How to Enjoy Game Day Without an Access Pass

By August 31, 2012

If you never got around to purchasing a game pass, cannot afford tickets or do not have either for some reason, you are not doomed. The game itself may be the highlight, but game days have much more to offer. You do not necessarily have to physically be in the stands to get in on the Razorback football experience.

Of course, you could be a hermit and stay cooped up in your dorm room and watch the game on TV alone, but that would not allow you to experience Razorback Nation at its best.

For most students and fans, the fun of game day starts way before kickoff. Tailgate parties are a lively tradition that are sure to continue this year. Join in on a friend’s tailgate or pop your trunk and host your own with drinks, grilled burgers, hot dogs and the works. Arrive early enough for a good spot, check on the regulations beforehand and get a group of students together. You could even invite your parents or friends you have not seen since move-in to tailgate. You could watch the game on TV or tune in to the radio afterward.

Get creative with your display of school spirit. Few places exist where it is socially acceptable to wear a red plastic snout with an elastic string on one’s nose, but the UA campus happens to be an exception, so feel free to be decked out in Razorback gear.

If tailgating in the hot sun all day does not strike your interest, you may consider hosting an indoor football party. You are not the only student without game access, so invite friends over for food and drinks while watching the game on TV or listening to the radio broadcast. You and your friends could even go play your own game of football afterward. There may not be quite as much hype surrounding it, but depending on your skills, it may not be something you want televised or radio broadcasted anyway. You could also attend or host a pre-game party with friends who are going to the game. The same goes for an after-game party.

Fayetteville is packed with sports bars and barbecue restaurants ideal for enjoying sporting events without actually having a ticket.

Foghorn’s Wings, Burgers & More on 15th Street and Sassy’s Red House on College Avenue will be showing the game. Farrell’s Lounge Bar & Grill on Dickson Street is available for private parties for up to 35 guests, which means you could invite up to 34 family members, friends or fellow students to enjoy classics with a twist and drinks while watching the game a mile away from the stadium.

Buffalo Wild Wings on Joyce Boulevard, Whole Hog Cafe on College Avenue and Hutch’s Sports Bar on Colt Square Drive are also options to consider. JJ’s Grill & Chill features live music in addition to broadcasting the game. On Sept. 1, the night of the first football game against Jacksonville State at 6 p.m., acoustic/rock/soul artist Jovan Arellano is scheduled to play at JJ’s at 8:30 p.m.
Boar’s Nest BBQ, located on Steamboat Drive, will be playing the first game on the radio and the rest of the games thereafter on television.

All of these restaurants can be found on urbanspoon.com or the Urbanspoon app, which provide reviews, menus, price ranges and other information, so you can plan ahead where to eat and enjoy the game before game day.

Just because you are without a ticket or game pass does not mean you are bound to spend all day pouting in your dorm room. The stadium is not the only place to enjoy the excitement of football games. No UA student has an excuse to miss out on the school spirit of Razorback football season, game pass or no game pass.

  • http://twitter.com/rickyallen2 Ricky Carney

    THANK YOU!  I was looking for a list of who is playing the game this weekend!