United Airlines has added 127 new nonstop flights to help college football fans travel to key games this autumn.
United Airlines Adds College Football Flights Again In 2023
This year, United Airlines will once again offer over 100+ nonstop “point to point” flights to key college football matches. United also did this in 2021 and 2022.
Here’s a look at a number of games that will offer additional nonstop service (all flights are now on sale at united.com):
- Sept. 2: Tennessee State University @ University of Notre Dame
- Sept. 3: Louisiana State University @ Florida State University
- Sept. 9: University of Texas-Austin @ University of Alabama
- Sept. 9: University of Nevada, Las Vegas @ University of Michigan
- Sept. 9: University of Cincinnati @ University of Pittsburgh
- Sept. 9: University of Notre Dame @ North Carolina State University
- Sept. 16: Northwestern University @ Duke University
- Sept. 16: University of Washington – Seattle @ Michigan State University
- Sept. 23: Ohio State University @ University of Notre Dame
- Sept. 23: University of Arkansas @ Louisiana State University
- Sept. 23: University of Mississippi @ University of Alabama
- Sept. 23: University of Iowa @ Penn State University
- Sept 23: University of Oklahoma @ University of Cincinnati
- Sept. 30: Louisiana State University @ University of Mississippi
- Sept. 30: University of Notre Dame @ Duke University
- Oct. 7: University of Arkansas @ University of Mississippi
- Oct. 14: University of Southern California @ University of Notre Dame
- Oct. 14: University of Arkansas @ University of Alabama
- Oct. 14: Louisiana State University @ Auburn University
- Oct. 14: Ohio State University @ Purdue University
- Oct. 14: University of Iowa @ University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Oct. 21: University of Tennessee @ University of Alabama
- Oct. 21: Penn State University @ Ohio State University
- Oct. 28: University of Pittsburgh @ University of Notre Dame
- Oct. 28: Ohio State University @ University of Wisconsin
- Nov. 4: University of Notre Dame @ Clemson University
- Nov. 4: Louisiana State University @ University of Alabama
- Nov. 11: University of Michigan @ Penn State University
- Nov. 11: University of Pittsburgh @ Syracuse University
- Nov. 18: University of Georgia @ University of Tennessee
- Nov. 18: Wake Forest University @ University of Notre Dame
As part of this increased service, USC Trojans quarterback and 2023 and Heisman Award Winner Caleb Williams will become a United brand ambassador.
CONCLUSION
It has been years since I’ve followed any sort of sports team, so this news does not appeal to me directly. Even so, I recognize the vast appeal that collegiate football holds for so many Americans and wanted to pass on the news.
Will you be traveling to a college football away game this season?
image: United Airlines
I’m betting that there are going to be a lot more flights added next year with USC and UCLA joining the Big 10, meaning that every week, a Big 10 team will fly cross country for a USC/UCLA vs (insert Big 10 team) matchup.
The thing about USC and UCLA is that they’re already next to LAX. The routes in this press release are about direct routes between regional airports, such as Cedar Rapids, IA to State College, PA.
Also, the flights in the press release are all 1-2 hours long and presumably on regional jets. Not near-transcons.
Long story short, I believe Big Ten Fans will have to fly to LA the way they normally do.
I agree…a good number of current Big 10 schools (that Trojans and Bruins fans would probably travel to) are already relatively close to major airports with existing flights out of LAX.
A couple outliers though that I could see are Penn State and Wisconsin. I doubt United would launch a special flight between LAX and State College for that, but you never know. (They currently serve it from ORD and EWR). I’d put Madison in that same boat.
The one that I could see UA launching though is LAX to Columbus (Ohio State), which would be pretty easy. Right now, only Spirit operates that route.
Michigan and MSU are big ones and close enough to DTW. Northwestern might draw some fans and is close to ORD. U of Minnesota is near MSP.
I know there’s a few others but I was just picking schools that would garner enough interest to travel from LA.
FIGHT ON!
Great idea and we know the fans traveling to these games will pay extra for convenience. And already pay inflated hotel prices in these towns on football weekends. Basic hotels in State College like the Days Inn that go for $100 on average get $500 a night on football weekends, and get booked up a year in advance.
My question on these added routes is if there is a similar return the next day? Or do you return on regular routes?
I don’t know what UA is doing in terms of returns with these flights, but AA is doing a flight from Nashville to Gainesville on the Friday (9/15) of the Florida vs Tennessee game, with a return on Sunday (9/17).
There is not normally any nonstop service between BNA and GNV.
I find flights like this interesting, and even sent an email to Matthew Klint in May of this year suggesting an article on this topic– nonstop city pairings for a special event.
Nice option for the Gators game, or Vols if so inclined. Depending where you are staying, as rooms in Gainesville are tough and expensive on game weekends. Nashville to TPA and a rental car may be a better deal as it’s a 2 hour straight shot up 75, with plenty of hotels along 75. Also AA has been running decent prices on the TPA-BNA to push the route, though game weekend may be full already.
And I agree, I like seeing these kind of stories on here.
A plane full of rowdy college football fans. What could possibly go wrong, lol. Wonder how many diversions there will be for drunken behavior.
Probably zero. 53,000,000 people fly into Las Vegas every year. Many of them are not stone-cold sober and clean and looking for a good night’s rest, yet how many flights divert along the way?
Disruptive passengers are a problem, but you have to look at it in the context of the idea that at any given time at least a few million people are in the air. It’s like a decent sized city exists in the sky. Some idiots get drunk and do stupid things, but if you had a city of 2,000,000 people that had only 2-3 arrests per day for stupid nonsense, that would be a really safe place.
Thanks for the statistics. I’ll do the math later.
I wish they would have added LNK-MSP this year. I guarantee it would sell well. There will be a ton of Nebraska fans attending a volleyball match in Lincoln on Wednesday night who will then need to get to Minneapolis on Thursday morning/noon for the football season opener against Minnesota. Only option is to drive up to Omaha for a Delta non-stop, or drive the 6+ hours. Even though I’m a United loyalist, it’s a bit too risky to take a United connection out of Lincoln to ensure we make the game.
Nebraska fans are beyond legendary. I can’t help but wonder why there isn’t a nonstop flight planned for every away football game.
An E175 from LNK can go nonstop anywhere in the continental US, and a full flight is what, 75-80 people? If Nebraska fans can fill an 50,000 seat stadium for every game for more than 50 years, it’s hard to imagine that they wouldn’t fill an 80 seat jet, especially if they knew such a service was available for away games.
Oxford to Tuscaloosa is a 2h 50m drive
Iowa City to Madison is 3h
Athens to Knoxville is 4h
Pittsburgh to Syracuse, Baton Rouge to Tuscaloosa, State College to Columbus (and others) are 5h.
I thought everyone in flyover country had a car. I guess not.
If you know college football and aviation, some of the city pairings raise questions– for example 9/3 LSU at FSU– well the game isn’t at FSU (FSU is in Tallahassee), the game is in Orlando (4hr drive minimum– usually close to 5).
So is the flight from Baton Rouge (BTR) to Orlando (MCO)? That would be pretty cool, as those two cities aren’t usually offered nonstop. But if it’s New Orleans (MSY) to Orlando, there are typically 8 nonstop flights on 4 airlines on a typical Friday between those two points.
Not sure where all the drama is coming from in some of these posts, however these flight adds are relatively common by UA and AA, and have been for years. It is a mix interesting of out and backs versus one ways on Fridays and Sundays.
For example Baton Rouge / Knoxville was routed out and back with the plane returning to Houston after but on others they sometimes go one-way with the out the. Fly to hub and the back. It just depends. They normally sell seats on the reverse flight if out and back and can be a good deal.
There are upgauges for home games also. BTR often gets 737s from IAH and Fridays and Sundays before and after LSU home games.
I cannot speak to DL but again AA and UA have done it for year successfully.