Best Bowl Game Locations
For those who are well-traveled on this board, what are the best bowl game locations out there?
My guess of course would be that the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, and the other NY6 Bowls would rank the highest, but are there some lesser known bowls that have great experiences?
Has any MGoBlogger gone to more than a half dozen bowls?
December 20th, 2018 at 1:02 PM ^
Rose Bowl......hands down. It's the only bowl game I've ever been to.
I hope to attend either the Peach Bowl or Fiesta Bowl next season.
December 20th, 2018 at 3:16 PM ^
"Rose Bowl is hands down the best bowl location I have been to."
"However, it's the only location I have ever been to."
December 20th, 2018 at 3:57 PM ^
To be fair, it's the only bowl game I've been to. I've been to other bowl locations.
December 20th, 2018 at 5:28 PM ^
You are correct. It's the Rose Bowl ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................then everyone else. You gotta go once!
December 20th, 2018 at 1:05 PM ^
The Las Vegas Bowl looks fun. Never been, but it looks like a good time.
December 20th, 2018 at 1:08 PM ^
Your mom's house.
December 20th, 2018 at 3:07 PM ^
come on, man. there's an art to this.
December 21st, 2018 at 9:07 AM ^
Coincidently, that's what the mom said.
December 20th, 2018 at 1:08 PM ^
The Rose Bowl is the only answer.
December 20th, 2018 at 1:37 PM ^
The sugar bowl is the best location. The rose has more history and feels better to make. But I'd much rather spend an extended weekend in New Orleans and have a game at a stadium downtown than either spend a weekend in pasadena having to deal with traffic getting anywhere or staying somewhere else and having to deal with traffic to get to the game.
December 20th, 2018 at 2:40 PM ^
But that dome seems so sterile. Maybe not a factor, though, if you've partied and gorged on great New Orleans food for a few days leading up to the game? I can buy this reasoning.
December 20th, 2018 at 1:15 PM ^
I had an absolute blast at the Alamo Bowl, game aside (pitch it to Breaston, etc.). They do a great job. Every Big Ten team who went there raved that the events, the atmosphere around town before the game, everything short of the boring stadium was on par with the big-time bowls. The River Walk full of fans, with the Christmas lights out and stuff, was as good as it got for me, aside from Pasadena.
December 20th, 2018 at 2:55 PM ^
Agree. As far as "lesser" bowl games go, that was a really fun trip. Couldn't agree more on the river walk experience with fans from both sides partying there.
December 20th, 2018 at 10:23 PM ^
Loved the Alamo, save watching the Huskers win, as well. Also been to 2 Rose Bowls and in some ways the Alamo Bowl was a better overall experience. Hard to beat the stadium and the sunset over the San Gabriel mountains and that dump the Alamo Bowl certainly doesnt but the Riverwalk makes up for it.
December 20th, 2018 at 10:56 PM ^
Let's be honest, the Rose Bowl is unparalleled for the pageantry of the parade and the experience once you're in the stadium, maybe the day at Disneyland too, but the rest of it is pretty standard bowl fare set in freaking LA.
December 20th, 2018 at 1:17 PM ^
Here is your list: https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-most-absurd-college-football-bowls-ranked-using-math/
December 20th, 2018 at 1:19 PM ^
New Orleans and the Sugar Bowl venue, along with Miami and the old Orange Bowl, are very un-redeeming.
December 20th, 2018 at 2:33 PM ^
Orange Bowl is great if you stay the weekend. Went to the game against Florida State and made a 4-day trip out of it in Miami. Only downside to the Hard Rock Stadium is that they essentially dropped it in the middle of a field with nothing around it.
December 20th, 2018 at 1:21 PM ^
Went to the sugar bowl. It was a blast but bad for my liver.
Also the bahamas bowl has to be fun to attend.
December 20th, 2018 at 1:21 PM ^
The Sugar Bowl was incredibly fun. I'll never forget leaving Pat O'Brien's and heading down Bourbon St toward the Superdome with thousands of UM and Va Tech fans. Looking forward to attending a Rose or Fiesta Bowl
December 20th, 2018 at 1:38 PM ^
It sure looks like you'd have a lot of leg room at the Bahamas Bowl.
December 20th, 2018 at 7:34 PM ^
Geez, is it possible to place the stands any further from the field?
Kinnick Stadium that is not.
December 20th, 2018 at 1:21 PM ^
Rose Bowl is simply out of this world. There is zero doubt why it's historically considered the most prestigious bowl
December 20th, 2018 at 2:17 PM ^
plus the tournament of roses parade is a must see.
December 20th, 2018 at 1:25 PM ^
The Rose Bowl is #1.
Tampa (last year's Outback Bowl) is a great location with its bars/restaurants and proximity to Clearwater. Good fun!
December 20th, 2018 at 1:26 PM ^
The Music City Bowl? You never want your team to be there...but if by chance they are...Nashville's quite a party.
December 20th, 2018 at 1:31 PM ^
Sugar Bowl 2011 was one of the most debaucherous weekends I ever had. It was the year after I graduated and most of my friends convened there for an impromptu college reunion. Open intox laws in NOLA are glorious -- should be standard practice in every town on gamedays
December 20th, 2018 at 1:32 PM ^
Rose Bowl by a landslide.
The optics are impeccable. It’s always a beautiful clear day and it gets dark in the fourth quarter. The painted end zones, the opposite colors in the stands, all of it is perfect. The aerial shots are spectacular.
December 20th, 2018 at 1:33 PM ^
The Quick Lane Bowl
.
.
(wait for it...)
.
N O T ! ! !
December 20th, 2018 at 1:34 PM ^
New Orleans. The Sugar Bowl is the baby Mardi Gras. As much as I love the Rose Bowl, New Orleans wins the battle of better travel destination.
December 20th, 2018 at 1:35 PM ^
I just found this story about 5 USC fans travelling to 18 bowl games this bowl season. Crazy.
https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2018/12/18/18143356/every-bowl-game-2018-bowlmageddon
December 20th, 2018 at 2:55 PM ^
If I were a USC fan I’d probably go to those extremes to watch other teams play football too.
December 20th, 2018 at 1:38 PM ^
sleeper bowl: holiday bowl in san diego. easy access, nice weather, the game has somehow, year in and year out, had more exciting games than any other bowl i can think of. beyond that, the stadium was probably my favorite to play in.
been to the rose bowl a bunch of times. pain to drive to/from. nice when there. much nicer when michigan wins.
December 20th, 2018 at 1:46 PM ^
Holiday Bowl is a hidden gem. San Diego is fricking awesome. Rose Bowl for obvious reasons and because when UM played in the 2004 Rose, I got a ticket on the 15 yard line, half way up the stadium for half price the day of the game.
And that was when I first dated my wife and we had sex back then too.
All In The Family...those were the days
December 20th, 2018 at 2:52 PM ^
Are you and Dagny still together?
December 20th, 2018 at 3:11 PM ^
didn't howard roark move in on that? or maybe it was ellsworth toohey.
December 20th, 2018 at 4:22 PM ^
Francisco, Howard and then John.
Hooking up with Ellsworth would have required cross (fictional) dimension travel.
December 20th, 2018 at 2:56 PM ^
Too much information but glad you had a great time with your wife.
December 20th, 2018 at 2:38 PM ^
I agree. There is so much more to do in SD than there is in Pasadena. Rose Bowl is nice when you are there, but Pasadena in itself is pretty boring.
December 20th, 2018 at 4:24 PM ^
Yup. Absolutely nothing to do in a 15-mile radius around Pasadena.
December 20th, 2018 at 8:23 PM ^
The Holiday Bowl and the Rose Bowl are just awful. Pretty much any Bowl Game in California is the pits. You’ll be lucky to get in and get out without being involved in 2 or 3 major riots, mudslides or urban forest fires. And you’d better budget 3-4 hours for that 3 mile drive to the stadium. I’d recommend you walk, that’s faster, but you don’t want to be outside your car in Crips gang territory wearing your navy blue Michigan hat (or would that be the Bloods?)
Gas is $4/gallon and good luck finding something reasonable to eat at a decent price given our $15/hr minimum wage. And don’t get me started on the weather. It’s 70 degrees and sunny every day. Dreaming of a White Christmas? Not in LA my friend.
December 20th, 2018 at 10:10 PM ^
We would be good friends if I still lived in socal...
December 20th, 2018 at 9:19 PM ^
I live here so am a little biased but Holiday is always one of the better bowls. Pretty sure other than the NY6 their payout is among the highest of all the others. Cool that the B1G came back to it after being away for long time. Saw M play there 20 something years ago. The Q is a dump but they put enough lipstick on it to make it look alright when your beer goggles are on.
San Diego knows how to host an event and with all the other stuff to do and the weather I don't know that I've ever heard anyone say - "San Diego, yeah that place sucks". Listen to enough sports radio and cant count the number of writers from across the country who always say that SD was hands down their favorite destination for Super Bowl games. All three of those games I think we had perfect weather for the whole week. Sucks that there probably wont be another one for a very long time if ever.
December 20th, 2018 at 1:38 PM ^
December 20th, 2018 at 1:40 PM ^
I have never been to a bowl game, but would like to go to the Rose Bowl (only if UM is in it).
December 20th, 2018 at 1:53 PM ^
I've only been to one bowl game. The Fiesta Bowl (twice). I went in 07 (06 season) when Urban Meyer and Florida demolished Ohio State, and I went again for the playoff semifinal when Clemson also demolished Ohio State. Either way, nothing special about the Fiesta Bowl. Would rather attend a bowl game in Indianapolis to be honest.
I've never been, but there is only one game that I have to attend before I die, The Rose Bowl. Go Bucks! Go Blue! Beat Florida!
December 20th, 2018 at 2:12 PM ^
you must be a very interesting, and somewhat internally conflicted, individual. i bet you are genuinely fun at a tailgate.
December 20th, 2018 at 2:22 PM ^
A lot of Ohio State fans strongly disagree with this way of thinking, but I'm "I want Michigan/Ohio State to be 11-0 every year they play guy."
December 20th, 2018 at 2:23 PM ^
You know... surprisingly tickets are cheap for the Rose Bowl on game day! You can get them for $60 bucks. I have been many times
December 20th, 2018 at 2:28 PM ^
That's good to know if I can ever make it out there. I feel like no matter what the sporting event, if you're patient enough to get them just before game time from scalpers outside the stadium, they are all reasonably affordable.