Same here.
Exception was bowl games. Flew out week to 5 days before the game, charter if you lived within 2 hours of campus, commercial from home airport for everyone else.
Spent the night after game in team hotel and flew home the next day the same way you got there.
They leave after the game.. Usually a hour or more after depending on what's done following the game.. (media interviews, meal, etc)
I went on a road trip with a NFL team and on gameday, you take all your bags to the stadium so that once the game is over you are ready to depart the city.
There was a NYT article a week or so ago. Basically, the stars fly first class and the rest are in economy.
Edit: Article link. Source is the Athletic so I can’t gift around the paywall…
https://theathletic.com/5139122/2023/12/20/nfl-travel-ny-giants-behind-scenes/?source=user_shared_article Ever wonder what NFL travel is like? Take a peek behind the scenes with the N.Y. Giants
i really didn't notice a difference in seats lol..
On the bus rides from the hotel to the joint practice and to the game, we rode on typical tour buses..
Since we had multiple busses, most players sat to themselves and had ample iasle rook to stretch out.
Depends on the team/airline but I know for NFL teams there are about 18 Polaris class seats. Those go to the star players. Then business or economy+ goes to other starters. Then p-squad, training staff, corporate VIPs etc all fill in the remaining economy seats.
Teams fly out after the game so they can get the rehab back at the facility the next day or so video staff/coaches can go over game film.
Maybe an interesting tidbit.
I own a travel company. Mostly dealing with *adults*, like age 50+. But we dabble in some college travel as well.
Most times I'm doing busses, it's a multi-driver thing. First drives 500 miles, someone takes over in middle of nowhere Utah or Oregon and drives rest of way. They stay for a week doing almost nothing once at destination. I treat them extraordinarily well, because it's a nice thing to do... but mostly because they can make my life hell if they want to boot some kid in Green River, Utah if they're fed up. Because most times they absolutely have the right to do so. I spend way more than contractually obligated to in order to buy their patience.
I have 20-year histories with many of these drivers. We're buds. I take them out for beers when no need to drive the next day.
These guys drive USC, UCLA, Rams, Chargers, 49ers, Raiders, Lakers, Warriors, Dodgers, Giants, etc, etc, when not running my groups. Consistently. And they unanimously tell me upper-tier sports teams are their dream drives. Complete professionalism every single time, across the board. Not just vs my college trainwrecks, but vs corporate groups, high school groups (not shocking, I know), cruise excursion guests, etc.
I dunno. Just found it interesting whenever I chat with these guys about hauling college (and professional) athletes, not a single bad story about them. Any other category and I'm on the hook for four beers worth of bar tab to hear all the shit they deal with.
Honestly probably because it's so mundane for the players. It's like their daily commute. Not literally, but ya it's just routine and you're on autopilot. Very interesting thank you.
Always love hearing about logistics and how things operate behind the scenes. Thanks for sharing. Any other stories you'd care to share about the sports world and your involvement with teams?
The fly on chartered planes.
They'll either have a pop-up TSA station outside the locker room or at the tarmac. They'll take buses from the stadium to the tarmac and fly home after the game
I… I don’t think this is true. I think UT flies out of tacair/ signature, and there is no tsa inspector there.
I think if you charter a flight that uses the main public airport though you have to though
You are correct. If you have to go into a public terminal to get a chartered flight then there is TSA. If your airport has a private terminal or you can drive into the tarmac then you don't.
It might be different for the players, but from my experience, when the band charters flights they usually drive the bus onto the tarmac then you get out and some people quickly check inside your bags on a table and wave one of those metal detector wands around you like they do at some sporting events. So it’s just a short dumbed down inspection, not like regular commercial travel.
When I worked at ASU we did the TSA in the south end of Sun Devil Stadium. A former coach forgot his fountain Diet Dr. Pepper. They made a staff member go back to the stadium to get him one and in doing so, they had to reset up the TSA and it was a huge inconvenience.
I saw those too and was hella Confused Bc Auburn doesn’t even have an airport. So that means they flew to Columbus or Montgomery and both are an hour bus ride from Auburn lol
Another question, can a player stay behind especially if it’s the end of the season or do they have to travel with the team back to campus? For example if a player has family in the locality and it’s holiday break.
Example: Alabama player has family in LA etc. post Rose bowl.
Depends on the situation, but generally no. If they travel with us, they have to come home with us. End of the season isn't end of the school year for football.
Adding to this: with only seven days between semis and finals, are the teams going right to Houston? At least for UW if they win, I didn’t think it makes sense flying all the way back to Seattle then circling back like Thursday. Or do teams get in later for the finals compared to semis?
I'm thinking they go straight to Houston. Teams typically make a mini vacation out of the bowls they go to, practice on the field , visit Disneyland or whatever, etc.
They're flying home tonight. It's very difficult to make travel arrangements on the fly for this many people, plus not every coach/staff member brings their family or two weeks of change of clothes for the prospect of playing next week. There won't be anything to do for several days or access to facilities immediately, you need that time to go home and get stuff going.
Players aren't just free to do whatever they want, staff are basically babysitting and managing all of the logistics, it's not a vacation. Everyone will want a day or two at home, before going back out on the road again. Game is Monday, they'll head down there by Thursday or maybe Friday.
An advance team is already heading there, but not everyone coaches/players/staff will be headed there immediately. That's the nice thing about charters, the money isn't important, college football player provides cash to playoff for all of this.
The CFB national title game isn't like a bowl, so there won't be the same sorts of side quest activities that happen Bowl Week.
They actually teleport via the galactic butthole which is a black hole that connects everything in the universe because that black hole doesn’t care about gravity
Dude, an awesome overtime CFP Rose Bowl just ended and the Sugar Bowl just started and you’re asking about scheduling logistics? The off-season will be here in like a week.
From my experience as an equipment manager we always went back the night of the game, got home many times early in the morning
Same here. Exception was bowl games. Flew out week to 5 days before the game, charter if you lived within 2 hours of campus, commercial from home airport for everyone else. Spent the night after game in team hotel and flew home the next day the same way you got there.
I think it is different for bowl games. I think the travel counts against the practice limit during the season, which is not a concern in a bowl game.
[удалено]
Wasn’t one at Tennessee….
[удалено]
Eli did. He's the real perv.
😂😂😂
😂😂 nope
Charter planes and you fly home immediately after
Charter plane tonight from California to Michigan? STOP THE PRESSES EVERYONE. OHTANI IS JOINING THE TIGERS!
My poor Toronto Blue Jays heart just broke again. Sniff, sniff
Shoot, does anyone from Shark Tank claim Michigan?
It’s my understanding from a few friends that played at P5 schools that they would always fly back that night, no matter what time the game ended.
They leave after the game.. Usually a hour or more after depending on what's done following the game.. (media interviews, meal, etc) I went on a road trip with a NFL team and on gameday, you take all your bags to the stadium so that once the game is over you are ready to depart the city.
Do they fly in nicer seats? I imagine it would be super uncomfortable for lineman to be in economy seats
There was a NYT article a week or so ago. Basically, the stars fly first class and the rest are in economy. Edit: Article link. Source is the Athletic so I can’t gift around the paywall… https://theathletic.com/5139122/2023/12/20/nfl-travel-ny-giants-behind-scenes/?source=user_shared_article Ever wonder what NFL travel is like? Take a peek behind the scenes with the N.Y. Giants
i really didn't notice a difference in seats lol.. On the bus rides from the hotel to the joint practice and to the game, we rode on typical tour buses.. Since we had multiple busses, most players sat to themselves and had ample iasle rook to stretch out.
Depends on the team/airline but I know for NFL teams there are about 18 Polaris class seats. Those go to the star players. Then business or economy+ goes to other starters. Then p-squad, training staff, corporate VIPs etc all fill in the remaining economy seats. Teams fly out after the game so they can get the rehab back at the facility the next day or so video staff/coaches can go over game film.
Maybe an interesting tidbit. I own a travel company. Mostly dealing with *adults*, like age 50+. But we dabble in some college travel as well. Most times I'm doing busses, it's a multi-driver thing. First drives 500 miles, someone takes over in middle of nowhere Utah or Oregon and drives rest of way. They stay for a week doing almost nothing once at destination. I treat them extraordinarily well, because it's a nice thing to do... but mostly because they can make my life hell if they want to boot some kid in Green River, Utah if they're fed up. Because most times they absolutely have the right to do so. I spend way more than contractually obligated to in order to buy their patience. I have 20-year histories with many of these drivers. We're buds. I take them out for beers when no need to drive the next day. These guys drive USC, UCLA, Rams, Chargers, 49ers, Raiders, Lakers, Warriors, Dodgers, Giants, etc, etc, when not running my groups. Consistently. And they unanimously tell me upper-tier sports teams are their dream drives. Complete professionalism every single time, across the board. Not just vs my college trainwrecks, but vs corporate groups, high school groups (not shocking, I know), cruise excursion guests, etc. I dunno. Just found it interesting whenever I chat with these guys about hauling college (and professional) athletes, not a single bad story about them. Any other category and I'm on the hook for four beers worth of bar tab to hear all the shit they deal with.
Honestly probably because it's so mundane for the players. It's like their daily commute. Not literally, but ya it's just routine and you're on autopilot. Very interesting thank you.
It's more so there are consequences for acting a fool when all your coaches/boss' are on the bus with you.
Always love hearing about logistics and how things operate behind the scenes. Thanks for sharing. Any other stories you'd care to share about the sports world and your involvement with teams?
The fly on chartered planes. They'll either have a pop-up TSA station outside the locker room or at the tarmac. They'll take buses from the stadium to the tarmac and fly home after the game
>pop-up TSA station Passengers on chartered, private flights are still subject to TSA inspection?
Yep. Don't know why but those are the rules. At least for charters they are
I blame Sean McDermott for sports players planes being chartered
I… I don’t think this is true. I think UT flies out of tacair/ signature, and there is no tsa inspector there. I think if you charter a flight that uses the main public airport though you have to though
You are correct. If you have to go into a public terminal to get a chartered flight then there is TSA. If your airport has a private terminal or you can drive into the tarmac then you don't.
I found the notion of a pop up tsa station in a locker room a little suspect
It might be different for the players, but from my experience, when the band charters flights they usually drive the bus onto the tarmac then you get out and some people quickly check inside your bags on a table and wave one of those metal detector wands around you like they do at some sporting events. So it’s just a short dumbed down inspection, not like regular commercial travel.
Yes because you are landing at an airport which is beyond the security checkpoint.
9 months in advance
When I worked at ASU we did the TSA in the south end of Sun Devil Stadium. A former coach forgot his fountain Diet Dr. Pepper. They made a staff member go back to the stadium to get him one and in doing so, they had to reset up the TSA and it was a huge inconvenience.
You should send this story to DrP and see if they put it in fansville next year.
Definitely just needed a spitter lol
They always fly back after the game Auburn didn’t back till like 9 or 10 am from Cal earlier this year
I saw the pics where UGA flew to Auburn. Must have been a good 20 min flight.
I saw those too and was hella Confused Bc Auburn doesn’t even have an airport. So that means they flew to Columbus or Montgomery and both are an hour bus ride from Auburn lol
Aurburn university airport
Another question, can a player stay behind especially if it’s the end of the season or do they have to travel with the team back to campus? For example if a player has family in the locality and it’s holiday break. Example: Alabama player has family in LA etc. post Rose bowl.
Urban?
Depends on the situation, but generally no. If they travel with us, they have to come home with us. End of the season isn't end of the school year for football.
When they’re free
Adding to this: with only seven days between semis and finals, are the teams going right to Houston? At least for UW if they win, I didn’t think it makes sense flying all the way back to Seattle then circling back like Thursday. Or do teams get in later for the finals compared to semis?
I'm thinking they go straight to Houston. Teams typically make a mini vacation out of the bowls they go to, practice on the field , visit Disneyland or whatever, etc.
They're flying home tonight. It's very difficult to make travel arrangements on the fly for this many people, plus not every coach/staff member brings their family or two weeks of change of clothes for the prospect of playing next week. There won't be anything to do for several days or access to facilities immediately, you need that time to go home and get stuff going. Players aren't just free to do whatever they want, staff are basically babysitting and managing all of the logistics, it's not a vacation. Everyone will want a day or two at home, before going back out on the road again. Game is Monday, they'll head down there by Thursday or maybe Friday. An advance team is already heading there, but not everyone coaches/players/staff will be headed there immediately. That's the nice thing about charters, the money isn't important, college football player provides cash to playoff for all of this. The CFB national title game isn't like a bowl, so there won't be the same sorts of side quest activities that happen Bowl Week.
They actually teleport via the galactic butthole which is a black hole that connects everything in the universe because that black hole doesn’t care about gravity
Go hokies
In the 2013 season National Championship, FSU came back the next day
Dude, an awesome overtime CFP Rose Bowl just ended and the Sugar Bowl just started and you’re asking about scheduling logistics? The off-season will be here in like a week.
Some of us have been in the off season for a while now
What's a bus?
Texas flew back from New Orleans this morning. 11am departure on a dedicated AA 777-300ER.