School: University of Texas – Austin
Team: Texas Longhorns
Location: Austin, TX
Conference: Big 12
Stadium: Darrell K Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium (Capacity: 100,119)
“Everything’s bigger in Texas” and that could possibly be true when you walk up to Texas Memorial Stadium. The upper deck literally towers over the stadium and allows you to see the Texas landscape for what seems like forever. There is something about Texas Football – forgive me for a second Sooner fans – that makes you admire their program with a touch of jealousy. Whether it’s the beautiful burnt orange unis, the classic “hook ’em” tagline, or the catchy Texas Fight song, Texas football is a brand worthy of admiration.
The Weekend
Travel: Austin-Bergstrom is an easy 20 minute drive from downtown Austin and the campus is walking distance from there.
Lodging: Austin being a larger city, hotels should be easier than most smaller college towns. I prefer staying right downtown rather than closer to campus – the W Hotel is near the river and a few blocks from 6th street which is the best area for bars and restaurants.
Local Food: You could go in all different directions here – and I would suggest it. Rather than getting too complicated, I would steer you towards TexMex and beef brisket. La Condesa is a good mexican restaurant to visit and Franklin Barbecue would be a good spot to try some “burnt ends”. You could spend a week touring the city’s best options so bring an appetite.
Local Drink: Again, far too many options here to list, but what you want to do is head down the 6th Street (6th and Congress would be a good place to start) and there are countless bars and cocktail lounges to visit. Midnight Cowboy, Roosevelt Room, Whistler’s are all good spots to try. Also, check out Half Step which is a bit off the beaten path, but indoor/outdoor scene to soak up some Texas heat.
The Tailgate
One of the best parts of tailgating at Texas is the hospitality that the locals show. While you may be at your own tailgate, you no doubt will be invited to others by strangers to try their food or have a beer. There are a lot of professional “tailgate parties” that you can attend by buying a wristband open to the public (Longhorn Tailgaters is one example) and given how difficult it is to secure a tailgate spot that may be your best bet. Most of the tailgating occurs south of the stadium in the parking lots. Tailgate Guys professional tailgate setup is the only organization that can set something up for you, so if you choose to go it your own I would lock something up with them. Otherwise, bring your boots, dig into some burnt ends and crack open a cold one because this is one of the best tailgating experiences around!
Unique Tradition
One of the great fight songs in college football is sung right before and after the game. “The eyes of Texas are upon you…” is something of a rallying cry from the fans to the players – and a great tradition to book-end a Texas football game.
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