On Friday, the Horned Frogs will make the short drive down I-35 to Waco where they will take on the Big 12’s Baylor Bears in the latest incarnation of a long-standing rivalry. The game will be shown on national television, but a combination of factors are making the game an attractive Friday evening destination for many students.

The university has had no problem selling tickets to the opening-day game despite the $45 cost associated with student section tickets and the drive.

Brooks Anthony, a sophomore accounting major, said he “would pay any price for a ticket.”
Anthony will be going to the game in a 53-person charter bus. “It’s cheaper than gas, and it will be more fun to go with all of my friends,” he said.

While he admitted that $45 was more than he was used to paying for TCU football, there was no way he would not take the opportunity to attend the game.

However, some students have decided to forgo the trip to Waco, citing reasons varying from the ticket price to the drive.

“It’s an away game, and I don’t want to buy a ticket when I usually go to games for free,” senior film-television-digital media major Devon Martinez said.

Across the board, student ticket sales have been strong but not through the roof. The university was prepared to have to offer tickets on a lottery basis in the event of a sell-out, but that has not been an issue. In addition to a ticket, students must also find a way to secure parking and transportation for the game.

Although the university has not acquired buses to go to the game, other organizations have been finding ways to transport fans to the game. According to its website, The Alumni Association has buses leaving from both Fort Worth and Dallas to Waco. The Alumni Association is also one of many organizations sponsoring tailgates at the game.

After the game, students who were planning on spending the night in Waco, may not be able to afford it..

Some students have reported that hotel prices in Waco have inflated. Sophomore Jeff Chatman, a theater and business double major, said that he heard rumors of rooms going for as much as several hundred dollars a person.

Although the university is not officially sponsoring many activities in regards to the game, the TCU community seems to still be preparing for the game as if it were a home contest and expect to be out in force.