Parents attending this year’s Family Weekend and football game against Big 12 opponent Texas Tech University have an opportunity that hasn’t been available since 1984 – a sold out game at Amon Carter Stadium.Marc Jansing, a sophomore environmental science major, said his parents are excited to be a part of this year’s events because “they didn’t come last year and felt like they really missed out.”

In addition to the game, Programming Council has planned family events throughout the weekend.

More than 800 tickets have been purchased for the pre-game barbecue that will be held at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, said Vanessa Flores, vice chair of PC, adding that there may be some tickets still available Saturday. Tickets cost $9.

Since this year’s theme is “The Magic of TCU,” a magician will perform during the barbecue, said Megan Vroman, director of Family Weekend. In addition to the catered barbecue lunch and magic show, there will also be a pep rally before the 4:30 p.m. football game, she said.

Like many activities previously held outdoors, the Family Weekend pre-game activities have been moved this year to indoor facilities due to construction. The barbecue, magic show and pep rally will be held in the University Recreation Center gym, Vroman said.

For students wanting to take their families off campus, trolleys will be running from the visitor parking lot outside the Tom Brown-Pete Wright Residential Community to Billy Bob’s in the Fort Worth Stockyards, Vroman said. The trolleys will run from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and no prior registration is necessary, she said.

“This is especially an opportunity for freshmen who may not know Fort Worth that well,” Flores said.

PC also collaborated with various restaurants and vendors in order to provide coupons in the Family Weekend packets that registered families can pick up today, Flores said.

Something new at this year’s family weekend will be the showing of a radio-TV-film production made in Italy last summer. The film will be shown at 4 p.m. Friday in the Student Center Ballroom, and will be followed by academic discussion groups directed toward parents, Vroman said. One of the topics planned for discussion is travel abroad opportunities, she said.

“We’ve gotten feedback that academics were ignored in past family weekends, so we’re trying to change that this year,” Vroman said.

Alina Tennie, chair of PC, said most families attending these events are visiting relatives who are freshmen.

“Family weekend is a good way for students to explain to their parents and siblings why they love TCU,” Tennie said.

The final scheduled event for the weekend is a brunch at 10 a.m. Sunday in the Student Center Ballroom, Flores said.

As for having Family Weekend overlap with the Texas Tech game, PC considers it a stroke of luck.