Most Isolated FBS College Towns In America

Visiting every FBS college football stadium is a daunting undertaking. But college football travel isn’t hard just because of the sheer number of stadiums along the journey (134 for 2024), it’s also the isolation of some college towns. Visiting all 30 MLB stadiums is a classic and rewarding sports fan pilgrimage, but all 30 MLB stadiums are easily accessible by international airports. But what about Lubbock, Texas, and Boone, North Carolina?

Some FBS college towns are dozens of miles from the nearest reasonable, non-charter airport. So, let’s look at the most difficult campuses to reach in 2024.

Methodology

For this list, we narrowed down “major airports” as 2,000,000 annual enplanements for 66 airports nationally. Each college town has its own smaller airport for charter flights. But for the sack of a general travel audience, who would fly int more major airports, I set the 2M threshold.

Looking for the closest college football stadiums to major airports? I used the same criteria for that article!

College Football Travel: Farthest FBS Stadiums to Major Airports

Of course, all of these time estimates don’t take into account traffic. For some cities, rush hour traffic could severely impact travel time. But for this article, we’re taking into account travel time without traffic.

8. Veterans Memorial Stadium, Troy

Airport: Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (Atlanta, GA)
Distance: 187 miles (2 hours, 50 minutes)

7. Bryant-Denny Stadium, Alabama

Airport: Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (Atlanta, GA)
Distance: 211 miles (~3 hours)

6. Lane Stadium, Virginia Tech

Airport: Richmond International Airport (Richmond, VA)
Distance: 225 miles (3 hours, 20 minutes)

As the crow flies, Lane Stadium is much closer to Richmond than 225 miles. But the most straightforward route to the stadium is taking I-64 to I-81 or U.S. Highway 460 (212 miles, but slower).

5. Kinnick Stadium, Iowa

Airport: O’Hare Internal Airport/Chicago Midway (Chicago, IL)/Eppley Airfield (Omaha, NE)
Distance: 221-250 miles (3 hours, 30 minutes–3 hours, 45 minutes)

Depending on day/time, travelers might want to decide on Chicago vs. Omaha. Though this article doesn’t factor into account traffic, Chicago traffic is among the worst in the country and an extra 30 miles might be worth it heading to Omaha.

4. Malone Stadium, ULM/Joe Aillett Stadium, Louisiana Tech

Airport: Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (New Orleans, LA)
Distance: 270 miles (~4 hours)/301 miles (4 hours, 30 minutes)

You’d be hard pressed to find two FBS stadiums closer to each other than these. Just 37 miles separates the two, who play in two separate conferences (and rarely face each other).

3. Martin Stadium, Washington State

Airport: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SeaTac, WA)
Distance: 292 miles (4 hours, 50 minutes)

2. Jones AT&T Stadium, Texas Tech

Airport: Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (Irving, TX)
Distance: 310 miles (4 hours, 50 minutes)

1. Albertsons Stadium, Boise State

Airport: Salt Lake City International Airport (Salt Lake City, UT)
Distance: 339 miles (4 hours, 50 minutes)

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Honorable Mentions

Kidd Brewer Stadium, Appalachian State

1 hour, 53 minutes from Charlotte
Despite distance-wise not being the farthest from a major airport, the drive into App State is as removed as it gets in college football. It sits squarely halfway between I-81and I-77. If the metric was distance from the nearest interstate, Kidd Brewer Stadium might be No. 1.

Bulldog Stadium, Fresno State

2 hours, 30 minutes from San Jose Mineta
Fresno might be the largest city without an interstate running through it. The drive in takes U.S. and state highways through vineyards and farms. You’ll have a full 150 minutes drive from San Jose, but the rural nature of the surrounding valley might make it feel longer.

Davis Wade Stadium, Mississippi State

2 hours, 38 minutes from Memphis
Mississippi State’s campus also sits far off the interstate system, about halfway between I-20 and I-55. What makes Starkville unique is its removal from any major city. Jackson is 2 hours, 15 minutes and Memphis is 2 hours, 45 minutes away.

Peden Stadium, Ohio

2 hours, 50 minutes from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky
The drive from Columbus International Airport is only an hour and 15 minutes, but Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky is the closest major airport to Athens. The drive in takes you down two-lane U.S. highways and through plenty of trees and hills.