been five months and eight events ago.
Back in late August my son, Jake, and I attended a Pearl Jam cover band concert in a Grand Blanc, MI, park. A few other friends were also there and I recall one of them having a question for me.
“How serious are you about doing this sporting event travel thing?” he asked.
At the time, in just under three months of retirement, I had checked five items off my Around the World in 80 Sporting Events retirement project and I was feeling pretty good about the ground I’d covered to that point (U.S. Open, The British Open, a game at Wrigley Field, the Little League Baseball World Series, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.)
So, while understanding his skepticism, I was a touch offended.
“I’m resolute,” I recall stating matter-of-factly.
Now, just about three months later, I’m up to nine events which is good for 11.25% and I’m as resolute as ever.
I’ve learned a few lessons these first five-plus months. Here are a handful.
Loyalty Schmoyalty
When I began plotting this course for adventure, I presumed I’d fly the airline I’d flown most frequently and had the most frequent flier miles with (for me, that’s Delta Airlines). Likewise, I figured I’d stay in Hilton properties. Again, I had a sizable amount of loyalty points with the chain and just assumed …
Well, we know what happens when we assume, right?
When you have nearly three full years of travel ahead and a finite amount of resources available, well, let’s just say you’re bargain shopping … constantly.
Therefore, I’ve flown twice so far and neither has been on Delta. Air Canada ferried my wife and I to Great Britain and American Airlines did the same for my travels to Texas. And the next time I board a flight (to Bob Hope Burbank Airport for the Rose Bowl) it will be on Southwest Airlines. I may not climb onto a Delta aircraft until a trip to New York City in March.
As for hotels. Well, the most utilized chain to this point has been Best Western followed closely by Red Roof Inn. Hilton properties have only been used with points redemption for the “vacation” portion of trip overnights.
Time is on My Side
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As I mentioned to Detroit Free Press columnist, Neal Rubin, when he recently wrote about my retirement plans: Time is no longer my most precious commodity.
Whereas I used to default to flying if a trip was more than a five or six hour drive because time was my most limited resource, I’m now more inclined to drive. Especially with the current price of fuel, unless I’m going to need to scale the Rocky Mountains or spend more than 12 hours in the car, I’m likely to hit the open road.
While time consuming and lengthy, it can prove more affordable. Yes, tanks of gas add up as does an extra night or two in a hotel, but if you looked at airfares recently you’ll understand. You’re also able to pack a cooler in a car with sandwiches, road snacks, and beverages. None of which would be possible flying.
Flexibility
One of the benefits of heeding the guidance of our financial adviser and moving away from attempting to pack as many major events/venues into one calendar year but rather over several years, is that the ability to be more pliable with my plans now exists.
For example, the Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys game was never part of the Texas football equation, but then the NFL scheduling gods interceded and bequeathed me a gift.
Similarly, it was only supposed to be the Iron Bowl (Auburn-Alabama) in a couple of weeks, but then my friend Wayne noticed the Egg Bowl (Ole Miss-Mississippi State) had been moved from its typical Thanksgiving night time to Black Friday afternoon. All of a sudden by the time November ends I’ll have seen six of the 16 members of the new-look Southeastern Conference.
It’s not much, I realize, but the ability to add on, when possible, and reschedule, if necessary, has been liberating.
Budget Casualties
Since my initial budget for each event was created with early 2024 costs in mind, I suppose events being jettisoned due to price increases was bound to happen (and probably will several more times).
The first such casualty occurred last week: the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage State Park Golf Course on Long Island, NY.
The public onsale for the September 2025 event was last Wednesday and I knew going in that the PGA of America (the organizing body for the Ryder Cup) had priced me out of a competition day (Friday-Sunday) ticket.
A grounds pass for said days was pennies under $750!!!
Not only is that rate three times as much as I’d budgeted (based on an estimated price after previously purchasing both Presidents Cup and Solheim Cup tickets), but it would also be more than twice as much as I’d paid for any other single event to date.
The kicker, of course, is that when I logged in with my randomly selected Group 6 compatriots on Wednesday to explore other ways to see Bethpage (e.g. a practice round) and experience Ryder Cup action (e.g. the Junior Ryder Cup … it’s a real thing!), I took a look at the aforementioned competition days and the general onsale were already sold out and only available via Verified Resale (aka scalpers). The going rate was now about $1,100 per day.
As noted previously, I’d attended two team golf competitions this fall: the Solheim Cup in Virginia and the Presidents Cup in Montreal. Unlike a traditional golf tournament where the 150 or so players are spread out throughout the course in 50 groups, the team events are, at max, 12 pairs. If there are 30,000 spectators in the gallery on any given day, there’s only so much golf (and golfers) that can be seen.
To pay over $1,000 (or even over $500) for the possibility that you might see some action is ludicrous and, as such, the Ryder Cup became my first budgetary casualty. (Though, technically, I’ll still see Ryder Cup action … Junior Ryder Cup action;-)
The next such casualty might be the College Football Playoff Championship Game. At the moment, with limited ticket availability on the resale market because allocations to universities and conferences have not been released, the current get-in-the-building price is $1,500 and up. To say that exceeds what I’d initially budgeted would be accurate.
What may occur instead of the National Championship game, is a future trip to the FCS Championship or Division II or Division III. Or, perhaps, attending another major rivalry game (or more!) from a lower division such as the Monon Bell (Wabash College vs. DePauw) or the BoomBox Classic (Jackson State vs. Southern) or the Biggest Little Game in America (Amherst vs. Williams) or the The Game (Harvard vs. Yale) or The Rivarly (Lafayette vs. Lehigh, 159 years and counting!) or any of the Dakota rivalries (there’s the Nickel Trophy, the Sitting Bull Trophy, and the Dakota Marker).
The point is, my goal is to to see the 80 most iconic venues and/or events but, like my pal John U. Bacon is fond of saying, “Greed is still undefeated” and if, ultimately, the market prices me out of some of these events then I’ll get busy making lemonade and enjoying other parts of the sporting world.