Call your travel agent, book your flight, and fill out your vacation application. It's time to start planning for football season, even if it's only a few months away.
On Wednesday, the NFL announced its 2024 schedule.
For college football fans of Utah's three FBS schools, there are several options for taking a road trip this fall and watching college and NFL games on the same weekend.
However, it's clear that some road trips are better than others.
Here's a look at my favorites.
BYU's best road trips
- Baltimore Ravens vs. Kansas City Chiefs — Thursday, September 5th.
- BYU at SMU — Friday, Sept. 6.
Granted, the two games aren't the same, but you'll be tempted to take a short 1.5-hour flight between the two games and enjoy a weekend of soccer and barbecue.
Plus, it's Labor Day weekend, so you can turn it into a long vacation.
The Ravens vs. Chiefs game kicks off the 2024 NFL season and will be a rematch of last year's AFC Championship. Both teams also have BYU connections, with Kyle Van Noy going to the Ravens and Andy Reid and Kingsley Suamataia (and possibly Ryan Lehkow) going to the Chiefs.
This particular game could be Suamataia's first NFL start against another Super Bowl contender, while Reid will win his fourth Super Bowl in Kansas City after the Chiefs won the previous two. want to be.
The trip to Dallas will be the Cougars' fifth match against the SMU program, which was BYU's opponent in the famous Miracle Bowl.
The Mustangs are also playing their first season in the ACC, and this will be a matchup of two power conference programs.
Now, back to barbecue, wouldn't it be great to have the opportunity to compare what two regions synonymous with great barbecue have to offer?
Other interesting BYU options
- BYU at Wyoming — Saturday, Sept. 14.
- Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Denver Broncos — Sunday, Sept. 15.
The Cougars will travel to Wyoming for the first time since 2009 to take on their longtime conference rival. And while it's unlikely, it's also possible that Zach Wilson could play in Denver against Pittsburgh. Even if that's not the case, there is a lot of intrigue surrounding the QB situation in Pittsburgh and Denver.
- BYU at Baylor — Saturday, Sept. 28.
- Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Houston Texans — Sunday, September 29th.
This NFL game will not include a BYU tie unless Max Tooley is named to the 53-man roster. But the Cougars will play in Waco for the first time as a member of the Big 12 after splitting two games with the Bears in the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
- BYU at UCF — Saturday, Oct. 26.
- Atlanta Falcons vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Sunday, October 27th.
The Knights and Cougars have a fun history, and this could be a potentially big game for BYU as UCF continues to acclimate to the power conference level. And who can forget former Cougar running back Tyler Allgaier, who is in his third year with the Falcons? The games are just a few hours drive away.
And don't forget. This all takes place in close proximity to Disney's World and Universal Studios, giving theme park-loving BYU fans a well-prepared sabbatical.
Best Road Trips in Utah
- Colorado, Utah — Saturday, November 16th.
- Atlanta Falcons vs. Denver Broncos — Sunday, Nov. 17.
The Utes have had the Buffaloes' jersey numbers for the past few years, but there have been a number of interesting incidents in the matchup.
Deion Sanders will always be in the picture, and this will be Utah's first trip to Boulder since the polarizing coach took over at Colorado.
Luke Bottari gave the necessary effort to beat the Buffaloes last year, but here's hoping Utah doesn't need to start with a No. 5 QB this time around.
As for the Falcons and Broncos, this matchup has a lot of connections to Utah.
Clark Phillips III is in his second year in Atlanta and has a bright future ahead of him.
The Broncos have plenty of Utes, from All-Pro Garrett Bolles and veterans Tim Patrick and Cody Barton to newcomers like Jonah Ellis, Devaughn Verre and Tomas Yasmin.
Certainly, one or more of these players will have a significant impact on the game.
Other interesting options in Utah
- Oklahoma State University, Utah — Saturday, Sept. 21.
- Chicago Bears vs. Indianapolis Colts or Philadelphia Eagles vs. New Orleans Saints — Sunday, Sept. 22.
Select your NFL game here. However, both contests require a flight to another state after the Utes game. Still, the Bears (Jaylon Johnson), Colts (Matt Gay and Julian Blackmon), Eagles (Britten Covey) and Saints (Neffi Sewell) all have former Utah players on the roster.
Utah's game at Oklahoma State is also highly anticipated. This will be Utah State's first conference game as a member of the Big 12 against a team expected to be one of the top challengers to the league championship.
- Houston, Utah — Saturday, October 26th.
- Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans — Sunday, Oct. 27.
The Utes should be the favorites to beat Houston, but this trip won't require you to leave town to see both games. As mentioned before, the Colts have several former Utes players to keep an eye on in this NFL game, and the Texans are a promising team.
Best Road Trips in Utah
- At the Utah State Temple — Saturday, Sept. 21.
- Green Bay Packers vs. Tennessee Titans — Sunday, September 22nd.
- and/or Washington Commanders at Cincinnati Bengals — Monday, September 23rd.
OK, OK, OK, yes, there are three games listed here, but the Utah State game isn't even a top non-conference opponent for the Aggies.
But please listen.
Utah State has a much better chance of beating Temple due to its schedule than other non-conference opponents (such as Utah State or the University of Southern California), and if you get on a plane a day early, you'll have a much better chance of beating Temple than other non-conference opponents (like Utah State or the University of Southern California). I have a chance to see some.
From there, Utah fans (depending on their financial situation) can choose to fly to one or more NFL games that include the legendary Aggies on their way back to Utah.
First up is Jordan Love of the Packers. He impressed in his first season as a starting QB last year, but he's a total winnable game in Nashville.
Then there's a game in Cincinnati on Monday night, where USU fans will get to see one of their all-time players, Bobby Wagner, play for his new team, the Commanders.
Honestly, if money isn't an issue and you don't mind taking time off from work, it can be a pretty fun road trip.
Some other interesting Utah options
- Utah, USC — Saturday, Sept. 7.
- Las Vegas Raiders vs. Los Angeles Chargers — Sunday, September 8th.
No, neither the Raiders nor the Chargers have ties to Utah, but they are AFC West rivals, which could make this an entertaining matchup, plus a chance to see the famed Coliseum, even if the Trojans are the favorites.
- Saturday, November 30th, Utah State vs. Colorado State.
- Monday, December 2nd, Cleveland Browns vs. Denver Broncos.
Utah State could be in contention for a bowl berth at this point, and the Aggies have had success against the Rams in recent seasons. While the Browns and Broncos don't have any USU players on their rosters, there are Utah players on their rosters that Aggie fans can root for, or boo if they wish.
