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Michael Barker remembers the most iconic play that he missed because of an obstructed view.

When Barker was looking for a ticket to watch the Gardner Minshew-led Washington State Cougars take on the Oregon Ducks in 2018, the average price was over $700. He ended up finding one for $250, but it came with an unexpected problem.

Once he arrived at his seat, he was surprised to find a giant light pole blocking his view of the game — an obstruction that wasn’t marked on the ticket. It ended up causing him to miss a 6-yard touchdown pass in the far-right corner of the Washington State end zone.

The only thing Barker could see were his fellow fans throwing their hands up in excitement after the play.

“After that, I wanted to warn people about obstructed views because of how I was impacted,” Barker told ESPN.

Barker, a California real estate agent, took three weeks off work in the summer of 2017 to scout college football stadiums — and to visit the Stanley Hotel in Colorado, which partly inspired Stephen King’s novel “The Shining.” He visited 99 schools, which sold him on the idea of traveling to different college campuses to attend college football games with a specific objective: helping fans avoid subpar viewing experiences.

Instead of the best seat in the house, he seeks the opposite.

“I started to light fires on social media, and since then we kind of branded it as obstructive-view alerts. And now it’s my responsibility to do that at every stadium,” Barker said.

Since starting his journey, Barker has visited 222 college football venues, including all 134 FBS stadiums — a milestone he reached by witnessing the Kennesaw State Owls upset the Liberty Flames last week.


BARKER’S PREPARATION FOR a stadium visit begins seven months in advance. It consists of researching photos and seating charts. Along with an online search, repeat stadium visits have been some of his most informative work. When Baker visited Indiana’s Memorial Stadium in April for the Hoosiers‘ spring game, stadium officials wouldn’t let fans on the home side of the stadium where the press box resides. But he was still able to spot where the press box stuck out. He pulled out his phone, snapped a photo from across the field and made a note of the potential obstruction.

Months later, Barker returned to the stadium when Indiana took on Western Illinois during the regular season. As soon as the gates opened, Barker ran over to the left of the press box and sat in Section 108, Row 41, Seat 104, where he estimates only 64% of the field could be viewed. He couldn’t see the action until the line of scrimmage moved past the 25-yard line toward midfield.

He also recalled an experience at the 2023 Cotton Bowl between Missouri and Ohio State at AT&T Stadium. He ran into two out-of-town fans who were greeted with obstructed views that they said weren’t noted on their tickets.

According to Barker, both fans could view only about 30% of the field.

To prevent other fans from having the same experience, he took a photo from each section and described the fans’ experience on Instagram.

“You don’t know what happens until you put your butt in the seat and you look and can’t see the field. I felt bad for them, but if I can help in any way, then it’s worth it.”

That wasn’t Barker’s only obstructed incident involving the Buckeyes.

Of all the unsatisfactory seats Barker has occupied, he says one of the worst is at Ohio Stadium. He visited Ohio State when the Buckeyes took on Michigan State on Nov. 11, 2023, and sat in Section 11C, Row 41, Seat 31 — the highest row in the stadium.

The ticket for his seat was listed for sale with an “obstructed” note because the press box jutted out near the row. Barker could see only one end zone, which amounts to 8% field visibility.

That same day, he ran into three fans who unknowingly purchased season tickets with obstructed views. According to Barker, this detail wasn’t disclosed on the sale listing. Ticket distribution companies like SeatGeek and StubHub list whether or not a view is obstructed when selling a ticket, but whether or not a view is defined as such is generally up to individual venues, according to their help pages.

“He tried to minimize it and say, ‘Hey, I could see the videoboard and it’s not a problem,'” Barker said of his interaction with one of the fans. ” … You don’t want to get ripped off at an event. And if I could help anybody out with that through social media, then I feel honored to be able to do that.”


DURING COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON, Barker travels to four to six games each week — sometimes attending two or three in the same day. The trips can get costly.

“I live in California, and it’s the hardest place to travel because like 80% of programs are east of Texas,” he said.

Barker self-funds his trips, which leads him to budget as frugally as possible. When he flies to a game or rents a car for transportation, he avoids getting a hotel room. Instead, he sleeps in an airport or inside a rental car to keep costs down.

“I joke that whatever rental car I get, I put the word hotel in front of me. So Hotel Camry, Hotel Jeep,” Barker said. Barker estimates he spends an average of $35,000 on travel per season.

Barker spends approximately $150 on one-way airline tickets around 15 to 20 times per month, averaging about $2,250 to $3,000 monthly. He also spends an average of $60 per day on a rental car, amounting to about $1,080 through 18 college football game days each month.

When he arrives in a city for a football game, the first thing he does is locate a grocery store where he spends about $25 on food that can last him through the day. To save money, he set a personal rule: No buying food at airports or during games. Paying for parking is also off limits in his attempt to stretch every penny.

He often goes through the process of applying for a media credential for stadium access, but if denied, he relies on his social media followers for tickets.

“When I put my schedule out every week, there’s a community of people that want to help me out,” Barker said.

Though Barker’s quest is self-funded, he pays for his travel and bills with airline credit cards, which helps him rack up points to assist with overhead.

“If you want to go to 80 college football games, then you cut out all those other costs and you do it as cheap as possible,” he said.

Barker’s frugality was on full display when he attended Eastern Washington‘s season-opening home matchup against Monmouth. Barker took a $2 bus ride from Spokane International Airport to the school. Once he arrived, he met with Kelsey Hatch-Brecek, Eastern Washington’s director of alumni relations, with whom he connected via social media and who gave him a tour of the campus.

Not having a hotel room to store his belongings, Barker placed his backpack in the alum’s vehicle during the tour. He collected it once the game concluded before catching the last bus from Eastern Washington back to the airport. Though his flight didn’t depart until 5:30 a.m. the next morning, Barker arrived at the gate at 11:30 p.m. and waited there overnight.

Eastern Washington defeated Monmouth that day, but it was Barker’s pockets that won in the end. He calculated that a hotel and rental car would have cost him $210, but he spent only $4 on transportation and “lodging.”

“So it’s not fun. Nobody likes to sleep on the floor in the airport. But these are the kind of things that if you love travel, if you love college football, and you’re trying to be, you know, as cost-effective as possible, you’re willing to do these things,” Barker said. During the 2023 season, Barker estimates he lost 11 pounds from the stress of traveling and poor nutrition.


THE CURATOR OF @cfbcampustour on X and Instagram credits his online followers for keeping his quest alive.

“I would not be traveling if it wasn’t for social media, because the community that is out there, you know, I’ve been able to build around myself,” Barker said. “People are awesome. … I have friends all over the country, and it’s all because of Twitter and college football.

“When you go to these people’s town for the first time, they see it in their idealistic view because they graduated from there. So when you meet them, they’re trying to give you the experience to see it through their eyes. And that’s special because that’s their experience. And, you know, my account is almost like I’m showcasing these places for people, hopefully to inspire them.”

Barker plans to keep chronicling stadiums for the love of his followers and stadium infrastructure.

“I want to keep doing this as long as I can,” Barker said. “And again, I’m just grateful to be able to, you know, showcase this stuff on social media, because in my opinion, college sports, college football in particular, is the best sport in the world.”

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Scheifele plays, scores hours after losing father

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Scheifele plays, scores hours after losing father

DALLAS — Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele scored a goal in his club’s must-win Game 6 of the second-round playoff series at Dallas on Saturday night, hours after the unexpected death of his father.

But he also had the penalty that set up the Stars’ power-play goal in overtime for a 2-1 win that knocked the top-ranked Jets out of the playoffs.

Jets captain Adam Lowry went and got Scheifele out of the box when the game ended.

“We’re a family. Just to let him know that we’re there for him. It’s just an awful day for him,” Lowry said. “You want to give him the strength, you want to get that kill so bad. We just couldn’t do it.”

During the handshake line afterward, Scheifele hugged and talked to just about everyone, with Stars players clearly offering their support to him in a heartwarming moment.

Scheifele scored his fifth goal of the playoffs 5½ minutes into the second period to give the Jets a 1-0 lead. He scored on a short snap shot from just outside the crease after gathering the rebound of a shot by Kyle Connor.

“I just I know we have a great group here. I knew, going in, once we found out the news that he’s going to have a great support group and we’re going to be there for him through the highs and the lows and obviously today was a real low,” defenseman Neal Pionk said of Scheifele. “[We] did everything we could to give him some words of encouragement, [and] for him to play tonight, and play the way he did, is flat out one of the most courageous things we’ve ever seen.”

The game was tied at 1 when Sam Steel, who had already scored for Dallas, was on a break. Scheifele lunged forward desperately trying to make a play when he tripped up the forward at the blue line with 14.8 seconds in regulation. Scheifele and the Jets avoided a penalty shot on the play, but ended up losing on the power play when Thomas Harley scored 1:33 into overtime.

Jets coach Scott Arniel said the news of Brad Scheifele’s passing overnight was difficult for the entire team. The team was told before the optional morning skate.

“On behalf of the Winnipeg Jets family, our condolences to Mark and his family. It rocked us all this morning when we found out,” Arniel said before the game. “Mark will be playing tonight. As he said, that’d be the wishes of his dad. He would have wanted him to play.”

Scheifele was the last Jets player to leave the ice following pregame warmups, and during at least part of the singing of “O Canada,” he had his head bowed and his eyes closed. He took the opening faceoff against Roope Hintz.

“The thing about Mr. Scheifele is he’s part of our family. He’s part of the Jets family. He goes back to 2011 when Mark was first drafted here,” Arniel said. “We have a lot of players that came in around the time that are still here that he’s been a big part of their life, along with their family. So it’s certainly, obviously devastating for Mark, but also for a lot of guys on this team.”

Winnipeg general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said the organization was doing everything it can to support Scheifele. There was no immediate word on the cause of Brad Scheifele’s death.

The 32-year-old Mark Scheifele finished with 11 points (five goals, six assists) while playing in 11 of the Jets’ 13 games this postseason. He missed Games 6 and 7 of the first-round series against St. Louis with an undisclosed injury after taking a pair of big hits early in Game 5 of that series.

In Game 5 against the Stars on Thursday night, a 4-0 win by Winnipeg that extended the series, Scheifele was sucker-punched by Stars captain Jamie Benn during a late scrum. Benn got a game misconduct penalty and was fined by the NHL the maximum-allowed $5,000 but avoided a suspension.

Scheifele had 87 points (39 goals and 48 assists) in the 82 regular-season games.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Stars win, oust Presidents’ Trophy-winning Jets

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Stars win, oust Presidents' Trophy-winning Jets

DALLAS — Thomas Harley scored on a power play 1:33 into overtime and the Dallas Stars advanced to the Western Conference final for the third season in a row, beating the top-seeded Winnipeg Jets 2-1 in Game 6 on Saturday night.

Mark Scheifele scored for the Jets hours after the unexpected death of his father, but also had a tripping penalty with 14.8 seconds left in regulation that set up Dallas to start overtime with a man advantage.

Sam Steel, who had scored earlier for Dallas, was on a break when Scheifele lunged forward desperately trying to make a play when he tripped up the forward at the blue line. The Stars called a timeout, but missed a shot and had another one blocked before the end of regulation.

The Stars move on to face the Edmonton Oilers in the West final for the second year in a row and will host Game 1. Connor McDavid and his club, which won in six games last year, wrapped up their second-round series with a 1-0 overtime win over Vegas on Wednesday night in Game 5.

Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger made 22 saves to wrap up his sixth playoff series win over the past three seasons. He made an incredible diving save with 8½ minutes left in regulation, leaning to the right before having to lunge back across his body toward the left post to knock down a shot by Mason Appleton.

Winnipeg goaltender Connor Hellebuyck stopped 19 shots but couldn’t prevent a loss that assured a winless record for his club on the road this postseason. Meanwhile, his final goal allowed continued a magical season for Harley, Dallas’ breakout blueliner who also played for Team Canada this season in the 4 Nations Face-Off.

“Not surprising to the guys in here,” Oettinger said of Harley’s rise to prominence. “We’re very lucky.”

Steel notched his first goal of the playoffs midway through the second period. He shot a long rebound from the top of the right circle, sending the puck into the upper right corner of the net just above Hellebuyck’s glove.

“I’m just disappointed,” Winnipeg captain Adam Lowry said. “We couldn’t get that [penalty] kill for [the fans], and get it back to win in Winnipeg for Game 7. But you know, [I’m] really proud of this group, and the way they handled everything, and the way we fought back. … It just came up short.”

The Jets become the next in a long line of Presidents’ Trophy winners to bow out early. The award, which goes to the NHL’s top regular-season team, was won by the New York Rangers last season before they lost in the Eastern Conference final. Two years ago, the No. 1 seed Boston Bruins lost in the first round to the Florida Panthers.

“We lost to a great team,” Winnipeg coach Scott Arniel said. “We lost to a team that was in our rearview mirror all year long.”

Scheifele’s effort was a focus for Dallas coach Pete DeBoer, who began his postgame media availability by saying what the Jets star forward did in playing Saturday was “courageous,” adding “I’m sure his dad would’ve been really proud of him and what he did.”

For the Stars, it’s off to the NHL’s final four, as the franchise continues to seek its second Stanley Cup title.

“I think we’ve got something special going on. We’re going to have to prove it again,” DeBoer said. “You know, we’ve been to this spot the last two years and haven’t taken the next step, so that’s the challenge.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Eichel, Knights seek ‘common ground’ on new deal

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Eichel, Knights seek 'common ground' on new deal

As the Vegas Golden Knights absorb being knocked out in the second round of the NHL playoffs by the Edmonton Oilers, they don’t have to wait long before planning for their future. Jack Eichel, who has one season left on his eight-year, $80 million contract, is eligible for an extension beginning July 1.

“He’s one of the top guys in the NHL,” general manager Kelly McCrimmon said. “He’s got great character, great leadership. You see night in, night out what he does for our team, so that will be a really important piece of business for us. We certainly hope to keep Jack in our organization. Jack loves it here, so I would hope we could find common ground.”

Eichel, 28, comes off the best season of his 10-year career, the past four with the Golden Knights. He set career highs with 66 assists and 94 points to go with 28 goals as the center on the team’s top line. He also skated for Team USA in the 4 Nations Face-Off, where his club finished second to Canada.

“Can’t say enough about my teammates and the people in this building and the people that make this organization what it is,” Eichel said. “I’m super proud to be part of this organization and the city and represent the Vegas Golden Knights. Contractually, I think things kind of take care of itself. I’ll just worry about trying to prepare for next season this offseason and go from there.”

Management, which is not known for sitting on its hands, will have other significant decisions to make as well on the team’s direction after the Golden Knights were eliminated in the second round for the second year in a row.

“I like our team,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “I don’t have a problem with any player in that room. I think every one of them is a great teammate. They care about one another. Are there areas of our game we could complement better? Probably. We’ll evaluate that.

“All the guys that were up, their contracts, they were all good players for us. All good players. No disappointments at all. We’ll probably have to look at areas because we’re not the last team standing. Usually, you think, ‘Where can we upgrade? Where can I upgrade what I do?'”

McCrimmon offered a similar assessment.

“I feel our team was good enough to win,” McCrimmon said.

The Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup two years ago and thought they had another contender this season after capturing the Pacific Division and securing the Western Conference’s second-best record. But Vegas had to rally from a 2-1 series deficit to beat Minnesota in the opening round, winning twice in overtime. Then the Golden Knights lost two overtime games in the 4-1 series loss to the Edmonton Oilers.

“I didn’t walk away from Edmonton saying, ‘We had no chance. They’re just better,'” Cassidy said. “I didn’t feel that way. I felt we needed to execute better in a few of the games and we could be the team moving on.”

Forward William Karlsson said losing to the Oilers made it “a wasted season.” McCrimmon wasn’t as blunt, instead labeling the loss as “a missed opportunity.”

Change will come, but at least given the tenor of the comments by Cassidy and McCrimmon, the Golden Knights will largely return their roster intact next season.

“I think we have a great organization,” goaltender Adin Hill said. “Best management I’ve been under. I think they’re going to do the things that they see fit for [the] roster, whether it’s keeping it the same or whether it’s changing up a few things. I don’t know. That’s their decision, above my paygrade, but it will be exciting to see. We know that we’re going to be contenders every year.”

Forward Reilly Smith made it clear he wants to return. An original Golden Knight, Smith was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins after winning the Stanley Cup and then sent to the New York Rangers a year later. The Golden Knights reacquired the 34-year-old on March 6.

Smith made a smooth transition back into the lineup with three goals and eight assists in 21 games. Then he delivered the play of the postseason for the Golden Knights, scoring with 0.4 seconds left to beat the Oilers in Game 3, and finished with three goals and an assist in 11 playoff games.

“Probably the best hockey I’ve played in my career has been wearing this jersey,” Smith said. “It’s a fun group to be a part of and a fun place to call home. My family loves it here, so if there’s a way to make it work, it’d be great. At the end of the day, it’s a business. My contract negotiations, I probably know as little as [the media does] right now.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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