Best and worse FCS college towns?

[Big McLargehuge]

I haven't been to too many FCS towns (from Pittsburgh and spent most of my time in FBS/DII territory before moving to Montana) and I'm definitely biased with Missoula and Bozeman, so I'll leave them off...


Best: Missoula/Bozeman.

Okay, I didn't want to include either of them but it was hard since most of the places I've been with FCS teams are in larger cities where they get overshadowed (aka almost anywhere in the east coast that has a population base). I haven't done a road Griz game yet so the only non-Griz or Cat base I've been in has been Greeley (brother lives in Colorado)...Bozeman is crazy about the Cats and Missoula is crazy about the Griz. Obviously I prefer Missoula, but I'm equally obviously biased. I'm planning on going on a roadtrip to a game this season, so hopefully I can get another point of view in the Big Sky at least.


Worst: Greeley. Just a lousy town in every way. I have no qualms with the school or the football team (I'm a Steelers fan and the Bears gave us Aaron Smith, so until they start presenting a threat to the Griz I'll still have a soft spot for them) Greeley is just ass.



As for the whole Appalachian/Mountains thing...Missoula has mountains...as does Boone. The Appalachians are generally nothing compared to the Rockies (Lolo Peak right outside of Missoula represents a good 3,000 foot difference between it and the highest point in the Appalachians and many others around the area are higher than that) but they're still mountains and anyone arguing that is just stupid...especially when we're talking about the Smokies. No matter how anyone wants to sculpt the definition of a mountain, Boone has them and Appalachian State is surrounded by them. I'd love to visit that area some day as I've only been to the eastern parts of the state before...I'm sure once I did it would probably right up there with Missoula.

[Ursus A. Horribilis]

Who the **** said it wasn't up there?

The people that said Boone isn't in the mountains.

The only guy that said that I think is a UNC fan and you listed Missoula as the reference so I'm sure you can see my confusion on the issue.

[MR.3G]

Coastal Carolina University

Conway / Myrtle Beach SC- Coastal's campus is located minutes from one the eastern shores biggest tourist destinations; and that destination being Myrtle Beach. These are just some of the spots that make this area so great!

Campus:


Broadway at the Beach:


Planet Hollywood:

Myrtle Beach:

[Seahawks]

New York City - The Big Apple

Fordham
Columbia
Wagner

[Skjellyfetti]

The people that said Boone isn't in the mountains.

The only guy that said that I think is a UNC fan and you listed Missoula as the reference so I'm sure you can see my confusion on the issue.

Pretty sure GRIZ MOBSTER is a Montana fan. That's just an assumption though......

[eagleskins]

Statesboro is a great college town. Small southern town with a big university. Great weather if you can stand heat, unreal hotties, and a lot of character. GSU's campus is beautiful, and now the town is really growing around the university.

Worst college towns I've been to are Columbia, SC, Cullowhee, NC, and Chatty, Tennessee.

[JALMOND]

Having been to all the Big Sky cities, I can say that they all really are great places to be and great places to go to school. Some of the best skiing in the country (and in some cases, the world) are within minutes of the conference cities. Great fishing and hunting as well. And as far as scenery, none of them are too bad. My opinion, but there are several great cities in the FCS that would fall short of even the "worst" Big Sky city, whichever one that might be. None of them are the perfect city, but all are great.

[dbackjon]

Flagstaff is a great college town - lot to do, beautiful location, close enough to Phoenix that you can go there if you want.


Now Murray...not so much You do have LBL close by, which is nice, and I think you can actually buy liquor there now, so it is looking up.

You are correct The Lakes & LBL are nice and Nashville is near by ,other than the campus which is great, the rest of town is quiet.It is now a "Moist" town. Liquor with food only. County line isnt far away.

Tennessee State Line Liquor Store - friend to Murray State Students

[dbackjon]

Boone, NC: 3,333 above sea level
Missoula, Montana: 3,209 feet above sea level

Flagstaff, Arizona: 7,000 feet above sea level

[CatMom]

What I remember most about driving across TN is all the Adult Superstore adverts

[rueful]

As far as the mountain debacle, I grew up in the Shadow of Mt. Raineer. Nothing is a mountain like thats a mountain. I said it in the low down on LU thread, but the entire PNW (which for me includes Montana) is a place that few from the east have been to, but if they did they would understand that the entire eastern seaboard has barely an inkling of natural beauty.

Further, Lynchburg is give or take the home of the Peaks of Otter, which if you google, have a pretty funny story. Apparently, when the first settlers arrived to america that came that far inland, they saw the Peaks of Otter and declared them to be the tallest mountains in the world. Eventually it became tallest in america, tallest this side of the mississippi, tallest in Virginia, and now they are just two giant hills that take an hour to hike up. Talk about an exaggeration, which is quite normal for Lynchburg I suppose.

[rueful]

And Myrtle Beach is only good for golf vacations. Its a town of crappy beaches and Jersey Shore rejects. Not that lynchburg is better, we have 0 beaches, but if your gonna go to a beach town, get your money's worth and go elsewhere

[Tribe4SF]

No offense to William and Mary fans... because it's a great school and I love the campus and most everything about the school........ but, Williamsburg has to be the worst college town I've ever been to.

Williamsburg is a little sleepy from a college student perspective, but I have to object to the characterization coming from an ASU fan. My last trip to Boone was in 2001, and the highlight of the weekend was the Boone Christmas parade where the loudest applause was for the Suburban Propane truck.

[AshevilleApp]

San Marcos sits on the edge of the hill country. If you look at pics of the campus, even from the stadium, you can see the rolling hills.

A River (San Marcos River) runs through it (the campus) and Sewell Park (on campus) is a great hang-out spot between classes and weekends. (for swimming, etc)

The town now has about 15,000 and built up because of the U. 30,000+ students add to the population. Austin is 30 miles north and San Antonio is 45 miles south (gotten to quickly because of the interstate). There are a lot of places to go tubing, hiking, running, etc., and a lot of bars, etc within SM but many go to Austin's famous 6th street, on weekends. Lots of lakes, rivers and low mountains in the area, a Six Flags in SA and Schlitterbahn in New Braunfels (about 20 miles south)

Most everything you need to do, or need to buy can be had in and around SM.

I do have to say I love seeing pics of App St. Always loved the mountains.

App St doesn't have Mountains and for sure Texas doesn't either. Come to Colorado and you'll see mountains.

But you won't see football.

[SunCoastBlueHen]

Delaware mountain -

[Franks Tanks]

There is a difference between a college town and a place where a college student will have a great experience.

State College PA, Oxford Miss., Boone N.C. are small towns that revolve around the college. Those are college towns.

NYC and Portland are great places to attend college, but they arent college towns.

[mcveyrl]

No offense to William and Mary fans... because it's a great school and I love the campus and most everything about the school........ but, Williamsburg has to be the worst college town I've ever been to.

Williamsburg is a little sleepy from a college student perspective, but I have to object to the characterization coming from an ASU fan. My last trip to Boone was in 2001, and the highlight of the weekend was the Boone Christmas parade where the loudest applause was for the Suburban Propane truck.

I actually disagree with Skyjelly and foa11 about Williamsburg. Since this is in the football page, I'm equating my experience with trips to football games and W&M is one of my favorite road games to go to. The proximity of the stadium to post-game "delis" is great. You can park for the game, tailgate, go hang out somewhere post-game and walk back to your car very easily.

I think your experiences in away towns are going to vary depending on who you're there with. I have a group of close friends that are W&M alums and we try to always go to the JMU-W&M game, so going with alums helps. My guess is that you have a much different experience in Harrisonburg if you go with bandl than if you go with a group of newbies.

I'm not fond of ASU, but I've only been with a group of JMU fans or uncommiteds, so I don't think I've gotten the true "Boone" experience.

[Tribe4SF]

Williamsburg is a little sleepy from a college student perspective, but I have to object to the characterization coming from an ASU fan. My last trip to Boone was in 2001, and the highlight of the weekend was the Boone Christmas parade where the loudest applause was for the Suburban Propane truck.

I actually disagree with Skyjelly and foa11 about Williamsburg. Since this is in the football page, I'm equating my experience with trips to football games and W&M is one of my favorite road games to go to. The proximity of the stadium to post-game "delis" is great. You can park for the game, tailgate, go hang out somewhere post-game and walk back to your car very easily.

I think your experiences in away towns are going to vary depending on who you're there with. I have a group of close friends that are W&M alums and we try to always go to the JMU-W&M game, so going with alums helps. My guess is that you have a much different experience in Harrisonburg if you go with bandl than if you go with a group of newbies.

I'm not fond of ASU, but I've only been with a group of JMU fans or uncommiteds, so I don't think I've gotten the true "Boone" experience.

Visiting for a W&M game is a good experience for the reasons you cite. With College Delly, Paul's, The Green Leafe and the Hospitality House right across the street from Zable Stadium it makes for a pretty good experience.

Obviously you didn't get to see the Suburban Propane truck on your visit to Boone. My second favorite experience there was the Army/Navy Store, which was a survivalist's dream!

[ASUG8]

Statesboro is a great college town. Small southern town with a big university. Great weather if you can stand heat, unreal hotties, and a lot of character. GSU's campus is beautiful, and now the town is really growing around the university.

I think your post kind of points to the likely initial intent of the thread - IMO, the definition of a college town is kind of a symbiotic relationship between the school and the town. When I think college town the ones that immediately pop into my head are Chapel Hill or Athens Ga., since they have a pretty small town atmosphere with a school playing a huge role in what goes on there. I haven't been to Statesboro but it sounds similar in nature to Boone or Missoula where the town and the school are very intertwined.
The mountain debate is silly - there's no question that the Rockies are taller than the Blue Ridge range, but to assert that there are none here or Texas and only exist in Colorado is crazy. Hell, the city of Flagstaff sits at 200 ft. higher than Mt. Mitchell in NC, which is the highest peak East of the Mississippi.

[ASUG8]

I actually disagree with Skyjelly and foa11 about Williamsburg. Since this is in the football page, I'm equating my experience with trips to football games and W&M is one of my favorite road games to go to. The proximity of the stadium to post-game "delis" is great. You can park for the game, tailgate, go hang out somewhere post-game and walk back to your car very easily.

I think your experiences in away towns are going to vary depending on who you're there with. I have a group of close friends that are W&M alums and we try to always go to the JMU-W&M game, so going with alums helps. My guess is that you have a much different experience in Harrisonburg if you go with bandl than if you go with a group of newbies.

I'm not fond of ASU, but I've only been with a group of JMU fans or uncommiteds, so I don't think I've gotten the true "Boone" experience.

Visiting for a W&M game is a good experience for the reasons you cite. With College Delly, Paul's, The Green Leafe and the Hospitality House right across the street from Zable Stadium it makes for a pretty good experience.

Obviously you didn't get to see the Suburban Propane truck on your visit to Boone. My second favorite experience there was the Army/Navy Store, which was a survivalist's dream!

PM me the next time you go to Boone - clearly you missed 99.5% of the things to see there. I've never seen this truck you speak of, but I'll add it to my bucket list.

[GannonFan]

Besides the allure of the big city schools like UMass, Nova and the like ,who has the most to offer its students and recruits ?
Who is the worst or most boring place to live for 4 years ? Example, I heard the smell at Northern Colorado was horrible.(I cannot confirm this personally).

Seriously, 3 pages of comments and only one or two postings pointing out the silliness of the initial comment? UMass is a big city school - in tiny sleepy Amherst? And nova a big city school? Again, located in the leafy suburb of Radnor? Heck, driving into Philly from Newark is about as easy as it is getting into the city from nova and I wouldn't classify UD as a big city school. Funny stuff right there.

[happyappy99]

In geological time, the mountain debate doesn't matter. The Appalachians are some of the oldest mountains in the world and when they were formed were taller than the Rockies are now. But the Rockies are still growing - for now. One day, they too will cease to grow and will erode down to mountains 3,000 - 6,000 feet in elevation, and somewhere in Louisiana will have the tallest mountains in the world...

[andy7171]

Towson is a pretty awesome place to go to school. But there is way too much to do to lure students and locals to come out to watch a lesser brand of college football. So I guess it could be both the best and worst depending on what this threads intent is.

[tampajag]

Louisiana "mountain" all 535 ft of it.

[tampajag]

I challenge anybody to find something worse than itty bitty itta bena.