Roadtrippin' to Knoxville (or "How to Survive an Away Game")

In case some of you are completely isolated from the outside world, Alabama played at Tennessee this past weekend. Of course, we won in a 41-10 blowout. For those of you who don't follow football closely, you may not realize that Alabama vs. Tennessee is actually a historically notable rivalry. Not so much this year...but definitely in the past (and probably at some point in the future).


I made the trip to Knoxville this past weekend with my roommate to see the game. Actually, I took a roundabout trip to Knoxville that began on Thursday night before the game. My itinerary went something like this: Tuscaloosa, AL to Memphis, TN to Athens, AL to Knoxville, TN to Athens, TN to Tuscaloosa, AL. I won't go into all of the details of why my trip went like that, but it did. (Wanna see a map? Here you go.)

So why am I writing about this? First of all, I'm simply a football fanatic who likes to talk about his football experiences. Second of all, I figure that some of you my make it to a road game at some point in the future...and you may be interested in what I've learned. I'm going to try to present my story as a series of "lessons" that I learned.

Sunset at Neyland Stadium.

Lesson 1: Don't But Tickets Too Early

• This really applies to any game, either home or away. Tickets prices will almost always drop as a game gets closer, even up to the week of the game (there are exceptions to this rule if a game is highly anticipated). My roommate and I bought tickets to this game before it became apparent that Tennessee was abjectly horrible...and we probably paid too much. That being said, once you've paid for your tickets, it's probably best to just not think about the cost anymore...what's done is done and you'll still enjoy the experience.

Our seats were way up high, but they were in the Bama section.

Lesson 2: Getting an Out-of-Town Hotel Can Be Good

• My roommate and I waited too late to get a hotel in Knoxville proper (that's probably a lesson in itself...hotels will book months in advance). We ended up settling for a hotel in Athens, TN. Our hotel was about an hour outside of Knoxville, and at first we thought this might be an issue. However, after the game we realized that our decision had been a good one. We didn't have to fight crowds like we would have in town, and we were already an hour closer to home the next morning. I think it was probably the right choice.

Lesson 3: Get Expert Advice on Parking

• Luckily for us, my parents went to UT and had some great advice on parking near the stadium. However, we saw several folks after the game who could not get out of their parking garage, get on the right street due to traffic, etc. If you know anyone who has some expert knowledge about gameday logistics in a given city...take advantage of it! If you aren't that lucky, do a quick Google search...many fans will post information like that on Internet forums.

Lesson 4: Get There Early Enough to Enjoy the Gameday Atmosphere

• Every school in the SEC has its own unique traditions and gameday atmosphere. Honestly, that's a big reason that I love going to away games. Be sure that you get to the campus early enough to check out the local tailgating scene and participate in any local traditions (for example, the Tennessee band puts on a pretty impressive show on their way into the stadium). This applies even if you'll have to hear Rocky Top a hundred million times.

Waiting on the band

Lesson 5: Rammer Jammer in An Opponent's Stadium is Sweet

• Need I say more? 

Maybe some of this information has been useful to you. If you have any questions about going to away games (or anything else for that matter) feel free to contact us at honorsconnection@gmail.com.

Roll Tide!