The rest of America has caught on: Tuscaloosa is one of the best college sports towns around.
According to a report from Visit Tuscaloosa, the USA Today Sports Readers’ Choice Awards have named the Druid City the No. 2 best college sports town in the entire nation.
Visit Tuscaloosa is excited to announce that Tuscaloosa has been named the No. 2 Best College Sports Town in the country in the 2026 USA TODAY Sports Readers’ Choice Awards, earning national recognition as a leading destination for college sports! #RollTide pic.twitter.com/86bZWSenUb
— Visit Tuscaloosa (@VisitTuscaloosa) August 27, 2026
“College sports are woven into the fabric of Tuscaloosa, and we are incredibly proud to see our community recognized this way,” said Kelsey Rush, president and CEO of Visit Tuscaloosa. “Game days bring an unmatched energy to our community and is a bucket-list experience for sports lovers, but what makes Tuscaloosa even more special is everything visitors can experience beyond the stadium. Tuscaloosa thrives at the crossroads of tradition and energy and offers a balanced blend of hospitality, excitement and authenticity, making every visit meaningful and memorable.”
Not many towns around the country present the atmosphere on a game day that Tuscaloosa is able to bring.
“Tuscaloosa is the heart of the SEC and college football, new schools in the conference notwithstanding,” USA Today said.
“Crimson is the color that runs through everyone’s bloodlines. The coaches are icons in football. The basketball scene is amazing, and other programs, such as baseball, threaten on the national level. This entire city revolves around the University of Alabama. Throw in a riverfront, SEC, and Southern feels, and you have a place that people will say they went to school and spent many a game day, even if they aren’t alums. The SEC and Alabama are major league in every way.”
Fans will be ready for fall Saturdays once again, with the first game taking place next weekend on September 5, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. CST with East Carolina coming to town.
It’s hard to beat a Tuscaloosa game day, and it sounds like the rest of the country knows it too.
Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP and hear him every weekday morning from 6 to 9 a.m. on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5, available free online.
