RE: ACC Football - Ranking by Interest Level
This is an interesting thread idea. Mine is from a Pitt fan's perspective and it is strictly from a travel perspective as I attend most of Pitt's games home and away. Also, I am excited about all of these games for various reasons.
I apologize if I'm breaking the rules but here is my list:
1. Notre Dame
There is only one Notre Dame and South Bend is one of my favorite roadies (interestingly, Navy is also an unbelievable road trip). Highly recommended to all ACC fans. People hate ND's obnoxious fans - and with good reason as they have a ton of them. However, the truth is they are very hospitable in SB and the stadium just oozes atmosphere and tradition. It is a wonderful experience and you have to do it if you are serious about college football.
One word of caution though. If you have a big group (10-12 folks), rent a house in town instead of a hotel room 45 minutes away. Trust me when I tell you as a veteran of 10 or so trips to South Bend, that is definitely the way to go.
2. Clemson
This looks to be the best roadie in the ACC. I love the whole Howard's Rock thing and I am very interested in seeing it up close.
3. Florida State
Again, this looks like a great road trip and I am definitely interested in experiencing the, Tallahassee, uh, talent.
4. Miami
Miami is the most successful program in college football over the past three decades and though the game atmosphere is lackluster (Pitt's isn't much better), South Florida is always great. I think/hope this will be an annual Thanksgiving Weekend game and I am looking forward to that on a host of levels.
5. Virginia Tech
This game was becoming something of a rivalry when Virginia Tech was still in the Big East and I think it has a lot of potential to become fun and nasty (but hopefully not too nasty) in the ACC. I just have a feeling on this one.
Blacksburg is a beautiful little college town and that Enter Sandman thing is super cool. I'll be very excited to play down there again this year. I would love to play them on Halloween weekend every year and hopefully at night. That would be ridiculously cool.
6. Georgia Tech
I have always seen Georgia Tech as Pitt's long lost Southern cousin. I have no idea if they feel the same way but we share a LOT in common. A.) We're both very good schools with loads of successful grads and obscenely healthy endowments.
B.) We both have great football tradition.
C.) We both take football and men's basketball very seriously.
D.) We are both located directly in a major city.
E.) We both have to compete for recruits and attention with a very popular in-state rival.
To me that has all the makings of a potentially fierce rivalry in football and men's basketball. I am very much looking forward to that game and experiencing that atmosphere/campus.
7. Boston College
This one might surprise some people because the Eagles seem to be ranked so low on everyone else's list. However, Boston, Massachusetts is unquestionably one of America's best cities and it is an incredible road trip - especially in September. That makes all the difference in the world to me. You can go on a whale watch, take in the historical sites, catch a Sox game. Oh, and you have BC's GORGEOUS, if not spacious campus.
I LOVE going to Boston College for games. I have never had a bad time in Boston - never. It blows away NYC, IMHO. In fact, it's not even close.
8. North Carolina
I am told that North Carolina has one of the prettiest campuses in the country and that Franklin Street is a must do. I plan on testing out that theory.
9. Louisville
Is there a better athletic department in America right now? Not by my count there isn't. Also, the city of Louisville is very nice. The last time I was at Papa John's the stadium was just 42K seats but it was pretty nice. It was right across the parking lot from Churchill Downs and that was neat. Also, their fans are INTO IT! I think they will prove to be a better overall member than was Maryland; I really mean that.
Academically, UofL has work to do but athletically they are a rocket ship to the moon. Also, they are VERY committed to winning and that is a big deal. I think Louisville will be the next Virginia Tech for the ACC. That is they will come in and be extremely competitive from day one.
10. Virginia
Having been down to Charlottesville just a few years back when UVA SMOKED Pitt, what an unbelievable campus! Also, Scott Stadium is a great setting and I will definitely go back next year.
11. Syracuse
The Carrier Dome is very odd feeling but it's also very interesting. It feels like a different game there - almost like an Arena League game. I like that but it's not for everyone. Also, it was EASILY the loudest home field advantage in the Big East and it will be among the top home fields in the ACC too. That roof just retains all of that noise and it turns into an echo chamber. Also, if you play them in September, look out as it has no AC and gets as hot as balls!
Believe me, the irony insn't lost on anyone that a dome named after a major air conditioning corporation doesn't have AC. However that is the case up there.
The city itself isn't very good but Dinosaur BBQ is very cool and their campus is very pretty. Also, there isn't a prettier place in America that Upstate/Central New York in the fall. If you play them in October you really should go - especially if both teams are bowl type teams. They have a good atmosphere up there.
12. North Carolina State
As was the case with UVA, Pitt has recently played at NC State and I liked it. North Carolina is an amazingly diverse state with so much to see and do. Also, Raleigh is a very nice little city. I would definitely make that trip again.
13. Duke
I think I'll be more interested in this tip after they renovate Wallace Wade Stadium.
14. Wake Forest
I visited Wake when I was a senior in HS and considered going there. It was just a little too small for my taste and probably a little too far away too. However it was so cool and stereotypically Southern. That was cool to me and I will go down there too.
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