Bidding Now Open: Use Choice Points for Exclusive College Football Experiences

Hey college football fans! Bidding has commenced on the Choice Privileges Experiences platform for eight VIP game-day experiences. This season, Choice is set to provide 40 VIP experiences across 15 teams, with new bidding opportunities rolling out every few weeks.

Since the launch of the ability to redeem Choice points for college sports experiences in late 2022, members had to act fast as experiences sold out quickly at fixed rates. Now, however, Choice is allowing members to bid on college football experiences, featuring major matchups like Alabama vs. Georgia.

Here’s what you should know.

VIP College Football Experiences with Choice Privileges

This fall, Choice has unveiled its inaugural lineup of VIP college football game-day experiences available for redeeming Choice points. Here’s the list of college football games currently open for bidding as of Aug. 1:

• The University of Florida vs. the University of Miami on Aug. 31 in Gainesville, Florida
• Texas A&M University vs. the University of Notre Dame on Aug. 31 in College Station, Texas (two experiences available)
• The University of Michigan vs. The University of Texas at Austin on Sept. 7 in Ann Arbor, Michigan
• Oregon State University vs. the University of Oregon on Sept. 14 in Corvallis, Oregon (two experiences available)
• The University of Florida vs. Texas A&M University on Sept. 14 in Gainesville
• The University of Wisconsin—Madison vs. The University of Alabama on Sept. 14 in Madison, Wisconsin

Additionally, here are the college football games with experiences that are not yet available for bidding as of Aug. 1 but are expected to be offered soon:

• The University of Louisville faces off against the Georgia Institute of Technology on Sept. 21 in Louisville, Kentucky
• The University of Michigan takes on the University of Southern California on Sept. 21 in Ann Arbor
• The University of Oklahoma competes against the University of Tennessee on Sept. 21 in Norman, Oklahoma
• The University of Minnesota goes up against The University of Iowa on Sept. 21 in Minneapolis
• The University of Alabama challenges the University of Georgia on Sept. 28 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
• The University of Kansas matches up with Texas Christian University on Sept. 28 in Kansas City, Missouri

As noted earlier, Choice will introduce additional VIP experiences every few weeks throughout the college football season.

Most, if not all, experiences are designed for two individuals, one of whom must be the Choice Privileges member who placed the winning bid. However, the specifics of each experience can vary, so be sure to click on the experience to review the included details before placing your bid.

"Many Choice Privileges members are passionate college football fans who stay at our hotels for business during the week and then return on weekends with friends and family to support their favorite teams," said Noha Abdalla, chief marketing officer for Choice Hotels, in a press release. "We are thrilled to provide our members with the chance to enjoy a game up close and personal."

How to place a bid on Choice Privileges Experiences

Visit the Choice Privileges Experiences website and click on "Sports" under the "Categories" section to explore current and upcoming games available for bidding. You can choose to view auction or redeem-now experiences, though no redeem-now options were available at the time of publication.

Hit the "Bid Now" button to access more details about the experience and submit your bid. Before you can place a bid, ensure you're logged into your Choice account, are a resident of the U.S. or Canada, and have sufficient points to cover your bid.

You can place an initial bid if no one has bid on an experience yet. If there are existing bids, your bid must exceed the current highest bid by at least 100 points. Your bid will not be accepted if you lack enough Choice points in your account to cover it, and you need to maintain a sufficient balance until you either win the experience or are outbid by someone else.

After placing your bid, keep an eye on the experience and its highest bid status. If someone outbids you, you can submit a higher bid if you wish to continue competing for the experience.

Should you win an experience that includes accommodation, Choice will handle the booking and arrangements. You'll receive a standard room at a Choice Hotels location in or near the game venue, shared with the winner and their guests.

How to accumulate Choice points

There are numerous ways to accumulate Choice points. You can earn points through stays at Choice hotels or by using a cobranded Choice Hotels credit card, such as the Choice Privileges® Mastercard® (see rates and fees) or the Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard® (see rates and fees).

If you need to quickly accumulate Choice points to bid on an experience, consider transferring American Express Membership Rewards points, Capital One miles, Citi ThankYou Rewards points, or Wells Fargo points to Choice Privileges. Alternatively, purchasing Choice Privileges points might be beneficial. However, be aware that your bid may still fall short in winning the auction.

In summary

Utilizing Choice Privileges points for college sports experiences can offer great value. However, winning bids for some experiences this fall are expected to be quite high, so manage your expectations. Nonetheless, it's beneficial to monitor the available experiences and place a bid if you find one that you think is worth more than the points you're willing to spend.