AUSTIN (KXAN) — The eyes of Texas are on College Station.

A day before the Texas Longhorns face Texas A&M – a rivalry game that hasn’t been played in 13 years and where the winner advances to the SEC Championship – fans aren’t the only ones excited.

“UT games are our big day,” bartender Ethan Blanton said.

Like many bars, Austin’s Rustic Tap is stocking up on supplies in anticipation of big partygoers and a post-Thanksgiving riot. When the barrels were delivered, Blanton said their inventory would be double what it would be on a normal day.

He expects their watch party to be packed “all day.”

“Absolutely, without a doubt,” he said when asked if Saturday will be one of the busiest days of the year for his bar.

There’s also no doubt who this longtime Longhorns fan is rooting for – even if his cousin plays for Texas A&M.

“UT, 100%,” Blanton said. “Sorry, cousin.”

Ticket prices are rising

As a sign of how divided the fans are, flags from both schools are hanging in some bars. For those planning a trip to see the game in person, it won’t be cheap.

Between the NFL and college, this will be the most expensive regular season football ticket ever, according to TickPick, which reported an average purchase price of $1,079. A day before the game, we found a single ticket on SeatGeek that started at about $520 and went up to almost $9,000.

The second most expensive game day ticket of all time was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers game against the New England Patriots in 2021, with an average purchase price of just over $900. This was the first game Tom Brady played at Gillette Stadium against his former team and coach.

Old rivalry, new tradition

The day before, the game began with a new tradition honoring an old rivalry. Cadets and student veterans wore military backpacks and ran and rode to College Station during the football game, dubbed the “Ruck Across the Brazos.”

“It honors not only this rivalry game, but also the military history of both of our schools,” said Jacob Tegtmeier, a U.S. Army cadet and student at UT Austin. “It’s a very special feeling to be the start of this tradition that will hopefully last for years and decades to come.”

The walk ends in College Station at Kyle Field, where Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko receives the ball just before kickoff.

“It means a whole lot. I think everyone has been waiting for this for so long. Just seeing it again and especially continuing on at Kyle Field means a lot,” said Treacy Collier of the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets.

“Thirteen years of development, that’s huge,” Collier added. “And then the SEC game is even bigger. So that means a lot.”

“Competitively renewed”

At the nonprofit university cooperative, new commemorative shirts capitalized on the excitement with slogans: “Rivalry Renewed,” “House Divided” and “Lone Star Showdown.”

“Oh, I’m nervous,” Robert Martinez said. “I’m going to be nervous all day until it’s over and we win.”

Martinez came with his two daughters, Jackie and Katie, who graduated from UT several years ago.

“I never saw them play at A&M when I was here, so I’m very excited,” she said.

The Martinez family will watch Saturday’s game at a home they share with their cousins, who are Aggies fans.

“Both are fantastic schools, just fun to watch,” Katie said.

“No,” Jackie said, laughing. “You have to be mean. No. They suck.”

“It’s actually really fun,” Katie said.

“We’re talking crass,” Jackie said.

The cooperative said all of its profits last academic year went toward study materials scholarships, supporting nearly 7,000 students. This year the program expanded to include Cheer and Pom, the Longhorn Band and all student-athletes.