30 bucket list items college football fans need to experience

TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 09: Linebacker Ben Boulware #10 of the Clemson Tigers celebrates after defeating the Alabama Crimson Tide 35-31 to win the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Raymond James Stadium on January 9, 2017 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

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HONOLULU – SEPTEMBER 02: Levi Legay #53, Shane Austin #10, and Jett Jasper #82 of the University of Hawaii Warriors and other team members rush out of the tunnel to take the field in their season opener against the University of Southern California Trojans at Aloha Stadium September 2, 2010 in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images) /

25. Aloha Stadium, Hawaii

You probably didn’t expect this one, but if you stop to think about it, it makes perfect sense. What better place to see a college football game than the Pacific island paradise of Hawaii?

Sure, Aloha Stadium isn’t the state-of-the-art facility it was when it opened in 1975. And yes, the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors seldom sell out the 50,000-seat venue, meaning games don’t quite carry the intense atmosphere you’d find in the SEC, Big Ten or Big 12. However, located just west of Honolulu with ‘Aiea Bay in the background, there are few better places to spend a Saturday afternoon.

It’s also worth noting the added benefit of being in the Hawaii-Aleutian Time Zone, six hours behind the Eastern Time Zone, meaning a diehard football fan can often watch every other game on the Saturday docket before the Rainbow Warriors kick off for a night game.

There’s also an opportunity to see some pretty good football at Aloha Stadium. Hawaii has a 524-391-26 all-time record, and has been to 11 bowl games. The Rainbow Warriors have won four conference championships, and occasionally host big-name opponents. Notre Dame and Michigan are among the blueblood programs to travel to the islands.

In addition to four Mountain West opponents each year, the Rainbow Warriors host rival BYU in the season finale in 2017. Hawaii has future home games scheduled against Navy (2018), Arizona (2019 and 2025), Oregon State (2019), Army (2019 and 2024), Vanderbilt (2022), Wisconsin (2024) and Oregon (2024). Also, Aloha Stadium hosts the Hawai’i Bowl each year, as it has since 2002. Last season, the Rainbow Warriors won the Hawai’i Bowl, beating Middle Tennessee 52-35 for its sixth bowl win in 11 tries.

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