[Remy74]

I have a unique perspective on this topic, given that I was born and raised in Alabama and have been an Alabama fan since the age of 4 when a close relative was an undergrad at UA.  College football was like a religion in Alabama when I was growing up in the 1980s and early 1990s.  So much so that on the Friday before the Iron Bowl there was typically a "face-off" at school between the Alabama & Auburn fans.....in fact it turned into an actual fight during my 8th grade year (1988). 

I ended up attending Duke University in the early/mid 1990s where football was of interest perhaps the first 2-3 games of each season before reality set in that the Blue Devils were simply not that good.  Even in 1994 when Duke began the season 7-0, the fervor for football was not remotely on the level that I witnessed in Alabama.  I attended Grad School at UNC-Chapel Hill from 2002-2004 and recall attending the UNC vs #9 Texas game in Chapel Hill in September 2002.  The game was a sell-out (60,000) and had a semi- SEC feel....yet again it was not quite at the level of excitement as an Alabama game. 

After moving to Atlanta in early 2007, I attended 3-5 Alabama football games each year [from 2007-2016].  Many of the games were in Tuscaloosa but also included games at Georgia, Auburn, about 2 games each year at the Georgia Dome (Chic-Fil-A Kickoff Classic and the SEC Title Game), as well as the National Championship Games against Texas (2009 season at the Rose Bowl) and Clemson (2015 season in Glendale, AZ).  Thrown in were 2 games at Cowboys Stadium (Michigan 2012 & USC 2016) and the CFP Semifinal against Washington (2016 season).

Each of aforementioned games was a sellout, with several of the games having attendance in excess of 100K fans.  Needless to say, purchasing tickets for the games was quite expensive. 

2017 Season
I attended the Alabama vs Florida St game in Atlanta on Labor Day Weekend, 2017, in the new Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta and given that I am currently residing in the Bay area, I attended the Oregon vs Stanford game 1.5 weeks ago.  Bama vs FSU was a sellout with a crowd gathered outside the stadium 3-4 hours before kickoff. I walked into Stanford Stadium 90 minutes before kick-off of the Oregon game with very few people in line at the time of my arrival. 

Perhaps it's due to the quality of the games [as I have attended around 10 Alabama games over the past 10 years that were top 5 match-ups] but attending an Alabama game in comparison to Duke, Stanford, and even UNC games are drastically different experiences.  There isn't much to do in Tuscaloosa but Atlanta isn't much different than the Bay Area in terms of entertainment, yet Alabama vs Florida (Tim Tebow tenure) SEC Championship Games in 2008  & 2009 in Atlanta were the most expensive/"in-demand" sporting events in Atlanta history. 

College football (SEC games) is the major topic of discussion at the barbershops, fitness gyms, etc. throughout the Southeast during the Fall.  In the Bay Area, it's rare that I encounter people with a desire to talk college football.

[Remy74]

I have a unique perspective on this topic, given that I was born and raised in Alabama and have been an Alabama fan since the age of 4 when a close relative was an undergrad at UA.  College football was like a religion in Alabama when I was growing up in the 1980s and early 1990s.  So much so that on the Friday before the Iron Bowl there was typically a "face-off" at school between the Alabama & Auburn fans.....in fact it turned into an actual fight during my 8th grade year (1988). 

I ended up attending Duke University in the early/mid 1990s where football was of interest perhaps the first 2-3 games of each season before reality set in that the Blue Devils were simply not that good.  Even in 1994 when Duke began the season 7-0, the fervor for football was not remotely on the level that I witnessed in Alabama.  I attended Grad School at UNC-Chapel Hill from 2002-2004 and recall attending the UNC vs #9 Texas game in Chapel Hill in September 2002.  The game was a sell-out (60,000) and had a semi- SEC feel....yet again it was not quite at the level of excitement as an Alabama game. 

After moving to Atlanta in early 2007, I attended 3-5 Alabama football games each year [from 2007-2016].  Many of the games were in Tuscaloosa but also included games at Georgia, Auburn, about 2 games each year at the Georgia Dome (Chic-Fil-A Kickoff Classic and the SEC Title Game), as well as the National Championship Games against Texas (2009 season at the Rose Bowl) and Clemson (2015 season in Glendale, AZ).  Thrown in were 2 games at Cowboys Stadium (Michigan 2012 & USC 2016) and the CFP Semifinal against Washington (2016 season).

Each of aforementioned games was a sellout, with several of the games having attendance in excess of 100K fans.  Needless to say, purchasing tickets for the games was quite expensive. 

2017 Season
I attended the Alabama vs Florida St game in Atlanta on Labor Day Weekend, 2017, in the new Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta and given that I am currently residing in the Bay area, I attended the Oregon vs Stanford game 1.5 weeks ago.  Bama vs FSU was a sellout with a crowd gathered outside the stadium 3-4 hours before kickoff. I walked into Stanford Stadium 90 minutes before kick-off of the Oregon game with very few people in line at the time of my arrival. 

Perhaps it's due to the quality of the games [as I have attended around 10 Alabama games over the past 10 years that were top 5 match-ups] but attending an Alabama game in comparison to Duke, Stanford, and even UNC games are drastically different experiences.  There isn't much to do in Tuscaloosa but Atlanta isn't much different than the Bay Area in terms of entertainment, yet Alabama vs Florida (Tim Tebow tenure) SEC Championship Games in 2008  & 2009 in Atlanta were the most expensive/"in-demand" sporting events in Atlanta history. 

College football (SEC games) is the major topic of discussion at the barbershops, fitness gyms, etc. throughout the Southeast during the Fall.  In the Bay Area, it's rare that I encounter people with a desire to talk college football.