Sports

Someone please do this Gophers/Cubs/Vikings trip to Illinois

There's a potential sports road trip out there that is so perfect we've been talking about it in the office for quite a while. Do you have what it takes to go?

By Michael Rand

October 13, 2016 at 7:34PM

(The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Will someone please allow me to live vicariously through them?

There's a potential sports road trip out there that is so perfect, yet so perfectly impossible for me to go on for a variety of reasons. We've been bantering about this potential trip in the office for months.

Done correctly, you could make this sports trip while missing just one day of a Monday-Friday job. Someone — better yet, a bunch of you — please consider this, if everything works out:

PART I

The game: Gophers at Illinois, 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, Champaign, Ill.

The lowdown: This is the start of your journey — either via a flight into Chicago and a 2-hour drive (which could be done Saturday morning, technically) or via a 7-plus hour drive from Minneapolis (which would be best to at least start Friday night).

It's the homecoming game for the Illini, but it's also a very winnable game for the Gophers. Illinois is just 1-4 on the season. Someday you could say you were at the game that helped Minnesota become bowl-eligible.

Cost: Flights are less than $100 into Chicago if you go in Saturday morning and come back at the crack of dawn Tuesday (more on that in a minute). Actual game tickets are as low as $6 on StubHub.com.

Potential problem: If the Gophers keep losing, you might ask yourself, "Why did I make getting to this game such a priority?"

PART II

The game: World Series Game 5. Sunday, Oct. 30, Chicago.

The lowdown: If the Cubs make it to the World Series, we already know that they will be scheduled to host Games 3, 4 and 5 on Oct. 28, 29 and 30 because the National League lost the All-Star game (meaning the AL champion hosts Games 1, 2, 6 and 7).

Cost: An arm. And a leg. And a service fee on top of that. But even if you aren't willing to fork over the cash for a ticket to the game, just being in Chicago when the Cubs were in the World Series (and could potentially clinch) would be amazing.

Potential problem: Well, first the Cubs have to get to the World Series. There's still the matter of the NLCS, and as we know nothing can be taken for granted with this franchise. Also, Game 5 is only necessary if there's no sweep. (However, you could also head to Chicago after the Gophers/Illinois game and probably be there in time for Game 4 Saturday night).

PART III

The game: Vikings at Bears, 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 31, Soldier Field in Chicago.

The lowdown: The atmosphere should be awesome for Monday Night Football, and if the Vikings win at Philadelphia this weekend they'll be 6-0 heading into another primetime game.

Cost: You can easily get in the door for less than $100 and find a very good seat for less than $200. That's not cheap, but you've come this far.

Potential problem: Chances are, you'll be running on fumes and adrenaline at this point — and possibly staring at an all-night drive or early Tuesday flight home to make it back to work. Do you have what it takes to finish the trip with a flourish?

about the writer

Michael Rand

Columnist / Reporter

Michael Rand is the Minnesota Star Tribune's Digital Sports Senior Writer and host/creator of the Daily Delivery podcast. In 25 years covering Minnesota sports at the Minnesota Star Tribune, he has seen just about everything (except, of course, a Vikings Super Bowl).