Are you ready for the AT&T Red River Showdown?! It’s one of the most fun traditions held every year at the State Fair of Texas, the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the University of Texas Longhorns go head to head to bring home the W. The rivalry has been played at the Fair since 1929!
This year will be my first time to attend the game and I couldn’t be more excited. (Thanks, AT&T, for the tickets!) Since I’ll be at the event this year instead of watching from my couch, I’ve been doing some research to prepare myself for Saturday. I’ve gathered some info that will help make the AT&T Red River Showdown a fun filled day with no issues.
2017 AT&T Red River Showdown
University of Texas v. University of Oklahoma
Saturday, October 14, 2017
Kickoff 2:30 p.m.
Here are some things you need to know:
Kickoff is at 2:30pm. Do not plan to show up at 2:15pm and make it to your seat in time for the game. It will be very crowded at the fair, so plan to get there early. Nearly 100,000 people travel to the State Fair for this game, so plan accordingly. A few factors that will come into play are parking, getting through security, and walking to the stadium and finding your seat. I plan on riding the Dart to the Fair and getting there a couple hours early so we have no issues and won’t feel rushed. The Dart will be more crowded as game time approaches and at locations closer to Fair Park.
Because it is a busy day at the Fair, the official State Fair parking lots and all gates will open at 7am. I won’t be getting there that early, but many people will so they don’t have to deal with the crowds. If you have tickets at Will Call, it will open at 7am also. The State Fair Midway will open at 8am. All exhibit buildings, outdoor exhibits, and indoor concessions (except the Tower Building, which opens earlier) will open at 9 a.m.
Gates to the Cotton Bowl will open at 12pm. All Cotton Bowl gates will be able to scan game tickets. Know where your seats are before arriving. There will be officials to help you find your seat, but having an idea of where to go is extremely helpful.
There is a large list of items that are prohibited at the Fair, you can find the list here bigtex.com/faq. There is also a list of prohibited items that you can not bring in to the Cotton Bowl. Here is the list:
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- • All Bags, including backpacks
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- • Purses that exceed 10” x 10”
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- • Medical Bags will be inspected upon entry
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- • All weapons of any sort
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- • Alcoholic beverages of any kind
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- • Artificial Noisemakers (bells, horns, kazoos, whistles, etc.)
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- • Banners, flags, flag poles, signs, umbrellas, etc.
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- • Cameras with detachable lenses greater than 10”. Video cameras and tripods
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- • Coolers
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- • Any explosive or flammable items
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- • Food & Beverages
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- • Any items deemed a safety hazard or annoyance (balls, balloons, firearms, fireworks, Frisbees, glass, hard plastic or metal water bottles, laser pointers, etc.)
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- • Pets (service dogs permitted)
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- • Strollers
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- • Tobacco products of any kind, including e-cigarettes
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- • Any type of seat cushions or chair backs
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- • Baby seats
- For a list of prohibited items in the Cotton Bowl, visit
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As annoying as these lists can be, remember that is for the safety of everybody. To make a smooth transition into the stadium, make sure you don’t have any of these items.
For safety reasons due to the anticipated large crowd, the Nightly Starlight Parade will not occur on Saturday, October 14. After the game, be sure to stick around to see the Mattress Firm Illumination Sensation at 8 p.m. along the Esplanade and to see Texas Country music artist, Pat Green perform on the Chevrolet Main Stage at 8:30 p.m.
Now, here is the real question – Who will win the game?!
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