get there early! The parking guide also says RV parking is $60. Germantown Lot opens at 10am. This seems late for a noon kickoff. You can find parking info on the Navy Athletic website. RV'ers: Bad news, looks like no overnight parking. In fact I'm not sure if visiting RV's are allowed to park next to the stadium where the Navy RV's park. I suggest you call the Naval Academy to find out where you can park. The closest Campground for your RV is the KOA. For Military RV'ers there is a fam camp you can try. Important: Arrive to the stadium early. The entire brigade marches from the campus to the stadium, culminating in the march on that takes place about 30 minutes before kickoff. If you’ve never seen it, it is a must-attend event.

Stadium Map

There are also shuttle buses from downtown to the stadium for those who park in the decks. There is also a park-and-ride off of Riva Road that has shuttles to the stadium on game day. All the info you need is with Pinnacle Parking.

Downtown Parking Available on Gameday

Tailgating

Tailgating is awesome here. The lots open at 7am at the season pass lots next to the stadium. Expect more civilized tailgating with expansive spreads. If you are a burger and beer guy you shouldn't feel out of place though. One thing different is you won't see a bunch of drunk coeds or local knuckleheads spoiling the day.

Your 2009 Gameday Guide is here. It lists all the info you need to know to enjoy your visit to the stadium.

Last Minute Tailgate Supplies

Not a lot of places real close by. The closest is Grauls Market. Wine, Hard and Beer Liquor can be found through a google search. Maryland law leaves it up to the individual Counties in regards to what type of establishments can and cannot sell beer, wine and liquor (the good news is you can find beer and wine in grocery stores and convenience stores in the Eastern Shore counties). The state totally leaves it up to the counties. There are plenty of convenience stores in the state that sell beer, it just depends on the licensing process in that particular county. The closest liquor store is located in a drugstore next to Grauls Market. Mills Fine Wine and Spirits is located between the stadium and the Naval Academy. It offers a great selection of wine and spirits.

Scalping

From what I could tell Maryland allows you to resell tickets to football games but limits the amount to basically face value. The best spot to find extra tickets is at the tailgates. I have always found Service Academy Fans very gracious and will sell extra tickets to opponents. I would troll the tailgate lots before game time. As game time approaches you can find tickets leading to the stadium.

If you run into a professional scalper as opposed to a fan. A few tried and true techniques to get the best price buying I have used: 1. Know what a legit ticket looks like 2. Buy from your own fan base first 3. The smaller the group the smaller the price--single tickets are cheapest 4. Prices usually peak 1-2 hours before kickoff--inside an hour the closer to game time the cheaper the ticket, right after kickoff they plumment to near nothing 5. A fan walking to the stadium in with a group of friends and still holding extra tickets to sell will usually dump them for a cheap price (they do not want to miss the game and often they are doing a favor for a buddy to sell them) usually you'll spot them holding a finger or two out to their side or over their head or saying selling one, etc... 6. If you have to deal with a professional scalper--NEVER give him what he asks, have a seating chart with you, check to make sure all tickets are really together and for that game, offer him lower and be prepared to walk away, after you turn and walk away more than half the time in my experience they'll give in and take your offer, if you can afford to wait...wait inside 20 minutes to kickoff as see the prices drop (assess the situation for the number of tickets available, how many you need before employing that strategy) 7. Don't be embarrassed to go back to a scalper to buy ticket(s) 10 minutes after you said no to his previous offer 8. Don't fall for their tactics to make you feel like you're ripping them off by only offering $20 a ticket, etc...they love to play games with your self-image and ego.

Seating Chart--click to enlarge

TAILGATE HAVEN--Total Tailgating Resource

Tailgate Haven is your total resource for setting up and managing your football tailgate online. Do you think the tailgate is sometimes just as important as the game? The goal of Tailgate Haven is to make your life easier by organizing your tailgate group; thus eliminating countless emails, text messages and phone calls about the current weeks tailgate information. The concept is simple but pure genius. You easily register by choosing your favorite team and picking a creative name for your tailgate group. Now log in and instantly each of your teams games becomes its own webpage with your team colors. Next, invite your friends to join your tailgate group and the site comes to life. In addition to this tailgate manager, every team has its own tailgate profile. Do you travel to away games? This is where you can find the best information on where to park, find extra tickets, where to stay, eat, party and golf. Navigate the city easily as you travel to a stadium for the first time.

Lodging

There are 3 distinct types of lodging available in Annapolis: the “luxury” hotels in downtown Annapolis, Bed and Breakfasts in downtown, and your standard hotels outside of the historic area. Here is a nice overview map of where everything is located.

Luxury Hotels

There are two hotels in downtown Annapolis – the Lowe’s Annapolis and The Annapolis Mariott Waterfront. Both hotels are within walking distance of downtown and the stadium. Both will cost you $300+ a night (not including parking). Several Historic Inns can be found in Annapolis. These are generally smaller hotels but usually pamper you like the best luxury chains. Check out the Maryland Inn, Governor Calvert House and the Robert Johnson House.

Bed and Breakfasts

Probably for the older fan who doesn’t plan on being drunk and rowdy late at night. These B&B's are all owned and operated by single families, and none have more than 5 rooms. Most cost anywhere from $100-$200 less than the downtown hotels. Most don’t allow children or pets and have two night minimums on the weekends. These tend to fill up early in the fall, so advance reservations are highly recommended.

The Flag House Inn is one of the more recognized B&B’s in Annapolis, not just because of it’s location, but because the owners fly the state or country flag of each of the visitors. The owners, Bill and Charlotte Schmickle, had a son graduate from the Naval Academy in 1999, and Bill spent time as an adjunct professor at the Academy. Bill also spent many years as the chairman of the Annapolis Historical Preservation Society. The combination of close ties to the Academy and the city give them a unique insight into all things Annapolis.

Flag House Inn--One of Annapolis' many B+B's

Standard Lodging

There are numerous chain hotels in the Annapolis Mall area (about 2-3 miles from the stadium). A comprehensive list can be found at the visitor’s center website. Google also shows about 10 of the properties. For those eligible to stay (Military) at the Navy Lodge you need to call early.

DINING

Annapolis is known for fine dining especially seafood and steaks. Before we explore Annapolis fine dining I'll recommend a few casual dining places. For Breakfast and lunch try Chick & Ruth's Delly (close to the Naval Academy). Another quaint lunch joint is the Cafe Normandie. Five Guys is a growing chain of burger joints. They are noted for big greasy burgers, hot dogs, lots of fries and free peanuts. Note: Order half the amount of fries you think you'll eat...trust me. When you get your fries expect to get twice as much as you ordered. Looking for Pizza, Strombolis and Wings; try Pizzaboli. California Pizza Kitchen is a national chain but they do a good job in delivering numerous specialty pizzas. They are located at the Annapolis Mall. The Mexican Cafe generally has good reviews for Mexican Food. Finally, a solid Brew Pub is the Ram's Head Tavern.

Annapolis delivers several nationally known steakhouses or seafood restaurants. Morton's, Ruth's Chris, and the Chart House. Some of the best local fine dining can be found at: Lewnes Steakhouse, Carrol's Creek Waterfront (surf and turf), Carrapaccio's (Tuscan), O'Leary's Seafood, Middleton Tavern (Historic, a short walk from Gate 1), Butcher's Block (a unique store/restaurant), Galway Bay (Irish), for ribs try Adam's Rib, and the Lemongrass (Thai)

We've Got Crabs! Maryland is famous for their crabs. Crab cakes is something you should try before leaving. Several restaurants come recommended: Buddy's Crabs (short walk from the Naval Academy Gate #1), Cantler's across the bridge to the north, Mike's Crab House a couple miles to the southwest, Magothy Seafood a bout 10 minutes north and Harris Crab House on the other side of the bridge going over to the eastern shore.

Mike's Crab House--click to enlarge

Sports Bars
Annapolis has several sports bars that offer TVs for watching football before or after the game. The West End Grill offers an upscale look but still maintains a sports bar resume with 11 plasma screens. Hero's offers satellite TVs with a Fire Dept Theme. It is just north of the stadium. TK Sharky's is a sports bar/pool hall/music. It turns into full fledged bar at 9 pm on Saturdays. About Five miles SW of downtown is the Original Steak House & Sports Theatre in Edgewater. I'm sure how many TV's they have but they might be worth a call.

LIBATIONS
Scout poster Gaetano01 suggests several places downtown for evening drinks.

1) O'Briens Oyster Bar: almost always live music on the weekends, decent food and oysters
2) McGarvey's Saloon: aviator motif
3) Dock St Bar and Grill: live music upstairs
4) Federal House: a middie favorite.
5) Ram's Head Tavern: live music
6) Middleton's Tavern: Have a drink where George Washington did.
7) Armadillo's: next to Dock St; can watch Mids bolting for the pedestrian gate before liberty expires, or bolting for a good place to jump the wall (Gate 0). Finally a website listing many other bars.

SHOPPING

If you are taking along a spouse who isn't interested in watching the game, the Annapolis Mall is large with a great mix of stores. A nice upscale lifestyle center is at Annapolis Harbour Center.

GOLF

Maryland's mild climate allows you to play golf throughout the football season. The first few courses listed are for golfers of all skill levels on a budget.

Eisenhower Golf Course:
Crafted by renowned architect Ed Ault from more than 220 acres of splendidly wooded landscape, Eisenhower's meandering terrain takes golfers through forestland, around one of Maryland's finest lakes, and alongside numerous creeks and swales. Eisenhower's championship layout boasts bent grass greens and plush fairways, welcoming golfers of all abilities. Golfers have long enjoyed playing Eisenhower Golf Course, Anne Arundel County's first public golf course. Since Eisenhower's opening in 1969, the 6,659-yard course has provided a fun and challenging golf experience for tens of thousands of area golfers.

Eisenhower Golf Course

Bay Hills Golf Club
Bay Hills Golf Club was designed in 1969 by renowned golf course architect Ed Ault. The scenic 18 hole golf course finds its beauty in its wooded rolling terrain. Players must place a premium on strategy and shot placement to conquer the six doglegs, 52 bunkers, and water which comes into play on 10 of the 18 holes. The Zoysia grass fairways at Bay Hills gives it a distinct lush condition. Bay Hills layout and conditioning gives players of all skill levels a challenging fun golf experience.

Upscale Golf

South River

South River i being converted to a private course however it looks like you can still play in 2008. Diverse and well-manicured, Atlantic Golf at South River is an 18-hole shot makers challenge designed by Brian Ault and nestled in the South River Colony community, conveniently located just outside of Annapolis, Maryland.

Renditions

Internationally acclaimed, Renditions salutes the great championships, champions and courses of golf’s Grand Slam. Each of Renditions eighteen holes is a replica of a hole from a golf course that has hosted one or more of golf’s four major championships: The Masters, The U.S. Open, The British Open and The PGA Championship, plus a hole from The Players Championship, golf’s "fifth major."

Open to the public, Renditions is an award-winning development that offers a unique opportunity to “walk in the pro’s shoes" for a day and play replicas of holes that are historically significant to golf.

Queenstown Harbour

Welcome to Queenstown Harbor, one of the foremost golf experiences just outside Washington, D.C. Here, 36 holes of championship golf on two unique layouts, amid spectacular Chesapeake Bay waterfront beauty and contemporary style, combine for an unforgettable round at Maryland’s premier golf destination. Superior service, including our premium forecaddies, makes Queenstown Harbor the perfect play. The Courses Experience two stunning 18-hole tracks.

Queenstown Harbour

Compass Pointe

Golfers are celebrating the opening of Compass Pointe - Anne Arundel County's newest and only 36 hole public golf facility. - where they can enjoy a premium golf experience at an affordable price. Compass Pointe's 36-holes of championship caliber golf was designed by award-winning architect Lindsay Ervin. The "four nines" - North, South, East and West - cover more than 800 acres of diverse woodland, and provide a wide variety of golf terrains and challenges for golfers of all skill levels.

I'd like to thank Navy Alumnus Andy Schmickle '99, Unrep, Gaetano01, Witt94 and several other Scout Board Posters for helping me with this guide. Their help was invaluable.

The opinions expressed in this guide are those of TexanMark. While every effort has been made to ensure all the information presented is accurate and current, it would be wise to verify things when possible. Please note that this guide is not endorsed by Scout.com, Rivals.com or its site publishers, administrators and/or moderators.

Memphis Tailgate and Visitors Guide '09

2009-06-28T10:19:00.021-05:00

This is one of a series of tailgating guides for C-USA football schools written by Syracuse fan and tailgate aficionado TexanMark. If you have any feedback or additional information you think belongs in this guide, please drop an email message to Mark by clicking here.

World Famous Beale Street click to enlarge
Photo Source: Memphis Wallpaper

First Things first: GETTING THERE

Memphis is near the geographical center of Conference USA. UAB, USM, Tulsa, Tulane and SMU are all within 6-7 hours of Memphis and afford a fairly easy drive for a weekend visit. Memphis International is a major hub for Delta Airlines. Airtran airline offers some affordability to select cities. Another option is to travel through Little Rock Airport(LIT) about two hours away. Southwest serves the Arkansas capital. Amtrak offers New Orleans area fans a nice alternative. Greyhound is another option. Memphis is one America's great destinations. There is so much to do. The City of Memphis and the State of Tennessee both offer travel websites. Just a sampler of things to do in Memphis: Elvis and Graceland, Memphis Botanic Garden, Memphis Zoo, Mud Island River Park, Pink Palace Family of Museums, Memphis Queen Riverboat, Stax and Sun Studio Tours, Memphis Rock n Soul Museum, and lastly, World Famous Beale Street. Those who like to gamble and have the time should drive about 20 miles south of downtown to the Casinos of Tunica, MS. If so inclined you can make this your base of operations for your stay as it is an easy drive to the Liberty Bowl.

Due to popular demand some Memphis fans gave me a few more places to visit during your stay (many of these are kid friendly): Chucalissa Museum and Archaeological site, Fire Museum of Memphis, Metal Museum, National Civil Rights Museum, Memphis Redbirds Baseball, Peabody Place--shopping and entertainment district, Childrens Museum of Memphis (steps away from the Liberty Bowl), and finally a link for more Parent/Child Activities.

The University of Memphis is actually about two miles east of the 62,000 seat Liberty Bowl (Memphis' Stadium). The Liberty Bowl is located on the Mid-South Fairgrounds about five miles southeast of downtown. So for the ones paying attention in class that means the University of Memphis Campus is about seven miles east of downtown. NOTE: The Mid-South Fair is permanently relocating to northern Mississippi in 2009.

The Liberty Bowl Seating Chart Click to enlarge

Directionsfrom the old Mid-South Fairgrounds website

In Memphis:
The Mid-South Fair was conveniently located in the center of Memphis, TN at the Mid-South Fairgrounds up till this year, 940 Early Maxwell Blvd., bound by Central Avenue on the North, Southern Avenue on the South, Hollywood on the East and East Parkway on the West. The Fairgrounds complex also is the site of the Mid-South Coliseum and Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, which made the fairgrounds the entertainment hub of the Mid-South.

From Tennessee on I-40:
Stay on I-40, it will turn into Sam Cooper Blvd. Take Sam Cooper Blvd. until it dead ends at East Parkway. Take a left on East Parkway. Continue on East Parkway through three traffic lights. The third light will be Central Avenue. After crossing Central, the Mid-South Fair will be directly on your left about a block.

From Mississippi on I-55:
After entering Memphis, follow the signs to Nashville which will put you on I-240. The second exit is Airways Blvd. (North/South) Take Airways Blvd. North. After 2 or 3 miles the street will have a grass median with trees and you should be able to see the Mid-South Fair on the right. The entrances are located on the street surrounding the Fairgrounds.

From Arkansas on I-40:
After driving through West Memphis, AR, take East 40 Memphis/Nashville and drive over the new bridge. After passing the Danny Thomas exit, take 240 South to Jackson, MS, then immediately take Madison Avenue exit. Go East on Madison Avenue for several miles until you get to East Parkway. Take a right on East Parkway. After a few blocks you will see signs for the Mid-South Fair.

Parking:

All the parking information is from Trips Tigers and fellow Memphis Fans at the NCAABBS Memphis Internet Forum--Thanks. Both websites are awesome with information about the Tigers. With the Liberty Bowl's location near the fairgrounds it offers alot of parking choices. Visiting fans should be able to find a lot which allows them a great chance to tailgate in close proximity to their other visiting fans if you plan ahead. I suggest either the mid-south coliseum or the old fairgrounds parking areas or some of the lots north of the stadium (i.e. Board of Education, Tobey Park, etc...) Like anything: the earlier you arrive the better the choices you have. If you arrive 3-4 hours before kickoff you should have many lots available and less traffic.

Parking Lots with RVs Click to enlarge

Parking Lots Near the Stadium click to enlarge

Best parking for Memphis fans who want to be close and expect to attend most/all games is to join the Highland Hundred. Your parking is located about 100 yards south of the stadium. Tailgating is fabulous here--so if you are a Memphis Fan or a lucky guest, this is the best Memphis has to offer. Expect to see RVs coming in the night before. For Visiting Fans of the Opponent: The gates are open for almost all lots and if you arrive in an RV the day before I suggest you park near the Mid-South Coliseum or the Fairgrounds Area. If you are unsure of things--walk over to the Highland Hundred Area and the Fans will tell you the "scoop". There are supposed to be RV hookups near Libertyland but generally not recommended due to the distance to the stadium. The area being urban it is best to park near others.

Lots For Visiting Fans:
The following lots offer you the best chance for tailgating together as a group:

MidSouth Coliseum: Parking ranges from $5 to $10 depending on how close you are to the stadium. If there is no one taking money and the lot (applies to all lots) is open you can drive in and park anyway. Someone may come around and take your money later. MidSouth Coliseum is a traditional parking lot with lots of porta potties.

Fairgrounds offers alot of parking and is just a short walk east to the stadium. Hint: Every third weekend in the month they have a well attended flea market there. The main lot entrance is off Early-Maxwell Blvd just south of the Blue Lot (permit only). You can drive down and park I the vicinity of the flea market buildings (Youth Bldg, Bldg 196 and the Pipken Bldg, Bldg 158) Stadium is only about 200 yards east. The area can get congested an hour or two before kickoff. Hint: It is best to approach the fairgrounds for public parking from Parkway Ave (west side of fairgrounds) or from Southern Ave (south side of fairgrounds) and avoid the Central Ave/Early-Maxwell Blvd intersection during peak times.

Christian Brothers University located about 1/3 mile north of the stadium across Central Avenue. COST $ 5 a game (season pass available) This lot is good for a quick exit (onto Central then to Parkway Ave). Some limited grassy spots available for tailgating...some bathrooms and a snackbar oncampus.

Frank Tobey Park 1/3 mile north of stadium across from Central Ave. Cost is free--don't park on the grass. Bathrooms might be open (great if your tailgating with a bunch of guys but possibly no bathrooms could be an issue--check with the females in your party first LOL). HINTs: During heavy traffic best to enter from the east off of some side streets. Memphis students love to tailgate in Tobey Park.

Shelby County Board of Education 1/2 mile north of stadium across Central Avenue. Gameday Parking $5 Restrooms may be (same issue as the park)available at Tobey Park located just to the southeast. Parking Location: 160 S Hollywood St.

Lastly, Lots just SE and SW of the Central/Hollywood Intersection. Some private lots south of the old Walgreens. Porta potties are reported to be available. Expect to pay about $10. The Children's Museum is across the street at the SW corner of the Central/Hollywood Intersection also offers parking.

NOTE: During peak times it is best to avoid S. Hollywood Ave (turns into a one way street on gameday) between Central and Southern Avenues.

NOTE: I have populated a map found at MapGameDay with most of the places talked about here (be patient it might take 20 seconds to load). This wonderful website has informational maps on most major colleges. When the map opens up click on "Show All Places" Look for the upsidedown "White Teardrops" under the title "tailgate" for parking info supplied to me by Trip's Tigers. NOTE: the maps can take 20 seconds to laod. HINT: The website allows you to register and create your own private maps for your tailgate party to use.

NOTE: Parking for the Liberty Bowl Game in Late December is here. Looks like RV parking is in the old "LibertyLand" Amusement Park complex.

ELVIS LOVES TAILGATES AND THE TIGERS--click to enlarge (Thanks MissJ)

Tailgate Supplies:

Did you forget something? You dummy, however there are a few places within a mile or two to help you out. Bottomline: Central Avenue will be busy, so it is best to avoid it. All of these places are west of the stadium. These tips are courtesy of Ms. XcentricK--thanks

These tips are assuming that you are going to be tailgating in Tobey Park and by no means is it comprehensive: (Use This Map)

Go east on Central from the Central and Hollywood intersection.

1. At the 2nd light (Central and East Parkway) there is a mom & pop mini mart and a Subway Sandwich shop.

2. If you continue down Central just before the 3rd light on the left is a liquor store. Central Ave Liquor Store, 2159 Central Ave.,(901) 276-7573

3. At the 3rd light (Central and Cooper) there is a Mapco Express convienence store
2142 Central Ave.,(901) 274-6928

4. If you take a right onto Cooper and go to the 2nd light (Cooper and Union there is an Ike's. They sell beer, ice, gas, cooler and other goodies. Ike's Pharmacy
2145 Union Ave., (901) 274-3107

5. An easier way to get to Ike's if you are parked in Tobey field would be to either take Hollywood north up to Union and take a left of if you are close to S. Flicker St. take it north and it turns into a entrance ramp to Union ave. If you use Flicker St you enter Union Ave just prior to the light at the intersection of Union and Hollywood. After this light cross over East Parkway and Ike's will be on the left at the first light. (Note: When on Union Ave. you can not turn left at any of the lights but it is okay to turn left before or after them.

If you want to take Flicker St. to get back to Tobey Park then get back on Union and make sure you are in the center lane when at the intersection of Union and Hollywood. The roadway will start to rise and the right lane is an "exit only" for Union Extended. When the road becomes two lanes for the overpass keep an eye out for the Flicker St exit sign. Warning: this way can be a bit confusing it you have never done it before.

Ticket Scalping and You:

I am not a legal expert and I recommend you check with local authorities before buying or reselling on the street. Memphis fans told me it is illegal to buy/sell on the Stadium Grounds but okay off the premises. Best place to buy: parking lots and sidewalks, another area is along Central Avenue and South Hollywood.

Hint: For Tiger Fans Only--hangout in your Tiger Gear near Gate 1--for the lesser games you can usually get a ticket from a fan for free who has extras.

TAILGATE HAVEN--Total Tailgating Resource

Tailgate Haven is your total resource for setting up and managing your football tailgate online. Do you think the tailgate is sometimes just as important as the game? The goal of Tailgate Haven is to make your life easier by organizing your tailgate group; thus eliminating countless emails, text messages and phone calls about the current weeks tailgate information. The concept is simple but pure genius. You easily register by choosing your favorite team and picking a creative name for your tailgate group. Now log in and instantly each of your teams games becomes its own webpage with your team colors. Next, invite your friends to join your tailgate group and the site comes to life. In addition to this tailgate manager, every team has its own tailgate profile. Do you travel to away games? This is where you can find the best information on where to park, find extra tickets, where to stay, eat, party and golf. Navigate the city easily as you travel to a stadium for the first time.

LODGING:

Memphis being a geographic crossroads, regional/national business center and toursit town offers a large amount of lodging options. The bad news is there are no lodging options real close to the Liberty Bowl.

CLOSEST: A motel fairly close is the Artisan Memphis Hotel, the place has very mixed reviews. The next closest motel, the Holiday Inn is next to the University. It has great reviews.

DOWNTOWN/BEALE ST:

If you decide to stay near Beale Street these hotels come recommended: The new Westin is very convenient to the FedEX Forum and Beale Street, The Peobody is famous for the ducks, the Hampton Inn and Suites and the Holiday Inn Select all are close to the action.

Peabody Ducks

If you want to stay Downtown (a few blocks north of the Beale Street Area Hotels) try these places: The Madison is a classic historic Hotel, Springhill Suites by Marriott, and the Residence Inn. I personally stayed at the Comfort Inn Downtown and had an excellent room and they had a very good breakfast. Finally, an overview map showing downtown lodging. Finally, if you are on a budget you can try looking in the outlying suburbs. West Memphis, Arkansas has a ton of motels for the budget traveler. The eastern suburbs also offer alot of options. Finally this guide offers you many different small "Mom and Pop" type motels. I can't vouch for any of them but they'll give you some options.

Memphis Trolley

The Memphis Trolley offers you a convenient run between Beale St/FedEX/Baseball Stadium area and the hotels downtown. You can stay downtown and run down to Beale Street area and not not worry about parking. Multi-Day, All passes, etc... can be bought at the North End Terminal Center. A single passenger ride is $1.

MEMPHIS AIRPORT AREA

The airport is only about four miles south of the Liberty Bowl. There are alot of motel options there. It is possible for those flying in for a quick trip to stay near the airport and get a cab to the game.

DINING/SPORTS BARS:

Memphis with its location as a geographic and cultural crossroads offers an outstanding array of food choices. A nice compilation of the best of Memphis is here and it is also here.

Gus's Fried Chicken has a reputation nationally for some of the best chicken you can eat--period! It is located a few blocks west of FedEX Forum. Try Frank Grisanti for upscale Italian downtown at the Embassy Suites Hotel or Ronnie Grisanti and Sons. The restaurant specializes in Tuscan Italian fare. It is at 2855 Popular Ave about a mile NE of the stadium. Italian Food at a more moderate price try Pete and Sam's Restaurant on Park Ave near the Memphis Campus. Another lower priced choice is Brooklyn Bridge out in the eastern suburb of Germantown. How about a great brew pub with a nice food menu? Try Boscos and see why natives rave about it. Another place with an outstanding collection of beer is the Flying Saucer downtown. Looking for a good Pizza? Try Exlines, located all over Memphis. For a New York Style Pizza try Little Italy in mid-town. Craving a good burger try Huey's or Tops (located all over Memphis--see BBQ section). If you are downtown and really hungry for a burger, try Kooky Canuck aka Big Foot Lodge. If you can finish the 4 lb burger in 60 minutes it is free! Another excellent restaurant downtown is the Mesquite Chop House. They are know for good steaks and a fantastick Sunday Brunch. The South is known for Catfish--if you want this try Flying Fish downtown or the Soul Fish located about a mile of the stadium. For steak try Buckley's (one closeby on Popular Ave--good value) or the more upscale Jim's Place, Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar or , or Folk's Folly on the east side of town.
The Patio Looks Mighty Inviting at Frank Grisanti's RestaurantI had to set up a Cuse get together before the game and set it up at Cafe 61. They were very accommodating. They offer delicious Cajun inspired food and have a nice selection of beer. I had the Chicken Newport Sandwich off the lunch menu and was "blown away". It is about 2 blocks north Beale Street up 2nd Street. Not a lot of fast food near Beale Street but South Philly Cheese steak is nice change from the typical burgers. It offers a couple TVs and a great place to relax. In Peabody Place you can find a full service sports bar in Primetime (used to be Jillian's). Also in Peabody Place is a meat lovers paradise, Texas de Brazil. A Brazilian (churrascaria) Steakhouse. Along with Food and drinks they also offer billiards and video games. Finally, Blues City Cafe and Rum Boogie come recommended by the locals as the two Beale Street places they like.

BARBEQUE:

Memphis is world famous for Barbeque. One can argue which Barbeque is better: Memphis, Texas, Carolinas, Kansas City, etc...One fact stands clear: Memphis Barbeque shouldn't be missed!

Downtown/Beale Street Area:
Neely's has great food in the "Historical District" of Memphis, between the Medical Center and downtown, Charles Vergo's Rendezvous (for Ribs), Leonard's Barbeque Downtown (A very good BBQ Buffet). I visited Memphis in December 08. A few other local restaurants on Beale Street that come recommend:

Near Downtown/Midtown:
Jim Neely's Interstate BBQ
has some great ribs and sandwiches and his some say his secret sauce is the difference, Payne's Barbecue is located in an old store front...don't fear...your taste buds won't mind! Memphis fan TigerKeep raves:

There is a little joint that is special to Memphis called payne's. It is at mcclean and lamar in an old service station that has been converted to bbq joint (all the best are like this). The pork is sliced or chopped, not pulled as most great bbq. However, the sliced pork sandwich with a combination hot and mild (sweet) sauce is a little bit of heaven. There are fried pies and deep fried smoked sausage sandwiches with slaw. If you want a unique Memphis experience definitely try payne's.

The Cozy Corner has alot of fans...try the cornish game hen.

University/Liberty Bowl Area:
Top's Barbeque has great BBQ Sandwiches and has locations all over Memphis. Memphis fans prefer the restaurant just south of campus. Top's is very appropriate for a quick BBQ sandwich meal and most Memphis folk have a soft spot for the chain. Central Barbeque is a relatively new place but has a bunch of fans. It is conveniently located near the Liberty Bowl.

East Side:
Corky's has gone into franchising throughout the southeast. It has its fans for its excellent BBQ. If you are out in the eastern suburbs try the Commissary Barbeque in Germantown.

HUNGRY, YET? (Commissary BBQ)

SPORTS BARS: On gameday if you have some time to kill--try Newby's near the Campus. It is a great live music venue but it converts into a sports bar during Saturday afternoons. At night is is a great night club with regional/national acts. There is a Buffalo Wild Wings east of the Liberty Bowl (Popular Ave) close to the campus. If you have never been to one they offer Chicken Wings as well as burgers, salads, etc...The good news is they have ESPN Gameplan, CSTV, Versus and numerous TVs so you should be able to watch as much college football as you can handle. Lastly, the Bobcat on Popular near the campus offers TVs on gameday although the website says it opens at 4pm. If you are hanging out downtown before or after the game--Peabody Place has Primetime. Primetime is an upscale Billiard Hall, Video Game Emporium, Restaurant, Sports Bar and meeting place. TJ Mulligan's has several locations around town and carry football games on Saturday and Sunday. Finally, a decent sports bar website for places around the US.

SHOPPING (for the non football watching spouse)

There are several antique shops in the city. Chickasaw Oak's Plaza and LaurelWood Shopping Center have enough to keep her busy for several hours and are close to the stadium. If she is looking for a large Mall try WolfChase Galleria in Bartlett/Cordova Area. If your spouse is staying downtown for the gamme Peabody Place will offer some shopping. Finally, a very unique store in the Beale Street area. It is a place guys will enjoy as much as the ladies. A. Schwab Dry Goods Store is a local institution.

GOLF

Memphis offers a wide range of golfing options and due to its southern location you should have golf weather through the end of the season.

Local Munis for the quick round--hackers welcomed
The Links at Audubon is a very popular course in the city. It is located next to the campus and only about two miles from the Liberty Bowl. The website said,

Playing at over 6,400 yards and featuring small greens averaging less than 3,000 square feet, come prepared with your "A" iron game if you want to challenge par.

Check out the reviews. The Links at Galloway is another muni very close to the University and is a good value.

Another interesting course Glen Eagles Golf Course is actually at the old local Naval Air Station (NAS Memphis) in the northern suburb of Millington. The course is well maintained and isn't usually crowded. Another gem in Millington is Orgill Park Golf Course. It is definitely worth checking out.

Orgill Park Golf Course

Cherokee Valley Golf Course

Nice Public Courses for the Better Golfer
Three in the southern suburb of Olive Branch, MS standout (just over the stateline). The Plantation and Cherokee Valley Golf Courses afford a round and cart for under $50. The Cherokee website says:

Nestled among gently rolling hills, Cherokee Valley Golf Club extends a challenging game to golfers of all skill levels. Eleven lakes and 78 bunkers may seem to intimidate, but wide fairways and clean roughs are very forgiving. The 18 hole par 72 course ranges from 6751 yards at the rear tees to 4422 at the forward tees.

The Wedgewood Golfers Club offers several layouts for golfers of all skill levels and is a nice value. The serious golfer should consider Olive Branch for your golf fix.

The Wedgewood's Clubhouse

Quail Ridge offers some hills uncommon to Memphis in the northest suburb of Bartlett. It is a great value and offers some specials. It was voted the best public course in Memphis by the readers of the local newspaper.

Mirimichi Golf Course is opening July 2009. It promises to be a great challenge. It is about 15 mins north of Downtown.

Finally, the Tournament Players Course at Southwind offers the total experience for the well connected golfer as it is private. It is located in the southeastern suburb of Germantown. If you get the chance to play (by invitation) it should be a great experience. One other Private course worthy of mention is the Colonial Country Club located in the northeastern suburb of Cordova. Like the TPC you shouldn't turn down a chance to play.

The opinions expressed in this guide are those of TexanMark. While every effort has been made to ensure all the information presented is accurate and current, it would be wise to verify things when possible. Please note that this guide is not endorsed by Scout.com, Rivals.com or its site publishers, administrators and/or moderators.

Return to TexanMark's Tailgate Guides Main Page

...........................................

Louisville Tailgate and Visitors Guide '09

2009-06-27T13:59:00.013-05:00

Louisville Skyline Click to enlarge

This is one of a series of tailgating guides for Big East football schools written by Syracuse fan and tailgate aficionado TexanMark. If you have any feedback or additional information you think belongs in this guide, please add a comment below or drop an email message to Mark by clicking here.

First Things First: GETTING THERE
Louisville is the most western city in the Big East (among Football schools). Airline travel though is fairly easy. The airport is very close to the stadium. In fact some of the motels you might stay at also serve the airport. Check Southwest Airlines first. A few more discount airlines have recently been added.
Driving to Louisville is a bit more problematic. Realistically only Cincinnati (1 3/4 hrs), Pittsburgh and West Virginia (both about 6-7 hours) are drivable over most weekends. All the other schools are at least 12 hours but are doable especially if you have three or four full days for a mini-vacation. Note: Amtrak doesn't run through Louisville.
It looks like a fun place to visit with Churchill Downs horse racing (live racing in November), a Six Flags amusement park, the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center (KFEC) and an entertainment district nearby called 4th Street Live. Of course, you can also take tours of many local distilleries. Baseball fans might want to check out the Louisville Slugger Museum. Boxing fans should check out the Muhammed Ali Center. Military Buffs and Gold Lovers should set aside time to see Ft. Knox about 45 mins south. History and Theater Lovers should check out Frazier Arms History Museum and Actors Theatre.

Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby Day

The stadium is located a short walk south of the main campus. The main campus (Belknap) can be viewed via interactive link. Another nice link for an overview of a lot of info important to visitors. The proximity of these places and downtown Louisville gave birth to the Louisville Sports Corridor.
Click on the video of proposed “Louisville Sports Corridor” for an overview of where Louisville wants to go.
Driving to the stadium is fairly easy. It is located just west of I-65 a few miles south of downtown.

Papa John's Cardinal Stadium

Parking/Game Day Tailgating/Ticket Buying

The official website gives you basic driving instructions from coming from all Cardinal Directions (pun intended). Like most stadiums the closest in spots are reserved for season pass holders and “high rollers”. The stadium’s official website says: “On most game days, one of the best options is to park at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center (KFEC). To avoid traffic to the prepaid lots, those parking at the KFEC should access Gate 1 of the fairgrounds off the Watterson Expressway (I-264). Follow Ring Road (Champion's Way) to the right and park in the lots north of old Cardinal Stadium, then walk across Crittenden Drive at the traffic light and down Central Avenue to Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.
Please avoid jaywalking across Crittenden Drive. Parking at the KFEC is $6. There is also substantial surface parking west of the stadium across the railroad tracks between Churchill Downs and PJCS.” Tailgating is allowed in all parking lots except parking garages. Most lots open five hours before kickoff but locals have told me KEFC opens up at 6 AM. KFEC is huge and allows you to really spread out as there are no assigned spots. Also another option to beat the traffic into KFEC is to enter through Gate 6 off the Preston Highway. The best spot for RV’ers is to park at the (KFEC) Fairgrounds. Current cost was stated at $50 with full hook ups ($30 for primitive-no hook up) at the link. This looks like the best RV situation for any place in the Big East. If you want to park on the main Belknap Campus forget about it unless you have a permit (car or RV). Another place to park is Churchill Downs when the horses aren't racing.
Another few places you can try is the Holy Name Catholic Church for tailgating. They apparently let you park and tailgate. It might be worth checking out if you want to avoid a lot of the traffic around the stadium. The website hosted by the 502 crew states:

There are also parking spaces available for $10 in the Boy Scout lots on Central Ave between Floyd and Crittenden Dr. You MUST approach these lots from Crittenden Dr. Boy Scout lots are open to the west of the stadium, at the corner of 4th and Central Ave. You MUST Approach these lots from the west side of the stadium (4th St / Taylor Blvd). Farther west (add off the map) are neighborhood parking and the Churchill Downs parking lots. Prices vary.

The Boy Scout lots usually open 8 hours before kickoff (or so we've been told).

KEFC and Boy Scout Parking Lots (Best Bet For Visitors)--click to enlarge
Thanks to the 502 Crew for the map

Ticket Buying
Tickets are very hard to come by for Louisville Football a couple seasons ago. The stadium was sold out with a waiting list. Capacity is about 42,000. There are plans to expand. NOTE for 2009: The current struggles of the team has freed up the ticket resale market. If mediocre play continues in 2009 you can expect to get tickets for below face value. You can get a look at the layout to find out where your seats are located. Another stadium view breaking out the special donor sections, etc...Much more info on the stadium is provided by the school...Best news for beer drinkers: the stadium sells beer and even mixed drinks until the middle of the 3rd quarter. Scalping is best done in the tailgate lots. The best spot is recommended by Louisville fan "snickerling".

The "tunnel" is the overpass of Central Avenue. Central Avenue serves as a natural divider between the Red Lot (big money donors) and the Green Lot (Most season ticket holders). The tunnel is due south of the stadium. It's about a 350 foot walk from the mouth of the tunnel to the nearest gate (Gate 1). Incidentally, that gate is the WORST for getting in. The crush of people trying to get in that gate is the largest... and the wait to enter is the longest. I'd recommend trying other gates for entry... even if they are farther from your actual seat.

I've never seen anyone hassled by law enforcement for attempting to sell tickets prior to the game. And yes... most persons looking to unload their tickets know to congregate at the "tunnel." An added advantage of having the bulk of "ticket scalpers" grouped together... competition drives the price down. If you don't like the price someone is selling theirs for, you can walk another two feet and find another person willing to sell their tickets. Granted, the growing success of the team is mirrored in the shrinking number of scalpers present each game.

Now a little disclaimer from the official stadium website:

Unauthorized Ticket Sales--Resale of tickets to a sporting event for more than the face value of the ticket is prohibited by law, as is the resale of any tickets to any event on PJCS property. The University of Louisville does not authorize selling individual or season tickets for more than face value. The U of L Athletic Department reserves the right to revoke the ticket privileges, including season ticket renewals, of an customer who scalps tickets. Please no reselling of tickets on PJCS grounds.

The Tunnel (Thanks to snickerling)

TAILGATE HAVEN--Total Tailgating Resource

Tailgate Haven is your total resource for setting up and managing your football tailgate online. Do you think the tailgate is sometimes just as important as the game? The goal of Tailgate Haven is to make your life easier by organizing your tailgate group; thus eliminating countless emails, text messages and phone calls about the current weeks tailgate information. The concept is simple but pure genius. You easily register by choosing your favorite team and picking a creative name for your tailgate group. Now log in and instantly each of your teams games becomes its own webpage with your team colors. Next, invite your friends to join your tailgate group and the site comes to life. In addition to this tailgate manager, every team has its own tailgate profile. Do you travel to away games? This is where you can find the best information on where to park, find extra tickets, where to stay, eat, party and golf. Navigate the city easily as you travel to a stadium for the first time.

LODGING:
Louisville boasts nearly 17,000 rooms, which are a lot of rooms for a metro area the population of Louisville. It looks like you have two main options:
If you want to stay downtown, there are several downtown hotels to consider:
Hyatt Regency Louisville/320 W. Jefferson Street/Ph # 502-587-3434
Brown Hotel/335 W. Broadway/1-888-888-5252

The Opulent Seelbach Hilton Hotel

Galt House Hotel & Suites/4th Street at the River/Ph # 502-589-5200/Next door to the Kentucky Center for the Arts. Pedway connecting Kentucky International Convention Center and Galt House Hotel & Suites.
Marriott Hotel Downtown/280 West Jefferson Street/Ph # 502-617-5045
Seelbach Hilton/500 S. 4th Street/ Ph # 502-585-3200
Additionally, the Comfort Inn, Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn and Ramada Inn also offer downtown properties.

If you want to stay near the Airport or Stadium: the University provides a page with close by accommodations.
Louisville fan “Maize” suggests trying some of these places for lodging; all of these recommendations are close to Freedom Hall/Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.
Remember the Airport is extremely close to Freedom Hall-(0.5 Miles) and just 1.5 to 2.0 Miles from Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. If you are flying in you might just decide to not a get a rental car and rely on courtesy shuttles, cabs or walking.

Here is a google map showing lots of motels along Phillips Ave on the south side of KFEC.
Country Inn and Suites Airport/Kentucky Fair & Expo Center Freedom Hall/2850 Crittenden Drive Ph # 502-753-5555
Courtyard by Marriott Airport/819 Phillips Lane Ph # 502--368-5678
Crown Plaza Hotel (nee: Executive West Hotel)/830 Phillips Lane Ph # 502-367-2251 Across the street from KFEC & Freedom Hall.
Hilton Garden Inn/1530 Crittenden Drive Ph # 502-637-2424
The Super 8 also has a property close to the stadium and one close to the airport. This link offers a neat inactive map centered on the Super 8 nearer to the stadium. You can find the other motels on the map.

SHOPPING:
There are several major malls in Louisville; most of them are located out in the suburbs. However, the Louisville Antique Mall is near Papa John and might keep your non football watching spouse happy for several hours. The Summit lifesytle center is the latest trend in retailing but it is about 35 mins from the stadium. UL fan "mielrisco" recommends

Bardstown Road or Frankfort Avenue in "The Highlands" (see below for more info) as having several unique boutiques and restaurants that would make for a much more entertaining visit. (than the Summit)

DINING:
Close by
If you want the local college scene check out: Granville Inn/1601 S. 3rd Street It is just off campus and the oldest after game U of L Hangout known for great burgers and lots of coeds. The most well known sports bar and restaurant in Louisville is the Cardinal Hall of Fame Cafe. It is located about ¼ mile east of Papa John next to the Fairgrounds. Be sure to click on the link for the video at the official web site. Another close by restaurant is the Cracker Barrel located just north of the Cardinal HOF Cafe. The closest bar to Papa John is Harlow's (nee: Tailgaters) is located across the street on South FLoyd. Harlows has no website but they do have a myspace page. Another unique restaurant is Lynn's Paradise Cafe which is about a mile north of the stadium. The place looks neat and should be popular with young and old alike. About 15 mins southwest of Louisville along the Ohio River is Mike Linnig's. They serve up good, cheap eats (speciality is fish/seafood) in a fabulous outdoor setting by the Ohio River. If you want Barbecue check out Bootleg Bar-B-Q. The prices are reasonable and they are noted for their Hot n' Sticky Wings...be advised you need to call three hours ahead. Mark's Feed Store also has a great reputation. Jucy's (prounounced juicy) Smokehouse Bar-B-Q looks interesting and also has a great reputation.

Mike Linnig's From the Street

Awesome restaurant reviews here. A good website for finding a place to eat is here: You should look in the Downtown and Airport/South sections for places closest to Papa John.
Downtown areas are best near 4th Street.
Three come recommended for originality: Makers Mark Bourbon House + Lounge , Red Star Tavern and Vincenzo's/150 S. 5th Street/Ph # 502-580-1350/Reservation Required. Of course, there are others like Hard Rock and TGIF.

Louisville fan, "CardinalZen" recommends these establishments:

Central Downtown: Bistro 301, Saffron's (Persian), and Proof on Main.

East Downtown: Park Place Restaurant and Browning's Brew Pub @ Slugger Field, Stevie Ray's Blues Bar, Primo, and BBC Tap Room

West Downtown: The Jazz Factory

South Downtown: Bluegrass Brewing Company and Cafe Kilimanjaro

The Highlands--Louisville's Cool Spot to Be. It is a three mile stretch along Baxter and Bardstown Road. If you have access to a vehicle: the 900 block of Baxter is a nice place to start.
Suggestions in the 900 block:
Wicks Pizza Parlor & Pub (Baxter) - decent bar - great pizza
O’Shea’s (Baxter) – Irish Pub
Molly Malone’s (Baxter) -Irish Pub pricier- nice outdoor area
Wet Willy (Baxter) nearly 100 beers on draft and a 6 foot long monitor lizard living underneath a reinforced glass floor.Flannigan's Gourmet Pizza + Ale house (Baxter) - smaller place - very very popular - great food and big beer selection

The 502 Crew tailgaters offer up some unique places here. The offer a few suggestions close to the stadium and few downtown.

Louisville fan "L-yes" suggests:

Ramsi's Cafe on the World is one of my favorite places to eat, it's offers a
wide variety of ethnic food. The Bristol Bar and Grill is right up
the street for more traditional american fare and across from Ramsi's is the
Avalon which is upscale contemporary American cuisine. The Avalon
has a great outdoor patio area with live jazz most weekend nights. There
are many locally owned restaurants like the ones I've mentioned up and down
Bardstown/Baxter. For pizza and a beer Wick's Pizza really can't be
beat, Bearno's is also pretty good. All are within walking distance of one
another. Another great area in the city proper is East Market
Street, there is a collection of restaurant/art galleries there with great upscale
food and nice bars like Artemisia Restaurant. If
you're in town on a Friday night and it's the first Friday of the month the
Market Street district is hopping in September and October.

Things to Do:

Distillery Tours:
Woodford Reserve (formerly Labrot & Graham Distillery)- 1 hour drive towards Lexington. Located in the beautiful horse country around Versailles! Maker's Mark: 1 1/4 hour drive. Very Good tour
Wild Turkey: Less than an hour southeast, easy to find.

Maker's Mark Still House
The Louisville Chamber of Commerce has a nice guide to give you more suggestions in Louisville.

Belle of Louisville Steamboat

CASINOS
There is a Harrah's property across the river to the west of Louisville. If offers all the typical casino amenities.

GOLF:

Louisville Fan and Native Chris Lindy's Suggested Courses:

City of Louisville:

Right in the heart of Louisville, your best courses are Charlie Vettiner, Indian Springs, and Quail Chase. Vettiner is part of LouisvilleCharlie Vettiner’s municipal parks, a challenging layout due to the fact that there are some wild holes on the course and a LOT of elevation changes. The tee shot on #9 is probably the toughest in the city. OB on the right and junk on the left. Trees line both sides of a very narrow fairway for what is an uphill tee shot. Hole #10 may actually be tougher than 9.

Indian Springs is a controversial choice and one that other Louisville golfers would possibly disagree with me about. It and Quail Chase are not city owned, but people complain about the residential developments overhanging the golf course at Indian Springs. I agree that the houses impede if you are wild off the tee, but really they are nothing more than a bad backdrop for an otherwise GREAT golf course. The par 3's there are among the best collection of any Louisville public (#6 & #11 are the best) and there is plenty to challenge you throughout the round.

Indian Springs Golf Club

Quail Chase is also a public course in town, but not connected with the city parks. There are 3 9-hole courses at the facility, which is well-kept if nothing else. I am not personally a big fan of the place because it is much more expensive than Vettiner and really doesn't offer anything those courses can't. The par-5 8th hole (East course) is a tricky one, where a lake guards the right side for the last half of the hole.

Greater Louisville Metro Area:

Outside of Louisville, I think there are more options and ones that honestly are better if you'd like to avoid the muni scene and get a little more for those extra dollars you will drop on non-city owned courses. Old Capital (Corydon, IN), Covered Bridge (Sellersburg, IN), Chariot Run--see below (Laconia, IN), Nevel Meade (Prospect, KY), My Old Kentucky Home--see below (Bardstown, KY), Weissinger Hills--see below (Shelbyville, KY), the new Champions Pointe--see below (Henryville, IN) and the soon-to-be-opened Heritage Hill (Shepherdsville, KY) are all very good to great tracks with a variety of challenges to them. I have also heard great things about Valley View, where Fuzzy Zoeller honed his game as a youngster growing up in Southern Indiana.

Valley View Golf Club

The most exciting of these is currently Heritage Hill, which was designed by former Nicklaus protégé Doug Beach and is schedule to open in August, 2007. The locals are already raving about this course if they have been fortunate enough to play and eagerly awaiting its public debut if they have not. From the photos on the course’s website, this could quickly become Louisville’s best area course.

If you're a gambler, Chariot Run may be the place for you to get in your 18 holes. It pushes the 45 minutes a little bit in that the course, owned by Caesars Indiana, is WAY past the casino itself. This is another course that I was not a huge fan of when I played it, but mostly because the greens were too hard and didn't receive shots well. It's a great layout, though, and would perhaps be right up there on my list with another chance at better conditions.

My Old Kentucky Home is the best local state parks course, also about a 45-minute drive from Louisville, but actually not even in the Top 5 of all state parks courses. The other great thing about Kentucky golf is what the state does with its parks. Trying to encourage people to get away from the big cities and put money into the smaller KY communities, the government has built and remodeled several parks courses into championship-quality layouts. My Old KY Home is not one of the Signature Series (the REALLY nice ones), but it's still a fun course that is well-kept and reasonably priced. Hole #16 might be the most difficult par 3 in the entire area.

Finally, Weissinger Hills in Shelbyville. This is another course that not many people know about since it is away from the city and not high on the day trip list for most people. Situated on an old horse farm, the course winds through several patches of trees, old fields, and a bit of water during the round. There isn't anything particularly spectacular about the course, but #10 might impress you and the conditions are good. For more information, you can always click the links for the courses that have websites or check out Golf Kentucky Links for their reviews. This is a nice site devoted to looking at ALL the KY courses as well as some of the more recognizable tracks just across the river.

Editor's Note: We thank Chris for his insights regarding golf in the Louisville area. Please note that he has an excellent web site devoted to University of Louisville athletics called Cardinal Empire. Please check it out.
I hope this helps. I'd like to thank Louisville fans Maize, Wilkie and Chris Wiley who helped with this guide. TexanMark

The opinions expressed in this guide are those of TexanMark. While every effort has been made to ensure all the information presented is accurate and current, it would be wise to verify things when possible. Please note that this guide is not endorsed by Scout.com, Rivals.com or its site publishers, administrators and/or moderators.

Return to TexanMark's Tailgate Guides Main Page

......

ECU Tailgate and Visitors Guide '09

2009-06-18T12:11:00.030-05:00

NOTE: CURRENTLY UNDER REVISION

This is one of a series of tailgating guides for C-USA football schools written by Syracuse fan and tailgate aficionado TexanMark. If you have any feedback or additional information you think belongs in this guide, please drop an email message to Mark by clicking here.

The Beautiful ECU Campus Click to enlarge

First Things first: GETTING THERE

Unless you live within 7-8 hours the game at Greenville (ECU) will require you to fly in. The bad news is Greenville, NC is rather small (75,000 city and 150,000 in Pitt County) and airline service is very limited. All I could find was about 5 flights a day to Charlotte via USAirways out of Pitt-Greenville (PGV) Airport. You might get lucky and find a decent airfare so give it a try. For all others I recommend flying into Raleigh-Durham International (RDU) which is about 75 minutes (non rush hour) west of Greenville. The airport in Raleigh is huge and offers many nonstops and does offer some good airfares with Southwest, Express Jet, AirTran and Midwest all serving the market. Another small regional airport is located about 45 mins away in New Bern. It is worth a look. One other option is to fly into Norfolk International (ORF). I have found many very good airfares in there. It is a very nice airport and easy to get in and out of and is about two hours from ECU and Greenville. For those with some time, you might consider Amtrak. There is service into nearby Rocky Mount or Raleigh. Finally if golf and beach are on your mind you can try Myrtle Beach, SC and Wilmington, NC airports a few hours to the south (they each possess some low cost air carriers).

Greenville is not a tourist destination however, it does offer some museums in town but being a smaller town it doesn't offer as much as compared to many other CUSA locales. The good news is it is within a couple hours of the North Carolina Outer Banks. Vacation Idea: Fly into Norfolk or Raleigh and drive to the Outer Banks. The motel/condo/rental homes drop their rates after Labor Day and the Outer Banks can offer beach and swim weather easily until mid/late October. Many of the rental units allow 8-12 people to stay together so you could split the cost among friends and save some money. The Outer Banks need to be explored by car but it does offer you the opportunity to ride a ferry to get a real nautical experience. Obviously golfers will find NC a golfers' paradise. Myrtle Beach, SC is about three hours south and the Pinehurst is not too far away along with many great courses in the North Carolna Coastal Area. More Golf recommendations below.

Enjoy a Pepsi in New Bern

A few other destinations surely to please: New Bern, NC birthplace of Pepsi, Morehead City and Atlantic Beach for those beach, water and boat lovers, Raleigh for those who want to see a bigger city (or maybe stay there and drive over for the game), and finally for you history buffs, historic Williamsburg, VA.

Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium Directions

The ECU campus is smack dab in the middle of Greenville. ECU plays their games in Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. The stadium is located about 3/4 mile south of the main campus near 14th Street and Charles Blvd. The stadium was built in the early 60s and has gradually expanded throughout the years as ECU's stature grew in college football. It currently seats about 43,000 and offers great sight lines. Formal Stadium policies give you all the info needed to enjoy gameday experience. Stadium expansion is close to approval. The east end zone will get 7,000 new seats to bring capacity up to 50,000 by the 2010 or 2011 season.

The following directions are courtesy of the official ECU Pirates website:

From the Tidewater, Va., Area Take US 13 from Suffolk to Ahoskie, N.C. Take bypass around Ahoskie (NC 11). Take NC 11 to Greenville. NC 11 turns into Memorial Drive. Take Fifth Street to Cotanche Street and take a right. Take Cotanche, which turns into Charles Blvd., to Ficklen Drive and take a left. Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium is up the hill on the right.

From the North Take I-95 South to NC 903 exit (Halifax, N.C.). Take left over the overpass. Take NC 903 for eight miles until you reach US 301. Take left onto NC 125/903 and continue for 15 miles until you reach Scotland Neck. Take a right on US 258 when you reach Scotland Neck and go about 1-2 miles through downtown. Then take a left onto NC 125 for about 15 miles to Oak City. Take a right onto NC 11 at Oak City. Continue on NC 11 (25 miles) to Greenville where it turns into Memorial Drive. Take Memorial Drive to Fifth Street and take a left. Take Fifth Street to Cotanche Street and take a right. Take Cotanche, which turns into Charles Blvd., to Ficklen Drive and take a left. Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium is up the hill on the right. Edit: if you want a simpler route with less two lane highways I suggest you come in US 264 off I-95 near Wilson (essentially follow the directions for coming from the south)

From the South Take I-95 North to US 264 exit (Wilson, N.C.). Take a right and continue on US 264 past Wilson and head into Greenville. Take US 264 to Allen Road and turn right. Allen Road turns into Greenville Blvd. Take Greenville Blvd. to Charles Blvd. and take a left (ECU message board on corner). Take Charles Blvd. down hill and turn right on Ficklen Drive. Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium is up the hill on the right.

From Triangle Area Take US 64 from Raleigh and head east. Take US 264 in Zebulon and head east past Wilson and into Greenville. Take US 264 to Allen Road and turn right. Allen Road turns into Greenville Blvd. Take Greenville Blvd. to Charles Blvd. and take a left (ECU message board on corner). Take Charles Blvd. down hill and turn right on Ficklen Drive. Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium is up the hill on the right.

From Wilmington Take Interstate 40 northwest to Wallace. Take right onto NC 41 and head north through Chiquapin and Beulaville (about 20-25 miles). Get on NC 241 in Beulaville and head about 10 miles north to Pink Hill, where you will pick up NC 11. Take NC 11 through downtown Kinston and into Greenville, where it turns into Memorial Drive. Take Memorial Drive (past Carolina East Mall) to Greenville Blvd., where you will take a right. Take Greenville Blvd. to Charles Blvd. and take a left (ECU message board on corner). Take Charles Blvd. down hill and turn right on Ficklen Drive. Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium is up the hill on the right.

Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium Click to enlarge

Parking

Parking is relatively easy here. This PDF Map is for non-gameday parking but does show the lots in good detail. They have identified lots for gameday general admission visitors. ECU just might have the best tailgate scene in CUSA. The scenery is first rate. Tailgating starts six hours before kickoff (but never earlier than 8 AM), more official rules can be seen here.

From the official ECU guide:

ECU Parking Map Click to view--suitable for printing.

Some notes to help you about the lots:

Lot 16: Located at the corner of Greenville and Charles. This has been a student tailgating area (aka Frisbee golf or disc field) and the prime spot for pre-game activities. Any radio stations that are doing pre-game broadcasts usually set up here, and this is where the wildest action occurs. Since the Student Pirate Club has moved to north of the stadium (Lot 8) I am not sure if Lot 16's demographics has changed for 2009.

Lot 13/RV Lot: This area is mainly for RV's and people cooking pigs. Usually for the older crowd (as in 30+ year olds).

Overnight parking for RVs is permitted for Friday evenings after 6 p.m. in the designated area. All vehicles must be self-contained; no electrical hook-ups are available. Contact (252) 737-4517 for specific recreational vehicle parking information or email at cherrym@ecu.edu. General RV parking passes will be available at the beginning of August.

Disabled Parking/Tickets: Parking for handicapped persons is available near the stadium on both the East and West sides. This area offers space on a first-come, first-served basis. Patrons must display the required handicapped parking permit to park in this area. If additional information is needed, please call (252) 737-4694. If you fail to arrange something prior it looks like Lot 18 and a shuttle ride is your option.

Lot 10: Areas near Elmhurst School are mostly fraternity or sorority areas, if you are Greek odds are you will be tailgating in this area. Most organized events usually put up tents and have a rather large set-up so you can tell they're in the business of celebration.

The area around C.M Eppes Middle School. This area is filled with mostly students who want more room for their tailgating set-up. This area also boasts less cops (since it is not University property), so blast your music as loud as you wish! NOTE: The lots near Eppes are permit but visitor lots are just north of the school.

Lot 7: Visiting Fans/Non Permit Holders Parking: The best area for visiting fans to park is north of 14th Street in the vicinity of C.M Eppes Middle School and Todd Dining Hall. EDIT: Look for College Hill Drive on the map above (it runs between E 14th St and East 10th St) and the lots are just south of 10th St.

Lot 18: The area listed on the map near the Allied Health center is now general parking and as mentioned above can accommodate the disabled.

If in doubt you can contact ECU Parking Services

Another parking option is curbside parking east of the stadium in the area of West Berkley Road. An ECU fan states:

"curbside parking...a lot of fans park in this residential area and 10 minute walk to the stadium. A lot of tailgaters for the lots around Elmhurst School park here due to limited parking spaces in the actual school lots. Arrive at least 3 hours before game time for parking as space goes fast. Do not block driveways, park or tailgate in someones yard. Police and wreckers will be called."

Tailgate Supplies

ECU has a Harris Teeter Store located very close to the stadium at the intersection of Charles and 14th. That intersection also has two convenience stores. You can buy beer and wine in grocery/convenience stores in NC. On campus the Galley offers food to go (located in Jones Hall) and Pirate Market is a full sized conveninence store also located in Jones Hall on College Hill. You haved to buy liquor in ABC Stores. The closest ABC store about a 1/2 mile away SE of the stadium at Greenville 337 Arlington Blvd, Phone: 252-756-2955, Store Hours: M-S 10am-9pm. For you Walmart fans: Greenville has a Supercenter. It is located a few miles away and is usually very busy.

Ticket Scalpers and You:

If available I recommend buying tickets here: If the game isn't sold out you can buy tickets on game day at Minges Coliseum. More info can be found at the official website. The ticket reselling scene at ECU is mostly "laid back" and usually revolves around fellow fans exchanging tickets and money in the tailgate parking lots or along the sidewalks leading to the stadium.

Ticket Scalping is illegal in North Carolina to sell tickets by the original owner for more than face value + $3. There is a movement to liberalize the laws...stay tuned.
Disclaimer: The following info describes where ticket reselling happens. I recommend buying tickets legally. If you aren't sure of current local laws ask someone knowledgeable.
One ECU fan states:

The best way to get tickets is to troll the tailgating lots hours
before the game. They are usually available for face value or lower
for less desirable games. As it gets closer to game time stand near the main entrances to the stadium on the press box (south) side or the scoreboard area (east side) for best results. The upper deck side is more students than anything else.

TAILGATE HAVEN--Total Tailgating Resource

Tailgate Haven is your total resource for setting up and managing your football tailgate online. Do you think the tailgate is sometimes just as important as the game? The goal of Tailgate Haven is to make your life easier by organizing your tailgate group; thus eliminating countless emails, text messages and phone calls about the current weeks tailgate information. The concept is simple but pure genius. You easily register by choosing your favorite team and picking a creative name for your tailgate group. Now log in and instantly each of your teams games becomes its own webpage with your team colors. Next, invite your friends to join your tailgate group and the site comes to life. In addition to this tailgate manager, every team has its own tailgate profile. Do you travel to away games? This is where you can find the best information on where to park, find extra tickets, where to stay, eat, party and golf. Navigate the city easily as you travel to a stadium for the first time.

LODGING:

City Hotel and Bistro

Greenville offers nearly 2,000 rooms of lodging so if you plan early you shouldn't have a problem getting a room. If you are trying to book a room within a couple months of the more popular games you might find no room at the inn. Here is a nice overview of lodging in Greenville. New motels are being added so it pays to ask a hotel clerk if they know of any new motels if they are soldout at the place you are trying to reserve. Yahoo and Google both give a nice overview of motels in the area. Caution: I saw one case where the attached link was going to book you a room in another town--be careful. Finally, if you are in dire straits try this web site: it gives alot of roadside Mom and Pop Motels.

Greenville Unique: City Hotel and Bistro: Very nice rooms and a nightclub off the lobby. Other popular motels (so book early): Wingate Inn, Courtyard by Marriott, Best Western, Hilton and the Comfort Inn.

DINING

Eastern NC Style Barbeque Pulled Pork--Yum

Eastern North Carolina Barbeque is noted as being distinct from BBQ west of I-95 and South Carolina and Georgia. Several joints distinguish themselves in Greenville: arguably the best joint in town is B's, don't call or look for a website--they don't have a phone or a website but they made USAToday's list of great joints in NC. Another place that has a big base of fans is Boss Hog's, in Greenville. Parkers Barbeque has some fans but some detractors, too...they are noted for their corn sticks and offers other courses beside BBQ. The original Parkers is west of Greenville in Wilson. Head south of town to Ayden for another joint mentioned by USAToday. The Skylight Inn is worth the drive.

It must be noted that BBQ has two camps in NC as quoted from this USAToday article:

North Carolina's pit masters are, for the most part, a collegial bunch, but they part ranks somewhere around Raleigh. Easterners cook the whole pig and sauce it with a vinegar-based, pepper mix. Western-style (also called Lexington-style) barbecue consists of shoulders or Boston butts (the top half of the shoulder), and the sauce (called "dip") is a tangy vinegar-based mix with tomato paste, spices and brown sugar.

To hear it from both camps, preferences run deep.

Andy Stephenson, owner of Stephenson's Bar-B-Q in Willow Springs, 20 miles south of Raleigh, won't acknowledge ever tasting western-style 'cue. "I've never eaten red barbecue. I've seen it, but that's as far as I care to go," he says.

For those that want to see the difference in recipes between west and east this site has alot of recipes.

Other Foods--Dining

If you desire a steak the Beef Barn has a nice selection and is a good value. The Beef Barn has an awesome selection of wine. The University Chop House also has a great rep for fine steaks and other foods. The other steak places in town are mostly chains. If you want Italian try Finelli's, it is relocating to a new location at 511 Red Banks Rd. in the old Staccato's Restaurant. Mexican? Locals swear by Chico's downtown and also south of town towards Winterville. Pizza, try Boli's 5th Ave Pizzeria. Boli's is located near the campus in downtown (also referred to as "Uptown"). Boli's on the Boulevard is out by the Mall and also offers Pizza. If you want to get away from campus for something different try CPW's . Looking for a good burger or cheesesteak downtown? Try Cubbie's or Andy's (look under Grills). You want upscale eclectic downtown? Try LA Lounge and Spa. Chefs 505 is another upscale Resturant that has a great reputation. Although a chain, I have always had a great burger at Fuddrucker's. The Starlight Cafe offers an ecletic upscale menu and is located near Campus. Seafood: Wimpies is great and with a Cajun Flair and Dixie Queen is also a very good seafood restaurant with 3 locations in the Greenville area. HINT: Uptown/Downtown Greenville caters to a young crowd on the weekend nights.

Cubbie's For Great Burgers

SPORTS BAR Alert: If you wanna watch some games and chow down on Wings then Buffalo Wild Wings is for you. It is located close by to the stadium. They offer ESPN Gameplan, CSTV and Versus along with all the other sports channels. Ham's Restaurant and Brewhouse offers American Food and brew...also, TVs for games with ESPN Gameplan and is located near campus.

Another sports bar very popular with the locals is Professor O'Cools. They offer Good food, 30 TVs, ESPN Gameplan and is owned by a Pittsburgh Steeler Fan. If you are staying over for Sunday this is a great place to watch NFL games. It is located in the Big Lot's Shopping Center behind Logan's Roadhouse (kinda like a Texas Roadhouse). Dr. Unk's AKA Unk's is another sports bar in town with an excellent selection of beer. Sports bar during the day but it turns into bar for meeting coeds in the evening. It often has live music in the evening. If you are looking for more night clubs look here or here.

College and 20 Something Crowd: These bars all come recommended: Club 519 (21+ ginormiously popular), Levels (21+ and eclectic), Pantana Bob's or PB's (Where the Greeks are), Lucky's (Country Bar) all these are located downtown and "gvegasmagazine gives you all the info.

A nice website that offers coupons for various restaurants in Greenville.

FREEBOOT FRIDAY's: Uptown Greenville the place to go on Friday for Bands, food and Drink. Lot's of ECU Fans always attend.

SHOPPING For the nonFootball Watching Spouse:

If you have a spouse who could careless about football but came along here are some ideas: Antique Shops are numerous in Greenville, Lynncroft a strip center on Evans Road, and the Greenville Mall.

GOLF

Golf in North Carolina is truly an awesome experience. With Greenville usually having decent weather for golf throughout the football season a trip to the links is a must for all golfers.

Bradford Creek Golf Course

The local municipal is also home for the ECU golf team. It is a well maintained muni designed in an open links style. It is reasonable, close and offers a lighted driving range. I read a collared shirt is required despite being a muni.

Ironwood Golf and Country Club

A semi-private country club built around a residential community. They allow nonsponsored play with a 48 hours advance notice. Voted by Golf Digest as the best course to play in the Greenville Area.

Fabulous Ironwood Golf and Country Club

Ayden Golf and Country Club

Ayden Golf and Country Club located a short drive south of Greenville that comes with great reviews.

If you have time to drive several hours away then Myrtle Beach, SC is a must do and is about three hours south. The Pinehurst Golf Resort is about 2 1/2 hours away (west of Fayetteville).

Pinehurst Golf Resort One of the World's Great Golf Destinations

Finally, I'd like to thank all the posters at Boneyard Banter who helped me with getting the most correct info and the awesome recommendations--thanks

The best ECU internet forum is here: Boneyard Banter

The opinions expressed in this guide are those of TexanMark. While every effort has been made to ensure all the information presented is accurate and current, it would be wise to verify things when possible. Please note that this guide is not endorsed by Scout.com, Rivals.com or its site publishers, administrators and/or moderators.

..........

Connecticut Tailgate and Visitors Guide '09

2009-06-07T23:08:00.010-05:00

Connecticut State Capital in Hartford Click to enlarge

This is one of a series of tailgating guides for Big East football schools written by Syracuse fan and tailgate aficionado TexanMark. If you have any feedback or additional information you think belongs in this guide, please drop an email message to Mark by clicking here.

First Things First: GETTING THERE

UConn is close for most Rutgers and Syracuse fans but others will have a bit further to go. Pittsburgh and Morgantown based fans should expect 8-9 hour drives. A word of advice: try to avoid going through NJ if you are traveling during peak traffic periods. You should look at driving up to Scranton, PA and take I-84 to CT.

Flights:

People can fly to Hartford inexpensively via Southwest Airlines or alternatively to Providence and Albany (and drive over). Of course, you can also fly into Boston (95 miles to East Hartford) or any of the Metro NYC airports. Before flying into NYC or Boston you should check airfare and if nonstop service is available into Hartford-Bradley Int'l. The airport is quite large and offers excellent service to many markets. There are no direct trains from NY or Boston (required change in New Haven or Springfield respectively). However, you can easily take a bus or drive from South Station in Boston or the Port Authority in the City to Hartford.

UConn’s football stadium is located about 30 minutes west of Storrs in East Hartford (a separate city from Hartford ). The stadium is about three miles east of Downtown Hartford. In East Hartford, there is easy access off I-84 at Silver Lane. From the west take I-84 East toward East Hartford. Follow I-84 East to Exit 58, ROBERTS STREET/SILVER LANE. On the Exit Ramp, keep to the right and continue straight through Silver Lane into the RENTSCHLER FIELD MAIN GATE. (Driving directions from other approaches can be found here)

It is a great venue with seating close to the field. It was literally built on an old Pratt and Whitney Factory Airfield (Rentschler Airfield) and opened for the fall 2003 season. You can checkout your seating location By clicking on the interactive seating tab on the left side of the stadium web page.

Parking
You can park just outside the stadium if you have preferred VIP seating or access to a season parking pass. If not you can park in the general parking areas south of the stadium (near Cabela's) which is also where the RVs park. You will be parking your car near the old Runway/taxiways and should enter the Willow Street Gate. You can catch a shuttle from the outlying lots to the stadium. For a Weeknight game, you will find folks entering the parking lot around 3:30pm . Saturday games depend on the kickoff time but expect the hardcore to arrive 4 hours prior to kickoff. Expect to pay $12 for cars, $20 for RVs, and $30 for buses. Close in parking is available for handicap you must hang an official tag from your state.

GENERAL ADMISSION LOTS (south of the stadium enter through Willow St.)

General Admission parking is located at the Hanger and Red-South Lots. RV parking is near Red-South. This link will show you all your various options.

If you do not want to park with the masses a better option might be the Aero Club discussed below or other private lots along Silver Lane and adjacent side streets.

Rentschler Field

Tailgating

UConn has a restrictive tailgating policy in their official parking areas.

A quick summary of rules: Small propane grills are okay, kegs are not, tailgating must end two hours after day games and no tailgating after night games. Also note: it you toss a football in the parking lots you are asking for trouble from the parking lot monitors--it is not allowed. UConn fans have assured me this is much overstated. The major part of tailgating occurs after the game as the “hardcore kick back, grill and kibitz about the game crowd” takes over the parking lots. On Saturdays, some will bring TV’s and stay from after the game well into twilight (6 PM or beyond).

They serve Beer in the Stadium (lots of variety too; everything from Sam Adams, Rolling Rock, Heineken, Corona , and Bud … to local Brewpub pints. This is not an on-campus facility.

Rentschler Field Panorama Click to enlarge
Image Courtesy of UConn fan Santini15

You won’t find large numbers of professional scalpers selling tickets around the stadium. It just isn’t part of the environment for UConn. That’s not to say you won’t find some guy waving an extra ticket at the gate; I do not think you’ll find volumes of tickets available … but there will be some. The best spots to find tickets are at the end of the runways nearest the stadium or near the two gates on the other side of the stadium ( Silver Lane side). Ticket Scalping Rules get liberalized on October 1st, 2007.

More Tailgate Options:

If you have the inclination you can cruise Silver Lane east of the stadium. Parking is offered in the parking lot of Silva’s Youth of Today Learning Center, 656 Silver Lane, just east of Rentschler Field. HINT: One more potential parking spot came to my attention. It is at Medical Care Center - 677 Silver Lane. It's on the same side of the street as the stadium. They charged $10 for a recent rock concert so I expect they'll charge the same for a UConn game. There are other lots in the vicinity that charge usually a nominal amount to park. If you are coming from the east you might consider taking I-384 and exiting at Silver Lane and drive west toward the stadium and start looking. Down the road: I expect a few other lots east of the stadium will sell parking with more retail projects taking away some parking spaces south and west of the stadium. I have also been told if you near Forbes St. and Silver Lane there is a closed down Cinema with ample parking. Note: I would ask a local fan first before parking in any empty business lots.

Visiting Fans Best Option--Aero Club on Silver Lane

The Aero Club was going to become a reserved parking lot before the 2007 season due to Cabelas. Fortunately the powers that be let it became available again for season permit use. So the Aero Club Lots to revert back to general admission lots. In the past the Pratt & Whitney Aero Club lots were private. They offered inside bathrooms, lots of grassy fields and relaxed rules. I'd appreciate if a fan can relay to me if it is still $10 and do they allow RVs. I tailgated there in 2005 and found it very convenient to make a quick getaway if desired. You also can walk to hotels on Robert Street if you want to leave your car behind. It is located on Silver Lane on the north side just east of the stadium entrance. Look for the Softball Fields. One more place is available just east of the Aero Club. The old Frank's Nursery at 656 Silver Lane offers parking for $10 on gameday.

TAILGATE SUPPLIES:

NOTE: Just east of the stadium is Town & Country Package Store 785 Silver Lane Phone# 860-569-1444 and the Super Stop and Shop (a full range grocery and pharmacy) at 940 Silver Lane in Charter Oak Shopping Plaza (Just before Forbes St.) Phone# 860-569-7050 They use a rewards card so you might ask the cashier to scan their card for you. Lotte's, 818 Silver Lane, ph(860) 895-8779‎ offers Beer among other things. If you are entering the stadium from Willow (west side) you might want to stop at Shaw's on Main Street. It is a full service grocery store. They use a Shaw's Reward Card so if you don't have one you might ask the cashier if she can scan their card for you.

Cabela's A New Option

Cabela's opened fall 2007 just southwest of the stadium. They offer gameday/tailgating supplies, rain ponchos and clothing. This is a destination store and well worth your time to check it out. Your kids will love it.

TAILGATE HAVEN--Total Tailgating Resource

Tailgate Haven is your total resource for setting up and managing your football tailgate online. Do you think the tailgate is sometimes just as important as the game? The goal of Tailgate Haven is to make your life easier by organizing your tailgate group; thus eliminating countless emails, text messages and phone calls about the current weeks tailgate information. The concept is simple but pure genius. You easily register by choosing your favorite team and picking a creative name for your tailgate group. Now log in and instantly each of your teams games becomes its own webpage with your team colors. Next, invite your friends to join your tailgate group and the site comes to life. In addition to this tailgate manager, every team has its own tailgate profile. Do you travel to away games? This is where you can find the best information on where to park, find extra tickets, where to stay, eat, party and golf. Navigate the city easily as you travel to a stadium for the first time.

LODGING (Close):

The bad news is not a lot of lodging located within walking distance. Two (One temporarily see below) motels are located across the freeway on the north side but you can walk to the stadium.
The Days Inn, 333 Roberts St. offered nice accommodations at a moderate price. NOTE: As of June 2009 the property is closed undergoing a major face lift. Not sure if it will be rebranded. This used to be the Wellesley Inn until July 05 when it converted to the Days Inn.

The other close motel is the Holiday Inn and also offers nice rooms for a moderate price (860-528-9611, 363 Roberts St .)
If you reserve early you should be able to get a room in either motel for about $100 a night. Two-night minimum stays are not required which is great for quick trips. I believe both have shuttles to the gate. Margarita’s Restaurant is large and has hosted get-togethers for opponents both pregame and post game. It is located across the street from the two motels.

Sheraton Hartford (ph 860-528-9703, 100 East River Dr. East Hartford)
This motel is bit farther away but is within walking distance (15-20 minutes tops but you might want to still drive to the stadium since the the road is a busy highway).

LODGING (5-10 minutes away):

Three other hotels in East Hartford or Manchester but not within walking distance:
Clarion Suites (ph 860-643-5811, 191 Spencer St. Manchester)

EconoLodge (ph 860-569-1100, 490 Main St. East Hartford)

Finally one new option is coming to East Hartford on Pitken Street. Scheduled to open sometime during the fall is a Hampton Inn. It will offer a nice view of the river/bridge and located by the Riverwalk.
America's Best Value Inn--BUDGET ALERT 400 Tolland Turnpike Manchester Phone: 860-643-1555
It is located about 5 miles east of the stadium on the south side of I-84. It has some very reasonable rates for Connecticut. So if you want to save some money this might be your best bet. It is very close to shopping and restaurants.

The town of Glastonbury is a few miles south of the stadium and is conveniently located for those driving up from NYC/NJ and has easy access to the Willow Street Gate on gameday. The area is adding several chain hotels like the Comfort Inn and Homewood Suites. The Hilton Garden Inn is also located in Glastonbury, a few miles south of the stadium. Expect to pay $120+.

LODGING options found in downtown Hartford (10 minutes away):

If you plan to just go to the game and you want a convenient place to “crash” the motels in East Hartford should be okay. If you want to be near more amenities you should try downtown Hartford. The cities of Vernon and Manchester to the east also offer some lodging and are within 20 minutes of the stadium.

The Goodwin Hotel (boutique hotel)closed at the end of 2008. The Residence Inn by Marriott has a real nice property. The Marriott has also opened a second huge hotel in 2005, this one is very upscale. The nice thing about the Marriott is it is located next door to the brand new in 2009, Connecticut Science Center. The Hilton also is fairly new and just had a recent major renovation. If people want to stay in the nicer suburbs southwest of Hartford (closer to NY Metro area), the Farmington Marriott or Courtyard by Marriott are very good hotels. Because they are business-focused, they likely will have plenty of rooms on weekend nights.

Hartford Marriott

More info about Lodging can be found at the local city visitors' website.

If you want to stay in an old New England Inn many of them are located near Hartford. A few of the notable ones to the west and northwest are the Litchfield Inn, White Hart Inn, and Interlaken Inn. The Griswold Inn south of Hartford near Old Lyme is another nice inn.

SHOPPING/KID FRIENDLY STUFF:

A major mall – Buckland’s Hills Mall in Manchester, is only a few exits east: it has major department stores and most restaurants you would find around a typical core mall. (All the family chains) Also, newly opened and also very popular is The Promenade Shops at Evergreen Walk it is located also in Manchester just a few miles east of the stadium. It is upscale and quite nice.
The West Farms Mall in West Hartford is very nice and probably a bit more upscale than Buckland Hills. West Hartford Center (literally the town center) is very nice, with smaller stores, restaurants, etc (see below in dining section for more info). Probably the most popular high end shopping center in West Hartford is The Blue Back Square. It has an awesome mix of both popular and some very exclusive retailers and food establishments. Two other sources of shopping info in Hartford to keep your nonfootball watching spouse occupied for hours:

Shoppes at Buckland Hills

West Farms Mall

Finally, a new museum and science center opened Summer 2009 in downtown Hartford. It is the Connecticut Science Center. It looks awesome and should keep the kids happy for hours. It is located steps away from the Marriott Hotel.

Connecticut Science Center Exhibit

DINING: (outside downtown Hartford)

You can find several restaurants near the stadium (pizza, BBQ, etc...) Margarita’s Mexican Restaurant is located across the street from the two motels at 350 Roberts St. They have Margaritas, duh! As mentioned above this is a great choice for gatherings before or after the game. Just beware Margaritas is usually crowded on gameday. If you are craving for an old time hamburger and sandwich joint then Augie and Rays is made for you. It is located south of the Willow St. stadium entrance at 314 Main Street. The Cookhouse is close to the stadium and offers barbeque. It is apparently pretty good despite being up north. If you want a cheeseburger with a milk shake try the Shady Glen Dairy Store in Manchester. You want a great fish sandwich? Try Mickey's Oceanic Grill in East Hartford. Have an urge for Pizza after the game? Try Pazzo's Pizza in Glastonbury. As noted above, there are great numbers of options around the Buckland Hills Mall … like Macaroni Grill, Outback Steakhouse, Fridays, etc… About 15 miles northeast of Hartford is Willington Pizza. It is worth the trip. If you have some time and want to check out the UConn campus in Storrs be sure to stop in Willimantic. The Willimantic Brewing Co./Main Street Café is a living landmark restaurant and pub brewery located in Willimantic, in the heart of rural northeastern Connecticut.
Finally, world famous Pepe's Pizzeria of New Haven has opened up a restaurant in Manchester a few miles to the east.

Sports Bar Alert!

The closest sports bar is about 2 miles east of the stadium (just drive east on Silver Lane and it turns into Spencer Street) in Manchester. All Stars Sports Bar and Grill offers all the TV packages.A nice sports bar called the Diamond Pub and Grill is also in Glastonbury. A Buffalo Wild Wings (First one in Hartford) just opened in 2007 off I-91 between Downtown and the Airport. It isn't real close to the stadium but it is an option if you want to watch games before or after the UConn game. It is in Windsor at 703 Poquonock Ave. Phone: 860-688-9464. If you are staying in the SW suburbs try one of these two locations of Sliders Sports bars. Finally, downtown has a really nice, new sports bar called Black Bear Saloon.

Hartford Dining:

Hartford has a ton of places to eat. Some restaurants cans be found near the Hartford Civic Center and the Union Train Station for those staying downtown. I have been told there are several very good Italian Restaurants on Franklin Ave. downtown.

UConn fan Gars45 gives a nice overview of the Downtown and West Hartford Dining Scene:

downtown Hartford has many nice restaurants and bars, but not centralized on one convenient little strip. To direct people, I would describe the general vicinity as the Hartford Civic Center block, which you could describe as Asylum, Trumbull, Ann Street area. The best are Civic Cafe, Max Downtown, and about 5-6 other very nice spots in this block. A block away to the west and south are places like Vito's by the Park and Black Eyed Sally's. One block east of the Civic Center is Main Street, and there are a couple of nice restaurant bars there, including the City Steam Brewery and Cafe and Morton's Steakhouse.

West Hartford Center is about 18 minutes from downtown, car door to car door. There you will find a concentrated strip of fine restaurants/shopping along the corner of two streets, Farmington Avenue and LaSalle Road. The entire walk is no more than a quarter mile, if that. These are interspersed with a number of little coffee and ice cream shops where you sit outside on the curb. It looks like a block of the upper East Side. The centerpiece establishments are Grant's, Oyster Bar, Elbow Room, Bricco's, but there are about four more in this highly compact little block. The place is just booming because, well, it's the suburbs, it's close to I-84, it looks just like a little city, there is plenty of low cost parking right there (e.g., $1.00), and there is no crime. The area is doing so well that currently a smallish high end shopping mall is under construction two blocks away, with a high rise residential attached. Right across the street from the Whole Foods market. It's that kind of place.

A Couple of Irish Bars
There’s an Irish pub, The Half Door, that’s very good. The Half Door is not the biggest place and its closer to the West Hartford line, they go out of their way to host international soccer viewing parties and probably would make an effort to accommodate an enthusiastic group of visiting fans. It also has an outdoor patio to accommodate more people. Another good Irish Bar is Sully’s. It is located west of downtown Hartford.

Parking info for Downtown Hartford:

Plenty of garages and on street surface lots. The central core seems well lit and safe. Stay near the businesses + bars and you should be fine…that’s the mantra I would remember.

Downtown Hartford

Nearby Diversions
Connecticut offers so much in such a small state. If you happen to be there during October you should be blessed with some opportunities to see some great fall foliage. Take a drive to Litchfield County about an hour northwest. You can hike a nice section of the Appalachian Trail along the Housatonic, in addition to canoeing, whitewater rafting, fly fishing etc. For the wife there is antiques galore and quaint little towns.

If you are looking for that famous New England Seaport look then Mystic is it. It is located about an hour southeast of Hartford. Nearby Mystic is the Coast Guard Academy in New London. Tours are available.

Casinos

If you like to gamble there are two casinos close to Hartford. Both are about 45 mins southeast. Foxwoods is under going a huge expansion MGM Grand at Foxwoods, had a breathtaking new $700 million development project, completed in 2008.

Mohegan Sun is a full service casino with gaming, hotel, dining, shows and golf. Either one can make it a great experience over a weekend of football and casino.

GOLF:
There are a wide range of courses in the greater Hartford area. Here are some choices for you to consider:
Rockledge Golf Club is a fairly easy, usually well maintained public course in West Hartford about a mile off I-84 (take exit 41).
Yardage: reds: 5434, whites: 6069, blues: 6436.Cost: About $30 to walk on weekends.

Rockledge Golf Course

Lyman Orchards Golf Club features two top notch public courses, one designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr and one by Gary Player. Both are beautiful, well mantained and very challenging. And both are ranked among the top 10 public courses in the state of Connecticut. This club is located about 20 miles south of Hartford in Middlefield.
Yardage: RTJ blues: 7,011, Gary Player blues: 6,725Cost: $65 to ride on the weekends (carts are mandatory).

Lyman Orchards Golf Club

Manchester Country Club has reasonable rates and is very playable. It's a much more interesting and scenic layout than most other value courses. They've finished a number of renovations to the design orignally laid out in the 1920's by the same guy who designed Medinah.

Manchester Country Club--close by and very nice

Keney Park is a municipal course located in the City of Hartford, not far from downtown. Built in 1927, it features small elevated undulating greens and tight fairways. The tee boxes tend to be mostly dirt and the fairways get dry and hardpan in the summer. The neighborhood is also somewhat questionable.
Yardage: reds: 5005, whites: 5678, blues: 5969. Cost: about $35 to walk on the
weekends.

Another option for those who want to play golf on a nice layout without shelling out half a weeks pay. Try Goodwin Golf Course which is about 5-10 mins SW of the Rent on the other side of the river. The course is in a great neighborhood in the south end which is home to arguably the best restaurants in the city (one block from little Italy). If you would like some more info on the course and the local restaurants let me know and I will get it over to you. The course has been in great shape and you can't beat the price! BTW, Football fans ask for the manager--he is a huge UConn fan who reads the internet foums.

Goodwin Golf Course--just a block from Little Italy (Golf and Pasta!)

MORE EXPENSIVE OPTIONS
Another option is to play at Foxwoods , Lake of Isles is just across the street from the Foxwoods Casino Complex
Lake of Isles is expensive but quite nice. The Foxwoods opened two Rees Jones designed 18 hole tracks that are spectacular.

Another ourse located conviently between Foxwoods and Moheghan Sun Casinos is River Ridge It is a good track, has on course beverage service, does not have flukey holes, but not in the same class as lake of isles. However, it is much more affordable.

Not to be outdone Mohegan Sun also offers their golf course at Pautipaug. From their webite:

A private 18-hole championship golf course considered by many to be the best kept secret in all of Connecticut. It is nestled in the hills of Baltic, Connecticut, located minutes from Norwich, New London and Willimantic.

The country club property gently rolls through the scenic hills of the southeastern corner of the state. Established in 1960, Mohegan Sun Country Club at Pautipaug is recognized for immaculate conditions and impeccable greens.

The private country club atmosphere at Pautipaug assures a quality golf experience and an unforgettable day. Our members and guests have enjoyed the exquisite beauty of this golf course and we are sure you will too.

Hope this helps! TexanMark, Syracuse Fan.

A special thanks to UConn fans, “Pudge”, “DuzyPies”, "UConnfan009", "Palatine", "WiscHusky", Excaliber33, and "Gars45" for their help on this guide.

The opinions expressed in this guide are those of TexanMark. While every effort has been made to ensure all the information presented is accurate and current, it would be wise to verify things when possible. Please note that this guide is not endorsed by Scout.com, Rivals.com or its site publishers, administrators and/or moderators.

Return to TexanMark's Tailgate Guides Main Page

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Cincy Tailgate and Visitors Guide '09

2009-05-12T23:39:00.003-05:00

Cincinnati Skyline and the Ohio River

This is one of a series of tailgating guides for Big East football schools written by
Syracuse fan and tailgate aficionado TexanMark. If you have any feedback or additional information you think belongs in this guide, please drop an email message to Mark by clicking here.

First Things First: GETTING THERE

Cincinnati location wise is the second most western among Big East Football teams. However, a large Delta Airlines hub makes it possible for just about everyone to get a nonstop flight to Cincy. BTW, the airport is actually about 10 miles SW of downtown and in Kentucky! Much like when Pittsburgh was dominated by a single carrier you may actually find a better rates flying into Dayton, Louisville, Indianapolis, or Columbus. All of these airports are within two hours of Cincy. I recommend checking Dayton Airport as your first alternative as it is not that far from Cincy and has some outstanding airfares. Amtrak might be an option for fans coming from West Virginia, Virginia, Indiana and Chicago. Questions about getting from the airport, train and bus stations can be seen here.
If you plan on driving, Cincy is less than two hours from Louisville. Pittsburgh and Morgantown based fans can get there in less than five hours. If you make good time, the next closest is Syracuse at 9 1/2 hours. Otherwise, the other locations are a bit too far to make unless you have a couple extra days. Unless you know someone with connections, a trip to Cincy might prove frustrating for tailgaters (due to lack of facilities) but you should come anyway as the information below will give you the inside info you need as a visiting tailgater. As UC grew in Football stature the amenities for great tailgating have developed as you see below. The campus and stadium are located about two miles north of downtown. You can get a nice view of the campus here Two other good views of the Campus. I have never been to UC but it looks like a neat campus and could become a favorite destination despite some tailgating handicaps. The campus is broken into two main sections. The west campus has the stadium and closeby parking. The east campus has the medical school. Some very detailed campus parking and shuttle info and a nice interactive map of the west campus.

The information below has been taken from the Cincinnati Football Guide:

Nice Overhead View of Varsity Village--Click to enlarge

Getting to the Stadium:

Nippert Stadium is located on UC’s main campus in Clifton (about two miles north of Downtown), and is conveniently accessed from the East via I-71 and from the West via I-75. The following directions are from the official University website:

FROM I-71 South (Columbus)
• I-71 south to exit 3 - Taft Road.
• Stay on Taft approximately seven blocks to the intersection of Jefferson Avenue.
• Depending on your designagated parking facility turn right onto Jefferson Avenue continue straight.

FROM I-75 North or South
• Take exit 3 - Hopple Street. At the end of the ramp (stop light) turn left (east).
• Cross over interstate and through Central Parkway.
Hopple eventually becomes Martin Luther King Drive, the campus will appear on the right.

FROM U.S. 50 (Portsmouth and the East)
• U.S. 50 to Taft Road (Taft is one-way going west).
• Stay on Taft to the intersection of Jefferson Avenue.
• Depending on your designagated parking facility turn right onto Jefferson Avenue continue straight.

FROM I-74 (Indianapolis and the West)
• Take I-74 to I-75 south
• Follow directions above from I-75.

Nippert Stadium is actually one of the oldest stadiums in America. It is smallish (about 35,000 capacity) but affords excellent sight lines. It is one of neat, unique venues in college football. Like several other Big East stadiums beer may be purchased inside the stadium until the middle of the third quarter.

Nippert Stadium Night and Day Views--click to enlarge

Game Day Parking:

Cincy fan, Bourgeois Rage states,
"Parking is mostly limited to parking garages on UC's campus. But if you don't mind walking parking is available around campus for free. There isn't a lot of tailgating and where it does happen it is mostly off campus in small lots. I don't think I've ever seen the big campers that you see at some schools as there isn't a large lot for them to park at (on campus). It's mostly out of the back of people's cars/trucks/SUVs."
The information below has been taken from the 2009 Cincinnati Football Guide:

For the entire 2009 home game schedule, each season parking pass holder will be assigned to park in one garage according to preference and availability. Cash parking is on a space available basis for $8 in Campus Green, Woodside, Clifton Court (enter on Clifton Avenue) and Eden Garage. Eden Garage is located on east campus and a free shuttle service will be provided. Handicap cash parking is available in CCM garage at the end of Corry Boulevard. A state-issued handicap pass or license plate is required.

Another garage on Calhoun near Dennis is the parking garage tower next to the Soccer Field (Gettler Stadium). There are spots available there (usually) on gameday. You might get lucky and find some spots on top. It has a great view of the campus. I heard you can find gameday parking on Calhoun for $10. Might be worth investigating.

DISABLED PARKING
Close by parking for disabled patrons is available in CCM Garage on Corry Ave. near Nippert Stadium. You’ll need a state issued handicap tag or placard. Patrons with disabilities should contact the UC Athletic Ticket Office so that their needs may be attended to effectively.

Tailgating

Map of Cincinnati Campus Click to enlarge

NOTE: UC Campus is not RV friendly. Cincy is a cramped campus so you don’t have a classic tailgate environment. I would strongly recommend to leave the RV behind and tailgate out of a Van, Pickup truck, SUV, etc… unless you have inside connections and do some extensive pre-trip planning if you are going to park on campus. If you are bringing a RV I recommend the Short Vine District below as a great alternative. The two on-campus tailgating lots are sold as a season package for $120. They are the Corry Lot (next to the new UC Baseball Stadium) and the Sandler Lot (just below the Corry Lot on W. Charlton Street). They open the lots three hours before kickoff.

One more option for RV'ers is to arrive early and park on the street along Jefferson Ave. There are meters but Cincy fans said they don't ticket on Saturdays for not paying the meters. Apparently the meter maids do not work on Saturday. You need to arrive early (4+ hours before takeoff) and park any where on Jefferson between Martin Luther King and Calhoun (roughly the eastern campus border).

Tailgating-Alternative Short Vine District

The Short Vine District is located two blocks east of the campus and is probably the best area for visiting fans to congregate. As always the sooner you arrive the better chance you can get your party close together. I recommend arriving four hours before kickoff. These three additional off campus lots only total several hundred tailgating spaces. They do allow normal tailgating activities to include grills and best of all they allow RV's.

From the Short Vine website:

There's a new place to tailgate before and after UC home football games in 2008...on Short Vine! The Short Vine business district, just a 'football field' east of UC's Nippert Stadium, will be transformed into one giant tailgating party during the football season!

Short Vine (check out their website HERE) has everything you'll need to supply, or re-stock, your tailgating needs. Enjoy carryout, or dine in, at Martino's On Vine, The Holy Grail, Good Fellows, Daniels, Papa John's Pizza, Gold Star Chili, LaRosa's, as well as a number of other restaurants. If you need ice, pretzels, chips, dips, hot dogs and more, Kroger's is right here as well. If you're looking for catering try Martino's Catering. They can accomodate your needs, whether large or small.
The streets open for tailgaters four hours prior to kickoff. For more information, please call Martino's at 513-221-8487.

Most Important: The Three Lots

Schiel School Lot: located on the corner of Vine and Daniels streets, across from the Sigma Sigma House.
Bogart’s Lot: located behind Bogart’s on the corner of Glendora Street and Corry Boulevard.
Martino’s Lot: located directly behind Martino’s Restaurant on Short Vine. Martino's Restaurant was originally located in Pittsburgh. They are a Steelers Bar on Sundays.
For information call: Martino's, 513-221-8487.

Some basic tailgating rules to follow on UC Campus or Short Vine District:

1. Tailgating lots open four hours prior to kickoff and will close one hour after the conclusion of the game.
2. There are no designated parking spaces; cars will be parked on a first-come first-serve basis.
3. Tailgating passes are required for the two on-campus lots while the four off-campus lots will park cars on a first-come first serve basis.
4. All alcoholic beverages must be kept in a cup at all times.
5. Grills are allowed in tailgating lots but a fire extinguisher must be present with your grills at all times. Please note that alcohol and charcoal grills are prohibited for fans parking in an on-campus garage.

If you (the reader) know of any good tailgate spots in private lots pass them on. I’ll need an address, cost, charity if any they support, and how many cars it can park and when does it fill up. Email me or drop a comment in the blog.

Tailgate Alternative On Campus From the official UC Website

For the Kids:

Starts Two and a Half Hours before Kickoff
The BEARCATS FAMILY ZONE is always the place to start your family fun before every UC
football home game. Located on Sheakley Lawn adjacent to the Richard E. Lindne Center
and Nippert Stadium (GATE 2 Entrance), this area features inflatable games, a face painting station, and other entertaining acts. Bring your next generation Bearcats to "FUTURE BEARCATS FIELD", a mini football field where your little Cat's can try on uniforms and play on the field just as the big Bearcats do. The UC Cheer and Dance teams accompany the UC Marching Band for the official Pre-game Pep Rally one hour before kickoff.

For the Adults:

You don't want to miss out on CATTITUDE, the official pre-game party for all Bearcat home football games. Located in the heart of Varsity Village, CATTITUDE transforms Marge Schott Stadium into the largest sports bar in the Queen City, featuring live college football action on the CATSvision Video Board, the live BEARCAT GAMEDAY SHOW featuring former UC student-athletes, local and national media and other guests, plus much, much more! This starts three hours prior to kickoff.

An Easy Tailgate Alternative:

CATTITUDE Hospitality tents are the perfect place to entertain your clients, employees, family and friends before the Bearcats take the field against a great lineup of Nippert Stadium opponents. Prices for tents, tables, chairs and set up/breakdown are very affordable, so pick a game and sign up now! To place your order or for more information call 1-877-CATS-TIX. Spaces are limited to twenty (20) tents per game so call now and make your pregame party plans today.

BEARCAT BLITZ
The UC Alumni Association hosts pre-game activities just north of Nippert stadium at the Myers Alumni Center and Sigma Sigma Commons. The Bearcats Blitz starts three hours before game time and runs until 30 minutes prior to kickoff so fans can be in their seats for the start of the game. On the Commons, the Bearcats Blitz features music, a cookout with food and beverage vendors, Cornhole, and plenty of
open space (bring your football). Also, corporate and group tents can be rented prior to each game. To inquire about reservations, call 513-556-4344 or email.

Inside the Myers Alumni Center, the Bearcats Blitz offers food and drinks, big-screen TV, and plenty of fun with UC alums. Out back, the Myers Alumni Center parking lot offers tailgating for Bearcats alumni and fans.

Lazy Man's Tailgating Option 150 Feet From Nippert!

Okay so you don't want to tailgate...well if you want some beer and food before or after the game try the Tangeman University Center...it is literally just steps west of of the 50 yard line. The Catskeller located on the bottom floor fancies itself as a sports bar...I can't vouch if they get ESPN Gameplan but it might be a good spot to hangout if the weather is crummy. The other floors have restaurants and even a bookstore (to buy some Bearcat Gear).

SPORTS BAR ALERT! Buffalo Wild Wings, 200 Calhoun Street
#513-281-9464 recently opened on the ground level of the University Park Apartments on Calhoun. The national restaurant chain, Buffalo Wild Wings (aka BW3 or B-DUB) offers all the sports packages like ESPN Gameplan and NFL Ticket. So if you want to catch that hard to find game, BW3 is your best bet. Local Cinci fans swear by the Holy Grail on W. Charleston in the Short Vine Area. Not sure if they have ESPN Gameplan but they are set up for watching sports. As mentioned above you can also view games at the Catskeller in Tangeman University Center.

Last Minute Tailgating Supplies

If you are in the shortvine area you have a Kroger's right there. Also in the Short Vine area is Staggerlee's Carry Out--they sell alot of beer. United Dairy Farmers is a large chain of gas station convenience stores. They sell beer and also have excellent ice cream and frosty malts. If you are coming from the north side of campus there is Keller's IGA at the corner of Clifton and Ludlow. Beer rating on variety of beers offered.

United Dairy Farmers Store--ahhh the good ole days gas under $1.50

TAILGATE HAVEN--Total Tailgating Resource

Tailgate Haven is your total resource for setting up and managing your football tailgate online. Do you think the tailgate is sometimes just as important as the game? The goal of Tailgate Haven is to make your life easier by organizing your tailgate group; thus eliminating countless emails, text messages and phone calls about the current weeks tailgate information. The concept is simple but pure genius. You easily register by choosing your favorite team and picking a creative name for your tailgate group. Now log in and instantly each of your teams games becomes its own webpage with your team colors. Next, invite your friends to join your tailgate group and the site comes to life. In addition to this tailgate manager, every team has its own tailgate profile. Do you travel to away games? This is where you can find the best information on where to park, find extra tickets, where to stay, eat, party and golf. Navigate the city easily as you travel to a stadium for the first time.

CASINOS

If you like to gamble the area southwest of Cincinnati along the Ohio River offers three casinos. Belterra, Argosy and Grand Victoria.

LODGING:
A real nice website to get you aquainted with Cinci, it should help you with your search where to stay. There isn't a whole bunch of lodging near the UC campus but I think I have found most of it. Kingsgate Marriott Hotel on UC's campus is a nice, brand new facility. The Vernon Manor unfortunately closed in March 2009. There are other hotels near UC. A Holiday Inn Express is about two miles north of campus. If you are interested in a "B+B" the Parker House and the Gaslight Bed and Breakfast are nearby. If you want to save some money you have several budget motels available bunch nearby about a 3/4 mile west of campus. I can't vouch for their cleanliness but offer them as an option. The Rest Inn, 3244 Central Pkwy, #513-559-1800 cheap under $60, no website. Nearby is also a Budget Host Motel and an Interstate Motel, 3035 W McMicken Ave, #513-559-0600 (no website). Finally, this guide is good for giving you phone numbers for various "Mom and Pop" Motels.

Downtown Lodging

There are other hotels downtown which are about two miles south of UC. Several of these are business hotels and if you catch the right weekend you might find a great weekend rate. I have attached Hyperlinks to many of the downtown hotels:
Cincinnatian Hotel, Symphony Hotel, Millennium Hotel (click on Cincy in location box), Quality Inn at Union Terminal, Garfield Suites Hotel, Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza, Hyatt Regency, and the Westin. If you are coming from the south you might also consider Covington, KY across the Ohio River. The Radisson comes highly recommended.

Shopping:

The big shopping areas are the Tri-County Mall, but it's quite a drive from UC. Rookwood Commons is a new outdoor mall that is very popular right now. Newport on the Levee is just over the river in Northern Kentucky and is very popular on the weekends. Downtown Cincy does have some limited shopping.

Newport on the Levee

DINING:
Christy's and Lenhardt's is a close bar/restaurant just south of UC's campus. Grab a beer or some good German Cuisine here. The saurkraut balls are a specialty. The Clifton area is just north of campus, it is famous for its' gaslights. Today you can grab an ice cream and some famous Skyline Chili on Ludlow Avenue along with several other good restaurants. Skyline Chili is a must for those from out of town and have locations throughout Cinci. The closest is on Ludlow in Clifton, which is about 1/2 a mile north of UC. The Ludlow area also supports a variety of locally owned restaurants. This area is about 1/2 mile north of UC. Typical with other cities in the Big East is the Main Street area. It has several bars and restaurants in a restored urban warehouse environment.

If you want to hang with the younger crowd there are several places around campus. Christy's Rathskeller, Uncle Woodie's and others come recommended. Mecklenberg Gardens offers a more diverse crowd but it is a great place for beer and German food. Cincy fan Sluggur1 says, "Just south of campus, there's Cilantro Vietnamese Bistro, a couple Chinese places, and Indian place, a sushi place, Floyd's (awesome middle eastern dive), Myra's (they do a lot of vegetarian stuff), Papa Dino's (pizza dive), Baba Budans (coffee, mostly), along with the usual assortment of chains: Penn Station East Coast Subs, Arby's, Starbucks, Jimmy John's Sandwiches, Potbelly Sandwich Works, Panera, Chipotle, Spicy Pickle..." Another restaurant with some good reviews is Tex-Mex Cactus Pear.

Calhoun Street Marketplace

The 200 block of Calhoun has been revitalized. A huge student housing complex and parking garage was built. New restaurants have been added. Five Guys Burgers is a new chain offering huge fresh burgers and tons of fries (very good food if not on a diet), Buffalo Wild Wings as mentioned above, Potbelly Sandwich Works are awesome, Panera Bread, etc...Just walk down Calhoun and see what you like. Other great nonchain burger joints in Cincy are: Quatman, Zips, Terry's Turf Club, and Gordo's. Over in Short Vine you must check out, Cincy Steak and Lemonade. They have great burgers and Greek food.

Another area to check out is the Mount Adams area, about 3 miles from the UC campus, the area features a number of fun bars, as well as some restaurants and nightclubs. Note: Adams Street I was informed is not as good as it used to be...just FYI. The more popular bar area is along 7th street and on Walnut downtown. You have Sully's, Blackfinn, The Lodge Bar, Cadillac Lodge, Bootsies, Rock Bottom Brewery and others I'm forgetting. You can park in the Fountain Square garage (5th & Vine) and walk to all of them. This downtown area around Fountain Square is a must see of Cincinnati; one of the city's icons. Another nice variety of dining options is available at Newport on the Levee.

Finally, If you love ribs try the Montgomery Inn Boathouse on the Ohio River. The Boathouse is the place to be for ribs in Cincy. The restaurant has a sports bar upstairs.

Main Street Click to enlarge

Golf

Cincinnati is far enough south to enjoy consistently good golf weather in October and sometimes even to Thanksgiving.
If you have some free time, the area boasts many excellent golf courses.

Belterra Golf Course at the Belterra Casino about 30 mins southwest of Cincinnati has developed a nice reputation. This Tom Fazio beauty will challenge you after an evening of pulling the slots.

Shaker Run Golf Club, Ohio's Premier 27 Hole golf facility has been providing Tri State golfers with a Championship Golf Course to call home since opening the original 18 holes in 1979. Conveniently located between Cincinnati and Dayton, public golfers are continually delighted at the beauty and challenge provided by each of the three nines - Lakeside, Woodlands, and Meadows. Beginning golfers, as well as those who have been playing for years delight at the easy playability and scenic holes which were designed to impress.

Shaker Run

The Vineyard
This is one of the better municipal courses in the country. The web site states, "Located at Woodland Mound, The Vineyard is sculpted from soft, rolling meadows and lined by dense woods. The Vineyard's challenging layout, three ponds and meticulously groomed tees and greens compare favorably with the finest country clubs."

Kings Island Theme Park is open weekends throughout October. A stay in the northern suburbs might be the ticket for families wanting roller coasters, golf and football. The golf center at Kings Island is a Jack Nicklaus designed beauty. Play this course if you want to stay out at Kings Island. Otherwise, there are some better values to consider.

Blue Ash Municipal Golf Course (located NE of downtown), like The Vineyard, is one the great municipal courses; high on playability and high on value. The web site states, "Golf Digest magazine has rated the Blue Ash Golf Course one of the top 75 municipal golf courses in the United States (out of approximately 10,000 such courses). The 18-hole, 6,800 yard, par 72 championship layout will challenge even the most discriminating golfer. The golf course is open year-round, weather permitting."

Blue Ash Municipal Golf Course

Short on Time?For those only with a few hours to spare or if you're a hacker, try one of the many other city courses.
Hope this helps. I'd like to thank Cinci fan Bourgeois Rage, who helped with this guide.

The opinions expressed in this guide are those of TexanMark. While every effort has been made to ensure all the information presented is accurate and current, it would be wise to verify things when possible. Please note that this guide is not endorsed by Scout.com, Rivals.com or its site publishers, administrators and/or moderators.

Return to TexanMark's Tailgate Guides Main Page

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Penn State Tailgate and Visitors Guide '08

2008-07-16T18:13:00.053-05:00

Penn State is the "Big Daddy" of tailgating in the northeast. It is the "Flagship" of the football rich state of Pennsylvania and has a large student body (about 45,000) that really gets into football weekends. Being a rural campus it has plenty of parking and you definitely know that the college and the game is the biggest event around central Pennsylvania.

GETTING THERE

Penn State, a land grant school, is the most eastern school of the Big 10 and can be hard to get to by car depending on which direction you're coming from due to the Appalachian Mountains (more precise the Alleghenies). The closest Big 10 school (Ohio State) is 5.5 hours away. The good news is Penn State is RV friendly and allows parking starting on Thursday evening for RVs. The school is located in the small city of State College in Centre County (Pop. 150,000). State College however lately has become a popular destination for retirees that enjoy the four seasons and outdoor activities.

Pattee Mall on the campus

Flying and Riding
State College is served by the small regional University Park Airport (SCE). USAir and United offer the most flights. Delta and Northwest offers very limited service. The airport is conveniently located just a couple miles from the campus. Train service is not available into State College. However, it is a short trip away (about an hour) from several Amtrak train stations, located in Altoona, Lewistown, and Huntingdon. Greyhound Bus Service is another option for those living close by as it offers service to the University. An easy to read map showing Penn State and State College is here.

Hotel State College on Allen Street in State College, PA a nice place to spend a weekend
Picture from Nittany Memories check it out

The stadium is situated on the expansive Penn State Campus. Click to enlarge

Directions to the Stadium

All info taken from the 2008 Penn State Parking and Stadium Information Guide except where noted. This is a good read from 2007. The newest 2008 stadium brochure is smaller and suitable for printing. Additionally Penn State offers up a great game day web site for the visiting fan.

A nice overview map to use--centered on Beaver Stadium.

Fans arriving from the West via U.S. 322 SHOULD USE THE MOUNT NITTANY EXPRESSWAY (East/West Expressway just north of the stadium US 220/322).

U.S. Interstate 80 Traffic: Fans arriving from the West should take Exit 158 and follow Route 150 South to Route 26 South. Fans arriving from the East should take Exit 161 to Route 26 South or U.S. 220 South.

Persons without parking passes should follow the football directional signs from their route of arrival. Parking fee payment will be made at the lot entrance. Day of the game cost is $20 for parking instead of $10 if you prepay. You will be directed to lots# 11 and 26.

TRAFFIC ON UNIVERSITY DRIVE SOUTH OF CURTIN ROAD IS RESTRICTED TO BUSES AND
BLACK PASSES ONLY. PORTER ROAD IS RESTRICTED TO PRE-PAID PERMITS ONLY.

If you have a prepaid (highly recommended) parking pass click here for directions. If you want to avoid gameday hassles--here is the prepaid parking website--operated by Ticketmaster. If you are a visiting fan without a prepaid pass you will be directed to lot 11 or 23 depending on where you arrive from. Non prepaid RV's will be directed to lot 9. Non prepaid RVs will cost $40 instead of $20 if bought in advance.

Arriving via the Mount Nittany Expressway, YELLOW pass holders will be directed to: Lots# 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 26 northeast or east of the stadium.

Arriving via Porter Road, YELLOW pass holders will be directed to Lot# 25.

Arriving via Park Avenue (Atherton Street, Business Route 322), YELLOW pass holders
will be directed to: Lots# 11, 12, and 13.

Arriving via (Airport) Fox Hollow Road, Yellow pass holders will be directed to Lots# 16, 17, 18 and 19 northwest of the stadium.

Driving to Beaver Stadium--Can be a slow process

RV's are a Common Site at Penn State--photo from Tailgater's Handbook

Overnight and Gameday RV Parking

Limited overnight parking for recreational vehicles ONLY is permitted Thursdays after 6 p.m. in the designated area (see Parking Map--Lots# 19 + 20 NE of the stadium). A $60 per-night fee (for Thursday and Friday) is charged for this service. There will be separate charges for towing and towed vehicles. Gameday RV parking is $40 or $20 prepaid. Lots# 13 and 25 are set aside for Gameday RV parking.

Disabled Parking

From the PSU Parking and Stadium Information Guide

(Automobiles) Patrons using a Disabled License Plate or Placard in accordance with Pennsylvania law must arrive via Park Avenue traveling East(from Atherton Street) to access Lot #9. For those with pre-paid parking, a limited number of spaces are available behind Wagner Building. If you have pre-paid parking and wish to park behind Wagner Building, indicate that to the parking attendant as you enter Lot #9. An accessible parking lot for wheelchair spectators only is located adjacent to the Bryce Jordan Center on Curtin Road. Arrangements for wheelchair parking must be made in advance by calling the Penn State Ticket Office. Directions to the lot will be
provided at that time.

Parking lots generally open at 8:00 a.m. For Noon games lots open at 7:00 a.m. For late afternoon or night games lot openings will be posted on the Web site: Plan to arrive at Beaver Stadium after the lots open in order to avoid standing traffic prior to opening.

Fans have told me it is best to arrive early before the lots open. Park your car in queue and wait.

Most of the tailgating is done in fields. As long as it isn't pouring rain this creates a much nicer environment than compared to most other northeastern schools who heavily rely on paved parking lots.

Photos from: Straight outta Johnstown

Tailgating Alternative

If you are downtown or along South Atherton (Business US 322) in one of the hotels...try setting up in your hotel parking lot and take the shuttle to the stadium. From the Penn State Parking and Stadium Information Guide:

Shuttle Bus (CATA) For the convenience of fans, shuttle buses provide continuous service between the many area hotels along South Atherton Street, Downtown State College, and Beaver Stadium(the corner of Curtin Road and University
Drive). They begin three hours before kickoff and run continuously until one hour after the game is over. They operate in both directions approximately every ten minutes before the game and every twenty minutes during the game. Following the game, they run continuously one-way from the stadium. All shuttle buses are fully accessible and the fare is $2.00 (exact fare only) each way. Individuals presenting a valid U.S. Medicare Card, Senior Transit Identification Card, or a CATA Reduced Fare Identification Card may ride for half the fare ($1.00). Call CATA at 814-238-2282 or visit the Special Services section of CATA’s website.

The shuttle run is quite extensive and ends at Hills Shopping Plaza. Parking spots are offered but be sure to read the website as to where to park. Scroll near the bottom. This might be a nice option for visiting fans.

Last Minute Tailgate Supplies

A couple things make this more of an ordeal than many other schools. Pennsylvania has archaic alcohol laws and doesn't do the consumer any favor. Beer can not be bought in grocery stores or convenient markets. Hard Liquor and Wine is only available the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board Stores. Centre County has several shops listed. Beer is not available at PLCB stores. For beer in State College you'll need to go to one of the larger distributors (Pletchers is one and is located near the largest PLCB store) or to a smaller 6-pack bottle or take away shops. The 6-pack shops are always attached to a restaurant - for example Hooter's has one and there is another attached to Sharkies. At the larger distributors you can get only get full cases and kegs (kegs are illegal in the tailgating lots). The smaller shops sell smaller packs but have a limit on the volume of beer purchased and are much more expensive. Wine and liquor are only available at the PLCB stores. So either bring it from home or get severely inconvenienced by finding one of these stores on gameday.

The closest store for all the other tailgating and food supplies is Mc Lanahans Penn State Room. The sell PSU merchandise and all sorts of tailgating supplies. Note: They don't sell beer, wine or liquor.

McLanahan's--a must for any one looking for PSU Merchandise and Tailgate Supplies.
If you are looking for a regular grocery store State College has several options. State College has a Wegman's Market on the west side. Wegman's is huge and competes with the best grocery chains in the US. Giant has two locations in State College. One on the east side and one on the west side. Weis Super Markets have four stores in the State College Area. Finally, Walmart has two Supercenters. One on the west side and one on the east side. Wegmans, Giant, and Walmart are all open 24 hours. Finally, if you are buying food for your tailgate be sure to pick up some Seltzer's Lebanon Bologna...it is one of those must try local foods.

Money Saving Tip: Both Wegmans and Giant use loyalty cards. Either apply for one online or at customer service and maybe ask someone to scan their card for you to get the discounts.

TAILGATE HAVEN--Total Tailgating Resource

Tailgate Haven is your total resource for setting up and managing your football tailgate online. Do you think the tailgate is sometimes just as important as the game? The goal of Tailgate Haven is to make your life easier by organizing your tailgate group; thus eliminating countless emails, text messages and phone calls about the current weeks tailgate information. The concept is simple but pure genius. You easily register by choosing your favorite team and picking a creative name for your tailgate group. Now log in and instantly each of your teams games becomes its own webpage with your team colors. Next, invite your friends to join your tailgate group and the site comes to life. In addition to this tailgate manager, every team has its own tailgate profile. Do you travel to away games? This is where you can find the best information on where to park, find extra tickets, where to stay, eat, party and golf. Navigate the city easily as you travel to a stadium for the first time.

LODGING

State College boasts over 3000 hotel rooms and they need all of them for football weekends. The key thing is to book early if you want to be close. Here are some of the more popular motels in State College. Of course if you do some detective work you can find some hidden gems like the Nittany Budget Motel on the budget end or the Carnegie House on the higher end. The Hotel State College only offers 11 rooms but can't be beat for location. If you are a Bed and Breakfast fan this link will sure to please. This is the most comprehensive list I found for the listing of all lodging in the State College area.

Some out of town options: Clearfield, PA is about 45 miles NW located next to I-80. It has a nice assortment of motels. Altoona, PA is about 45 miles SW and also has quite a few motels. Another resource for Altoona showing all types of lodging options. About 70 miles east is Milton/Lewisburg and they offer options for those coming from the east coast. Finally, this guide is good for giving you phone numbers for various "Mom and Pop" Motels.

DINING
Famous Berkey Creamery
Okay let me get this out of the way first before talking about food: you need to go get ice cream at the University's Berkey Creamery (the largest college creamery in the US). They open early and close late on the weekends. Parking is available in the East Deck Parking Garage on Bigler Road located directly behind the Creamery Store and the Food Science building. The first 30 minutes is FREE. Just go you won't be disappointed.

FINE DINING: The Carnegie House, a few miles west, is a lodge but offers meals in a nice setting. The Atherton Hotel boasts the Tarragon Restaurant and a varied menu. The Tavern Restaurant is a long standing tradition and is very popular. Mario and Luigi's offers up the finest in Italian...they have an extensive menu. Spat's Cafe and Speakeasy offers Cajun Food on their varied menu. Zola's Bistro has a varied menu and popular.

CASUAL DINING: The Diner is just that but they offer the Grilled Sticky. Sounds interesting. The Diner is also a popular breakfast place. If you want something different try Korean at the Korean Kimchi Restaurant. Herwig's Austrian Bistro has fine food in a casual,cozy setting. Try Penn State Sub Shop#1 for great subs, cheese steaks and wraps. If you want steak, seafood and don't want to spend a fortune then Hoss's Steak and Sea House is for you. It offers alot of food for the money. Try Kelly's Steak and Seafood...it offers a nice menu at reasonable prices but is more upscale than Hoss's. Barbecue is hard to find in State College but west of town (about 10 miles) is Clem's Wood Fired BBQ. Clems also sell BBQ on the weekend in State College. Fat Jack's also come recommended for BBQ. See Buelah's below for another BBQ option. If you are looking for Mexican Food--State College offers the fast food chain Qdoba Mexican Grill. Burritos are their specialty. Quaker Steak and Lube is noted for its NASCAR Motif and great Wings and man food. The Rathskeller offers lunches by day and lots of beer and coeds by night. The Saloon is another college bar. Okay where do I go on Sunday morning after a hard night of partying? The Original Waffle Shop is outstanding. Expect a wait on Sunday mornings.

Quaker Steak and Lube--a great choice for your tailgate group before or after the game.

Sports Bar Alert Beulahs BBQ serves Kansas City Style BBQ and offers HDTV to watch your sporting events. The Arena offers lots of TVs and is a full fledged sports bar--they should be able to find your game. Bill Pickle's Tap Room is Bar/Restaurant that also has TV's

SHOPPING

If you have a spouse that doesn't want to go to the game the Nittany Mall should keep them busy. The Woolrich Clothing Store is a must see if you love their outdoor wear. It is located about 45 minutes NE off US 220. Other shopping possibilities are here.

GOLF

Penn State Golf Coures--Blue and White Courses

Blue Course--from the official website:

The Blue Course finished renovations in 2006. We added three ponds and lengthened the course over 640 yards. The front nine, par 36, measures 3691 yards off the New Nittany tees. Its layout is quite different than you will find on the back nine. Tee shots require close attention to placement. A rewarding tee shot puts you in position to try your luck at carefully guarded greens. Twenty seven strategically placed green side bunkers on the front nine will challenge your course management skills, and patience. The front nine provides a challenge to the most experienced player by demanding not only length but accuracy.

The Blue Course back nine awaits your arrival. The back nine, par 36, is a newly constructed nine holes completed in 1994 and new additions in 2006. It measures 3481 yards off the New Nittany tees and provides a quite different experience than the front nine. The back nine not only includes 16 green side bunkers, but adds to the challenge by including 11 strategically placed fairway bunkers. Water hazards on the 14th and the 18th can add pressure to a seemingly easy tee shot. The back nine will provide you with large undulating greens and a links style atmosphere. Bring your "A" game. The Blue Course is the more expensive of the two courses.

White Course--from the official website:

The White Course, renovated in 2005, provides a challenging alternative to the Blue Course. With holes dating back to 1922, the White Course will test even the most skilled player. The front nine, par 36, measuring 3245 yards from the blue tees. The older course provides smaller crowned greens adding to the character and demanding a creative short game. Nearly 40 bunkers on the front side alone force you to manage your game, in your efforts to shoot a low score.

The back nine, par 36, measures 3099 yards and starts your journey with a straight forward par 5. Take advantage of these first few holes and you will be in good shape as you approach the home stretch. Elevation changes and deceptively placed fairway and green side bunkers will challenge your distance control and depth perception. Your finishing hole is a 492 yard, uphill slight dog leg right, that can make a strong case of being one of the toughest finishing holes in the area. The White Course par 3's will prove to be some of the most challenging you have played. This course will test your creativity. When in doubt, bump and run. Greens Fees here.

Toftrees Golf Resort and Conference Center

This might be the best choice for the Football Fan who also wants to play alot of golf. They offer stay and play packages. Five different tee settings allow you to play easy or play hard. Toftrees - meaning "Home among the trees" - is nestled amid 1500 scenic wooded acres in beautiful Centre County, Pennsylvania.

Toftrees Golf Resort has recently been rated 4 1/2 stars by Golf Digest magazine's "Places to Play" and one of Pennsylvania’s Best Resort/ Public Golf Courses. Toftrees was selected by Meetings and Conventions magazine as one of the Top 75 Golf Conference Center Resorts in the U.S.A.

Navy Tailgate and Visitors Guide '08

2008-07-06T12:05:00.036-05:00

The United States Naval Academy (USNA) is located in Annapolis, MD, 30 miles east of Washington, DC and 30 miles south of Baltimore, MD. Annapolis, the capital of Maryland, is situated at the mouth of the Severn River on the Chesapeake Bay and is known for its sailing (the city is known as “The Sailing Capital of the World”) and historic downtown district. Perhaps the most important piece of information to have up front is that the Navy Marine Corps Stadium where the game will be played is not on the Naval Academy campus. It is actually located about a mile and a half northwest from downtown on Rowe Blvd. Visit the Annapolis Visitor Center website for a slew of information. If you are visiting Annapolis for the first time I highly recommend getting in a day early. A visit to the the Naval Academy is a must. Parking and Visitor info is available in a nice printable map. There is so much to do in the area. I suggest using the Official Maryland or the Washington D.C. Guides.

Midshipmen March On About 30 Minutes Before Kickoff Thanks to DC Pages.

Naval Academy Things to Do List
(Thanks to Scout poster Unrep)

1) Go to "Noon Meal formation in front of Bancroft Hall in Tecumseh Court.
2) Turn around and see Tecumseh painted up for spirit before the game.
3) Once noon meal formation is over go inside Bancroft and see Memorial Hall. The Annapolis Peace Conference was just held there. Dedicated to fallen Navy and Marine Corp heroes and Academy Alumni. Some neat Naval Artifacts. Sample Mid''s room as you enter Bancroft on the right.
4) Tour the Chapel and John Paul Jones Crypt.
5) Naval Academy Museum in Preble Hall has historic artifacts and priceless sailing ship models. (was closed for renovation last fall)?
6) Drydock in Dahlgren Hall a good place for a bite to eat and a soda on campus.
7) Armel-Leftwich Visitor Center has a 12 minute movie about "The Academy", exhibits, and gift shop. The visitor center is where you go to start your USNA tour.

Noon Formation--hated by the Mids, loved by all others

FLYING

There are three major airports in the area. The closest to Annapolis is the Baltimore-Washington International Airport (aka BWI or Thurgood Marshall Airport). BWI has Southwest Airlines, AirTran and USA3000 and because of that the airfares are usually very competitive. The other Airports are Reagan National (DCA) in Washington DC and Dulles International (IAD) on the west side of DC. Both DC airports will require considerable more travel time, although cheaper airfare can be found at times. Reagan is literally within about a mile or two from the US Capital. It should be a serious option if you plan on visiting DC. It has several discount air carriers. Washington Dulles (IAD) is the international gateway but is the furthest away. NOTE: DC and Baltimore traffic is atrocious. I would try to avoid traveling by car anytime from 6-9am and 3-7pm during the work week.

GETTING FROM BWI TO ANNAPOLIS

All major car rental companies are represented at BWI. Driving from BWI to Annapolis is very easy. Airport traffic is relatively light for a major airport and the drive to Annapolis is quick and easy. About 30 minutes total travel time, most of which is on limited access highways.

Airport Shuttle
Van transportation from BWI to many destinations in the Annapolis Area. Reservations are recommended (you can reserve a private van or share one with other travelers). Prices generally run about $40 one way for a single person on a shared ride (prices go down with more passengers on a reservation). A reserved van runs about $111 each way

TAXI AND BUS

Taxi service to Annapolis is relatively easy. Make sure you make return reservations as there are not a large number of taxis in the Annapolis area. RMA sedans and Limos also serve BWI. Trip cost is approximately $69 to Annapolis.

Annapolis Transit Buses
Only operates Monday through Friday
Departs BWI at :45 after odd hours
Last bus departs BWI at 5:45pm

TRAIN

Amtrak service is available. You should arrive at Baltimore-Washington Airport (BWI) train station. The station is actually a couple miles from the Airport Terminal but is connected via free shuttles. The airport shuttle offers convenient service for Amtrak patrons to Annapolis. Another option is to rent a car at the train station station.

GETTING TO USNA

Directions to the campus can be found on the Academy’s website:
It’s important to note that there are restrictions on the campus as it is a military base. Unless you have DOD stickers and military ID, you can not drive on the installation and there is no public parking on site (vehicles with handicap placards can park on campus after a vehicle inspection). There are parking decks in downtown Annapolis within short walking distance to the main gate. You must have photo ID if you’re over age 16. Visiting hours are 9am – 5pm. During these hours, there are guided walking tours of the campus which depart from the Armel-Leftwich Visitor Center (home to a gift store and Naval Academy museum).

For those driving down from points north of Wilmington, Delaware – if you’re driving down on Friday before the game and want to avoid rush hour traffic around Baltimore, you might consider alternate routes, such as the one found here.

Annapolis has a Great Downtown to Browse

DIRECTIONS TO STADIUM

DIRECTIONS TO THE STADIUM (Courtesy of the Navy Sports Dept)

FROM THE NORTH
• Take I 97 South to US 50 East
• Exit US 50 at Rowe Blvd. (exit #24)
and bear to the right
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial
Stadium is on your right
• Right on Farragut Road gives
access to gates 1&2
• Right on Taylor (second right) gives
access to gates 5&6

FROM WASHINGTON
(WEST)
• Take US 50 East
• Exit US 50 at Rowe Blvd. (exit #24)
and bear to the right
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial
Stadium is on your right
• Right on Farragut Road gives
access to gates 1&2
• Right on Taylor (second right) gives
access to gates 5&6

FROM THE SOUTH
• Take I 95 North to 495 East
• Take I 495 East to 50 East
• Exit US 50 at Rowe Blvd. (exit #24)
and bear to the right
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial
Stadium is on your right
• Right on Farragut Road gives
access to gates 1&2
• Right on Taylor (second right) gives
access to gates 5&6

FROM THE EAST
• Take US 50 West across the Bay
Bridge
•Exit US 50 at Rowe Blvd. (South)
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial
Stadium is on your right
• Right on Farragut Road gives
access to gates 1&2
• Right on Taylor (second right) gives
access to gates 5&6

The stadium is named Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. It was built in 1959 and renovated in 2004. It seats about 35,000.

Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium

PARKING

The Blue and Gold parking lots at the stadium are all reserved parking spaces. There are single game parking passes, but these go fast and are determined after season parking passes are sold. Check early with the Navy ticket office for availability (1-800-US4-NAVY). There is a parking lot at Germantown Elementary school for $15 a car…but get there early! You can find parking info on the Navy Athletic website. RV'ers: Bad news, looks like no overnight parking. In fact I'm not sure if visiting RV's are allowed to park next to the stadium where the Navy RV's park. I suggest you call the Naval Academy to find out where you can park. The closest Campground for your RV is the KOA. For Military RV'ers there is a fam camp you can try. Important: Arrive to the stadium early. The entire brigade marches from the campus to the stadium, culminating in the march on that takes place about 30 minutes before kickoff. If you’ve never seen it, it is a must-attend event.

Stadium Map

There are also shuttle buses from downtown to the stadium for those who park in the decks. There is also a park-and-ride off of Riva Road that has shuttles to the stadium on game day. All the info you need is with Pinnacle Parking.

Downtown Parking Available on Gameday

Tailgating

Tailgating is awesome here. The lots open at 7am. Expect more civilized tailgating with expansive spreads. If you are a burger and beer guy you shouldn't feel out of place though. One thing different is you won't see a bunch of drunk coeds or local knuckleheads spoiling the day.

Last Minute Tailgate Supplies

Not a lot of places real close by. The closest is Grauls Market. Wine, Hard and Beer Liquor can be found through a google search. All alcohol can only be bought at liquor stores in Maryland. The closest liquor store is located in a drugstore next to Grauls Market. Mills Fine Wine and Spirits is located between the stadium and the Naval Academy. It offers a great selection of wine and spirits.

Scalping

From what I could tell Maryland allows you to resell tickets to football games but limits the amount to basically face value. The best spot to find extra tickets is at the tailgates. I have always found Service Academy Fans very gracious and will sell extra tickets to opponents. I would troll the tailgate lots before game time. As game time approaches you can find tickets leading to the stadium.

If you run into a professional scalper as opposed to a fan. A few tried and true techniques to get the best price buying I have used: 1. Know what a legit ticket looks like 2. Buy from your own fan base first 3. The smaller the group the smaller the price--single tickets are cheapest 4. Prices usually peak 1-2 hours before kickoff--inside an hour the closer to game time the cheaper the ticket, right after kickoff they plumment to near nothing 5. A fan walking to the stadium in with a group of friends and still holding extra tickets to sell will usually dump them for a cheap price (they do not want to miss the game and often they are doing a favor for a buddy to sell them) usually you'll spot them holding a finger or two out to their side or over their head or saying selling one, etc... 6. If you have to deal with a professional scalper--NEVER give him what he asks, have a seating chart with you, check to make sure all tickets are really together and for that game, offer him lower and be prepared to walk away, after you turn and walk away more than half the time in my experience they'll give in and take your offer, if you can afford to wait...wait inside 20 minutes to kickoff as see the prices drop (assess the situation for the number of tickets available, how many you need before employing that strategy) 7. Don't be embarrassed to go back to a scalper to buy ticket(s) 10 minutes after you said no to his previous offer 8. Don't fall for their tactics to make you feel like you're ripping them off by only offering $20 a ticket, etc...they love to play games with your self-image and ego.

Seating Chart--click to enlarge

TAILGATE HAVEN--Total Tailgating Resource

Tailgate Haven is your total resource for setting up and managing your football tailgate online. Do you think the tailgate is sometimes just as important as the game? The goal of Tailgate Haven is to make your life easier by organizing your tailgate group; thus eliminating countless emails, text messages and phone calls about the current weeks tailgate information. The concept is simple but pure genius. You easily register by choosing your favorite team and picking a creative name for your tailgate group. Now log in and instantly each of your teams games becomes its own webpage with your team colors. Next, invite your friends to join your tailgate group and the site comes to life. In addition to this tailgate manager, every team has its own tailgate profile. Do you travel to away games? This is where you can find the best information on where to park, find extra tickets, where to stay, eat, party and golf. Navigate the city easily as you travel to a stadium for the first time.

Lodging

There are 3 distinct types of lodging available in Annapolis: the “luxury” hotels in downtown Annapolis, Bed and Breakfasts in downtown, and your standard hotels outside of the historic area. Here is a nice overview map of where everything is located.

Luxury Hotels

There are two hotels in downtown Annapolis – the Lowe’s Annapolis and The Annapolis Mariott Waterfront. Both hotels are within walking distance of downtown and the stadium. Both will cost you $300+ a night (not including parking). Several Historic Inns can be found in Annapolis. These are generally smaller hotels but usually pamper you like the best luxury chains. Check out the Maryland Inn, Governor Calvert House and the Robert Johnson House.

Bed and Breakfasts

Probably for the older fan who doesn’t plan on being drunk and rowdy late at night. These B&B's are all owned and operated by single families, and none have more than 5 rooms. Most cost anywhere from $100-$200 less than the downtown hotels. Most don’t allow children or pets and have two night minimums on the weekends. These tend to fill up early in the fall, so advance reservations are highly recommended.

The Flag House Inn is one of the more recognized B&B’s in Annapolis, not just because of it’s location, but because the owners fly the state or country flag of each of the visitors. The owners, Bill and Charlotte Schmickle, had a son graduate from the Naval Academy in 1999, and Bill spent time as an adjunct professor at the Academy. Bill also spent many years as the chairman of the Annapolis Historical Preservation Society. The combination of close ties to the Academy and the city give them a unique insight into all things Annapolis.

Flag House Inn--One of Annapolis' many B+B's

Standard Lodging

There are numerous chain hotels in the Annapolis Mall area (about 2-3 miles from the stadium). A comprehensive list can be found at the visitor’s center website. Google also shows about 10 of the properties. For those eligible to stay (Military) at the Navy Lodge you need to call early.

DINING

Annapolis is known for fine dining especially seafood and steaks. Before we explore Annapolis fine dining I'll recommend a few casual dining places. For Breakfast and lunch try Chick & Ruth's Delly (close to the Naval Academy). Another quaint lunch joint is the Cafe Normandie. Five Guys is a growing chain of burger joints. They are noted for big greasy burgers, hot dogs, lots of fries and free peanuts. When you get your fries expect to get twice as much as you ordered. Looking for Pizza, Strombolis and Wings; try Pizzaboli. California Pizza Kitchen is a national chain but they do a good job in delivering numerous specialty pizzas. They are located at the Annapolis Mall. The Mexican Cafe generally has good reviews for Mexican Food. Finally, a solid Brew Pub is the Ram's Head Tavern.

Annapolis delivers several nationally known steakhouses or seafood restaurants. Morton's, Ruth's Chris, and the Chart House. Some of the best local fine dining can be found at: Lewnes Steakhouse, Carrol's Creek Waterfront (surf and turf), Carrapaccio's (Tuscan), O'Leary's Seafood, Middleton Tavern (Historic, a short walk from Gate 1) Northwood's (Italian, Mediterranean and American eclectic), Butcher's Block (a unique store/restaurant), Galway Bay (Irish), for ribs try Adam's Rib, and the Lemongrass (Thai)

We've Got Crabs! Maryland is famous for their crabs. Crab cakes is something you should try before leaving. Several restaurants come recommended: Buddy's Crabs (short walk from the Naval Academy Gate #1), Cantler's across the bridge to the north, Mike's Crab House a couple miles to the southwest, Magothy Seafood a bout 10 minutes north and Harris Crab House on the other side of the bridge going over to the eastern shore.

Mike's Crab House--click to enlarge

Sports Bars
Annapolis has several sports bars that offer TVs for watching football before or after the game. The West End Grill offers an upscale look but still maintains a sports bar resume with 11 plasma screens. Hero's offers satellite TVs with a Fire Dept Theme. It is just north of the stadium. TK Sharky's is a sports bar/pool hall/music. It turns into full fledged bar at 9 pm on Saturdays. About Five miles SW of downtown is the Original Steak House & Sports Theatre in Edgewater. I'm sure how many TV's they have but they might be worth a call.

LIBATIONS
Scout poster Gaetano01 suggests several places downtown for evening drinks.

1) O'Briens Oyster Bar: almost always live music on the weekends, decent food and oysters
2) McGarvey's Saloon: aviator motif
3) Dock St Bar and Grill: live music upstairs
4) Federal House: a middie favorite.
5) Ram's Head Tavern: live music
6) Middleton's Tavern: Have a drink where George Washington did.
7) Armadillo's: next to Dock St; can watch Mids bolting for the pedestrian gate before liberty expires, or bolting for a good place to jump the wall (Gate 0). Finally a website listing many other bars.

SHOPPING

If you are taking along a spouse who isn't interested in watching the game, the Annapolis Mall is large with a great mix of stores. A nice upscale lifestyle center is at Annapolis Harbour Center.

GOLF

Maryland's mild climate allows you to play golf throughout the football season. The first few courses listed are for golfers of all skill levels on a budget.

Eisenhower Golf Course:
Crafted by renowned architect Ed Ault from more than 220 acres of splendidly wooded landscape, Eisenhower's meandering terrain takes golfers through forestland, around one of Maryland's finest lakes, and alongside numerous creeks and swales. Eisenhower's championship layout boasts bent grass greens and plush fairways, welcoming golfers of all abilities. Golfers have long enjoyed playing Eisenhower Golf Course, Anne Arundel County's first public golf course. Since Eisenhower's opening in 1969, the 6,659-yard course has provided a fun and challenging golf experience for tens of thousands of area golfers.

Eisenhower Golf Course

Bay Hills Golf Club
Bay Hills Golf Club was designed in 1969 by renowned golf course architect Ed Ault. The scenic 18 hole golf course finds its beauty in its wooded rolling terrain. Players must place a premium on strategy and shot placement to conquer the six doglegs, 52 bunkers, and water which comes into play on 10 of the 18 holes. The Zoysia grass fairways at Bay Hills gives it a distinct lush condition. Bay Hills layout and conditioning gives players of all skill levels a challenging fun golf experience.

Upscale Golf

South River

South River i being converted to a private course however it looks like you can still play in 2008. Diverse and well-manicured, Atlantic Golf at South River is an 18-hole shot makers challenge designed by Brian Ault and nestled in the South River Colony community, conveniently located just outside of Annapolis, Maryland.

Renditions

Internationally acclaimed, Renditions salutes the great championships, champions and courses of golf’s Grand Slam. Each of Renditions eighteen holes is a replica of a hole from a golf course that has hosted one or more of golf’s four major championships: The Masters, The U.S. Open, The British Open and The PGA Championship, plus a hole from The Players Championship, golf’s "fifth major."

Open to the public, Renditions is an award-winning development that offers a unique opportunity to “walk in the pro’s shoes" for a day and play replicas of holes that are historically significant to golf.

Queenstown Harbour

Welcome to Queenstown Harbor, one of the foremost golf experiences just outside Washington, D.C. Here, 36 holes of championship golf on two unique layouts, amid spectacular Chesapeake Bay waterfront beauty and contemporary style, combine for an unforgettable round at Maryland’s premier golf destination. Superior service, including our premium forecaddies, makes Queenstown Harbor the perfect play. The Courses Experience two stunning 18-hole tracks.

Queenstown Harbour

Compass Pointe

Golfers are celebrating the opening of Compass Pointe - Anne Arundel County's newest and only 36 hole public golf facility. - where they can enjoy a premium golf experience at an affordable price. Compass Pointe's 36-holes of championship caliber golf was designed by award-winning architect Lindsay Ervin. The "four nines" - North, South, East and West - cover more than 800 acres of diverse woodland, and provide a wide variety of golf terrains and challenges for golfers of all skill levels.

I'd like to thank Navy Alumnus Andy Schmickle '99, Unrep, Gaetano01, Witt94 and several other Scout Board Posters for helping me with this guide. Their help was invaluable.

The opinions expressed in this guide are those of TexanMark. While every effort has been made to ensure all the information presented is accurate and current, it would be wise to verify things when possible. Please note that this guide is not endorsed by Scout.com, Rivals.com or its site publishers, administrators and/or moderators.

WVU Tailgate and Visitors Guide '08

2008-07-05T20:54:00.013-05:00

Morgantown Click to enlarge
Image from www.retirewv.org

This is one of a series of tailgating guides for Big East football schools written by Syracuse fan and tailgate aficionado TexanMark. If you have any feedback or additional information you think belongs in this guide, please drop an email message to Mark by clicking here.

First Things First: GETTING THERE
If you’re a Pitt fan, finding Morgantown is easy and fairly painless. For the rest of us it is much more involved. The airfares into Morgantown (MGW) can be very expensive. Morgantown has scheduled service with United with daily flights to Washington DC (Dulles-IAD) on commuter aircraft. Probably the easiest way to fly there is to fly in and out of Pittsburgh International and rent a car.

For the rest of us, we drive from our homes. Here is a sample list of travel times by car: Pittsburgh 1 ¼ hrs, Washington DC 3.5 hrs, Cincinnati 5.5 hrs, Syracuse 7 hrs, Northern New Jersey 7 hrs.

This link has some good directions from the interstates. West Virginia offers a tremendous Football Game day environment. Since Morgantown is relatively small, the whole town is involved with the Mountaineers. It is very similar to how Blacksburg, VA takes to the Hokies.

From the Regional Research Institute: “WVU is easily Morgantown's leading employer. When school is in session, Morgantown's population jumps from 29,000 to 50,000. The city is located in the north central part of West Virginia, within 10 miles of the Pennsylvania border and 30 miles from Maryland. It stands near the corner of Interstates 68 and 79, but the more important intersection historically was the confluence of the Monongahela River and Decker's Creek.”

Campus Info:

In order to gain an understanding of how Mountaineer Field sits in the Campus you must first become familiar with the two campuses. A good view of the two campuses and the unique Personal Rapid Transit (PRT).

Two Campuses: Downtown on left, Evansdale on right--click to enlarge

Walnut Street PRT Monorail Station (Downtown Morgantown)

From the Regional Research Institute:

“The university's downtown campus lies on the northern edge of the city's small central business district, and a more striking setting for a university is hard to imagine. Dating to 1870, WVU looks like the Ivy League.
Campus streets lead uphill from downtown to hills and more hills. (After four years at WVU you not only would have a bachelor's degree, but Olympic-class leg muscles as well.)
At the crest of one landscape-dominating mound is Woodburn Circle, comprising three of the university's oldest buildings, which stand like three distinguished professors posing for a yearbook photo, overlooking the city and the Monongahela Valley.
In the 1950s, WVU ran out of room to expand, and a second campus - the Evansdale Campus - was initiated three miles to the north. Unfortunately, the Ivy League architecture stayed downtown. The new campus buildings are more functional and, well, dull. Except for the coliseum, it is on a hilltop is visible for miles. The coliseum looks like a concrete UFO. Saucer-shaped, big enough to hold 14,000 beings, it appears to be merely parked there, waiting for a call from its home planet.
(A WVU alumni friend, whose devotion to the university's sports teams is fanatical, insists that the true atmosphere of the university is revealed on any given football Saturday, when its Mountaineer Stadium is filled with 60,000 people chanting "Let's go, Mountaineers" and the prize-winning marching band performs.)
When WVU began operating two separate campuses, it needed a way to connect them. It was too far to walk, the hills discouraged bicycling and shuttle buses had problems on the narrow streets.
So in 1975 planners created the Personal Rapid Transit system, which is essentially a horizontal elevator. You put 50 cents into the turnstile (WVU students use a "Mountaineer Card") (Editor Note: the PRT is FREE on game day) and select your station, just as you would choose a floor in a high-rise. You wait for a yellow, electric-powered, rubber-tired car about the size of a soccer mom's SUV to sidle up to the platform. And off you go, even though there's no driver at the wheel - and there's no wheel.
The PRT system runs about nine miles from the medical center through the old campus to downtown. Most of the passengers are WVU students and staff, but anyone may use the system.”

West Virginia University Main Campus

Game Day Tailgating/Parking:

Parking on Campus--printable PDF with comments

Like most big time programs the ability of visiting fans to park near the stadium is extremely limited. Unlike some other Big East programs tailgating is very common and fairly easy to do. The close in parking lots are the haven for the season pass holders and the well connected. Some people like to park elsewhere and then wander over to the “Pit” or the Blue Lot for the vendors selling food. The “Pit” is an area most older visiting fans should stay clear from. Alcohol and testosterone rules there and common sense is lacking by most. If you tread there, you should remember you are outnumbered and to keep a sense of humor. One way to make friends with the natives is to buy some Pepperoni Rolls and share them. They sound like the perfect tailgate food as they do not require refrigeration.

The Party in the Parking Lot
Using the “KISS” principle (Keep It Simple Stupid), I suggest first time visiting fans park in the free parking lots surrounding the Basketball Coliseum. It is located about ¾ miles away from Mountaineer Field and is an easy landmark for visitors to find. There are other free lots at the Evansdale Campus if you want a spot with better shade (these lots surround many of the academic buildings southeast of the coliseum). The Coliseum/Evansdale Campus Shuttles run continuously, starting about two and one half hours before kickoff and of course run after the game. The roundtrip cost is $3.50. NOTE: Visiting RV's will have to park out at the coliseum. Green Lot season RV pass holders can arrive at 6 pm on Friday. I assume visiting RVs can also arrive the evening before. I recommend calling parking services for confirmation. A couple big changes that affect visiting RV'ers in 2008: RV parking at the WVU Coliseum is now $40 (cars are still free) in designated parking areas only. RVs parking at the WVU Coliseum will be issued a special pass when arriving and upon receiving payment. All RVs must now be parked three hours prior to kick-off.

If you arrive early ('eers start early-- 7 am for an afternoon or evening kickoff is considered normal) and want to get in a WVU lot closer to the stadium you can try the Gold or Purple Lots: NOTE from the MSN Website: "The Gold lot (Area 72, adjacent to the Facilities Management Building in front of ERC/Towers) and the Purple lot (Areas 52 and 61 behind Sheetz on Route 705) will have limited spaces available to purchase single game parking passes. Passes wil be sold for $10, and the Gold and Purple lots are car-only lots." The University’s sports website states, “Private Parking (not affiliated with WVU): is available for a fee at several locations along Patteson Drive, Van Voorhis Road, W.Va. Route 705, University Avenue, Don Nehlen Drive, Willowdale Road and other areas near the stadium.” Two suggestions: The first one is located across from the Kroger Grocery Store on Patteson Ave. It is a strip shopping center (Rite Aid, Boston Beanery Restaurant and Radio Shack). Expect to pay about $10. You can obviously get beer and other tailgate supplies at the Kroger. The White Birch Office Tower is located north of the stadium at 1255 Pineview. Parking costs $5.

A whole host of game day rules and information is provided by the University (this is a very good web link for an overview). Handicapped Parking. It looks like visitors with handicap permits will park in the Brown Lot.

A very good article about the West Virginia Game Day experience was written by a Washington Post reporter a few years ago. Tailgating in its finest form is found in Morgantown, all Big East fans need to circle this game on their calendar to do. One last option is to park in downtown Morgantown and ride the PRT. The PRT will take you the PRT Health Sciences Center Station which is about 1/4 mile north of the statium.

Mountaineer Field The Big East's Largest Crowds are here!

Milan Puskar Stadium has been around since 1980 but has been enlarged and modernized.

TAILGATE SUPPLIES

The closest places to pick up tailgate supplies: Kroger Grocery Store on the west side of the stadium (350 Patteson Ave). It is open 24/7. On the north side of the stadium is a Sheetz Convenience Store on the north side of the stadium. On the west side of town in granville is a WalMart SuperCenter.

Scalpers and You: From the University website:

The scalping of tickets on University property is forbidden. Violators are subject to removal from University property. No solicitation of any kind is permitted in the parking lots or stadium. Individuals discovered soliciting will be asked to cease or will be removed.

You have been warned.

Scalping tickets is illegal in WV. Reality is it is tolerated around the stadium on gameday. The blue lot(the lot located between Puskar Stadium and Ruby Memorial Hospital) is very popular for ticket selling. Another place for scalpers is on Patteson Drive. The road runs between the Coliseum and the stadium. You can find scalpers there with signs.

Since buying/reselling tickets is illegal in WV you can save this for future use at other locales. A few tried and true techniques to get the best price buying I have used: 1. Know what a legit ticket looks like 2. Buy from your own fan base first 3. The smaller the group the smaller the price--single tickets are cheapest 4. Prices usually peak 1-2 hours before kickoff--inside an hour the closer to game time the cheaper the ticket, right after kickoff they plumment to near nothing 5. A fan walking to the stadium in with a group of friends and still holding extra tickets to sell will usually dump them for a cheap price (they do not want to miss the game and often they are doing a favor for a buddy to sell them) usually you'll spot them holding a finger or two out to their side or over their head or saying selling one, etc... 6. If you have to deal with a professional scalper--NEVER give him what he asks, have a seating chart with you, check to make sure all tickets are really together and for that game, offer him lower and be prepared to walk away, after you turn and walk away more than half the time in my experience they'll give in and take your offer, if you can afford to wait...wait inside 20 minutes to kickoff as see the prices drop (assess the situation for the number of tickets available, how many you need before employing that strategy) 7. Don't be embarrassed to go back to a scalper to buy ticket(s) 10 minutes after you said no to his previous offer 8. Don't fall for their tactics to make you feel like you're ripping them off by only offering $20 a ticket, etc...they love to play games with your self-image and ego.

Finally, be sure to visit Larry and his crew and say hi at his WVU tailgate website.

'Eers Know How To Have Fun On Saturday!

TAILGATE HAVEN--Total Tailgating Resource

Tailgate Haven is your total resource for setting up and managing your football tailgate online. Do you think the tailgate is sometimes just as important as the game? The goal of Tailgate Haven is to make your life easier by organizing your tailgate group; thus eliminating countless emails, text messages and phone calls about the current weeks tailgate information. The concept is simple but pure genius. You easily register by choosing your favorite team and picking a creative name for your tailgate group. Now log in and instantly each of your teams games becomes its own webpage with your team colors. Next, invite your friends to join your tailgate group and the site comes to life. In addition to this tailgate manager, every team has its own tailgate profile. Do you travel to away games? This is where you can find the best information on where to park, find extra tickets, where to stay, eat, party and golf. Navigate the city easily as you travel to a stadium for the first time.

LODGING:

Like most small towns it will be next to impossible to find a room if you look a week out. If you are a fan of historic, restored hotels Morgantown has the Clarion Hotel Morgan. It is within walking distance of the PRT. The Hampton Inn is very close to the stadium and might be a good option if you get lucky with a reservation. The Residence Inn by Marriott opened in 2006 and is also very close to the stadium but it sells out quickly. And a newly renamed 16 story Waterfront Place Hotel (nee Radisson) has opened in the Wharf District downtown. Your best resource is to use the local visitors' guide. Last resort if you strike out, try looking for some "Mom and Pop" Motels near Morgantown.

Waterfront Place Hotel
If you decide to travel to Morgantown at the last minute: first see if you can find any cancellations at the motels in Morgantown. If you strike out, you’ll need to try outlying areas.

If you are traveling in from Pittsburgh and points north and east try these three cities: Washington, PA for motels, Waynesburg, PA for motels, and Uniontown, PA for motels.

If you are traveling from the south or west try these cities: Fairmont, WV for motels, Clarksburg/Bridgeport, WV for motels, and Wheeling, WV is another option for motels for those coming from the west as well as Washington and Waynesburg, WV.

DINING:
Almost all restaurants and pubs close to campus are going to be packed to the brim on a football weekend...so so enjoy the scene and have patience.
If you want to go somewhere not to far from the stadium that is a traditional haunt of WVU students/alums...I would suggest....Crockett's Lodge
The Boston Beanery II near intersection of Patteson Dr. and University Dr. has a varied menu, lots of fans and reasonable prices. Expect to have to wait to eat. A few blocks north of the Wharf District in downtown is West Virginia Brewing Company. Morgantown's only brewpub is located at 1291 University Avenue phone(304) 296-BREW It features live entertainment five days per week. A comprehensive list of bars is here. One final website gives you some great options for food and drink and shows you where the bar specials are and menus for lots of restaurants.

SPORTS BARS:Kegler's is a sports bar near the campus, Buffalo Wild Wings is known for their duh, wings, and also lots of TVs carrying all the college football games. The Sports Page has ESPN Gameplan and looks to cater to a younger crowd. Finally, Damon's , on Hwy 705 about 1 1/2 miles from the stadium, is known for their ribs as well as their full offerings of sports programming. Not really a sports bar, Firkin Pub offers you a British Pub environment along with darts and pool. The Firkin Pub is just north of the stadium on Van Voorhis Rd. The Wings are reported to be good.

For older readers who don't want to get caught in the hustle and bustle of the students...I would suggest Colasantes Ristorante & Pub ...this is a place is just west of Morgantown (in the city of Westover) and is very close to both I-79 and I-68. If you want a more upscale place....I would suggest Oliverio's Ristorante....this establishment is located on the beautiful new wharf district in Morgantown overlooking the Monongahela River. Other restaurants can be found here. BTW, you can limit your searches on this website to various neighborhoods of Morgantown.

Shopping: Morgantown has University Towne Center which has a typical assortment of big box retailers and trendy shops found in newer suburbs around most cities. It is located next to Star City/Osage--Exit 155 I-79 on Highway 19. Morgantown Mall is located across I-79 from University Towne Center. It looks to have a nice selection of retailers. If you are in search of chain restaurants you can find them in this area.

Things to Do:

If you happen upon Morgantown during the changing of the colors you need to checkout nearby Coopers Rock. It is the largest and most visited state forest in WV.

Copper's Rock

A real nice website detailing all your outdoor types of things near Morgantown should keep you busy.
If you prefer to stay in town, the trolley is a great way to see Morgantown.
Whitewater rafting is great in West Virginia. If you are adventuresome, consider going on a river rafting tour on the New River or The Gauley if you have an extra day, they are several hours away. If you don't want to travel as far try the Cheat River or Youghiogheny River.

White Water Rafting on The Gauley
Morgantown is revitalizing an old area of their town into the "Wharf District". You can see the orientation of the Wharf District to downtown Morgantown here.

Wharf District

GOLF:

There are some great courses in West Virginia, including the Pete Dye Golf Club in Bridgeport (about 30 mins south--rated the top course in West Virginia and one of the top 100 golf courses in the US by Golf Digest) and the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs. Note that White Sulfar Springs is 3 1/2 hours south of Morgantown near Exit 181 off I-64. Lucky for all of us--a very nice course with lodging is located in Morgantown. The Lakeview Resort might just be the perfect solution for a golf and football getaway.

The Lakeview Resort

Pete Dye Club

There are a number of golf courses the Morgantown Area. Here is a list. The Mountaineer Golf & Country Club is a public course for the golf challenged and/or budget minded. It is a short course that is relatively flat and inexpensive. You should be able to walk this course for less than $20, even on weekends.
Hope this helps. Thanks to WVURON and Jackson1011 for helping me with the guide.
The opinions expressed in this guide are those of TexanMark. While every effort has been made to ensure all the information presented is accurate and current, it would be wise to verify things when possible. Please note that this guide is not endorsed by Scout.com, Rivals.com or its site publishers, administrators and/or moderators.
Return to TexanMark's Tailgate Guides Main Page

USF Tailgate and Visitors Guide '08

2008-06-17T23:54:00.008-05:00

Tampa Bay Skyline

This is one of a series of tailgating guides for Big East football schools written by Syracuse fan and tailgate aficionado TexanMark. If you have any feedback or additional information you think belongs in this guide, please drop an email message to Mark by clicking here.

University of South Florida (USF) is the lone geographical misfit of the Big East Football Conference. Most felt USF won the BCS lottery when Boston College bolted for the ACC and left the Big East searching for an eighth member for the 2005 season. Well I tell you what, they have fit in quite nicely in the Big East and have become a first tier team strength wise. Due to the southern location USF has become a favorite destination for mini-vacations for Big East football fans. USF is a young program but it is a great asset to the league.

First Things First: GETTING THERE

Unless you want to drive 900 or so miles (Louisville, Cinci, WVU and Pitt) this trip will be a flying event. The good news most everyone can get a nonstop into either Tampa or close by Orlando (90 miles). Both of these airports have a bevy of cheap flights to northern cities. Note: Orlando offers the most nonstops and generally the cheapest flights. It might be worth your while to fly into Orlando and rent a car and drive to Tampa. Obviously, many visiting fans will plan a four-five day mini-vacation and will visit Orlando anyway. If time is tight you should fly into Tampa. The airport is located about a mile from the stadium. You can easily take a cab to the game. Note: Taxis drop/pickup riders at the northeast corner of the stadium.
Other Travel Options:
Several ultra discount charter carriers offer scheduled service between some northeastern/midwestern cities and Orlando Sanford Airport (2 hours) and Saint Petersburg/Clearwater Airport (30-45 mins). Note: These airlines often only fly once a day so a missed flight or broken aircraft could be very problematic. If you have a lot of time, Amtrak offers service into Tampa. The fall season is a great time to visit Florida due to discount prices for rooms and other tourist related services. Consider yourself lucky if your team has a November visit scheduled to Tampa and take advantage!

Getting to the Stadium: Raymond James Stadium Click to enlarge (Thanks USFFan)

USF (like UConn and Pitt) plays their football games off campus. The campus is located about eight miles northeast. Like Pitt, they share a stadium with an NFL team. Raymond James Stadium (RayJay or RJS) opened in 1998 and is a great venue with many amenities. Note: USF games since demand increaed are selling upper deck tickets for all games. Listed capacity for USF games is about 66,000. RayJay is located off Dale Mabry Highway which is a major North/South Artery in Tampa. The local paper has a nice overview of stadium amenities. The stadium is located adjacent (east) to the airport.

Directions:

FROM THE NORTH
I-75 to I-275 South to Himes Avenue North
or
Dale Mabry North.
Stadium is approximately one mile north, between Himes and Dale Mabry.

FROM THE SOUTH (SARASOTA AND BRADENTON)
I-75 to I-4 West to I-275 South to Himes Avenue North or North Dale Mabry
or
I-75 North to I-275 North to North Dale Mabry.
Stadium is approximately one mile north, between Himes and Dale Mabry.

FROM THE EAST (ORLANDO)
I-4 West to I-275 South to Himes Avenue North or North Dale Mabry
or
I-4 West to Hillsborough Avenue West or Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard West.
Stadium is approximately one mile north, between Himes and Dale Mabry.

FROM THE WEST
I-275 to North Dale Mabry
or
Highway 60 East to Spruce Street East to North Dale Mabry.
Stadium is approximately one mile north, between Himes and Dale Mabry.

Parking/Tailgating

Map of Parking Near Ray Jay Click to enlarge
Note:Lot 14 was the old mall lot

The easiest thing is to park at RayJay. The lots open four hours before games. Note: For night games USF fans told me the parking lots south of the stadium open up about 5 hours before kickoff. Buses and Campers are allowed to park on stadium property for USF games in Lot 8 (located south of the stadium). Note: Campers/RVs park in a different lot for Buc games. Expect general admission parking to be directed to Lots 1, 2, 3, and 4 but you can park in some other lots south of the stadium. Looking for where the USF students park and tailgate? Try Lots 3+4 and the old mall lot (Lot 14). Lot #4 is closest USF's student goverment sponsored tailgate area and student entrance (Gate B). USF fan outrunner states, "There's alot of frats and clubs partying in there, and alot of heckling/smack talk."

The official website states: “For USF home games Cars and Motorcycles will be charged $10, Buses will be $35, and Limousines and Campers will be $25.” Tailgating seems to have few restrictions.
Note: The stadium has in the past enforced very restrictive rules on the size of bags brought in the stadium. Definitely err on the conservative side.
However, charcoal grills are okay in the parking lots! Of course, with only three hours to tailgate you better be prepared to get to it. One other parking option is located adjacent to the stadium grounds across the street (west) at Hillsborough Community College.
Note: Just to the east was the old Tampa Bay Center Mall. Recently it was torn down. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are building training facilities there. A lot of Bull fans and USF students have used the free parking at the Mall in the past. ARRIVE EARLY OPTION: The Mall Lot has been converted into Lot 14 now and is a pay lot. Students still flock there. It is a pay lot but people routinely showup 5-7 hours before kickoff. You can arrive early, set up, save spots and throw a football. The rules are more lax. Expect an attendant to come by later to collect money. All Ray Jay lots are still $10 to park.

I tailgated in 2006 and found the convenience of the stadium lot hard to beat. I queued up 3 hours and 10 minutes before kickoff on the roadside of Dale Mabry (northbound) at Gate 9. There were about 15-20 cars waiting with me at 9am. (2008 NOTE: Noon kickoffs now open at 8am.) They opened at precisely three hours prior to kickoff. I went through the gate and turned left and parked in Lot 7 right behind a rope separating me from permit parkers. If you arrive early like I did you get a primo spot next to one of the walkways. Tailgaters filled in over the next hour or so. We were about 400 yards south of Ray Jay's entrance. Plenty of porta potties and lots of good times as Cuse and USF fans intermingled nicely. We stayed about 90 minutes afterwards. By then the lot was very empty. If parking on site doesn't appeal to you...try cruising around to find some private lots which might accommodate you earlier. Hint: Parking on the south end of RayJay's parking lots allow you to send someone in the crew to get some food (if you don't have grills) at Miami Subs located just south of the parking lots at the corner of Columbus and Dale Mabry. Tailgate Supplies: About a mile south of the stadium is Total Wine and it had a huge selection of Liquor, Beer and Wine. I even found quite a few microbrews from up north there. There is a Walmart across the street for all your other supplies.

Ticket Scalping and You: USF fans have told me it is legal to buy and sell tickets now for whatever the market bears. Supply is more than demand currently. You should be able to find tickets offered for less than face around the parking lots and walkways except for the high demand games. Even though ticket reselling has been liberalized there is still a rule not allowing reselling tickets on the grounds of stadiumsyou have been warned.

RayJay Stadium:

This place is great now that USF is consistently drawing over 40,000 fans and a few games over 60,000...great job USF. The facility is absolute first class and has many amenities. I don’t expect all the concessions to be open but you should still have a good variety.

Buccaneer Cove
Buccaneer Cove is a tremendous landmark and you need to wander over and check it out sometime during the game. You should have great sight lines since the stadium was built for football.

City of Tampa alot of stuff to do

TAILGATE HAVEN--Total Tailgating Resource

Tailgate Haven is your total resource for setting up and managing your football tailgate online. Do you think the tailgate is sometimes just as important as the game? The goal of Tailgate Haven is to make your life easier by organizing your tailgate group; thus eliminating countless emails, text messages and phone calls about the current weeks tailgate information. The concept is simple but pure genius. You easily register by choosing your favorite team and picking a creative name for your tailgate group. Now log in and instantly each of your teams games becomes its own webpage with your team colors. Next, invite your friends to join your tailgate group and the site comes to life. In addition to this tailgate manager, every team has its own tailgate profile. Do you travel to away games? This is where you can find the best information on where to park, find extra tickets, where to stay, eat, party and golf. Navigate the city easily as you travel to a stadium for the first time.

Shopping

I’ll keep it real simple. Drop your spouse here. The International Plaza shopping complex is located about 1 ½ miles southwest of RayJay stadium.
From the website: “International Plaza, adjacent to Tampa International Airport, is the most distinctive shopping and dining destination of Florida's West Coast. Four fashionable department stores, over 200 specialty shops and Bay Street at the Plaza... an open-air village of fine restaurants and small boutiques.” This place has a hotel (Renaissance) there and offers some travel packages. Thirty and over crowd alert: The Bay Street Level (Street Level) has a large collection of upscale drinking and dining establishments. This is a good alternative to the rowdier, younger Ybor City area.

Dining/Nightlife

I do know you need to try to eat at a Cuban Restaurant in Tampa. Cuban food is excellent and not too expensive. There is a huge selection in the area around the stadium especially if you drive south of the stadium. I would recommend after the game to head to Bay Street Level of the International Plaza or another option is cruising over to the Port of Tampa area and checking out Channelside.

Map of Channelside/ Hyde Park Areas
Channelside is another retail/dining entertainment area with many great restaurants, bars and lodging to include motels and condos. If you decide to stay downtown this place should be a must do destination. A trolley is available to take you from Channelside to Ybor—a plus. Hyde Park is located just SW of Channelside. There are lots of little shops to browse. Restaurant BT comes highly recommended. It specializes in a modern style of classic French & Vietnamese cuisines and is a great place for a quiet romantic dinner. Recommend using the valet parking because parking is at a premium.

Ybor City--a great place to party
Finally, Ybor City has an international reputation for hosting a great party. The crowd trends a little bit younger than International Plaza and Channelside. Ybor is Tampa’s old Latin community. Like many other urban areas it has been revitalized. If you really want to let lose and mingle with lots of other like minded people this is the place. The Columbia Restaurant (Ybor City) has been around for a century, specializing in Spanish and Cuban fare (get the paella). They have the best sangria, and is it is a great spot for lunch or dinner.
Following are restaurants recommended by local USF fans: “Bern's Steakhouse (South Howard Ave) offers the best steak in the Bay area. It's unique decorative style -- part bordello, part renaissance and the world famous dessert room is something to see. The Colonnade (Bayshore) offers great seafood and wonderful views of Tampa Bay and downtown Tampa. Castaways Restaurant (Courtney Campbell Causeway) offers good seafood and is built out over Tampa Bay. Salt Rock Grill (Indian Rocks Beach) is a great place to have dinner after a day at the beach. Frenchy's Rockaway Grill (Clearwater Beach) is the best place to grab a quick sandwich when catching rays on a GREAT beach.

SPORTS BAR ALERT!

Lee Roy Selmon's (Boy Scout Blvd - near Tampa Stadium) has some GREAT barbeque as well as alot of TVs. The Pressbox Sports Emporium is also close by. Beef O'Brady's is a large sports pub chain. The Westchase location is fairly close to the airport area. International Plaza has Champps. It is a full service sports bar and should have ESPN Gameplan.

BARBEQUE

Besides Lee Roy Selmon's (mentioned above)--other great barbeque places: Kojak's House of Ribs (Gandy Blvd), Jimbo's, Fred Flemings, First Choice BBQ, maybe the best barbeque around Tampa? Near the campus try Lupton's Fat Man's BBQ (located near the college).

CK's (Tampa International Airport Marriott) is a revolving restaurant with a GREAT Sunday Brunch. Another great place for Sunday breakfast: The Brunchery (S MacDill Ave & N Dale Mabry). Charley's is great for gourmet steaks. Charley's can be seen from I-275 just east of West Shore. For tailgate sandwiches, Publix deli & Brocato's on Columbus and 50th are about as good as you are going to get. The bay area's best buffet (arguable) is right down the road on Dale Mabry (were RJS is) known as the Crazy Buffet. It has steaks, seafood, sushi, Japanese, etc. It's pricey at $22 a head. Looking for Thai? Try the Thai Terrace on Dale Mabry.
For a decent economical steak, try Sam Seltzer's north of RJS on Dale Mabry--located next to the Comfort Inn. Sam's is unique to central Florida. For wings, Hooters is north of the stadium on Hillsborough just west of Dale Mabry and the Press Box is south on Dale Mabry. The original Hooter’s is in Clearwater Beach. For Japanese hibachi steak, chicken, & seafood (cooked at the table), try Arigato's Japanese Steak House. It is north on Dale Mabry. If staying on the beach in St. Pete, for seaford I'd recommend the Hurricane on St. Pete Beach, Crabby Bill's with several locales, Ted Peter's in St. Pete on Pasadena for smoked mullet and Shell's Seafood. TBO.com is a good information source for Tampa Bay eats & things to do too.”

Lodging

Lodging is plentiful and comes in all price ranges. If you want to be able to walk to the game the Day's Inn or Comfort Inn are your best choices. Note: You are smarter to drive and park if you are bringing in supplies staying at either property--Dale Mabry is a very busy road and not pedestrian friendly. A couple others very close to the stadium are the Renaissance Tampa Hotel International Plaza (a Marriott Property, 4 star luxury) and a Mircotel (2 star budget). If you want to benear the airport (Westshore Area), there are a bevy of choices which you can see here. The airport motel area is only about a mile or two from the stadium which means you can avoid a rental car if you are only staying overnight.
Another option to try is the Downtown/Channelside/Ybor area, which is several miles from the stadium. Finally, if you want to stay near the beaches you should try Clearwater or St. Pete areas. Expect you’ll be about 45 minutes from the stadium. The Don Cesar is not to be missed.

Beaches and Other Tourist Stuff

World class beaches await you on your trip to Tampa. USF fan, JimUSFSig says: “Sand Key Beach, just south of Clearwater Beach, is usually less crowded and has some of the best sand around. Clearwater Beach is where the tourists head to catch some rays. St. Pete Beach is where the locals go -- check out the Undertow Beach Bar for one of the best beachside bars around.” BullDoug says, “don't forget Fort DeSoto Park. It was voted the nation's overall best in 2005. It is south of St. Pete Beach just west of the Skyway Bridge. It is about a 50-60 min. trip from (RayJay) and good for a relaxing day to picnic. Treasure Island is a nice beach too. T.I. is south of John's Pass where there are numerous shopping opportunities and dinner cruises leave from there.”

You all know about Disney in Orlando so I won't tell you about it. The Tampa Bay area has some neat attractions, too. Busch Gardens offers a chance to view animals, be entertained by performers, drink a couple brewskis and ride some awesome roller coasters. Hint: Any active duty, activated or drilling reservist, or National Guardsman is entitled to free admission under the "Here's to the Heroes" program. More info here. The Florida Aquarium a few miles south in Channelside is a neat place to take the kids. Into tropical gardens? Drive over to St. Pete's Sunken Gardens. About 60-90 minutes north of Tampa is Homosassa Springs and Weeki Wachee Springs if you want to get away from typical amusement parks.

GOLF

Good and cheap:
East Bay
Located in the heart of Pinellas County, minutes from the Gulf Beaches, Eastbay is an 18 hole, par 72-championship layout. A William Mitchell design, this track features elevated, well-bunkered greens with water in play on 14 of 18 holes. Eastbay has the GPS yardage system on its brand new fleet of carts. All tees, greens and fairways are overseeded with winter ryegrass for the winter months, ensuring lush, green playing areas.

Babe Zaharias
Babe Zaharias Golf Course is a municipal course that winds through a residential area in North Tampa. It's the shortest of the city courses, but tight fairways and small greens keep it challenging.

Rocky Point
Rocky Point, located near Tampa International Airport, is a scenic course with a mix of tree-lined fairways and open holes. Water comes into play on 12 of the 18 holes.

The Claw at USF
Featuring long, tight fairways lined with oaks, cypress and pines, this attractive course is home to a variety of wildlife, including the occasional alligator. Located just off I-75 near the University of South Florida, the club is home to the university's golf teams and is a par-71 layout with driving range, golf clinics, individual lessons by PGA professionals and a golf shop. Summer golf camps are featured here, and players gather at Rocky's Sports Grill to moan over the score sheets.

Good and not so cheap:

Westchase

Since opening in the fall of 1992, Westchase Golf Club has established itself as one of Tampa Bay's upscale golf facilities. The 6,710 yard, Par-72 Westchase course was designed by nationally known architect Lloyd Clifton. Located in northwest Tampa, it is one of the better upscale courses in the Bay area. The natural setting and the well manicured fairways and greens of this course surrounded by natural wetlands, wooden bridges and bulkheads are what set it apart.

The Eagles
This facility features two 18 hole layouts, The Lakes and The Forest:

The Lakes
An abundance of water inspired the moniker for this course. Water comes into play on virtually every hole. This 18-hole course measures over 7,100 yards and is more like the traditional Florida course with huge greens and generous driving areas. Both nines of The Lakes start out with unique par-5's that challenge golfers to use their creativity to make a sub-par score. As you play these outstanding layouts, you soon understand why The Eagles Golf Club of Tampa Bay has a hard-won reputation for well-conditioned tees, greens, and fairways. Four sets of tees offer golfers a wide choice of challenges. When the St. Petersburg Times canvassed several dozen Tampa Bay golf courses to put together a Tampa Bay "Dream 18," two holes from The Eagles were selected.

The Forest

Noted golf course architect, PGA Tour professional and NBC-TV commentator Gary Koch and master architect Rick Robbins are responsible for the front nine of The Forest Course, while noted architect Ron Garl designed the back nine. Accuracy is a premium on this course, with its highly contoured fairways and well placed, meticulous greens. This course measures 6,700 yards and features the signature island-green, par-3 sixth hole, which rivals the famous 17th hole at the TPC at Sawgrass in Jacksonville.

Belleview Biltmore
Designed by world famous golf architect Donald Ross, the Belleview Biltmore Golf Club opened in 1925. It is a challenging course that features lush lined fairways and water hazards and is noted for its beauty.

TPC of Tampa Bay

The TPC of Tampa Bay is part of a network of outstanding stadium golf courses across the country owned and operated by the PGA Tour. Winner of the Golf Digest's four star award for places to play, this course is the home of the Verizon Classic, the area's only Senior PGA Tour event. Lastly, check here for a good site on public golf courses in the Tampa Bay area.

I’d like to thank USF fan JimUSFSig and BullDoug for helping me with this guide. I hope this helps.

The opinions expressed in this guide are those of TexanMark. While every effort has been made to ensure all the information presented is accurate and current, it would be wise to verify things when possible. Please note that this guide is not endorsed by Scout.com, Rivals.com or its site publishers, administrators and/or moderators.

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