Fort Worth

What to Know for Opening Day of Football at TCU's Amon G. Carter Stadium

Saturday is opening day for college football and the TCU Horned Frogs take on the Southern Jaguars at home in Fort Worth. This year there are several big changes coming to Amon G. Carter Stadium, from construction to traffic flow.

By kickoff time Saturday at 11 a.m., there will be about 45,000 fans jammed into TCU's stadium. Organizers are trying something new to ease those crowds, get people home faster and protect the students who come flooding in on foot.

Chris Neill brought his son Davey all the way from Southern California for TCU's first game of the season.

"Despite dad being an Aggie and mom being a UCLA Bruin, he has insisted to always be a TCU fan," Neill said, of his 12-year-old son.

The pair came out a day early to get the lay of the land.

"We're gonna figure it out and make sure we get here early," Neill said.

Even veteran fans will have a lot to learn this season after stadium managers made some changes to ease traffic congestion.

"It gets pretty crazy, not only do you have students but you have parents, you have visitors so it's just so many people," said TCU Junior Nicki Salazar.

Starting this Saturday, those driving out of the closest east side parking lots, lots 6 and 7, won't be able to take Stadium Drive. It's right where students cross over from the dorms, presenting a potentially dangerous bottleneck of pedestrians and cars.

That stretch will be closed for an hour after the game ends, with drivers in Lot 6 forced to turn left to re-route off Stadium Drive and those in Lot 7, re-routed to the right.

"I don't know if people who usually drive through here will like it or not, but for me as a student, I like it," said TCU Junior Eric Koenemann.

Fans will also notice construction underway for a $100 million premium seating upgrade, set to open next season. That construction has closed off several east side entrance gates.

"To avoid long lines at kickoff time come early, or you can enter on the west side and north side because those gates are still intact," said Mark Cohen, TCU’s Associate Athletics Director for Communications.

No matter how they get there, kickoff can't come soon enough for Frog fans, looking ahead to their first big win.

"You want it to be by 100?" Neill asked his son. "That would be cool," said Davey.

There is also a new Uber and Lyft drop-off and pick-up location, in the parking lot of University Baptist Church a half mile away at the corner of W Cantey and Wabash.

Plus new this year, fans will get a free Pepsi drink at every home game.

For more game-day details, click here.

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