Vote for the best college football town in America
It's October, and the semifinals of the Shell Football Town Showdown are here.
The voting has eliminated 12 great college towns, and now we're left with the towns represented by Penn State, West Virginia, Wisconsin and LSU. From "Jump Around" to night games in Death Valley and White Outs to "Take Me Home, Country Roads," it's up to you to decide the best college town in the country.
You can vote through Saturday night on Twitter @ESPNCFB -- and make sure to come back starting next Wednesday for the final, when you can vote on Instagram @ESPNCFB or on Twitter.
Semifinal matchups
State College, Pennsylvania vs. Morgantown, West Virginia
David M. Hale: I grew up outside Philadelphia going to baseball and football games at the old Veterans Stadium, and that instills a certain type of sports culture into a person that's hard to find outside of a true blue-collar town with plenty of history and emotional baggage to it. And if you want a college environment like the one The Vet made famous -- the all-out energy, the raucous crowd on the verge of boiling over at any given time, the type of place it's not always safe to wear an opposing team's jersey -- well, Morgantown has got you covered. West Virginia fans are arguably the most terrifyingly passionate group in the country, and they're not afraid to let you know it. Add in the beatific charm of the Appalachian Mountains and the Monongahela River, and a visit to Morgantown is always worth the time. Assuming you survive Saturday.
Ryan McGee: I have been to Morgantown way more than I have State College, and I think the two have a lot in common. But when I finally made it to State College a few years ago, I am so thankful I went in a few days early. It's a college town that's right out of central casting. Professors living across the street from campus. The fall leaves on Mount Nittany. The Creamery. Tailgaters as far as the eye can see. And then the atmosphere inside the second-largest on-campus stadium in college football is always off the chart. Honestly, you can CTRL+C all that I just said into Morgantown (with a couple of location name changes) and it would fit just as well. But when you add in the consistent success of Penn State football over the past half-century, that gives State College the edge. I hear a knock on my door. Pretty sure that's my Mountaineer next door neighbor coming to burn my couch.
Alex Scarborough: There's a lot to like about both State College and Morgantown, but only one comes with an endless supply of moonshine. It blew me away the first time I walked the hilly West Virginia campus and saw the mason jars dotting each tailgate. You could smell the homemade liquor everywhere you went. And everyone was willing to share. On a cold, crisp Autumn evening, there was nothing better to warm you up. In fact, one Mountaineer fan I met during the course of the reporting trip offered to bring me some. I said sure, thinking nothing would come of it. But then, about two months later, I got a call saying he was driving through Birmingham, Alabama, on his way to a golf outing and he had a liter of peach moonshine with my name on it. Suffice to say I've been a fan of Morgantown ever since.
Tom VanHaaren: The last time I was in State College, it was for a White Out game against Ohio State. You could feel the energy as soon as you hit the border of the oasis that is State College. There's not much within a stone's throw of campus, so once you're there, it's all Penn State. You can stop by any breakfast diner in the morning and be surrounded by Penn State faithful. Once you're done with breakfast, you can make your way to the Creamery and get in line for some of the best ice cream you've ever had. The line typically wraps around the block and has become a tradition for most fans. Once you've stuffed your face with ice cream, you can follow the droves of fans making their way toward the stadium. No matter where you are around town, you will feel the Penn State presence, and there isn't much that can compare to a White Out at Happy Valley. Morgantown is a great college town, but State College embodies what a true college town is and the stereotypical experience you'd want to have.
Heather Dinich: Grilled stickies, Peachy Paterno, a confusing mass of RVs and generations of season-ticket holders who have witnessed the good, bad and ugly. Get your picture taken by the lion statue. Meet your friends by the BJC. My best friend lived above McLanahan's. Shivering cold with hot chocolate -- or beer. I used to cover Penn State for the Centre Daily Times, and I grew up in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, so I saw my share of PSU games while in high school, too. No contest.
Vote on State College vs. Morgantown
Madison, Wisconsin vs. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Hale: This is an absolute clash of titans. Sunday through Friday, I might lean Madison -- one of the truly great college towns in the country, filled with cheese and beer and a mix of culture and natural beauty that makes it a pleasant trip even for someone who isn't a huge college sports fan. But on Saturdays, it's impossible to argue with Baton Rouge. There is no better tailgating scene in the land, with raucous fans, terrific parties and the best food you'll find on a game day. Indeed, LSU fans are so proud of their tailgating culture, they'll even welcome in opposing fans for a bite to eat and a cold beverage -- then talk a lot of smack in the process. And once the game starts, particularly if it's at night, Death Valley is an absolute circus. So, with all due respect to all the great aspects of Madison, there's just no topping game day at LSU.
McGee: Madison is amazing. No one out-drinks or out-grills Madison. Except for Baton Rouge. People are boiling big pots of crustaceans that look like they were stolen from Jabba the Hutt's palace, and they are doing it next to a multimillion dollar tiger habitat, all while live jazz bands play from random parking lots. I'm not sure I need to add anything else here, do I?
Chris Low: You like gumbo? How about jambalaya? And the kind of festive atmosphere usually associated with Mardi Gras? That's Baton Rouge in a nutshell with a football cathedral, Tiger Stadium, that is a must for every college football fan, especially when the sun sets on Death Valley. Even if the party scene isn't your thing, the city of Baton Rouge has everything you need for a fun visit in the way of restaurants, hotels and an airport that makes it easy to get in and out of town. Just make sure you get to campus early on game days to take a stroll through the tailgating sites. Be sure to pay a visit to Mike the Tiger, too.
VanHaaren: This one is tough, but I'm basing this purely on college town and not on game-day experience or atmosphere. I am going to have to give the edge to Madison. Driving into town, I came in from the east and was greeted by Lake Monona on my left and Lake Mendota on my right. The Capitol building peaks over the other buildings along the way and eventually you come upon Camp Randall Stadium. Along the way, you'll see fans spread out everywhere, and on a fall day, there are few places as pretty as Madison. When I was there, I ate at Mickies Dairy Bar, situated across the street from the stadium. It's an old-school-style diner with a nostalgic breakfast and sought-after milkshakes and malts. When I think of college town, Madison is one of the places that comes to mind.
Adam Rittenberg: I've been going to Madison for more than two decades, and made my first trip to an LSU game in 2019 for Joe Burrow's final home game. Baton Rouge does not disappoint on game days, and Saturday nights at Tiger Stadium are second to none. Every college football fan should experience them. But when I look at a combination of town and game atmosphere, Madison gets my vote. Madison is truly one of the best and most diverse college towns. There's something for everyone, and a ton to do from the time you arrive until your departure after the game. Wisconsin tailgates are different from LSU's, but Badgers fans still bring it with beer, brats and more. The weather component adds to the charm, too, and night games or late-season Badgers games are special. Maybe I need to spend more time in Baton Rouge, but I don't sense the same draw there outside of the actual games.
Andrea Adelson: I went to an SEC school, and there is only one place that never, ever disappoints on a game-day visit: Baton Rouge. On my first visit there in 1997 when Florida came to town, I had no idea what to expect. Walking through the parking lot, folks offered me food from their tailgates -- including alligator, naturally. It was a fun, festive atmosphere. Then the sun went down and the entire place was transformed into the loudest, most intimidating environment I had ever seen. Whenever people ask me the one spot they have to go to see a college football game, I always say LSU.
Vote on Madison vs. Baton Rouge
Second-round results
Morgantown (52%) def. Oxford, Mississippi (48%)
State College (67%) def. Tuscaloosa, Alabama (33%)
Madison (51%) def. Knoxville, Tennessee (49%)
Baton Rouge (54%) def. Athens, Georgia (46%)
