Getting There
The primary gateway for most traveling sports fans is Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR), located roughly 100 miles south of Bakersfield — a drive of approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes north on I-5 or CA-99 depending on traffic. Bakersfield also has its own Meadows Field Airport (BFL) for those who can find direct service. Renting a car at BUR is by far the most practical option, as no direct bus service connects BUR to Bakersfield, and multi-transfer bus routes take upward of three hours.
Getting Around
Bakersfield's public transit is operated by Golden Empire Transit (GET), a bus-only system running 16 routes across the city, with hubs at the Downtown Transit Center and a CSUB Transit Center on campus. However, GET service is infrequent and not designed around event schedules, so a rental car or rideshare (Uber and Lyft are both active in the city) is strongly recommended for sports fans. The Icardo Center sits on the CSUB campus off Stockdale Highway on the southwest side of the city, roughly 20 minutes from downtown, and is easiest to reach by car or rideshare.
Where to Stay
The Stockdale corridor and southwest Bakersfield are the most convenient areas for fans attending games at the Icardo Center, with a range of chain hotels along Stockdale Highway within a 5–10 minute drive of the CSUB campus. Downtown Bakersfield offers more dining and nightlife options and is about 20 minutes from the arena, with midrange hotels typically running $100–$160 per night. Booking early for rivalry weekends in the WAC is advisable, as the city's hotel supply is modest and rates can spike around major university events.
Sports Fan Notes
Bakersfield is a pure college sports town when it comes to ticketed live action — the Icardo Center hosts both the men's and women's Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners basketball programs, giving fans two separate college basketball experiences in one trip during the winter season. The arena is famous for its distinctive blue hardwood court, one of the first of its kind in college basketball, making it a genuinely unique venue for fans who collect court visits. CSUB competes in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), so visiting fans from conference rivals like Utah Valley or New Mexico State will find a passionate, tight-knit home crowd in an intimate 3,497-seat setting. Bakersfield's no-frills, working-class character means the game-day experience is refreshingly authentic — expect affordable tickets and zero pretension.
Venues in Bakersfield
Icardo Center
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get from BUR to downtown Bakersfield?
The fastest and most practical option is to rent a car at BUR and drive north on I-5 or CA-99, a trip of roughly 100 miles that takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes without traffic. Rideshare from BUR is possible but expensive for this distance. There is no direct bus; multi-transfer bus routes via services like Tufesa take approximately 3 hours and require connecting through the Los Angeles area.
What is the best neighborhood to stay in Bakersfield for a sports trip?
For Icardo Center events, the Stockdale Highway corridor in southwest Bakersfield is the closest and most convenient, with multiple chain hotels within a 5–10 minute drive of the CSUB campus. If you want more dining and bar options for before or after the game, staying downtown adds about 15–20 minutes of driving to the arena but gives you better access to Bakersfield's restaurant scene along H Street and the Mill Creek area.
Which sports teams play in Bakersfield?
The Icardo Center on the CSUB campus is home to the Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners men's basketball team and the Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners women's basketball team, both competing at the NCAA Division I level in the Western Athletic Conference. A visit during basketball season lets you catch both programs in the same trip, with men's and women's games often scheduled on the same weekend.
Is Bakersfield a World Cup 2026 host city?
No, Bakersfield is not hosting any 2026 FIFA World Cup matches. The nearest host city is Los Angeles, which is approximately 100 miles south and is one of the official 2026 FIFA World Cup venues in the United States.
Sports cities near Bakersfield
Close enough to pair with a Bakersfield trip — or to catch a game on the drive in.