Streetcars, jazz musicians and Saints fans usually line the streets of New Orleans, but on the first day of 2024, Texas and Washington fans will join them.  

Attending the Sugar Bowl in person is not cheap. From flights during the holiday season to the actual ticket itself, there is the potential to spend thousands of dollars. 

But some fans are willing to pay the price to cheer on their team. 

The Ticket

The fight for a cheaper student ticket started with a Longhorn Foundation lottery. 

Students who paid an additional $100 on top of their Big Ticket at the beginning of the season were eligible to wait in an online queue to get a Sugar Bowl ticket. Knowing there would be a high demand for tickets, students were prepared to wait at their computers. 

“I got in there probably about an hour early and just stared at my laptop, refreshing, refreshing, refreshing,” senior Chandler Nunne said. “Luckily, we ended up having success.”

For dedicated students who went to every home game, Texas Athletics gave away Sugar Bowl tickets for free.

“I was super excited,” senior Gail Roggenbauer said.  “I wasn’t able to go to The Big 12 Championship game. So it was super cool that I was able to go to this game, which is even bigger, for free.”

Those who weren’t able to get a ticket from the raffle or a free ticket from Texas Athletics had to buy from Ticketmaster or other ticket resale websites. Prices peaked in a range between $500 to $3,000; however, as game day has gotten closer, prices have dropped.

As of Friday Dec. 29, the lowest ticket price is $175.

Travel and Stay

The day the College Football Playoff bracket was determined, flight prices skyrocketed. Tickets were set at $228 before jumping up to $511 the next day. 

Not to mention, prices are already high during the holiday season. With people trying to return home from their holiday, tickets are more expensive, security lines take longer and the airlines are packed. 

Travel expert Scott Keyes, founder of the travel site Going.com, explained that if you have to take a flight during the holiday season, it is best to take one on the day of the holiday. 

“You just see far fewer people traveling then,” Keyes told NPR. “And with fewer people, you can see lower fares and fewer disruptions.”

If a fan left on New Year’s Eve for New Orleans and came back to Austin the day after the game, the cheapest economy round trip flight is $695 with Spirit Airlines. 

American Airlines round trip prices range from $1,088 to $2,320. The most expensive ticket is one of the only nonstop flights currently available. Delta Airlines prices range from $1,458 to $1,598. Meanwhile, United Airlines prices are even higher, ranging from $1,737 to $2,282. 

Once students have gotten to New Orleans, they need a place to stay, meaning more money needs to be spent. 

However, Roggenbauer, Nunne and many other UT students found a way to make their stay in New Orleans cheaper: rent out an Airbnb or hotel room with other fans that are going. 

“I’m going with my friend and we got a hotel in New Orleans,” Roggenbauer said. “We’re going for New Years and then we’ll also be there for the Sugar Bowl.”

With the game at the start of the new year, students are also planning on making the most out of New Orleans while they are there.

“Spending New Year’s Eve on Bourbon Street is our plan,” Nunne said. “One of my friends is pretty familiar with the area so he’s gonna take us around some of the famous restaurants and we’ll get somewhere to watch the Rose Bowl before our game.” 

With two games on the first day of 2024, all four playoff teams have a chance to start the new year off on the right foot. 

But even if the Longhorns don’t walk away with the National Championship, students are still proud of how far the team has come.

“As a senior and a fan of the team my entire life, it’s pretty cool that we’ve had a Big 12 championship and playoff appearance while I’m at school,” Nunne said. “It’s one of the seasons where you’re proud to be a fan or student of the team no matter what.”