An Aggie home weekend fills College Station with friends, family and people who haven’t been back since graduation. If your TAMU housing is a cottage with a real living room, you’re the natural host. At The Cottages of College Station, here’s how to handle the crew, the cars and the trip to Kyle Field.
Why is house-style TAMU housing good for game weekends?
It’s good because you have room for people and a place to feed them. A game weekend isn’t just the game. It’s Friday night, Saturday morning, the hours before kickoff and the recovery after. All of that needs a base.
The homes at The Cottages are cottage-, lodge-, duplex- and manor-style, with one to five bedrooms. They come fully furnished, and every resident has a private bedroom and private bathroom. So the living room can be full of people and you can still close a door.
The problem: everyone wants to come
When you live in a house-style place with roommates, each of you has friends who’d like a spot on the couch. Multiply that by four or five roommates and the weekend can get away from you.
Sort it out on Monday. Who’s coming, for which nights, and where they’re sleeping. Each resident is responsible for their own bedroom, but make sure everyone agrees on how shared spaces will be used. Ask the office about the overnight guest policy and guest parking before anyone drives in.
Option one: host the pregame at home
Skip the fight for a tailgate spot and make your place the gathering point. The Cottages has an outdoor grilling and lounge area. Put one roommate on the grill and one on drinks, and let everyone else bring a side.
There are sand volleyball and pickleball courts on the property too. A pickup game before lunch is a better use of a Saturday morning than standing in a parking lot. If somebody brings a dog, there’s a dog park, and the community is pet-friendly.
Check the kickoff time early in the week. An 11 a.m. game and a night game are completely different days. Texas A&M Athletics posts times once TV schedules are set.
Option two: how do you get to Kyle Field?
Plan this before Saturday. The Cottages is about 2.8 miles from Texas A&M, on the Aggie Spirit public bus route. The nearest stop is roughly 0.6 miles away. Check how the buses run on game days, since service and routes can change with the crowds.
If you’re driving, expect campus parking to be tight and traffic to be slow before and after. Carpool with the roommate who knows the back way. Leave earlier than seems necessary. Then leave earlier than that.
If your visitors want the full experience, tell them about Midnight Yell at Kyle Field on the Friday night before a home game. It’s one of those traditions that’s easier to feel than explain.
Option three: watch from the couch
Not everyone has a ticket, and that’s fine. A game on TV with a full living room is its own kind of good. You have a furnished living room and high-speed internet included, so you’ve got a pretty good watch-party setup.
My honest opinion: the home watch party wins on food, bathrooms and shade. In a Texas October, shade counts for a lot. Afternoons can still be hot.
The 24-hour clubhouse is there if your group needs a second space, or if one roommate has a midterm Monday and wants out of the noise. It has study rooms and a computer lab.
What about the morning after?
The morning after is when a house-style home earns its keep. Guests wake up to a kitchen, not a hotel lobby. Make breakfast tacos. Run the towels through the washer and dryer in your unit. Valet trash handles the evidence.
If the weather’s good, the resort-style pool is a strong recovery plan. Check with the office on pool hours this time of year.
Then reset the place together. Ten minutes, all roommates, music on. It’s a lot easier to host the next home game if the last one ended clean.
What should you know for late-season games?
The light changes. Daylight saving time ends on Sunday, November 1, so November games and the trips home afterward happen in the dark sooner. If you’re walking from the bus stop, go with your group.
Halloween is a Saturday this year, October 31. Check the football schedule against it, because a home game on Halloween weekend would make for a very full town.
If your roommate group is still coming together for next year, the floor plans show how the different home styles are laid out.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far is The Cottages of College Station from Texas A&M?
The community is about 2.8 miles from Texas A&M and on the Aggie Spirit public bus route. The nearest stop is roughly 0.6 miles away.
Can friends stay over on a game weekend?
Ask the office about the overnight guest policy and guest parking. Each resident is responsible only for their own bedroom.
Is there a place to grill?
Yes. The Cottages has an outdoor grilling and lounge area, plus sand volleyball and pickleball courts nearby.
Key Takeaways
- House-style TAMU housing makes game weekends easier because you can host.
- Agree with roommates on guests early, and check the guest and parking policies.
- Check kickoff time and game-day Aggie Spirit bus service before Saturday.
- Use the grilling area and courts for the pregame, and the pool and laundry for the recovery.