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It’s getting close to that time again! This country is made up of football crazies and that is especially true of the college game, where many fanbases follow a spring scrimmage like it was a real game. We’re less than a month away from the start of the FBS season and it all begins in Fort Collins, CO as the Colorado State Rams open a brand new stadium against Oregon State. The best time of year to travel and catch multiple games is Week 1 because there are many Thursday and Friday contests that set-up a nice three day trip. Here are a few that I put together worth going for:
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1) West Coast Swing
Thu, Aug 31 at 8:30 PM……New Mexico State at Arizona State
Sat, Sept 2 at 2:15 PM……Western Michigan at USC
Sun, Sept 3 at 4:30 PM……Texas A&M at UCLA
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Start off in the Desert where hopefully the temperature has dropped below 100 degrees by the time the ball is kicked at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe. Friday is a travel day, but with the drive only 5 hours to LA there are plenty of options to spend the rest of the time (Joshua Tree National Park, Palm Springs, Disneyland). Then enjoy a pretty solid doubleheader weekend as USC plays Saturday and the Bruins host a big one against Texas A&M on Sunday.
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2) All Michigan
Thu, Aug 31 at 7:00 PM……Rhode Island at Central Michigan
Fri, Sept 1 at 6:30 PM……Charlotte at Eastern Michigan
Sat, Sept 2 at 12:00 PM……Bowling Green at Michigan State
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The shortest trip is this one as total driving time between games is just three hours. Lots of MACation here as each contest features a member of that conference. For multi-sport lovers, I recommend sticking around in Lansing on Saturday as the Lugnuts play a baseball game in the evening.
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3) Underrated Stadium Experiences
Thu, Aug 31 at 7:30 PM……Holy Cross at Connecticut
Fri, Sept 1 at 8:00 PM……Washington at Rutgers
Sat, Sept 2 at 12:00 PM……Akron at Penn State
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Having been to all three stadiums, this trip is much better than it looks on paper. Rentschler Field is a great facility that scores well in most categories. Rutgers has a remarkably dedicated fan base considering how many horrible years they have had on average in the last 30. They should at least have the place rocking in the beginning of that Friday Night game. Finally, Happy Valley is all that it is cracked to be.
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Stadium and Arena Visits 