College Football HQ

Best and Worst College Football Cities: Big 12 Rankings

Let's explore the best and worst college towns in the Big 12. Here's a look at the best college football cities to visit inside the Big 12 conference.
Jonathan Adams|
Nov 1, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders before the game against the Arizona Wildcats at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Nov 1, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders before the game against the Arizona Wildcats at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

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Colorado BuffaloesUtah UtesBYU CougarsUCF Knights

The Big 12 continues to look a lot different since the departures of Texas and Oklahoma, but the revamped conference still offers plenty of excitement, especially for college football fans looking to travel. Full disclosure, College Football HQ on SI was going to rank the best college towns in the Big 12.

The challenge is the conference has a lot more cities than the old Big 12, which offers a different experience. College towns offer their own charm, especially on gamedays.

Yet, cities allow fans to potentially plan some epic sports weekends with many of these places hosting professional teams or have a few in driving distance. From snow-capped mountains to beaches, the Big 12 covers a diverse landscape for outdoor enthusiasts.

Fans will have their own criteria, but here's a rundown of how these rankings were determined.

Big 12 teams with a high ranking include those with a great college football gameday environment, appealing stadium and in cities that are desirable for tourists. Those cities with pro sports or teams in driving distance was also viewed as a plus but not a requirement.

Worst Big 12 Cities Ranked: Houston and Kansas Headline List of Places With Room to Grow

No. 16 Houston

If we were just building a massive sports weekend, it is hard to argue against Houston. Yet, the Cougars gameday atmosphere ranks below other Big 12 teams.

There are no shortage of great food options in Houston. Fans can also potentially check out the Astros, Rockets, Dynamo or Texans among others.

No. 15 Kansas (Lawrence)

Kansas boasts a newly renovated stadium, but the gameday atmosphere ranks lower than some of the more historic places on this list. If this were based on college basketball, Kansas would rank much higher.

The nice thing about Lawrence is it is less than an hour away from Kansas City. It is more than doable to check out a Chiefs game the next day following a college football Saturday in Lawrence. The basketball history area on campus is great for visitors to check out as well.

No. 14 Arizona (Tucson)

Having been on Arizona's campus, it is quite scenic. Overall, Arizona is a great state for visitors, especially those who love to golf or hike.

Like Kansas, Arizona would rank much higher if these were basketball power rankings, but the football team still has some work to do.

No. 13 Baylor (Waco, Texas)

The actual gameday experience at Baylor looks fun thanks to the relatively new stadium on the Brazos River that allows for a unique sailgating experience. For fans wanting to see other sporting events during a weekend, Baylor makes that challenging given Dallas is quite a drive.

Waco does have an airport, but many fans may end up flying into DFW or Love Field which provides more options for most cities. It also presents quite a drive to get to Baylor.

For fans of Dr. Pepper as well as Chip and Joanna Gaines' growing Magnolia empire, Waco will be high on the list.

No. 12 Cincinnati

Cincinnati checks all the boxes when it comes to being a major sports city with the Bengals and Reds among the pro teams in the area. On the right Saturday, fans could parlay a Cincinnati game into a trip to Ohio State as well if one team plays early and another in primetime.

Nippert Stadium can get loud, but there are other environments higher on my list.

No. 11 Oklahoma State (Stillwater)

Oklahoma State stadium
Spirit Rider Avery Langley rides Bullet after a score in the first half of the college football game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys and the Iowa State Cyclones at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday Nov. 29, 2025. | SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oklahoma State's Boone Pickens Stadium ranks high on my bucket list as a gameday experience I want to experience. The challenge is the entire trip is going to be about visiting Stillwater thanks to its location. It does not help that the football team has been on the ropes in recent years.

College Football Rankings: Top 10 Best Big 12 Cities to Visit

No. 10 Iowa State (Ames)

Iowa State provides a stellar gameday atmosphere, and it will be interesting to see how the program moves forward without Matt Campbell. It is about a two-hour drive between Iowa State and Iowa's campuses.

Ames' location likely means your weekend will be about Iowa State football. If the schedule hits just right, fans may be able to see both Iowa and Iowa State play on the same day if you are willing to do a bit of driving.

No. 9 West Virginia (Morgantown)

West Virginia
Nov 30, 2024; Lubbock, Texas, USA; The West Virginia Mountaineers mascot celebrates after a touchdown against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the second half at Jones AT&T Stadium and Cody Campbell Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images | Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

It has been a while since Morgantown was thriving on gameday, but this can be one of the top environments in college football when West Virginia is competing for conference championships. Fans can squeeze in a Steelers or Pirates game as well with Pittsburgh being less than one and half hours away.

If you are looking to make it a long weekend, there are several skiing options within driving distance of Morgantown. Be sure to take the PRT, the school's automated bus system, during your visit.

No. 8 Texas Tech (Lubbock)

Texas Tech's glow up has been unreal, bringing back what can be an elite atmosphere. The challenge is if you're going to a Texas Tech game, that is pretty much going to be your weekend as a result of the location. Much has been made about Lubbock's underrated food scene.

No. 7 TCU (Fort Worth, Texas)

TCU stadium
Nov 29, 2025; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; A view of the field and the fans and the fireworks during the second half between the TCU Horned Frogs and the Cincinnati Bearcats at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

TCU's Fort Worth location ranks pretty high when it comes to creating a possible bucket list sports weekend thanks to the chance to see the Cowboys play at AT&T Stadium in Arlington as well. There is also the Mavericks and Rangers among the other pro sports options.

Fans of the hit show "Landman" know TCU's campus is beautiful. The stadium often offers a pregame happy hour with heavily discounted food, sodas and adult beverages. Golf fans will want to visit PGA Headquarters in nearby Frisco with several courses as well as a massive putting green open to the public.

No. 6 Arizona State (Tempe)

Kenny Dillingham has Arizona State as a desirable football destination, and not just for its Tempe location. The campus is located just outside of Phoenix providing fans with an epic roadtrip of golfing, hiking, and yes, football.

For sports fans, the Suns, Cardinals and Diamondbacks all play just a short drive from campus.

No. 5 Kansas State (Manhattan)

Kansas State fans rightfully trolled me when I put out my personal Big 12 city power rankings and had Manhattan too low in 2023. Since then there has been even more conference realignment, and I have been to two Kansas State games.

Bill Snyder Family Stadium is as good as it gets thanks to its signature white stone and rowdy student section. Manhattan may not be a major city, but Kansas City is just a short drive away for fans wishing to see the Chiefs' iconic Arrowhead Stadium. There is also the option to catch a Royals game or simply load up on good barbecue.

No. 4 UCF (Orlando, Florida)

UCF's Bounce House offers one of the more underrated college football environments, especially when the Knights are winning. It has been a challenging transition to the Big 12 for UCF but visiting fans will still feel themselves bouncing on gamedays.

Orlando is a big win for families who can visit Disney World and Universal (shout out to the new Super Nitendo World for Mario fans). There are additional sports options with the Magic and Orlando City playing in downtown Orlando.

Cocoa Beach is about an hour drive from campus. For NFL fans, Tampa is an easy drive if you want to see the Buccaneers play on a Sunday.

No. 3 BYU (Provo, Utah)

It does not get much better than the view of the mountains from LaVell Edwards Stadium. The play on the field helps boost BYU's rankings even more, as if the Provo scenary needed any help.

Grab a Cougar Tail (its a donut, not the actual animal) and enjoy the view. Provo is less than an hour drive to Salt Lake City for fans wanting to catch an NBA or MLS game.

There are obviously no shortage of skiing options as well. Utah's campus is less than a one hour drive from BYU if you want to make an epic college football weekend. Simply make a travel plan for when the two teams are not playing at the same time of the day.

No. 2. Utah (Salt Lake City)

Utah edges out its rival thanks to the thriving Salt Lake City location. The MUSS student section makes it difficult on opposing fans.

Utah's Rice-Eccles Stadium provides one of the most unique settings in college football with mountain views for days. Spend the day in nearby Park City, go to a Jazz game or hit the slopes.

No. 1 Colorado (Boulder)

Ralphie
Ralphie the buffalo runs the field with handlers before a college football game between Colorado State and Colorado at Folsom Field on Saturday, Sep. 16, 2023, in Boulder, Colo. | Lucas Boland/The Coloradoan / USA TODAY NETWORK

Coach Prime's Colorado may have lost some of its shine after Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter headed to the NFL, but it is hard to argue against Boulder. To paraphrase Deion Sanders, it is not hard to find.

From Ralphie to views of the Flatirons, Folsom Field is a must visit. Boulder itself is a unique college town with plenty of local restaurants, coffee shops and bars.

Denver is just a short drive away which opens up the possibility of seeing the Broncos, Rockies, Avalanche or Nuggets play.

Even if Colorado's play on the field does not improve, fans will find it hard to have a bad visit to Boulder. Something tells us Coach Prime should not be counted out just yet.

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Jonathan Adams
JONATHAN ADAMS

Jonathan Adams is a veteran sports writer who has written for notable outlets and interviewed some of the top athletes for more than 10 years. Since 2015, his sports coverage has been read by tens of millions and has been prominently featured on Heavy, NFL.com, Yahoo Sports, Pro Football Talk, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report and more. Jonathan is a member of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and a voter for the Maxwell Award and Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year. He has interviewed many of the biggest stars in sports — Bryce Harper, Jayden Daniels, Justin Jefferson, Bijan Robinson and Micah Parsons to name a few — and has traveled the country to cover the College Football Playoff, NFL draft, Masters, March Madness, Senior Bowl, McDonald’s All-American Game and beyond. Jonathan Adams studied at the University of Central Florida and The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology. He holds master degrees in sport business management, business administration and theology & culture.

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