Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.

Winning travel plays for the college football fan

(ARA) College football is a game of inches and strategy, and for fans tired of being arm chair quarterbacks and sofa seat coaches, developing a plan to get to the big game can be just as daunting as putting on the pads on Saturday.

The competition is fierce: The Travel Industry Association of America found that approximately 52.7 million U.S. adults attended a sports event while traveling in the past year, and football is the second most popular sport for travelers.

So for alums, proud parents and good old fashioned fans, it can take more than luck to snag a deal on travel to the biggest Saturday blow-outs in college ball. But with a little know-how and creativity, game-inspired travel isn't out of reach, especially if you learn to play the game of online travel booking.

Try using the following travel plays to score a touchdown:

1. Keep Your Eye on the Sales

Over 63 million people turned to the Internet this year to plan and book their travel, and online travel sites will do what it takes to keep those internet surfers tuned-in. With regular sales and discounts available online, the astute fan will likely snag a deal to make the game.

2. Score Big Game Tickets Online

The world wide web can be the perfect resource for game-day tickets. Interested in the "Big Game" between the Stanford Cardinals and the UC Berkeley Golden Bears? Tickets to the 10th longest rivalry in NCAA Division 1A football can be found in unexpected places, like CheapTickets.com. The travel site now offers tickets to major games through its sports ticketing site: sports.cheaptickets.com

3. Package Your Travel for a Discount

If booking travel online, consider bundling your flight and hotel (and even car rental) together. More can be less, with bundled travel often offering significant discounts that you wouldn't find by booking separately.

4. Consider Staying Outside the Action

Big game weekends draw a big crowd, which can equal even bigger prices. Skip the mayhem of trying to book a stay with an overcrowded, overbooked local hotel, and try a neighboring town. You may find a more budget-friendly price, without losing the game-day energy.

So take your love for the game off the couch and into the stadiums this season, using these key travel strategies in your playbook.



Courtesy of ARAcontent