Howdy Bama,
Somewhat resident Aggie here dropping in to bid you welcome to College Station this year. Sadly, our annual game is likely ending this year, so hopefully you are planning to make the trip. By now, we've been in the SEC a decade, so I can't imagine you need tips and pointers, as we oft gave when we joined the conference in 2012 (well, for your first visit in 2013). But do let me know if you need something I haven't covered.
Safe travels,
Gig 'em
Somewhat resident Aggie here dropping in to bid you welcome to College Station this year. Sadly, our annual game is likely ending this year, so hopefully you are planning to make the trip. By now, we've been in the SEC a decade, so I can't imagine you need tips and pointers, as we oft gave when we joined the conference in 2012 (well, for your first visit in 2013). But do let me know if you need something I haven't covered.
- Full Aggieland Experience: Fly in Thursday night or Friday morning, stay in Bryan / College Station and check out the Bush Presidential Library Friday, grab lunch somewhere, and head to Northgate (bar scene) for evening festivities. Follow the crowd to Kyle Field for Midnight Yell. Of course, it's an Aggie event, but fans from other schools are often found there, sometimes braving mingling in with the Aggies, or sitting in the wings taking it in. The tradition goes back over 100 years to 1913, when Corps of Cadets freshmen gathered to practice yells on the steps of a building on campus. The Yell Leader tradition sprang from it when the upperclassmen cadets made a few freshmen don janitor outfits to lead the yells, but discovered their dates found the freshmen interesting. Today, the Yell Leaders are all upperclassmen, but still wear the outfits (traditions have a way of sticking around at Texas A&M, haha). Today, Midnight Yell is understandably bewildering and admittingly strange to a visiting fan, but it all makes sense when you keep in mind Texas A&M was an all-male military college as late as 1965, with the first full co-ed classes graduating in 1975. Many of the small details that occur at Midnight Yell all have a thread of historical reasoning behind them (including the odd walking back-and-forth of the Yell Leaders, as well as kissing your date when the lights go out). Hotel rooms in town are likely gone (probably have been booked for months). Best suggestion if you haven't made reservations yet and assuming you are flying into Houston, pick something between Houston and College Station (as close to B/CS as you can get) and keep checking hotels in B/CS for cancellations. Alternatively, you can opt not for the full Aggieland experience and stay in another city and drive in and out of B/CS for gameday.
- Limited Aggieland Experience: If you're flying in and you'd rather stay in another city and drive in and out for gameday:
- Houston: Closest to B/CS. If coming in late Friday, simply stay anywhere along the route from Houston to B/CS, grab dinner in Houston somewhere (Houston has a great culinary scene). If coming in Thursday or early Friday, Space Center Houston would be interesting for space nerds (I actually volunteer there, haha) or the Museum District has nice choices of museums and, if a nice day, a walk in the adjacent Hermann Park and a trip to the zoo.
- Austin: Second closest to B/CS. Assuming you come in Thursday or early Friday, you could check out the Capitol and UT's campus, dinner and nightlife in the area of 6th Street is a common go-to for the typical Austin experience. And most can point you to other restaurants depending on the fare you're looking for. If you're really looking to get out in the area, check out Greune Hall for nightlife (about an hour drive from downtown Austin).
- San Antonio: Three hours from B/CS, so choose this only if you will be coming in for an extended time. No reason to stay here if coming in late Friday and just driving a lot Saturday.
- Galveston: I have heard of opposing fans staying in Galveston when taking in a game in College Station. To me, this is too much like staying in San Antonio - not worth the drive, unless you simply love beach towns and want to check out The Strand or Pleasure Pier.
- Gameday: On gameday, probably as with most road trips you may go on, be sure to tailgate and walk around campus before the game. But unlike most road trips, you likely will find Aggies a hospitable bunch, even inviting you to have a beverage or food at their tailgates. An hour and a half before kickoff, the Corps of Cadets will fire a cannon and step off of the Quad, led by the Aggie Band, to march in review down a street adjacent to Kyle Field and the student center. I think most opposing fans find it stirring and patriotic, as most ballads are military, except of course for the Aggie War Hymn and Noble Men of Kyle. All in the Aggie Band are in the Corps of Cadets, which, knowing A&M's history, explains why on gameday the tunes you hear them play are military ballads. Take in the atmosphere by getting to your seats about 45 mins to an hour early. While of course I wouldn't expect opposing fans to be "moved" by the singing of our alma mater, it is a tune fans sing loud, including a yell at the end, and simply feels like fall, even if you don't know the words. Stay in your seats at halftime to watch the Band, definitely a unique style. Depending on gametime, simply tailgate some more after the game or check out Northgate if you missed it the night before.
- Parking/Map: As with any sporting event of this size, parking can be a nightmare. I think traffic control does a pretty good job all things considered. If the reserved spots aren't already sold out, you can check this site: https://transport.tamu.edu/Parking/events/football.aspx and https://transport.tamu.edu/parkingmap/tsmap.htm?map=ft. If you want to leave promptly after the game, I advise not reserving in garages, as they back up with limited ways out. If you'd rather just cash pay when you arrive, notice the large lot marked in maroon/green. It's a bit of a walk, but it's a good option to miss a lot of traffic, and you will walk by a large area of tailgating (again, Aggies are quite hospitable). The lots marked E, the grassy area in front of it are full of tailgaters, as well as in Aggie Park on the other side of Kyle Field. If you zoom into the area just north of Kyle Field, you will note the intersection of Gene Stallings Blvd and Joe Routt Blvd. Here there is a "Fan Zone" with commercial options for entertainment (food, vendor displays such as gaming, etc.). Joe Routt Blvd is where the Band and the Corps of Cadets will march by about an hour and a half before kickoff.
Safe travels,
Gig 'em
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