Every year when autumn rolls around, little towns like South Bend, Indiana buzz with excitement. Solo cup sales soar as entrepreneurial residents turn their front lawns into tailgating parking lots for out-of-towners. For four months per year, Saturdays belong to college football. And whether you cheer on your team because it’s your alma matter or you live nearby, the energy of 80,000 enthusiastic fans is special and contagious.

As part of a three-week College Football Towns series, we start by examining hotels in close proximity to four top programs in the Southeast.

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 The Hotel at Auburn University, Auburn, AL

Auburn Tigers

You probably don’t need too many guesses to figure out what team the Hotel at Auburn roots for. Don’t worry, they accept visiting fans, as well.

Right next to the Auburn University Campus, The Hotel at Auburn University is a microcosm of elite Southern college living: tall, arched windows, dark wood columns, reading nooks, and a spacious lounge for drinks, socializing, or cozying up by the fire.

Fans can also enjoy post-game Sunday brunches with live jazz and an ice cream sundae parlor for the kids.

You’re basically on campus, with the Jordan-Hare Stadium only a half a mile away.

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 The Chancellor Hotel, Fayetteville, AR

Arkansas Razorbacks

If you’ve never been to Fayetteville, Arkansas, use a Razorbacks game as an excuse. The colorful town is surrounded by the beautiful Ozark Mountains and The Chancellor Hotel offers the perfect urban boutique with downhome Southern charm to compliment it. The University of Arkansas, the Town Square, and nearby Dickson Street, Fayetteville’s entertainment district, are all just a few blocks away.

Donald W. Reynolds Razorback football stadium is a scenic, mile long walk from The Chancellor.

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 The Artmore Hotel, Atlanta, GA

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

The Artmore Hotel is a perfectly restored, 1924 Spanish-Mediterranean style hotel in the heart of Atlanta, Georgia, with a cool city vibe.  French doors open onto a warm courtyard with ochre and orange walls, cushioned loungers, and a fire pit to gather around for post-game analysis.

Yellow Jacket fans can walk or catch a cab to the Bobby Dodd Stadium – only a mile and a half away.  The Artmore Hotel in Midtown, Altanta, is also in the city’s Cultural Arts District and near the shopping and nightlife of the upscale Buckhead district.

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 Inn at Saint Mary’s, South Bend, IN

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

When people think of college football, they think of Notre Dame — and “Rudy.” In a prime location adjacent to the University of Notre Dame, the Inn at Saint Mary’s offers an authentic glimpse at a quintessential college football town atmosphere.

A picturesque 1.3 mile walk to Notre Dame Stadium, the Inn at Saint Mary’s is on the campus of Saint Mary’s College and adjacent to the University of Notre Dame.