TCU vs. Colorado: What to know about tickets, parking, weather, TV and more
Planning to head to Amon G. Carter Stadium on Saturday for the college football opener between TCU and visiting Colorado?
Pack your patience and your sunscreen. If you don’t map out a good plan, it could be a difficult day.
Why? It’s the most coveted college football ticket in the opening weekend and the most sought ticket for a TCU home game in quite some time.
You have the returning national championship finalist opening a new season. And you have the intrigue of how Deion Sanders, AKA Coach Prime, will handle his coaching debut at Colorado.
So bookmark this page on your mobile device and refer back here often.
Here’s what you need to know ...
The opponents
TCU is coming off a 13-2 season which ended with a 65-7 loss to Georgia in the College Football Championship game. Despite the blowout, the Horned Frogs were the best story in college football in 2022. Coach Sonny Dykes returns for his second season, has a new starting quarterback in Chandler Morris, a new offensive coordinator in Kendal Briles, and many new faces. They are projected to be a Top 25 team. Although a return trip to the College Football Playoffs is unlikely, the Horned Frogs should be one of the top teams in the Big 12.
Colorado is coming off a miserable 1-11 season, including a season-opening home loss to TCU. Much has changed in Boulder, where Sanders has re-energized a slumbering fan base. He’s brought in more than 50 transfers, including his sons (quarterback Scheuder, defensive back Milo). Pundits have mixed opinions on how the Buffaloes will fare this season.
Tickets
If you don’t already have a ticket, plan to stay home and watch it on TV (more on that later). The game has been sold out for weeks. There were still some $60 standing-room-only tickets available online when this was written on Thursday afternoon. Thinking of buying a ticket from a reseller? End zone seats can be had for $50; better seats are are going for upward of $500.
Television
FOX will be in Fort Worth for its FOX Sports Big Noon Saturday pregame show as this is the network’s game of the week. Pregame show begins at 9 a.m., the game starts at 11 a.m. (Yeah, that’s early, but let’s face it, television rules the starting times, and the network executives want the noon kickoff for the Eastern Time Zone). So get out of bed and get to campus early.
Parking
Ha. You have a pass already, right? If not, plan on paying big bucks to park in someone’s yard near campus. You may want to get an Uber or Lyft. College kids acting as Uber drivers should have a great time making spending money.
The media
Yeah, us. The Star-Telegram will be there. We’re sending a full staff of reporters and photographers to the game. But, we aren’t alone. TCU Sports Information Director Mark Cohen said he can’t remember fielding so many media requests for a Horned Frogs’ home football game. Follow along with our in-game blog at star-telegram.com.
The weather
The good news is there’s no rain in the forecast. Well, maybe that’s not good news, as the temperatures are expected to rise to the high 90s by halftime. Kickoff at 11 a.m. will be around 94. Highs expected around 98. So get to the store early and buy the sunscreen. You’re going to need it.
The stadium
Once you arrive at Amon G. Carter Stadium, remember that the Horned Frogs abide by the Clear Bag Policy. Yep, nothing larger than 14-inches by 14-inches. And the bags must be clear to make sure you’re not bringing any contraband into the game (you are allowed one unopened bottle of water). Of course, there are exceptions for diaper bags and such. But think twice about bringing an infant to a three-hour screaming party.
The outcome
The Horned Frogs are a three-touchdown favorite to beat the Buffaloes (yes, Colorado misspells the plural of Buffalo on purpose. But that’s another story). After all, the television broadcasters are likely to question the logic of the TCU Horned Frog mascot throughout the game. They always do.
This story was originally published August 31, 2023 at 2:36 PM.