The Texas Longhorns will host the Clemson Tigers at Darrell K. Royal on Saturday in the first round of the College Football Playoff. Earlier last week, Chris Del Conte said the game would feel like a normal Texas home game. Front Office Sports confirmed it will feel like a home game but some elements could but don’t expect these games to look like your typical Saturday in Austin or elsewhere.
While Texas enjoys a significant home-field advantage against Clemson in Saturday night’s highly anticipated matchup, the CFP’s unique rules for these games are shaking up the usual game-day experience:
- Ticket Sales: Revenue goes directly to the CFP. Texas keeps parking and concession profits, but their usual financial windfall won’t be as large.
- Visitor Allotment: Clemson fans will have access to only 3,500 tickets, including seats for the band—significantly fewer than what’s offered at conference championships or bowl games.
- Visitor Perks: Clemson has the option to include a hype video during their team’s introduction, a rare accommodation for road teams.
- Game Day Operations: While Texas staff will run the P.A. system and music, the CFP controls much of the scripting, shooting for a much neutral presentation.
The action kicks off Saturday night in Austin, where sunny skies and temperatures over 60 degrees are expected—a sharp contrast to the frigid conditions in South Bend, State College, and Columbus.
DKR-TMS is gonna be rockin’ 🤘#HookEm | @TexasFootball pic.twitter.com/wJedkSdag9
— Texas Longhorns (@TexasLonghorns) December 19, 2024
With high stakes and historic implications, hotels in Austin have been buzzing with activity, but the city’s nearly one million residents make hosting a large influx of visitors more manageable compared to smaller playoff markets like South Bend and State College.
Playoff Schedule:
- Friday Night: Indiana @ Notre Dame
- Saturday Afternoon: SMU @ Penn State
- Saturday Evening: Clemson @ Texas
- Saturday Nightcap: Tennessee @ Ohio State