You don’t have to be a huge fan of college basketball to know it’s March Madness time – from the constant barrage of advertising to the office pools, it’s kind of hard to miss. But you have to be a certain kind of dedicated fan to actually go the games live – right?
Not necessarily.
Some sports are easier to watch on TV, but basketball is one that is enhanced by being in the arena during the games. And when the stakes are as high as the NCAA Championship, the atmosphere just can’t permeate a television screen. So whether or not your team is a Cinderella team that just feels lucky to have made the playoffs, one of the Final Four, or somewhere in between, seeing the NCAA March Madness games in person is a great experience.
The trouble is that if you’re waiting to see where your team is playing (or if your team advances) before you make travel plans, you could get caught out. Last-minute travel is notoriously expensive, so obviously you’re better off booking as soon as you possibly can. We’re here to help, too, with some links to help you find the best deals on trips to the various cities hosting the NCAA tournament games this year.
>> The NCAA Championship Tournament in 2012 runs from March 13-April 2
For some of those so-called Cinderella teams, just making it to the NCAA playoffs is a dream come true. But for four teams, the dream doesn’t end when the playoffs begin. Four teams will make it through to a coveted place in the NCAA Final Four – and if your team is one of them, you’ll want to be there.
When you’re watching the games leading up to the NCAA March Madness tournament and you’re hoping your team makes the playoffs, it seems like you have to wait forever for those games to actually happen. But if you’re lucky enough to have your team make it through the first and second rounds to the regional games, there are only a few short days between the second round and the regionals – so you’ve really got to be on your toes if you’re planning to go to the games.
Seeing your favorite team play during the NCAA’s March Madness tournament is, for many, a dream come true. Of course everyone wants their team to be in the Final Four, but just getting to the big dance is a victory in and of itself for some teams.
You don’t have to be a hard-core budget travel guru to know that this is one vacation where you’ll want to be extra-diligent when hunting for deals. Why? Because tickets to the Super Bowl are always extraordinarily expensive, and since you can’t get around paying for tickets to the game you’ll need to find ways to save money on other aspects of your trip.
One of the things you learn when you start researching the subject is that as maligned as the “vacation package” can be among people who consider themselves hard-core budget travelers, a package deal can often mean huge savings over booking each element separately. Of course, this isn’t always true, but it’s true often enough that it’s always worth looking for 
If you’re a hard-core football fan, then you’ve probably got “go to the Super Bowl” on your lifetime to-do list – whether or not it’s your team in the big game. Luckily, organizers typically give the Super Bowl to cities in the lower half of the United States – so even though the game’s in the winter, fans will get the added bonus of warm weather to go along with the championship game.
Football lovers like just about any excuse to go see a game live and in person, but when you’re talking about a bowl game in the BCS then it’s even better. Sure, it’s always more fun if your school’s team is in one of the bowl games, but even if you’re technically a neutral it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of the game anyway.
There are plenty of college football fans who remain confused about various elements of the Bowl Championship Series, or the BCS as it’s commonly known. It seems like new bowl games are added each year to satisfy new sponsors, and there’s always criticism about how teams are chosen for each game. But one thing that’s not confusing is where the BCS games are held – because it’s always in the same four cities.
Whenever you’re planning a trip, if you’re anything like most of the budget travelers we know, the first thing you want to know is whether you can get a deal. Travel can get expensive, so it only makes sense to try to get the best prices on whatever you can. Never is this more true than when you’re planning a trip over a big holiday or to see a major event – like, for instance, the Kentucky Derby, held on the first Saturday in May every year.