Tips for visiting fans to Northwestern Football games

[collegefootballfan81]

Hey All,

My buddies and I are big college football fans, and we love traveling to new places for games. We’re working on a blog that gives tips to other football fans when they travel to away stadiums for games. I’m trying to review all the Big Ten schools, and I was hoping you’d indulge me on some questions about Northwestern football games. Basically, what I am asking is that if you and I met randomly on an airplane and I told you all about my trip to a Northwestern football game, you wouldn’t have to say, “You did it all wrong, next time you should …”

Since you guys are the experts on a perfect trip to see a Northwestern game, I wanted to see if you would answer a few questions. Feel free to answer any or all of them that you’d like, and if you can think of any other info I’ve overlooked feel free to throw that in there too!

TRAVEL

1. What’s the most convenient/cheapest airport to fly into? Is there a specific airline that is best/cheapest to fly on? (O’hare is the obvious airport that comes to mind, but if there are any other nearby ones people should consider too, please let me know….)

2. Suppose some travelers are a little more adventurous and don’t mind flying into an airport that’s a 3-4 hour drive away from the game if it would make for a cool drive or takes them by some cool sites/attractions – anything like that people should know about when they’re booking flights?

3. Is a rental car necessary? How is the public transportation system/Uber in the area?

HOTEL

4. What’s the hotel situation like over the weekend of a game? How good is airbnb, vrbo, etc. in Evanston and areas near the stadium? Are there any great resort towns nearby to stay at for a couple days?

FOOD

5. What are your favorite places to eat at around Evanston during the college football season? How is the food in the stadium (anything a one-time visitor can’t leave the stadium without eating)?

TICKETS

6. What is the best option for visiting fans to buy game tickets? School Ticket office? StubHub? Local Classifieds?

TAILGATING

7. Any general tailgating advice for a first-timer at a Northwestern game? Specific areas for visiting fans?

TRADITIONS

8. Some schools have unique game day traditions – do you guys do anything that’d be worth a visitor planning their schedule around? Are there any buildings or sites near campus or the stadium that visitors should check out?

OTHER ATTRACTIONS

9. If fans decide to make this more of a family vacation, what local sites/attractions should they make room for on their schedule? Any can’t-miss Historical/Educational or Fun/Entertainment sites?

SAFETY

10. Are there any general safety issues fans should be aware of? Any areas visitors should avoid for parking, walking, etc? I know every fan base has its share of bad apples, but would you classify your general fan base as hospitable/neutral/in-hospitable?

OTHER BIG TEN SCHOOLS

11. Lastly, since I'm trying to do this for all the teams in the Big Ten, I thought I'd ask if you have any experience traveling to other schools in the conference? Favorite/Least Favorite Big Ten school to visit for games? Any horror or success stories or general advice you'd give from your experiences?


As mentioned, feel free to answer any/all/none of the questions, and throw on any extra info that I may have overlooked. I’ll be sure to report back when our blog is posted so that you can see the finished product!

 

[shakes3858]

1. Palwaukee Airport is nice
2. Milwaukee has an airport.
3. Uber from Milwaukee's airport sounds pricey... but it sounds like you're loaded with dough.
4. There was an article awhile back about a guy saying if he were homeless, he'd sleep outside Buffalo Joe's. Then he can eat all the tasty morsels that are left on the bones.
5. Stadium hot dogs are fantastic and never ever run out.
6. Call the ticket office. They fill up fast. I'd order season tickets.
7. Avoid the potholes
8. Traditions: lake the posts. After the game, take the goal posts and throw them in the lake. Don't worry, the cops are cool with it.
9. I'd recommend Dave's Italian Kitchen following the game. It's very historic.
10. Yes, lots of bad apples. We border Chicago, you know. I'd Bring your pepper spray and mace... .maybe a handgun.
11. Favorite Northwestern. Least favorite, your alma mater.

Have fun getting someone else to do your research for you. #badjournalism

 

[NUCat320]

1. Palwaukee Airport is nice
2. Milwaukee has an airport.
3. Uber from Milwaukee's airport sounds pricey... but it sounds like you're loaded with dough.
4. There was an article awhile back about a guy saying if he were homeless, he'd sleep outside Buffalo Joe's. Then he can eat all the tasty morsels that are left on the bones.
5. Stadium hot dogs are fantastic and never ever run out.
6. Call the ticket office. They fill up fast. I'd order season tickets.
7. Avoid the potholes
8. Traditions: lake the posts. After the game, take the goal posts and throw them in the lake. Don't worry, the cops are cool with it.
9. I'd recommend Dave's Italian Kitchen following the game. It's very historic.
10. Yes, lots of bad apples. We border Chicago, you know. I'd Bring your pepper spray and mace... .maybe a handgun.
11. Favorite Northwestern. Least favorite, your alma mater.

Have fun getting someone else to do your research for you. #badjournalism

Shakes, this is your most well-written contribution. Merrick Garland approves.

 

[IGNORE2]

And palwauki is now chicago executive airport and a b!tch to route in and out of - if you are a pilot.

 

[Deeringfish]

Don't know why Shakes responded with such sarcasm. A large number of threads are dedicated to getting more people to go to the games and someone wants to actually help. I think we should make some good suggestions.

I don't have a ton of experience going to games and I'm not an alum so Evanston and tailgating isn't full of favorite haunts to me.

But where O'hare is the obvious airport, Midway sometimes has cheaper fares. Milwaukee airport is about 90 minutes north but is a delightful airport to fly in and out of. Milwaukee probably is more expensive but not a rat race there and easy traffic coming into Evanston and Chicago. Stay at one of the Milwaukee Airport hotels and save some $ if that works out for you.

Chicago is a great city and if you can swing it stay downtown for a few days and take the Purple line El (Elevated train) to Evanston.

 

[Eurocat]

http://www.gamedayevanston.com/Start.htm

 

[stpaulcat]

Not giving up my secrets--it has taken years to find great Evanston haunts that I don't want overrun by thousands of red or yellow sweatshirted fans from factory farms wherever in the middle west, drawn for an afternoon of cheese-nachos and shouting at Ryan Field.

 

[Fitz51]

These answers are all easily available on the internets.

/thread

 

[ricko654321]

1. Palwaukee Airport is nice
2. Milwaukee has an airport.
3. Uber from Milwaukee's airport sounds pricey... but it sounds like you're loaded with dough.
4. There was an article awhile back about a guy saying if he were homeless, he'd sleep outside Buffalo Joe's. Then he can eat all the tasty morsels that are left on the bones.
5. Stadium hot dogs are fantastic and never ever run out.
6. Call the ticket office. They fill up fast. I'd order season tickets.
7. Avoid the potholes
8. Traditions: lake the posts. After the game, take the goal posts and throw them in the lake. Don't worry, the cops are cool with it.
9. I'd recommend Dave's Italian Kitchen following the game. It's very historic.
10. Yes, lots of bad apples. We border Chicago, you know. I'd Bring your pepper spray and mace... .maybe a handgun.
11. Favorite Northwestern. Least favorite, your alma mater.

Have fun getting someone else to do your research for you. #badjournalism

Yeah, so brazenly trying to make money stealing other people's thoughts is pretty lame

 

[BosCat]

You forgot to add

12. Parking
I hear there are some really nice lawns on Eastwood Ave right near the stadium. Just pick one and park your fancy car or dirt-bike there, don't bother asking homeowners. If you are lucky, some nice former NU football players might check on your car and maybe even add a hood ornament......

 

[collegefootballfan81]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I sincerely meant no offense. Truth be told, I'm not sure I did a great job explaining my reason for asking so many stinking questions. The idea for this blog is to compile game-day tips for fans by fans, not simply an aggregation of Google search results (which are too often based on which restaurant or hotel has the best Search Engine Optimization team). Honestly, Googling would have been just as easy as this, but I believe that would lack a certain amount of richness that can only be obtained through human feedback. This was my attempt to get some human feedback from those who are most familiar with Northwestern Football.

As stated in the original post, you're welcome to answer any/all/none of the answers. For Shakes and the others that think it's ridiculous, I have no problem with your responses (in fact, I was quite impressed with Shake's level of commitment to the non-answer).

 

[VFL-82-JP]

Guys, he's asking good questions. You can google all you like, but not come up with as good an answer to these questions as a local can give you. You really should be willing to offer the dude your opinions, if you care about NU football. Enough with the sarcasm already; kittens are dying in large numbers.

Come ask about Tennessee on VolNation, fan, we'll help you out. *thumbsup* As one example: for the adventurous coming to a Vols game, try flying into Asheville, NC a couple of days early (2 hour drive east of Knoxville); it's a neat small city with a San Fransisco hippy culture kind of vibe, great place to spend an evening with locals in a tavern or three; then the next day drive through the Smoky Mountains, spend some time on a nature hike in the national park, and end the day cruising into Knoxville on the eve of the game.

See? It's not that hard to help the guy out a bit, give a little local color he might not find easily just googling it.

 

[Hungry Jack]

Yeah, so brazenly trying to make money stealing other people's thoughts is pretty lame

This is pretty much what TripAdvisor, Yelp, Angie's List, Twitter, Facebook, Amazon, Glassdoor, GoogleReviews, Foursquare, Pinterest, and pretty much every social media site on the planet is trying to do.

 

[Gladeskat]

Guys, he's asking good questions. You can google all you like, but not come up with as good an answer to these questions as a local can give you. You really should be willing to offer the dude your opinions, if you care about NU football. Enough with the sarcasm already; kittens are dying in large numbers.

Come ask about Tennessee on VolNation, fan, we'll help you out. *thumbsup* As one example: for the adventurous coming to a Vols game, try flying into Asheville, NC a couple of days early (2 hour drive east of Knoxville); it's a neat small city with a San Fransisco hippy culture kind of vibe, great place to spend an evening with locals in a tavern or three; then the next day drive through the Smoky Mountains, spend some time on a nature hike in the national park, and end the day cruising into Knoxville on the eve of the game.

See? It's not that hard to help the guy out a bit, give a little local color he might not find easily just googling it.

We already provided a TON of info for exactly these questions through the link above. That's why the site was created.

http://www.gamedayevanston.com/Start.htm

 

[Gladeskat]

As stated in the original post, you're welcome to answer any/all/none of the answers. For Shakes and the others that think it's ridiculous, I have no problem with your responses (in fact, I was quite impressed with Shake's level of commitment to the non-answer).

shakes is always highly committed towards providing impressive non-answers.

 

[GECat2]

Just my thoughts...
Travel - St. Louis Mccarran Airport is also convenient.
Tailgating -Visit the prostitutes who work Wildcat Alley.
Safety: Bring a knife and an attitude.

 

[Catslash]

If your oatmeal smells like urine in the morning don't eat it you'll have a better day.

 

[StreamCat]

1. Palwaukee Airport is nice
2. Milwaukee has an airport.
3. Uber from Milwaukee's airport sounds pricey... but it sounds like you're loaded with dough.
4. There was an article awhile back about a guy saying if he were homeless, he'd sleep outside Buffalo Joe's. Then he can eat all the tasty morsels that are left on the bones.
5. Stadium hot dogs are fantastic and never ever run out.
6. Call the ticket office. They fill up fast. I'd order season tickets.
7. Avoid the potholes
8. Traditions: lake the posts. After the game, take the goal posts and throw them in the lake. Don't worry, the cops are cool with it.
9. I'd recommend Dave's Italian Kitchen following the game. It's very historic.
10. Yes, lots of bad apples. We border Chicago, you know. I'd Bring your pepper spray and mace... .maybe a handgun.
11. Favorite Northwestern. Least favorite, your alma mater.

Have fun getting someone else to do your research for you. #badjournalism

When did we turn into A-holes?

 

[Gladeskat]

When did we turn into A-holes?

Turn into A-holes?

 

[Eurocat]

I dunno why so many are trying to pull this guy's leg. We all bitch and moan about how we have a tough time snagging big time recruits because our stadium is empty and now someone wants to spread the word about our game day experience and we chase him off. Weird.

Collegefootballfan81, I live literally half a globe away and can only make a game once every few years or so, and it has been a while, but for what it is worth, here are my opinions.

1. What’s the most convenient/cheapest airport to fly into?

O’Hare and/or Midway. Any money you save flying into anywhere else you will lose on the rental car. gas, etc.

2. Suppose some travelers are a little more adventurous and don’t mind flying into an airport that’s a 3-4 hour drive away from the game.

You would just be on boring interstates in the plains, I don't think there is anything interesting to see "on the road". Instead fly into Chicago two days earlier and have that family fun you ask about below.

3. Is a rental car necessary? How is the public transportation system/Uber in the area?

Absolutely not if you fly into Chicago and stay in Chicago or Evanston or Skokie. More about that in the gamday link above.

HOTEL

4. What’s the hotel situation like over the weekend of a game?

Evanston and Skokie are the most convenient of course. Chicago will always have a room here or there. And over the weekend the OHare hotels tend to be wide open unless there is a big convemtion going on, It goes without saying the earlier you reserve....

4b, How good is airbnb, vrbo, etc. in Evanston and areas near the stadium?

Prolly won't need this if you are just in for the game.

4c. Are there any great resort towns nearby to stay at for a couple days?

Chicago.

FOOD
5. What are your favorite places to eat at around Evanston during the college football season? How is the food in the stadium (anything a one-time visitor can’t leave the stadium without eating)?

There is no exceptional food at the stadium and it tends to run out, though some reports say it has gotten a teeny bit better over the past year. There is a small popular hot dog and burger joint astride the stadium that I always visit Mustards Last Stand. Lines will be long, but the chow is solid.

TICKETS

6. What is the best option for visiting fans to buy game tickets? School Ticket office? StubHub? Local Classifieds?

All of the above. Not trying to avoid the question. Literally....all of the above.

TAILGATING

7. Any general tailgating advice for a first-timer at a Northwestern game? Specific areas for visiting fans?

You would have to check this and other boards before the game as different teams decide on different areas to hang out in. Some on the (more than one mile away) campus, others on the nearby Golf Course. It depends. See more information at the gameday link above.

TRADITIONS

8. Some schools have unique game day traditions – do you guys do anything that’d be worth a visitor planning their schedule around? Are there any buildings or sites near campus or the stadium that visitors should check out?

I know what you are getting at, stuff like visiting the Grotto at ND or seeing Mike the Tiger in his cage at LSU. Nope, nothing like that, but there are some smaller fun things that happen in and around the stadium, see gameday link above.

OTHER ATTRACTIONS

9. If fans decide to make this more of a family vacation, what local sites/attractions should they make room for on their schedule? Any can’t-miss Historical/Educational or Fun/Entertainment sites?

Chicago has too much to describe, tripadvisor.

SAFETY

10. Are there any general safety issues fans should be aware of? Any areas visitors should avoid for parking, walking, etc? I know every fan base has its share of bad apples, but would you classify your general fan base as hospitable/neutral/in-hospitable?

Fans are friendly, the neighborhood is completely safe. No guarantees of course, you can get robbed anywhere, but it is safe. (Clarification - I am talking about the neighborhood around Ryan Field in Evanston. Chicago is a different story as you know if you follow the news, though from what my friends have told me, the bad things we read about almost exclusively happen away from the tourist areas, but you can't be too careful).

OTHER BIG TEN SCHOOLS

11. Lastly, since I'm trying to do this for all the teams in the Big Ten, I thought I'd ask if you have any experience traveling to other schools in the conference? Favorite/Least Favorite Big Ten school to visit for games? Any horror or success stories or general advice you'd give from your experiences?

I cannot comment. I had a great time in two visits to Madison. But that was, ummm, many years ago. Nebraska gets points for probably being the most welcoming and polite fan base in college sports that I am aware of.

All the best.!

 

[Noah121]

I'll give my two cents, none of which has sarcasm or avoidance techniques.

TRAVEL

1. There's O'Hare and Midway in Chicago, which are indeed the most obvious. You could also fly into Milwaukee or Rockford (each about 60-90 minutes away).

2. Not too familiar with the drive into Chicago from other places, but I think it's probably best to simply fly into Chicago.

3. You shouldn't need a rental car--there is frequent service to the area near Ryan Field by CTA buses, trains, and Metra trains. There's also a gameday shuttle which goes to and from Schaumburg.

HOTEL

4. When my parents came in for the Nebraska games, we were able to get hotels in Chicago and Skokie, but we didn't really consider Evanston hotels. (I don't really know much about the hotel situations, since I was a local for six years, and the only time I came as a visitor, I had "hotel" accommodations at a friend's pad).

FOOD

5. I really like Prairie Moon and Nevin's in downtown Evanston, and Bluestone near the stadium. I've never gotten concessions at the game (I very rarely get concessions at any game, no matter the place, so I'm not the right person to ask about that!)

TICKETS

6. Depending on the game, you should be able to pick up tickets on the day of the game. Of course, the seats may not be ideal. I have not tried StubHub or similar secondary-market tickets--while I was living in Evanston, I had season tickets and got my guests tickets via my season-ticket-holder privilege.

TAILGATING

7. I found many hospitable tailgates when I first got to Northwestern by just walking around. You shouldn't have too much trouble finding a welcoming tailgate. This is also a method that I met and befriended people during the early years of my Northwestern grad-school career.

TRADITIONS

8. Two and a half (or is it three?) hours before kickoff, the team's bus arrives, and parades into the stadium as the marching band plays the fight songs. This is probably not unique, but is one of my favorite traditions. I am not aware of any other major game-day traditions outside of the stadium.

OTHER ATTRACTIONS

9. Given that downtown Chicago is only about 20 miles from Ryan Field, that somewhat speaks for itself.

SAFETY

10. I never felt unsafe in Evanston, even later in the evening near the stadium. Granted, I feel safer when riding my bike, even at night, than walking no matter where I am.

Most of the "touristy" areas in Chicago are relatively safe, but of course, you want to take the usual precautions when travelling anyway.

OTHER BIG TEN SCHOOLS

11. Before I was a Northwestern grad student, I was a Nebraska undergrad. At both Nebraska and Northwestern, the fans are by-and-large nice and hospitable. I never got badmouthed when I went to Nebraska games as a Northwestern student, wearing gear that included Northwestern logos. Then again, I'm not the type to cause trouble or be bothered by playful smack talk.

I also went to Minnesota for the Minnesota/Nebraska game last year, and it was a solid experience.