Remote stadiums/schools???

[TxSt02]

As you can see I am new to the site. This is a great place for us I-AA fans! Just curious as to what you all think is the most remote campus you have been to for road trips or what you have heard teams have had to do to get to their games. I went to Appalachian State last year and that was tucked up there and from what I hear teams have to fly into Charlotte and then bus it in from there... I imagine that the Montana schools and Idaho State games can be fun getting to as well. It was nice that most Southland Conference schools were pretty easily accessible. (maybe minus Nicholls State, kinda)

Thoughts? Thanks!

[GannonFan]

While I've never been, I can certainly look at maps and have heard this from other people that Western Illinois is virtually next door to the middle of nowhere. Macomb, Illinois is my pick for the remotest (may have made that word up) outpost.

[TxSt02]

maybe a big sky fan can help me out here but when teams play at either montana state, montana or idaho state where do the teams fly into for these games?

I know a lot of these places are remote including western ill but can a team or a charter fly in there not making too remote?

[GOKATS]

Northern Arizona is the toughest in the Big Sky Conf. If conditions are right you can fly into Flagstaff, but generally have to bus to Phoenix to fly out. Flagstaff is around 7.000' elev.

Both Montana schools, MSU and UM are easily accessible driving (both cities are on I-90) and both have good flight facilities.

Idaho St. and Weber St. are both a fairly easy drive from Bozeman if the roads are good, but can be a nightmare if it's snowing and blowing.

Eastern Washington is off the beaten path, but an easy drive from Spokane.

[GOKATS]

maybe a big sky fan can help me out here but when teams play at either montana state, montana or idaho state where do the teams fly into for these games?

I know a lot of these places are remote including western ill but can a team or a charter fly in there not making too remote?

Bozeman, Missoula and Pocatello all have good flight facilities.

[MR. CHICKEN]

NEVERAH BEEN TA ORONO........GUESSIN' IT'S DUH TOUGHEST TA GET TO....IN DUH A-10............UNLESS I-95......IS BACKED UP.........THEN.......SEVERAL O' DEM ARE TOUGH!.........:p...BRAWK!

[tarmac]

I went to Appalachian State last year and that was tucked up there



I guess the loss to APP didn't make your visit all that great. Hope you enjoyed the scenery.

[Thumper250]

Boiling Springs, NC is somewhat remote - but I wouldn't call 40 minutes from the Charlotte, NC airport and 40 minutes from G'Ville/Spartanburg airport that remote. So nevermind.

[TxSt02]

Boiling Springs, NC is somewhat remote - but I wouldn't call 40 minutes from the Charlotte, NC airport and 40 minutes from G'Ville/Spartanburg airport that remote. So nevermind.

Do you mean Boone, NC??? Also try 100 solid miles through the mountains... 150 miles from Greenville/Spartanburg... Sorry cowboy you are off a little there...

[TxSt02]

I guess the loss to APP didn't make your visit all that great. Hope you enjoyed the scenery.

No it was actually a real nice road trip. I saw my beloved Bobcats play on the road 4 times last year in 3 time zones. All resulted in losses... I was pleased with the mountains but not with the beer and wine bars only! Whats up with that?

[GeauxLions94]

I've never been there, but I can say it in three words ...

CULL - UH - WEE! :nod: :nod: :nod:

Geaux Catamounts! ;)

[AndrewFU21]

Do you mean Boone, NC??? Also try 100 solid miles through the mountains... 150 miles from Greenville/Spartanburg... Sorry cowboy you are off a little there...

He's talking about Gardner Webb, which is located in Boiling Springs.

I do know what you're talking about though with Boone, as my family and I used to drive up there from Raleigh every year when my uncle worked at Appalachian. It's sort of a pain to get to, but its some of the prettiest country you will see.

[TxSt02]

He's talking about Gardner Webb, which is located in Boiling Springs.

I do know what you're talking about though with Boone, as my family and I used to drive up there from Raleigh every year when my uncle worked at Appalachian. It's sort of a pain to get to, but its some of the prettiest country you will see.

Ok I am a dumbass... I was mixing up Boiling Springs and Blowing Rock...

[89rabbit]

Southern Utah for the Great West. The Jackrabbits fly into Las Vegas, NV and bus to Cedar City, UT.

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

Cornell in Ithaca, NY and Colgate in Hamilton, NY are the two most remote campus's i've been to. I always wondered what made someone build a school in Hamilton, NY. I could maybe see Ithaca because of it's location on fingerlakes but there's nothing in Hamilton NY.

[ccujacket]

Boone is such a pain to get to. I wonder how people ended up there anyway?

[89Hen]

Bozeman, Missoula and Pocatello all have good flight facilities.
http://www.legeros.com/hidden-raleigh/images/old-airport1.jpg

[GOKATS]

http://www.legeros.com/hidden-raleigh/images/old-airport1.jpg

Very funny!

:lmao:

[GOKATS]

Gallatin Field Airport.

http://www.gallatinfield.com/ ;) ;)

[grizbeer]

http://www.legeros.com/hidden-raleigh/images/old-airport1.jpg
C'Mon 89Hen, you know damn well all of our airports have grass growing on them to soften the landing. We don't have those fancy gravel runways the rest of the world has. ;) :D

Missoula has direct flights from Seattle, Salt Lake City, Denver, Las Vegas, Boise, and Minneapolis. For some reason no direct commercial flight to Chattanooga.

[I-AA Fan]

Good call on WIU ... I cast my vote there as well.

[blukeys]

Good call on WIU ... I cast my vote there as well.

I think there should be some credit given just for finding Macomb.

[89Hen]

For some reason no direct commercial flight to Chattanooga.
Maybe one more trip by the Griz and you can arrange that. :)

[89Hen]

Gallatin Field Airport
Hey, give me a smaller airport over a big one any day of the week! Looks like that would be nice to fly into.

[I-AA Fan]

Hanson field is actually nice. It is hard to get to once you are there ... it is up on a hill & surrounded. Lots of standing room. But it is one of the Rams training facilities.

[FL connection]

Charleston, IL is no thriving metropolis................OH, I forgot about all those beautiful corn fields on the way from Indianapolis or Midway in Chicago to keep me busy when I' m driving and moma's asleep. Of course, then Murray and Tenn.-Martin come to mind....... Gotta love that OVC...........connection out!

[eagle1]

EWU is only 10 miles from the Spokane International Airport. Cheney is definetly remote but is in better shape as far as getting to by air then ISU, Montana, MSU, Weber, NAU and probably Sac St. and PSU as well. NAU and ISU are the most remote places in the Big Sky. EWU buses to PSU, Montana, and Montana State so at least we don't have to mess with flying into these places :) .

[TxSt02]

EWU is only 10 miles from the Spokane International Airport. Cheney is definetly remote but is in better shape as far as getting to by air then ISU, Montana, MSU, Weber, NAU and probably Sac St. and PSU as well. NAU and ISU are the most remote places in the Big Sky. EWU buses to PSU, Montana, and Montana State so at least we don't have to mess with flying into these places :) .

Is NAU really that big of a problem to get into minus being so far from its fellow big sky members? Teams just dont fly into Flagstaff?

[eaglesrthe1]

http://www.legeros.com/hidden-raleigh/images/old-airport1.jpg


I hear that the control tower doubles as a deer stand :eek:

[GOKATS]

Is NAU really that big of a problem to get into minus being so far from its fellow big sky members? Teams just dont fly into Flagstaff?

The only time I flew into Flagstaff was on a charter from Bozeman for a football game. The airport sits at over 7,000' and has one runway.

There are small commuter flights from Phoenix, but severe weight restrictions- might work for BB, etc., but not suited for FB.

Teams generally fly into Phoenix & bus it to Flagstaff.

Nice facility once you get there though.

[ngineer]

Within the PL Colgate is definitely the most remote. Not even very good roads to get to Hamilton--especially in bad weather.
However, after Lehigh visited Western Illinois in the 2000 playoffs, I've heard that that place was in the middle of nowhere.

[Mr. C]

There really isn't much problem getting to Missoula at all (though they had to de-ice the wings before we went from Salt Lake City there for the 2000 semifinals). It is a nice airport and probably only a 10-minute drive to the stadium.

Cullowhee, N.C. is one of the strangest places on the planet to find a university, but is still only about 45 minutes or so from the Asheville airport, so Western Carolina isn't that tough, if you can find the place.

You have plenty of airport options to get to Boone, but it's two hours to Charlotte, Greensboro, or Tri-Cities. There is a small airport in Hickory (an hour away) and another in Winston-Salem (90 minutes), but they have very few flights. Maybe one of these days they will improve Boone International (hee hee).

As a conference, getting around the OVC is pretty bleak, outside of Tennessee State in Nashville.

[Eagle22]

I've never been there, but I can say it in three words ...

CULL - UH - WEE! :nod: :nod: :nod:

Geaux Catamounts! ;)


Someone on my board a few years ago had this quip:

Cullowhee - Indian word for "where in the hell are we ?" :D

The first time I went to Cullowhee I took the 'scenic' route through Rabun Gap to Highlands, then Cashiers, thinking the scenery would be nice in Autumn. I thought I had travelled halfway across the globe, when I saw the signs for Translyvania. Nice trip though ... seems remote for sure if you go 'the long way'.

[WCU LawCat]

No school comes close to WCU in Cullowhee. Cullowhee is not an actual town, its a community. Its the only "community" in all of Division I. App St. and Boone is New York City compared to its Blue Ridge buddy WCU in Cullowhee. Nowhere like it in the country...and we like it that way ;)

...and Cullowhee actually means "Vally of the Lilly." :)

[Purple Knight]

No school comes close to WCU in Cullowhee. Cullowhee is not an actual town, its a community. Its the only "community" in all of Division I. App St. and Boone is New York City compared to its Blue Ridge buddy WCU in Cullowhee. Nowhere like it in the country...and we like it that way ;)

...and Cullowhee actually means "Vally of the Lilly." :)

At Cullowhee, they use to put fans from both teams on the same side of the field so the ensuing fight would not interfere with the one on the field. The resulting injuries to locals were affecting the surounding economy (gas stations and bagging the wild-wood seed), so they put bleachers and later stands on the other side.

[Saint3333]

Boone maybe hard to get to, but it's worth it everything I go. That's probably why so many people visit and eventually retirement in that region. Conway is equal as hard to get to (driving) from major NC & SC cities such as Charlotte, Greenville, Raleigh, and Greensboro as there is no main highway. Isn't highway 73 going to run from Charlotte to Myrtle Beach? When will that open, like 2020, I love highway construction.

[rokamortis]

Conway is easy to get to - 100's of thousands of tourists pass through Conway every year on their way to Myrtle Beach. Granted - an interstate like 73 would help, but it isn't difficult now. It does make getting to from Charlotte a pain since you either take back roads or go through Columbia. Raleigh is actually an easy trip. I haven't driven to Greensboro so I don't know how easy / hard it is. Greenville / Spartanburg is just long due to distance, but it is mostly interstate.

They are still in the planning stages of 73 - hopefully they'll start soon - like in the next 10 years :rolleyes:

[Saint3333]

From Charlotte, Greenville, and Greensboro, Boone is much easier get to now that both 321 and 421 are 4 lane highways the majority of the way. I imagine a few 100K also travel to the high country due to the Florida transplants during the summer and ski season during the winter.

BTW on the way to Myrtle Beach this year I passed through a town called McBee, what's with that speed trap and that annoying sign with the figure pointing at cars going by?

[DCboyWCU]

I always thought cullowhee was easy to get to. I mean come on, millions of people come through this area every year going to the GSM and the casino. However anyone from the flatlands is going to think driving in the mountains sucks. We can't help the fact that you can't build roads all over national forest land.:rolleyes:

This is a question for anyone else from cullowhee. Now that we have purchased 300+ acres of land that backs up against the jackson co. airport, could flying straight to cullowhee be logical? I know they fly quite a few big millitary birds in and out of there. They come rumbling over my house every so often. It used to drive the dogs crazy!!!

DCboy@WCU

[golionsgo]

In our neck of the woods, Nicholls State is by far the most remote in terms of access. There is no interstate system or major 4-lane hwy access to Thibodaux directly. That said, it's not that bad of a drive from New Orleans or Baton Rouge, though I guess it's a matter of perspective like everything else.

[McNeese75]

Southern Utah for the Great West. The Jackrabbits fly into Las Vegas, NV and bus to Cedar City, UT.

:nod:

Takes a while to get there, but if you go by Limo, it can be a fun trip :D

[colgate13]

We take the PL crown at least. We're an hour away from anything else... and that anything else is about 4 hours away from something important.

[blackfordpu]

It isnt remote but SFA's stadium is a pain to get to. It is right in the middle of the campus and the parking sucks. If you plan on going to a game, get there early!

[ngineer]

We take the PL crown at least. We're an hour away from anything else... and that anything else is about 4 hours away from something important.

You guys win this one hands down. Colgate will now be my answer to my wife the next time she says, "Give me the remote." :D

[Charlie Don't Surf]

EWU buses to PSU, Montana, and Montana State so at least we don't have to mess with flying into these places :) .

I can understand busing it to Missoula (213 miles) but Bozeman is 417 miles away! That's a 6 hour trip at 70mph. Kinda long if you ask me. Unless the Eagles like to travel at 100mph on Montana's highways.

Portland is 342 miles away. Almost better of flying into PDX than busing it.

I have driven from Phoenix to Flagstaff and it is indeed a nice drive in the summer. In the winter as you gain elevation and it gets colder and snowy, it can be downright dangerous. And if you have to do this drive at night... :eek:

Can never get used to having my eardrums pop when I hit the 3,000 foot elevation mark. Never fails.

[TxSt02]

We take the PL crown at least. We're an hour away from anything else... and that anything else is about 4 hours away from something important.


If teams are not arriving by bus then what is the nearest airport they are flying into? thx

[colgate13]

If teams are not arriving by bus then what is the nearest airport they are flying into? thx

Syracuse - about an hour away.

[Mountaineer]

Boone may seem rather remote but it's a lot easier to get to now than when I was a youngin' who used to drive up from Greensboro to see my grandparents (back when 421 was still 2 lanes :eek: ).

Nowadays I'd say the drive up 421 is pretty smooth with a slight slowdown once you hit Watauga County. I believe they're currently widening and working on 321 out of Blowing Rock which will make the drive up from Charlotte (and surrounding areas) easier as well.

[Obzerver]

I can understand busing it to Missoula (213 miles) but Bozeman is 417 miles away! That's a 6 hour trip at 70mph. Kinda long if you ask me. Unless the Eagles like to travel at 100mph on Montana's highways.

Portland is 342 miles away. Almost better of flying into PDX than busing it.

I have driven from Phoenix to Flagstaff and it is indeed a nice drive in the summer. In the winter as you gain elevation and it gets colder and snowy, it can be downright dangerous. And if you have to do this drive at night... :eek:

Can never get used to having my eardrums pop when I hit the 3,000 foot elevation mark. Never fails.

Due to economics EWU not only busses to those sites, it's two to a seat and bring your own sack lunch!!

[The Gadfly]

BTW on the way to Myrtle Beach this year I passed through a town called McBee, what's with that speed trap and that annoying sign with the figure pointing at cars going by?

That's God warning you that you are about to help pay for "Mac" Bee's policeman's ball. Yes, I said policemAn.

As for going to Boone I would say that taking the interstate is the fastest, but the prettiest route is take Hwy 321 from Charlotte through Hickory, Blowing Rock, etc.

I would have to say that Statesboro, GA is in the smack middle of BFE.

[Ivytalk]

Among the Ivies, Go Lehigh is right that Cornell is the most remote place. Dartmouth is second, but Hanover is right off I-91.

[ccujacket]

I would have to say that Statesboro, GA is in the smack middle of BFE.

It's easy to get to though, sitting right off of 16. 95 to 16 from the East Coast. 75 to 16 from Atlanta northward.

[Go...gate]

I think it may be a toss-up between Western Illinois and Colgate.

[McTailGator]

As you can see I am new to the site. This is a great place for us I-AA fans! Just curious as to what you all think is the most remote campus you have been to for road trips or what you have heard teams have had to do to get to their games. I went to Appalachian State last year and that was tucked up there and from what I hear teams have to fly into Charlotte and then bus it in from there... I imagine that the Montana schools and Idaho State games can be fun getting to as well. It was nice that most Southland Conference schools were pretty easily accessible. (maybe minus Nicholls State, kinda)

Thoughts? Thanks!


Southern Utah is VERY difficult to get to if your trying to bring a Charter into thier little airport, which has a short runway that forces the plane to go to Vegas Phenix to fill up.

Vegas is a nice drive away, but it's hard for the teams to get in and out of the Cedar City Airport.

[DuckDuckGriz]

I would say Eastern Washington in Cheney has the most remote spot as far as feel in the Big Sky. You drive through basically a desolate wheatfield for miles where there are about 2 farm houses every 5 minutes and then BAM there's Eastern. Almost the same with Wazzu in Pullman.

No offense, but the drive to Cheney is nothing worth bringing the camera for.

[DuckDuckGriz]

I would say Eastern Washington in Cheney has the most remote spot as far as feel in the Big Sky. You drive through basically a desolate wheatfield for miles where there are about 2 farm houses every 5 minutes and then BAM there's Eastern. Almost the same with Wazzu in Pullman.

No offense, but the drive to Cheney in gloomy autumn/winter is nothing worth bringing the camera for.

[IaaScribe]

Is NAU really that big of a problem to get into minus being so far from its fellow big sky members? Teams just dont fly into Flagstaff?

I enjoyed my time in Flagstaff covering NAU, but the travel in this league, from Flag, was just brutal. Couldn't fly directly out of Flagstaff because the only flights that go in and out are to Phoenix.

So it's a two-hour drive, then wait in the airport for another hour, hour and a half, then fly to wherever. Never once flew into Poky. Always drove from SLC. Montanas weren't bad to get to because you could fly direct from Salt Lake.

After a Saturday night basketball game in Poky, it was often, get up at 4 a.m., get to the airport, fly to Phoenix then drive to Flag and get home by 3 or 4 p.m. Long days.

[IaaScribe]

Oh, and I'll add that I haven't been to a bleaker place for a game than Martin, Tenn. At the hotel in Union City, the maid came in at 3 p.m. to change the roach motel. Never seen that before ...

[bkrownd]

Nobody has mentioned Brookings, SD? Beuller?

[jackrabbit1979]

Brookings may be somewhat remote, it is a 45 minute bus ride from the Sioux Falls Regional Airport. It is however all interstate highway from the airport to Coughlin Alumni Stadium, and there is no traffic(by city standards anyway), ever.

I would assume most stadiums are between 15 to 45 minutes from the airport the visiting teams fly into.

[igo4uni]

Here is a map showing the location of Macomb:

Macomb, IL (http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?ovi=1&zoom=3&mapdata=gq%2bXeik9PDGGpSUVxw68S8RP3UhMgJj7D3%2bS8z jLooHERSHt4zI66WFzud9ayt%2bBth6BYPcy%2fGrYC8lbXAOe 7p1CqrmTWpWJzib8jx%2bA4AdzJp%2bsU7ydkAgkOxzkklwcju IYsGvoPODZcEfX4IT2ftqNj%2bXp0ucOCwNJynOCzUSDuELuhl TxFFt0AIIwKlnUknCmEgFmko1%2ffjWYLTOCp6h26tdKWwSfpn ATmQnEc3L4bJd1hewW%2fR5h0k8G3jULliuguXZoM7%2fVFjCW G31vVDLdWbtjRPjdwXss%2bH95Jx8IPEOZcd%2fnCTt7OlZtdI ROb0OE0yXaeR2ijJVY%2flB9NT1KZzwf2cggGpeIUwj2BUTJ%2 fib2diqvTTqxr8epWlkznKX%2bqsbOzLAL3AhSnAPZWjAYhWe9 wpoS)

It looks like Burlington, IA is one of the closest cities that would offer a decent sized airport. Peoria, IL doesn't look to be too far away either.

I think when UNI travels to Macomb, they take a charter and are able to fly directly into Macomb.

peace

igo4uni

[bkrownd]

Brookings may be somewhat remote,...and there is no traffic...ever.


There's a reason for that. If it was any more remote it would be called Minot.

[leatherneck177]

I would have to agree with Macomb being the most remote. I still think it has a great campus and stadium, but there are no major highways with Route 67 being one lane each way at some sections. Basically nobody drives through Macomb unless they are headed there.

It is a little over an hour from Peoria and about an hour from the Quad Cities. I don't think UNI would charter a flight to Macomb, I think a bus ride is 4-4.5 hours for them. I always thought they bused on the Friday night before.

[WIUFan]

I'm from Macomb originally (grew up there), and went to WIU. The closest interestate is about an hour away. Peoria is about an hour and half, quad cities are about an hour and 45 minutes away. Its in the middle of a corn field and the town is just a life support system for the college. Nice football stadium and campus though, the staduim is built in an valley so there is a lot of natural seating around the edges, and its the only natural surface in the gateway.

But, i think it has to be one of the most remote, because there is no good way to get there, and there is nothing else for miles around, but corn and beans. That's why I moved to St. Louis, three hours south, two lane the whole way! :)

[JALMOND]

Can't really see how PSU could be even considered "remote". Opposing fans can fly from wherever to PDX, catch the MAX train to take them to the stadium, enjoy the game, and catch the train back to PDX. I'd say a lot easier than flying into Phoenix for a trip to Flag-town, SLC for a trip to Ogden or Pocatello, or even Belgrade for a trip to Bozeman. Easy access for all.

I know a couple years ago, our radio guys were looking forward to the end of the NAU game so they could "thaw out" in Phoenix before the return to Portland. I guess it was a little chilly there in Flagstaff.

[Bearkats94]

SFA may not be hard to get to, but the ride there seems to take forever. It is just the roads are pretty old and rough. And you see the same thing all the way there. Trees, Trees, and more Trees :dizzy:

[Libertine]

Some of the most remote locations I've been to games are:

Lynchburg, VA (Liberty) -- Officially, the largest city in the US w/o direct interstate access. As Bill Murray once put it, "It's an hour from Roanoke which is 4 hours from everything else."

Boiling Springs, NC (Gardner-Webb) -- Nearest actual town is Shelby and they just demolished the hotel there.

Cullowhee, NC (Western Carolina) -- You know your town is small when Mapquest can't find it.

* Dover, DE (Delaware St.) -- * We went there the same week that NASCAR did. The nearest available hotel was Salisbury, MD and that was only open because the kitchen staff was on strike. We had to cross a picket line just to get on and off the buses and then drive another hour and a half to play the game. That weekend, Dover was remote indeed.

I had a buddy at Southern Illinois tell me that after living in Carbondale, he could sympathize with overseas missionaries.

[IaaScribe]

Can't really see how PSU could be even considered "remote". Opposing fans can fly from wherever to PDX, catch the MAX train to take them to the stadium, enjoy the game, and catch the train back to PDX. I'd say a lot easier than flying into Phoenix for a trip to Flag-town, SLC for a trip to Ogden or Pocatello, or even Belgrade for a trip to Bozeman. Easy access for all.

I know a couple years ago, our radio guys were looking forward to the end of the NAU game so they could "thaw out" in Phoenix before the return to Portland. I guess it was a little chilly there in Flagstaff.

There are a lot of folks who don't realize the temperature difference between Phoenix and Flagstaff, since some don't know that Flag is at 7,000 feet. It gets below zero during the winter up there, and a 35-inch snowstorm almost put the kibosh on my travel to Spokane/Portland for the EWU-PSU hoops trip last year.

[TxSt02]

There are a lot of folks who don't realize the temperature difference between Phoenix and Flagstaff, since some don't know that Flag is at 7,000 feet. It gets below zero during the winter up there, and a 35-inch snowstorm almost put the kibosh on my travel to Spokane/Portland for the EWU-PSU hoops trip last year.

I also heard an interesting thing on Phoenix and Flagstaff as well as the Grand Canyon.

They say the rim of the canyon is about the same temp as Flagstaff and that base of the canyon is the same temp as Phoenix. This goes year round to... Pretty interesting stuff...

[SUJaguar79]

Southern will find out for the first time in about ten years this year that Itta Bena, Mississippi is no joke. It's smewhere between Greenville and Cleveland, Mississippi. The only airport I can think of close is Jackson, in the center of the state. Itta Bena is North central Mississippi. I wonder how did all of those people get there to Mississippi Valley State when Totten and Jerry Rice were tearing everyone a new one in 1984.

[Black and Gold Express]

No it was actually a real nice road trip. I saw my beloved Bobcats play on the road 4 times last year in 3 time zones. All resulted in losses... I was pleased with the mountains but not with the beer and wine bars only! Whats up with that?

That would be the old folks in the town of Boone voting down Liquor by the Drink time and again. If you want a mixed drink, you have to go to Blowing Rock or Banner Elk.