http://lubbockonline.com/sports-red-raiders/2015-05-30/don-williams-ranks-big-12-cities#.VW-fwmTBzRY
10. Austin
Traffic’s hell. Parking’s impossible. Humidity’s oppressive. Panhandlers are pushy. (Unsolicited windshield wash anybody?) New-era hippies and liberals flourish. The worst city in the Big 12, hands down.
9. Stillwater, Oklahoma
Probably doesn’t deserve to be this low, but some city has to be ninth. Eskimo Joe’s ranks high on the list of must-visit college bars, and the food is underrated. Not much to do otherwise.
8. Ames, Iowa
Boasts one of the top eatin’ places in the conference in Hickory Park, a restaurant with a huge menu and great selection of barbecued meats. And I gotta give it to the people of Ames, who are loyal to a football program that lacks the resources to win big. If you don’t have to get to Ames in January …
7. Lawrence, Kansas
It’s close enough to Kansas City to give visitors more sports, entertainment and restaurant choices. It’s far enough away to not feel like a suburb, another plus. If you want a beautiful campus, KU has a beautiful campus. Like Lubbock, Lawrence has the not-too-big, not-too-small appeal.
6. Manhattan, Kansas
Bill Snyder Family Stadium might be the most easily accessible venue in the Big 12, and the Little Apple gets high marks for its Aggieville entertainment district. Plenty of fun stops, all within walking distance.
5. Morgantown, West Virginia
I wonder how people drive here during an icy January with all the tight, winding, undulating streets. Other than that, no complaints. The getting there takes you through the best scenery in the Big 12, and the folks strike me as decent.
4. Fort Worth
If you’re going to see your team play TCU, there’s a good chance you can take in that game and a pro game, too, no matter the season. Plenty of options to suit anyone’s taste, and not as stuck-up as neighboring Dallas. Too populous for a true college town, but still offers joints near campus that provide a college-town vibe.
3. Waco
The birthplace of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football and an old Southwest Conference town, both of which count for something in my book. The Texas Sports Hall of Fame, just off I-35, is a great way to spend an afternoon. And Baylor built right, in size and location, with its new stadium.
2. Norman, Oklahoma
Fans in Norman don’t seem too self-important, unlike fans in, oh, Austin. You can mingle with them at Campus Corner and feel the football tradition
1. Lubbock
Not too big, not too small, which sets it apart from nearly every other city in the Big 12. Plenty of things to do and, with a street system that makes sense, it’s easy to go where you want to go. Too far from everywhere, outsiders say. But with a quarter-million people, who needs to go anywhere else?
10. Austin
Traffic’s hell. Parking’s impossible. Humidity’s oppressive. Panhandlers are pushy. (Unsolicited windshield wash anybody?) New-era hippies and liberals flourish. The worst city in the Big 12, hands down.
9. Stillwater, Oklahoma
Probably doesn’t deserve to be this low, but some city has to be ninth. Eskimo Joe’s ranks high on the list of must-visit college bars, and the food is underrated. Not much to do otherwise.
8. Ames, Iowa
Boasts one of the top eatin’ places in the conference in Hickory Park, a restaurant with a huge menu and great selection of barbecued meats. And I gotta give it to the people of Ames, who are loyal to a football program that lacks the resources to win big. If you don’t have to get to Ames in January …
7. Lawrence, Kansas
It’s close enough to Kansas City to give visitors more sports, entertainment and restaurant choices. It’s far enough away to not feel like a suburb, another plus. If you want a beautiful campus, KU has a beautiful campus. Like Lubbock, Lawrence has the not-too-big, not-too-small appeal.
6. Manhattan, Kansas
Bill Snyder Family Stadium might be the most easily accessible venue in the Big 12, and the Little Apple gets high marks for its Aggieville entertainment district. Plenty of fun stops, all within walking distance.
5. Morgantown, West Virginia
I wonder how people drive here during an icy January with all the tight, winding, undulating streets. Other than that, no complaints. The getting there takes you through the best scenery in the Big 12, and the folks strike me as decent.
4. Fort Worth
If you’re going to see your team play TCU, there’s a good chance you can take in that game and a pro game, too, no matter the season. Plenty of options to suit anyone’s taste, and not as stuck-up as neighboring Dallas. Too populous for a true college town, but still offers joints near campus that provide a college-town vibe.
3. Waco
The birthplace of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football and an old Southwest Conference town, both of which count for something in my book. The Texas Sports Hall of Fame, just off I-35, is a great way to spend an afternoon. And Baylor built right, in size and location, with its new stadium.
2. Norman, Oklahoma
Fans in Norman don’t seem too self-important, unlike fans in, oh, Austin. You can mingle with them at Campus Corner and feel the football tradition
1. Lubbock
Not too big, not too small, which sets it apart from nearly every other city in the Big 12. Plenty of things to do and, with a street system that makes sense, it’s easy to go where you want to go. Too far from everywhere, outsiders say. But with a quarter-million people, who needs to go anywhere else?
