Ultimate road trip for Big 12 football fans: Five stadiums, 5 cities, 5 weekends

The assignment: Create the ultimate road trip — five games in five weekends in five different stadiums — for Big 12 college football fans.

We wanted rivalries. We wanted traditions. We wanted great college towns. We wanted distinctive stadiums and game-day experiences.

And we wanted a route that would make the journey between games part of the adventure.

The Big 12 gives us plenty of options, but these five stops offer a particularly memorable mix — from the intimate feel of a rivalry game in Manhattan, part of Kansas’ Flint Hills, to the spectacle of a Friday night in the foothills of Colorado with the Rocky Mountains as a backdrop.

Along the way, we’ll see old rivalries, newer conference matchups, some of the most distinctive college towns in the country and stadiums that take on a life of their own on game day.

Of course, there are practical questions to answer: Where should you stay? Where should you eat? When should you arrive? Where are the best places to tailgate?

We settled on Weeks 7-11 of the 2026 season, starting Oct. 17 and ending Nov. 13 with a Friday night in one of the most picturesque settings in college football.

The result is five very different game-day experiences, each with its own flavor. It’s a trip that covers hundreds of miles and takes us through five distinctly different corners of Big 12 country.

So buckle up. Five weekends, five stadiums and plenty of football.

The route: Manhattan → Fort Worth → Lubbock → Salt Lake City → Boulder.

Here we go.

Oct. 17: Kansas at Kansas State, Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Manhattan

Some rivalries are built on proximity, and the Sunflower Showdown is about as close to home as college football rivalries get.

Separated by about 85 miles, Kansas and Kansas State have been playing since 1902, with the winner getting the Governor’s Cup trophy since 1969.

Bill Snyder Family Stadium sits on the eastern edge of K-State’s campus, and on game day, Manhattan revolves around the Wildcats.

The atmosphere is distinctly Big 12: A packed stadium, a campus full of purple and a college town that embraces its football weekends.

The Little Apple’s combination of a walkable downtown, college-town energy and easy access to the Flint Hills make it an ideal destination for a football weekend.

Kansas State’s Bill Snyder Family Stadium will be a sea of purple when Kansas visits Manhattan on Oct. 17. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

THE MANHATTAN WEEKEND

Stay: Downtown Manhattan puts you close to restaurants, bars and the game-day action, while hotels near campus make for an easy trip to Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
Arrive: Friday afternoon gives you time to explore Aggieville and downtown before the rivalry weekend really gets going.
Game day: Get to campus early. Tailgating and the buildup around the stadium are a big part of the Kansas State experience.
Eat: Aggieville is the obvious starting point, with plenty of bars, burgers, barbecue and college-town favorites.

Oct. 24: West Virginia at TCU, Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth

West Virginia and TCU aren’t geographic rivals, with their campuses over 1,000 miles apart.

Then came the Big 12.

The schools joined the conference together in 2012, and the Mountaineers won a wild first meeting, 39-38. This will be the 14th meeting as Big 12 rivals (West Virginia leads 7-6).

That makes this a fitting stop on a trip through the conference — a game that tells the story of how much college football’s conference landscape has changed.

Now the matchup gives you an excuse to spend a fall weekend in Fort Worth.

Amon G. Carter Stadium sits on the TCU campus, where the brick architecture and intimate setting give the Horned Frogs one of the more distinctive home environments in the Big 12.

When the TCU student section gets going, Amon G. Carter Stadium comes alive with a roar that can be felt from kickoff to the final whistle. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

THE FORT WORTH WEEKEND

Stay: Near campus keeps you close to Amon G. Carter Stadium, while downtown Fort Worth offers more restaurants, nightlife and things to do.
Arrive: Friday afternoon gives you time to explore Sundance Square, the Stockyards or the city’s growing food scene.
Game day: Spend time around the TCU campus before heading into Amon G. Carter Stadium. The relatively compact setting makes it easy to soak in the atmosphere.
Eat: Fort Worth is a barbecue town, but don’t limit yourself. The city has become one of Texas’ more diverse food destinations.

Oct. 31: Arizona at Texas Tech, Galaxy Stadium, Lubbock

Halloween weekend in Lubbock? Yes please.

Texas Tech home games are known for their volume, their spectacle and a fan base that takes football seriously. Add Halloween weekend and you’ve got the ingredients for a memorable stop.

Arizona and Texas Tech are former Border Conference rivals, and this will be the Wildcats’ first trip to Lubbock since 1989.

Galaxy Stadium is located in the middle of the campus, putting you in the heart of the Red Raiders’ game-day environment.

And Lubbock gives you plenty to do beyond football. From the Buddy Holly Center and the National Ranching Heritage Center to the city’s wineries, breweries and West Texas food scene, there’s enough here to make the trip worthwhile.

Texas Tech’s Masked Rider is one of college football’s most iconic mascots. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

THE LUBBOCK WEEKEND

Stay: Hotels around Texas Tech put you close to Galaxy Stadium and the game-day action, while downtown Lubbock offers more restaurants, bars and nightlife.
Arrive: Friday afternoon gives you time to explore Texas Tech, the Depot District and downtown before Halloween weekend really gets going.
Game day: Get to campus early. Tailgating, the Red Raiders’ pregame traditions and the buildup around Galaxy Stadium are a big part of the Texas Tech experience.
Eat: Lubbock’s barbecue and West Texas beef are obvious choices, but the city has a broad restaurant scene. Save some time for a local winery or brewery, too.

Nov. 7: BYU at Utah, Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City

There are rivalries, and then there’s the Holy War.

BYU and Utah have been playing each other since 1896, making this one of the oldest rivalries in college football.

Now that both programs are members of the Big 12, the rivalry has taken on a new chapter.

The setting makes this one particularly special. Rice-Eccles Stadium sits at the mouth of Salt Lake City’s foothills, with the Wasatch Mountains rising dramatically behind it.

On a crisp afternoon in early November, it’s one of the most spectacular backdrops in college football.

Expect a raucous atmosphere at Utah’s Rice-Eccles Stadium when in-state rival BYU comes to town the first Saturday of November. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

THE SALT LAKE CITY WEEKEND

Stay: Downtown Salt Lake City puts you close to restaurants, bars and public transportation, with the stadium just a short trip away.
Arrive: Friday is the time to explore downtown, visit Temple Square and take in the mountain views before the rivalry takes over Saturday.
Game day: Get to campus early. The combination of the rivalry, the stadium and the backdrop of the Wasatch Mountains makes the pregame worth experiencing.
Eat: Salt Lake City’s food scene has grown well beyond its traditional staples, with plenty of local restaurants, breweries and coffee shops to explore.

Nov. 13: Houston at Colorado, Folsom Field, Boulder

A Friday night football game is a different kind of road-trip experience — and Boulder may be the perfect place for it.

Folsom Field is one of the most scenic settings in college football, with the Flatirons providing a backdrop that is difficult to duplicate anywhere in the country.

Add in a mid-November night game and you’ve got an atmosphere that will very different from a traditional Saturday afternoon in the Big 12.

Houston and Colorado are relatively new conference opponents, but that is part of what makes this a fitting final stop. After four weeks of rivalries and established football traditions, the trip ends with two newer members of the Big 12 meeting under the lights.

Then explore Boulder on Saturday before heading home.

When Ralphie runs onto Colorado’s Folsom Field before kickoff with her student handlers, it’s one of the greatest spectacles in college football. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

THE BOULDER WEEKEND

Stay: Downtown Boulder puts you within walking distance of restaurants, bars and Pearl Street, while keeping you relatively close to Folsom Field.
Arrive: Since the game is Friday night, arrive Thursday or early Friday. That gives you time to explore Boulder before kickoff.
Game day: Spend Friday around campus and Pearl Street before making your way to Folsom Field. The mountain backdrop is especially impressive as the sun goes down.
Eat: Pearl Street and downtown Boulder offer everything from Colorado-inspired cuisine to breweries, pizza and classic college-town food.

How to pull off all five weekends

Treat each stop as a weekend trip rather than trying to squeeze an entire city into Saturday. Arrive Friday when possible, get a feel for the campus or city before game day, and leave Sunday rather than attempting a long drive or flight immediately after the game.

Pack for changing conditions. October and November can mean warm afternoons, cool evenings and different weather across each state. Comfortable shoes are always important and a portable phone charger is a must when you’re spending an entire day on campus.

And remember, after five weekends of football, the final day is less about squeezing in another attraction and more about getting home and reflecting on the experience of a lifetime.

Manhattan delivers the quintessential college-town experience to open the trip.

Fort Worth brings the energy of a major Texas city with a strong college football identity.

Lubbock showcases the wide-open spirit of West Texas.

Salt Lake City provides a dramatic mountain backdrop for one of the fiercest in-state rivalries.

And Boulder closes the journey with one of the most scenic campuses and game-day settings in the country.

Five weekends. Five games. Five stadiums.

One very long but rewarding road trip.

Mike Garbett is a content specialist working with McClatchy’s Content Innovation Lab.