There's also the factor of every destination in the Big XII other than Boulder (save for maybe Austin) is a ****hole. Notice how well the Buffs travel to places like Tempe, Miami, Athens, and Tallahassee...
Your point is taken. But travel isn't only about places. It's also about people. There are some good times to be had on or around otherwise desolate B12 campuses.
Austin UT- Zilker Park, Barton Springs & Town Lake provide more than sufficient hiking, jogging and "bird watching" opportunities. The music scene in Austin is top drawer: SXSW. Catch a band at Stubbs, or dozens of other bars with stages.
Waco/BU: First impression is that it's a truckstop town on the interstate. As Floyd Casey Stadium is miles away from the BU campus, it's easy to miss the best part of the trip. Baylor's campus is among the most pleasant in the B12. The architecture is a combo of stately Georgian brick and brand spanking new cutting edge facilities. A walk along the banks of the Brazos River and the stream through campus is to be enjoyed. Baylor's live bear mascots live in the middle of campus in a top class habitat. (Sure would be cool if Ralphie IV was so accessible) Baylor memoralizes hundreds of fallen soldiers. Each lamp post tells a poignient story. Very classy.
A&M- Chicken Express has the best fried chicken ever. A&M has strange fans, strange traditions, a Bush Library and a golf course on campus. Nothing to gush about except for the chicken.
Norman - OU. Get ready for "Buffalo Burgers" because that's the first thing on Sooner fan's mind when CU attire is spotted on campus. For a good time, blow off Norman and head up to Bricktown in OKC. This is a thriving sports and entertainent district on the SW fringe of downtown. There are more places to grab a drink, watch a game, or oogle than could be done in one weekend. Think LoDo meets San Antonio Riverwalk. That is Bricktown.
Stillwater/OSU - Eskamo Joe's It's the epicenter of OSU pregame and postgame festivities. If Hard Rock Cafe were to do NCAAFB, it would be Eskamo Joe's. The campus resembles Ft. Fun with 1950's style buildings with a ton of money getting poured into the stadium and athletic facilities. The term "student-athlete" turns on it's head in Stillwater.
Lincoln - Not much to say that this board doesnt know. It's a big gray concrete stadium with steep steps near rail road tracks and grain elevators. Their Bar district on "O" street is Pearl Street without the granola. I remember going into Knickerbockers and having a ball.
Manhattan - KSU. There is no "there" there. The town sneaks up on you. 2 miles out of town on HWY 177, you don't see anything and you swear you must be lost or have bad directions. Turn a corner and drop into the town that exists in some other time-space continuum. It's an experience right out of Michael Jackson's Thriller video; think zombies in purple. Never before or sense have I felt so alone among so many people. Post game excitement is at the Manhattan Town Center Mall Food Court. An Anne Rice fan would dig a Manhattan halloween. Freaky little city. Boo!