Next month, the reigning national champion Indiana University Hoosiers will travel to Lincoln, Nebraska for a college football showdown against the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers. United Airlines plans to support the fan excitement.
The company will offer rare flights between Indianapolis and Lincoln during game weekend. There is usually no non-stop connection between the two cities.
There are other similar flights.
That same week, United Airlines will also offer an unusual nonstop flight between Eugene, Ore., and Columbus, Ohio, in time for the high-stakes matchup between the University of Oregon and Ohio State.
Meanwhile, Southwest Airlines added flights across the board this fall specifically to transport fans to away games.
And later this month, American Airlines will go bigger and farther. When the Dallas Cowboys head to Brazil for an NFL game, American Airlines will offer a special flight from Dallas to Rio de Janeiro in its large Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Everywhere you look now, airlines are focusing on sports. And for good reason.
“The local sports market is very popular right now and a lot of money is being spent,” Joe Esposito, Delta’s chief commercial officer, said during a panel discussion in Texas last month.
“Everywhere you look in this country, it’s packed with college, professional, WNBA, everything,” he added. “It’s a never-ending business.”
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Sports travel is booming
According to the Sports Event Tourism Association, fans spent $51.1 billion on trips to sporting events in 2025.
And remember, it’s in front Fans flocked to major U.S. cities this summer for the FIFA World Cup.
Tourism industry leaders say one in every six hotel nights in Austin is now for sports-related travel.
“It moves the summer, it moves the weekend[s]”This is a big part of Austin’s future,” Visit Austin CEO Tom Noonan said last month.
It’s about how fans travel
Of course, fans following teams across the country is nothing new.
Rose Gray, a Wisconsin-based travel advisor, has been helping Green Bay Packers fans book trips to away games for more than 40 years.
What has changed, she said, is the way fans choose to travel.
Gone are the days of getting cheap tickets, staying in budget motels, or tailgating to avoid traffic.
Fans are now demanding that Gray attend the F1 race in Monaco with a special seat to meet and greet his favorite driver.
“They might say, ‘I don’t want to just stay in a Motel Six an hour away from the Masters,'” Fox World Travel’s Gray said. “They want an experience. It’s not just a game. It’s about talking to local people. It’s about learning about local cuisine. It’s about being as close as possible.”
It’s a cultural phenomenon cut from the same cloth as the all-in approach, including expensive hotels, fancy dinners and high-end experiences, that Taylor Swift fans took when booking trips to The Eras Tour in 2023 and 2024.
It may be the latest sign that consumers are refusing to sacrifice travel even as they face tough spending decisions in the face of stubborn inflation and rising borrowing costs.
“It’s not necessarily all really wealthy people who are splurging,” said Wendy Zajac, an adjunct professor who studies consumer behavior at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.
“I think people are willing to save for big trips and big moments,” Zajac added. “And when they do it, they’re going to give it their all.”
Airlines bet big on a big game.
Airlines also took notice.
Southwest Airlines is planning unique nonstop service between Oklahoma City and Jacksonville when Oklahoma State plays the University of Florida in November.
There will be a flight between Columbus and Omaha when Ohio State plays Nebraska the weekend before Thanksgiving.
To be fair, these soccer-specific flights aren’t actually new.
For nearly a decade, United has strategically added unique routes to college football games.
But in recent years, the Chicago-based airline has focused on finding opportunities to add one-time routes, even routes that don’t connect to its major hubs.
A prime example of this is the addition of a flight between Birmingham, Alabama and Baton Rouge, Louisiana for the Nov. 7 game between Alabama and LSU.
“We now have a deeper understanding of where our fans want to go and how they prefer to travel,” Michael Weeks, United’s managing director of domestic schedule development, told TPG.
“That experience has made us more strategic in identifying the right games, matching capacity to demand, and creating schedules that work for our customers,” he said.
more than a game
The deep connection between sports and travel extends beyond Saturday college football games, especially when leagues start games in more attractive destinations.
The NFL is planning its biggest international tour in 2026, following its first-ever game in Australia last week.
Next summer, MLB plans to once again host a game at the farm in Iowa that was the setting for the movie “Field of Dreams.”
Meanwhile, ticket sales for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, one of the most anticipated events, have already begun.
Zajac says that with so much of life happening on screen, going to see these “real world” games increasingly feels like a splurge that’s worth planning a big trip for.
“I think our world right now is really craving unique, time-sensitive events,” she said. “There’s no end in sight right now.”
TPG Reservation Tips
If you’re planning on booking a trip to see your favorite team, it helps to closely monitor the schedule.
Start searching for flights and hotels as soon as your team’s schedule reduces. If you’re looking to use your points, the best deals may be available more than 11 months in advance.
Be sure to make reservations that you can change later if prices drop or your plans change.
Consider protecting your trip with a travel insurance plan that covers major events like sports games and concerts. And if possible, buy travel for an extra layer of protection. A credit card that comes with overseas travel insurance.
Flight prices usually increase around big events, so plan to arrive a few days early and depart a few days after the final whistle. This gives you peace of mind in the event of a delay and allows you to avoid high-demand ticket prices.
Plus, you can experience the destination.
Finally, be sure to use your points and miles strategically. Reward bookings can help you reduce your out-of-pocket costs for flights and hotels. consult our rating This is to avoid giving away too many hard-earned points at once.
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