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Thanksgiving leftovers are still in the fridge, and I-10 South is already filling up with Wildcats fans making the trip to Tucson. This year, Arizona hosts the Territorial Cup on November 28, which means every Phoenix-area fan is pointing their car south for kickoff. The drive is only about an hour and a half without stops, but if you leave room for a few good ones, it turns into part of the tradition.
Here's how to make the most of the drive down, whether you're loading up the whole family or riding solo with the radio cranked.
Give Yourself More Time Than You Think You Need
Rivalry week already brings heavier traffic than a normal Saturday, and this year it lands on a holiday weekend, so you're sharing the road with returning Thanksgiving travelers too. Casa Grande tends to be the pinch point where traffic slows down the most, especially in the two or three hours before kickoff. Leaving even 30 minutes earlier than you normally would buys you a real cushion, and it means you're not white-knuckling it through Eloy trying to make up time.
If you can, aim to leave Phoenix by mid-morning. It gives you a buffer for stops, parking, and the walk into Arizona Stadium, without turning the day into a sprint.
The Stops Worth Getting Off the Highway For
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. A quick 12-minute detour off I-10 in Coolidge, this is one of those stops most fans drive past a hundred times without ever visiting. The Great House was built by the Hohokam people roughly 700 years ago, and it's one of the best-preserved ancient structures in the Southwest. Give it 30 to 45 minutes, and it's free to explore.
Picacho Peak State Park. The peak itself has marked the halfway point of this drive for generations, and the park is still open for a quick leg-stretch, even with the old Bowlin's travel center at its base having closed earlier this year. The short trails near the base offer solid mountain views without eating up your whole afternoon, and the restrooms are clean, which matters more than people admit on a road trip.
Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch. If you've got kids in the car, or you just want a five-minute detour that doubles as a good story later, this quirky roadside stop lets you feed ostriches, goats, and lorikeets. It's not for everyone, but it's the kind of stop that makes the drive memorable instead of just efficient.
Wild Horse Pass. Closer to the Phoenix side, this is a good option if you're leaving early and want a coffee stop with a view before the real drive begins.
Where to Actually Eat
Skip the gas station snacks if you can help it. A few real options along the way:
Casa Grande — Creative Cafe. Consistently called out by locals and travelers as a reliable lunch stop that's a step above typical highway food. A good midpoint break if you left Phoenix around mid-morning.
Closer to Tucson, Marana and Oro Valley have a solid cluster of options worth timing your arrival around:
- Noble Hops — a gastropub with a good beer list and views, solid for a sit-down meal before the game.
- Baggin's Gourmet Sandwiches — the better call if you're short on time and just need something fast and satisfying.
- Saffron Indian Bistro — the buffet is a good option if your group can't agree on what everyone's in the mood for.
- The Screamery — worth the stop after the game if your group has a sweet tooth and the win puts everyone in a celebratory mood.
The Rivalry Week Playlist
No road trip is complete without the right soundtrack, and rivalry week deserves a playlist that builds the energy the closer you get to Tucson. A few non-negotiables:
"Bear Down, Arizona" belongs on repeat at least once before you hit the parking lot, whether you're playing the marching band version or just yelling it a cappella somewhere around Eloy. Beyond the fight song, lean into whatever gets your car loud and confident: your go-to pump-up tracks, a few classic road-trip singalongs for the stretches where the scenery isn't doing much, and one wildcard song nobody expects, but everyone ends up singing anyway. The best rivalry week playlists aren't perfectly curated. They're a little chaotic, a little loud, and exactly what you want blasting when Picacho Peak comes into view.
Getting Into Tucson
Once you're close, resist the urge to speed up just because the finish line is in sight. Traffic around Arizona Stadium gets tight in the final hour before kickoff, and parking lots fill fast, especially with this being a marquee home game. A few things worth keeping in mind as you get close:
- Watch for foot traffic well before you reach the lots. Fans start cutting across streets and between parked cars long before you're anywhere near a stadium entrance, especially once tailgates are in full swing. Slow down earlier than feels necessary.
- Follow the parking staff's direction, even if it seems slower. Lots fill fast on a game like this one, and trying to shortcut the flow usually backfires and costs you more time than it saves.
- Tailgating is common around this game, and it's worth being clear-eyed about it. Alcohol tends to flow more freely on rivalry weekend than on a regular Saturday, and that means more impaired drivers and pedestrians in and around the lots than usual. If your group is tailgating, lock in a designated driver or a rideshare plan before the party starts, not after. And regardless of your own plans, drive a little more defensively than usual once you're in stadium traffic.
- Keep your headlights on and your following distance up on the final stretch into Tucson, especially if you're arriving close to dusk. That stretch of I-10 gets a lot of merging and lane-changing as everyone funnels toward the same exits at once.
For fans who want a break from the highway entirely, downtown Tucson's 4th Avenue is worth a stop if your schedule allows it, whether that's before the game for shopping and food, or after for a slower drive home instead of rushing straight back onto I-10 with everyone else.
The Real Point of the Drive
Every fan base has road trip stories, but the Phoenix-to-Tucson run has a rhythm to it that regulars know well: the flat stretch after Casa Grande, the first glimpse of Picacho Peak, the moment the desert opens up right before Tucson comes into view. It's part of what makes rivalry week feel different from a regular Saturday.
Whatever route you take and whatever stops make your list, the goal is the same: get there with time to actually enjoy the day, not just survive the drive. Safe travels, Wildcats fans, and Bear Down.
