Let’s get ready for some 2026 college football, but instead of me previewing the contest on the field, let’s think ahead about possibly heading out to road games and how to get there, what to do when you’re there (aside from football and tailgating), and some unique places to visit depending on your travel needs.
Also, I don’t have the scratch to do this myself, so allow me to entertain myself with the fantasy that I could go to an away game and enjoy myself, shall we?
Game Time: September 19th, 11 am CT (Noon ET); Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium
Tickets: If you don’t have any, on Stubhub they are currently going for $180 a piece (if you’re getting two tickets) in the nosebleeds, but there are lower levels seats from the mid two hundreds and up, and one lunatic is selling lower levels for $174 a piece right now, so act fast, if you can.
Getting There
By Car – I’ll use Atlanta as the starting point, but it’ll be a solid ten hour drive to get there, roughly 707 miles. Depending on your ride, that’s likely two tanks of gas. For my Ram 1500, that’d be about 300 dollars round trip, maybe more affordable for a economy car.
By Plane – According to Google Flights, your cheapest days to leave are Tuesday or Thursday. Frontier has a connecting flight option that runs $264 round trip on Thursday and $240 on Tuesday. Wednesday or Friday flights are $518, though there is a connecting option via American Airlines for $459 dollars. Of course, these are flights from Hartsfield, so it might differ for you depending on your home airport.
Where to Stay:
I opted for a Thursday-Sunday stay using Booking.com, and here’s what I came up with…
Closest Available to Razorback Stadium:
Nothing – At this point, the only available listings that are within walking distance are apartments…which run from 4k up. There is one place with five rooms left that’s a little stretch of the legs called Moxy Fayetteville for $1319.
Near the Stadium, But a Bit of Walk or an Uber There:
On the Stadium side of I-49 are two options: Candlewood Suites ($1257 for three nights) and Staybridge Suites ($1429). Just on the other side of I-49 are slightly more affordable options: Super 8 ($530), Baymont ($507), and Days Inn ($659).
What to Do When You’re There:
Family Types – If you’re the outdoorsy family, take a visit to the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks (note – Fridays they serve beer and wine on the lawn, if that helps), or you can take the kiddos on a blast to the past by visiting the Arkadia Retrocade, which houses 100s of retro arcade games. For $5 a piece, you can play all you want. Heck, maybe go there even if you don’t have kids. There’s also Lokomotion, which is a family fun poark with go karts and rides for the littles. And, if you have kids who have the rare gift of an interest in museums, there’s the Arkansas Air and Military Museum.
Adult Fun – There are the Razorback Regional Greenway and Centennial Parks if you want to get outdoors and need place to bike or run for exercise types, or if you want to get your exercise doing a pub crawl, you can follow the Fayetteville Ale Trail to what looks like a long and buzzy (and expensive, likely) trip through breweries around town. Multiple sites seemed to suggest the best brewery, if you don’t want to wander all over, is Fossil Cove, though depending on your taste and thirst, they all look pretty good.
If you’re into shopping and antiques, give the Fayetteville Funky Flea Market a looksy. For the arts and entertainment folks, there’s TheaterSquared and Walton Arts Center, although both don’t have anything listed for performances the weekend of the game, so check back closer to the game to see if anything is going on.
For nightlife, it’s Dickson Street, and catching some live music at George’s Majestic Lounge, where you can catch Ultra Suede for a happy hour show at 5 pm on Friday (apparently, they are very entertaining and gets the crowd moving), or Khaki Onion at 9 pm, which seems like a pretty cool band to watch if you want to stay up late and hair of the dog it the next day at the game. Don’t forget, it’s an 11 am kickoff, gang. I still have bad memories from the 1998 Outback Bowl regarding staying out late in Ybor and sweating it to an 11 am start the next day. I think.
Additionally, downtown you’ll have a host of watering holes to choose from, from Maxine’s Tap Room for proper cocktails (once an Esquire “Best Bar in America”), Vault if you’re a bourbon lover, Pinpoint for cocktails and pinball, and Sidecar Cocktail Lounge, which seems to have a Athens vibe to it from what I can see.
Where to Eat: I hesitate to put this here, especially if anyone here has been there and knows a better place, but here’s my attempt to put you on some places people seem to rave about. For burgers, everyone seems to be pointing to Hugo’s, which seems to have a wide array of options on the menu outside of the burgers, but the burger is apparently their signature dish. Of course, there’s BBQ galore, including Wright’s in nearby Johnson and people seem to like Penguin Ed’s.
For sandwiches, et al, people seem to rave about Hammontree’s – Northwest Arkansas’s Destination for Grilled Cheese (?). Seriously, if you look at the menu, and if you like grilled cheese, this could be a somewhat religious experience for you. Remaining in the melted cheese arena, if you’re looking for a good pizza and beer joint, a place that’s a little uptown but gets a lot of good reviews is Smokin’ Oak.
For breakfast, look towards The Big Biscuit, which is open for breakfast and lunch only (also seems to be pretty kid friendly) or if you’re a late riser and looking for a good brunch, people seem to like The Farmer’s Table Cafe.
I’m sure there’s more options, and it’s a town with a college so opportunities surely abound.
If you’ve been to Fayetteville for a game, drop your recommendations in the comments below.
I have an alternative plan. I’m going to PCB to fish for snapper and grouper that weekend. I’m not going to Arkansas unless there are a LOT of ducks within 35 yards involved.
The retrocade sounds pretty cool, but I don’t ever see myself traveling to Arkansas for football. Like mentioned above, ducks take me there every year and that is likely the only thing that ever will.
I’m heading out for an international work assignment that day, but Fayette Nam sounds like there’s fun to be had. I would be all over that retrocade.
If you’re willing to spend over $200 a night to stay in a Motel 6 (or 8, whatever) just to see a football game, you may want to reexamine your priorities. 😉
If the Waltons and Tysons supported Arkansas football like they do basketball, they would be a force to be reckoned with.
Kirby is probably going to inflict as much pain as possible on Silverfield for his comments about Georgia while he was in Memphis.
Just stay outside of Fayetteville. Bentonville, Rogers, etc are all decent places and not far.
My one trip there we stayed in Bentonville. It was a group decision that worked out well.
I’ve been years ago. Downtown was lots of fun – reminded me of a mini-Athens downtown, plenty to do & the people were very friendly. We parked in a yard of what appeared to be student housing and had no issues & walked to the stadium. Short drive up to the ‘Waltons 5 & dime’ which then was a museum in Bentonville.
One story – we found a bar downtown on that Thursday and tech was playing Miami. We were cheering for the Canes and the bartender was surprised. ‘Aren’t they from Georgia too..?’ Oh to live in a world with just not that many true rivals.
My in-laws lived in that area for years. We went to a couple of Dawg games in Fayetteville. It’s a nice area up there and the weather can be nice, or it can be hotter than hell. Fayetteville has lots to do, plus the surrounding areas are nice.
Was just up that way last month for Miatas in the Ozarks. Great driving roads up there. Good barbeque, and they cook pigs, like nature intended.
Thanks but no thanks. Had a lifetime of those plastic pig heads in NOLA in 1968. Still got that 16-2 in my head sometimes.
Yeah, that was a major disappointment for sure. But we’ve gotten payback in spades since then.
You are so right. I was a young pup then and my folks gave me tickets for Christmas. I thought l had gone to heaven. Me and a bunch of buddies went, slept allday, stayed out all night, except of game. Pre superdome. Outside in old Tulane stadium. About 12 of us in one room. Anyway, other than game, we had a ball. We didn’t have the money to go high dollar. I see today in Athens all the high dollar bars. We had to pool our money to buy a 12 pack. No Marker whatever at 5 points for us!! Good for them. I loved it when it was simple and l love it still! Never will forget those days in God’s Country!!! Go Dawgs!!!
Five hour drive for me. Leaving Friday @ noon. Will stay south & west of Fville. Drive in Sat morning. Then straight home post game. Hopefully home by 7pm Saturday night.
Have been to Fayetteville 3 times but always stayed at least 3 hours away. The last trip out there was during Covid and we actually stayed in Memphis which made for an incredibly long day of driving/football/driving but at least there was no traffic. The Arky fans I have interacted with have always been very friendly and they pretty much know their place. I do, however, wish we played them in Little Rock like we did in 2015 (I think).
Thanks for the great insight.
Much appreciated 👏
Take that budget to Vegas and watch the game in a sports book room without placing any bets. Cheaper, better food, more to see and do.
Went to Little Rock in ’14, was not impressed….
I really had no idea that going to an away game in the SEC was going to run me over $3,000. I think I’m going to stay home and watch it in the comfort of my air conditioned living room on a 70 inch TV. The beer is 33° and the room is 75°. I hope all you lawyers have fun out there. I will be cheering you and our DAWGS on as a Bulldog fan living in the land of the seminoles. F fsu. Go DAWGS.
Went during the Donnan days, 2000 I think; and Dawgs blasted them. Bruce Thornton for a pic 6 early and the route was on. Was an Italian place nearby that also served great fried chicken: https://thevenesianinn.com/
Herman’s was a great place for a steak after the game but Mr. Google says they have closed.