Top 5 Cities for Football Fans

Autumn is the season for going back to school, raking leaves, pumpkin-spiced everything, and… football!

Football – the National Religion of America – is played all over the United States, from Maine to Hawaii, but some places surely stand out as meccas for fans. Or, at least, excellent destinations to catch pro and college teams in action. Here are five great cities where you can indulge your pigskin passion this fall.

Dallas, Texas

Everything is bigger in the Lone Star State, and that includes Texans’ unabashed love for the game. There’s the entertaining Dallas Cowboys, of course – America’s Team – who play in the most technologically advanced, architecturally stunning arena in the NFL, AT&T Stadium (in Arlington). Long-time NCAA Division I powerhouses Southern Methodist University and Texas Christian University play the nation’s top college squads every year – as well as each other, alternating games at Gerald R. Ford Stadium (SMU) and Amon G. Carter Stadium (TCU).

South Bend, Indiana

The most legendary team in college football plays its home games at fabled Notre Dame Stadium, located right on campus and seating 77,622 rabid fans. After the game – win or lose – the Band of the Fighting Irish play the Alma Mater, "Notre Dame, Our Mother," while students link arms and sing along. Join a guided tour of the campus and visit the Grotto, the Golden Dome, the Word of Life Mural (irreverently known as “Touchdown Jesus”), Hesburgh Library, the breathtaking Basilica of the Sacred Heart, and the campus bookstore.

Los Angeles, California

Once again, LA is home to two NFL teams – the Rams and the Chargers – who will be sharing the new Los Angeles Stadium at Hollywood Park when it opens next year. Currently, the Rams play at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and the Chargers at Dignity Health Sports Park. California’s largest stadium, the Coliseum is also home to USC’s Trojans, perennial NCAA standouts whose crosstown rivals, the UCLA Bruins, play at the famed Rose Bowl (which, of course, also hosts the annual New Year’s Day College Football Playoff Game).

Miami, Florida

Capping this NFL season will be Super Bowl LIV, the 11th time the event has been held in Miami – a record. The big game will kick off at Hard Rock Stadium (originally named Joe Robbie Stadium), home to the Miami Dolphins as well as the University of Miami Hurricanes, a perennial NCAA elite team that formerly played at the immortal Orange Bowl. The Florida International University Panthers, who play in Conference USA, make their home at Ricardo Silva Stadium.

New York City

Legendary sportswriter Dick Young proclaimed that the “Big Apple” was actually more of a “Big Orchard” when it came to sports, stretching beyond the bounds of NYC’s five boroughs to include northern New Jersey, where MetLife Stadium is home to the NFL’s NY Giants and NY Jets. Aside from having a pro game every weekend during the season, New Yorkers also enjoy city-based and nearby college games, at Columbia, Wagner, Rutgers, and Hofstra. In addition, West Point is only an hour away, with intimate Michie Stadium perched hillside above the historic campus and overlooking the magnificent Hudson River.

Each of these football-crazy American cities has its own distinct flair. To get in on all the hard-hitting action, contact a Liberty Travel consultant.