It’s Football Season!

Okay, so the title might be a statement of the obvious, but Orlando isn’t usually thought of as a big football town, but I beg to differ. Whether you’re just looking for things to do in Orlando, or you are a dyed in the wool football fan, there’s great NFL and NCAA action going on right here in Central Florida. Not only is Orlando the training camp home of the Miami Dolphins, but Orlando is also about an hour from Tampa (home of the Super Bowl XXXVII Champion Buccaneers), and is the home of the University of Central Florida.

I’ll start with the NFL action because I had the great pleasure of getting to attend the Tampa Bay Buccaneers win over the Green Bay Packers this past weekend. The game was great. Dramatic right up until the end, but this isn’t a sports blog, and I don’t want to get too heavy into the details, because going to an NFL game is more than a game, it’s an experience.

Tampa’s just over an hour from Ginn Reunion Resort, but on game day, you’ll need to allow time for traffic. As you are driving to the stadium you’ll see people out in front of their homes flagging in cars and charging five to ten bucks for parking. Now my wife and I had the good fortune of attending this game with season ticket holders, so parking was covered, but we have made use of these makeshift lots in the past with fairly decent results (just a long walk). And here is where I’ll offer my first tip, be sure to park on the east side of the stadium. If you park on the west side of the stadium, you will be stuck in traffic forever trying to get back to I-275 because the police block roads in such a way as to move people away from the stadium, regardless of where that sends them.

Once you get parked, and get to the stadium, there’s live music at the entrances, and the smells of hot dogs, hamburgers, and all the other ballpark treats will start to make your mouth water. I’d highly recommend arriving early for the tailgating experience, but if that isn’t your thing, you can find everything inside from cheesesteaks to pizza to barbecue nachos. And in the grand tradition of captive audiences, the concessions aren’t cheap, but they are pretty tasty.

Once you get in, and get settled, you’re in for a modern sports spectacle. From computer generated pirate battles on the big screens to ceremonial canon firings whenever the Bucs cross the twenty yard line or score everything is is done a grand scale. Not to mention the staples of any sporting event like a military flyover at the end of the national anthem and interstitial music designed to pump of the crowd (and the cheerleaders).

Now, of course you can get up to explore the stadium, but I like to stay in my seat as much as possible, so as not to miss the game. From this vantage point you’ll also see roving vendors eager to take care of your thirst and hunger, and, like at any big event, there’s plenty of premium people watching. You’ll see everything from the die hard fans in elaborate costumes and body paint to trophy wives dressed to the nines. There’s nothing quite like a major sporting event.

Last weekend they were advertising a limited number of individual game tickets are available on ticketmaster.com, and for the more adventurous, you can pretty much always find tickets for sale as you get close to the stadium. Upcoming home games include the Carolina Panthers (Oct. 12), Seattle Seahawks (Oct. 19), Minnesota Vikings (Nov. 16), New Orleans Saints (Nov. 30), San Diego Chargers (Dec. 21), and Oakland Raiders (Dec. 28).

If the NFL isn’t your thing, you can get a bit more local with college football in Orlando. The University of Central Florida Golden Knights may not be a name that’s known to you just yet, but they are on their way. Coming off a strong 10-4 record last year, capped off by an appearance in the 2007 Liberty Bowl, UCF looks to continue their rise in the NCAA this year, and though they’ve gotten off to a rocky start (1-3 so far in 2008), they show promise, and you can be part of the excitement!

UCF is now in their second season in their all new state of the art Brighthouse Stadium, and has home games left this season against strong opponents like SMU (Oct. 4), East Carolina (Nov. 2), Southern Miss (Nov. 8), and UAB (Nov. 29). Don’t miss the action. Visit UCFathletics.com for ticket information.

Do you have an Orlando area football story? Tell us about it in the comments!