Top 5 ACC Road Trips
By: Will Vandervort
What is it that makes an ACC road trip so great?
That’s a great question, and one that has many answers.
For today’s blog, I decided to try and wrap my arms around what makes a great road trip during football season in the ACC.
Is it the venue? The restaurants or bars? The fans? How about how well your team typically plays?
To different people a great road trip is a combination of things. For me, it’s about the quality of game itself combined with what else the city has to offer. For the most part, I’ve determined there are good and bad fans just about everywhere so I’ve eliminated that in constructing this list.
Having covered the last 57 consecutive Clemson games, here are my thoughts on the top five road trips for Clemson fans to take in the coming seasons:
#5. MIAMI – I’ll be the first to admit that the Orange Bowl is nothing to get excited about. In fact, it may be the most overrated venue in the history of sports. Sure, I recognize the historical significance of the games played there: Doug Flutie’s Hail Mary pass in 1984, the Super Bowls, the National Championship games. But Miami doesn’t make the list because of the stadium. The Orange Bowl needs a renovation in the worst way and that’s putting it nicely. Miami makes this list because of the city itself. There’s something for everyone- from resorts to fine dining to South Beach. If you can’t find something to do here … well then I don’t know what to tell you.
GRADES: Stadium – D, City – A, Team – B, Atmosphere – C
#4. BOSTON – I’ve said many times that Boston College has no business being in the ACC and I still feel that to this day. It’s too far away. I understand the importance of television markets. I understand academics, but this union of the northeast and the rest of the ACC is nothing short of odd. That being said, I have no problems visiting Boston once every two years as part of Clemson’s Atlantic Division schedule. Fenway Park, the oldest restaurant in America- the Oyster House and everything else the city has to offer is more than the average fan can take in just a weekend trip. The two drawbacks here are the location of the campus and the stadium. Boston College is located in Chestnut Hill, which is a 20-25 minute drive from Boston or a quick ride on the “T.” Also, there isn’t much going on near the campus and the stadium is small. Finally, BC pumps in this annoying rhythmic beat throughout the stadium during the game to help generate excitement for the fans. I’d rank this trip much higher if it weren’t for that annoying drum beat. I’m still bitter nine months after the fact.
GRADES: Stadium – C, City – A, Team – B, Atmosphere – C-
#3. ATLANTA – From a Clemson perspective, this is a great trip to make because it’s only two hours away. Bobby Dodd Stadium, while not the largest venue in the conference, has the Atlanta skyline as a backdrop and offers seating that makes you feel you are on top of the action. In addition, Clemson fans are always well represented in the stands because of the close proximity and the rivalry that exists between the two schools. I may be the only person in America that thinks The Varsity is overrated, but you can find plenty of other places to go after the game. Twisted Taco in Midtown, Neighbors in the Highlands, or Fado in Buckhead are three of my favorite establishments.
GRADES: Stadium – B, City – B+, Team – B-, Atmosphere - C
#2. CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – This may surprise some, but Chapel Hill, for a small town, offers plenty to do and is situated in a beautiful part of the country. Franklin St. has several establishments worth visiting, including “Top of the Hill” and “He’s Not Here.” And remember, we’re not talking about basketball. Clemson doesn’t go to Chapel Hill to lose football games. Kenan Stadium is picturesque during the fall, and looks even better after a Clemson victory.
GRADES: Stadium – B, City – A, Team – C, Atmosphere - C+
#1. BLACKSBURG, VA. –The atmosphere at Lane Stadium is outstanding. Within the ACC, only Clemson and Florida State compare. Virginia Tech, of course, has been one of the best teams in the conference since joining the league in 2004 so you know the quality of competition is going to be at an elite level. Furthermore, Blacksburg is a small town that comes alive during the fall, much in the same way Clemson does. And somewhat surprisingly, it’s a short drive from the upstate- less than four hours if you’re willing to book it. Hey, where else can you buy a turkey leg at a football game? Simply put, Virginia Tech is what college football is all about.
GRADES: Stadium – A, City – C, Team – A, Atmosphere - A
What is it that makes an ACC road trip so great?That’s a great question, and one that has many answers.
For today’s blog, I decided to try and wrap my arms around what makes a great road trip during football season in the ACC.
Is it the venue? The restaurants or bars? The fans? How about how well your team typically plays?
To different people a great road trip is a combination of things. For me, it’s about the quality of game itself combined with what else the city has to offer. For the most part, I’ve determined there are good and bad fans just about everywhere so I’ve eliminated that in constructing this list.
Having covered the last 57 consecutive Clemson games, here are my thoughts on the top five road trips for Clemson fans to take in the coming seasons:
#5. MIAMI – I’ll be the first to admit that the Orange Bowl is nothing to get excited about. In fact, it may be the most overrated venue in the history of sports. Sure, I recognize the historical significance of the games played there: Doug Flutie’s Hail Mary pass in 1984, the Super Bowls, the National Championship games. But Miami doesn’t make the list because of the stadium. The Orange Bowl needs a renovation in the worst way and that’s putting it nicely. Miami makes this list because of the city itself. There’s something for everyone- from resorts to fine dining to South Beach. If you can’t find something to do here … well then I don’t know what to tell you.
GRADES: Stadium – D, City – A, Team – B, Atmosphere – C
#4. BOSTON – I’ve said many times that Boston College has no business being in the ACC and I still feel that to this day. It’s too far away. I understand the importance of television markets. I understand academics, but this union of the northeast and the rest of the ACC is nothing short of odd. That being said, I have no problems visiting Boston once every two years as part of Clemson’s Atlantic Division schedule. Fenway Park, the oldest restaurant in America- the Oyster House and everything else the city has to offer is more than the average fan can take in just a weekend trip. The two drawbacks here are the location of the campus and the stadium. Boston College is located in Chestnut Hill, which is a 20-25 minute drive from Boston or a quick ride on the “T.” Also, there isn’t much going on near the campus and the stadium is small. Finally, BC pumps in this annoying rhythmic beat throughout the stadium during the game to help generate excitement for the fans. I’d rank this trip much higher if it weren’t for that annoying drum beat. I’m still bitter nine months after the fact.
GRADES: Stadium – C, City – A, Team – B, Atmosphere – C-
#3. ATLANTA – From a Clemson perspective, this is a great trip to make because it’s only two hours away. Bobby Dodd Stadium, while not the largest venue in the conference, has the Atlanta skyline as a backdrop and offers seating that makes you feel you are on top of the action. In addition, Clemson fans are always well represented in the stands because of the close proximity and the rivalry that exists between the two schools. I may be the only person in America that thinks The Varsity is overrated, but you can find plenty of other places to go after the game. Twisted Taco in Midtown, Neighbors in the Highlands, or Fado in Buckhead are three of my favorite establishments.
GRADES: Stadium – B, City – B+, Team – B-, Atmosphere - C
#2. CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – This may surprise some, but Chapel Hill, for a small town, offers plenty to do and is situated in a beautiful part of the country. Franklin St. has several establishments worth visiting, including “Top of the Hill” and “He’s Not Here.” And remember, we’re not talking about basketball. Clemson doesn’t go to Chapel Hill to lose football games. Kenan Stadium is picturesque during the fall, and looks even better after a Clemson victory.
GRADES: Stadium – B, City – A, Team – C, Atmosphere - C+
#1. BLACKSBURG, VA. –The atmosphere at Lane Stadium is outstanding. Within the ACC, only Clemson and Florida State compare. Virginia Tech, of course, has been one of the best teams in the conference since joining the league in 2004 so you know the quality of competition is going to be at an elite level. Furthermore, Blacksburg is a small town that comes alive during the fall, much in the same way Clemson does. And somewhat surprisingly, it’s a short drive from the upstate- less than four hours if you’re willing to book it. Hey, where else can you buy a turkey leg at a football game? Simply put, Virginia Tech is what college football is all about.
GRADES: Stadium – A, City – C, Team – A, Atmosphere - A
posted by Roy Philpott @ 3:59 PM
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