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AUSTIN, Texas — A large, colorful sign stands just outside the Circuit of the Americas.
On the right side, a black background features the F1 logo, Sting and Eminem concert dates, and the Texas Longhorns and Georgia Bulldogs logos. On the left side is the phrase “Biggest Weekend Ever” that will be displayed at various locations in Austin this weekend.
Since COTA was added to the calendar in 2012, the U.S. Grand Prix has been held during the college football season (with the exception of 2022, when COVID-19 affected F1's schedule). The two sports have previously met in Austin on the same weekend, including in 2013, when Texas lost to Oklahoma State, in 2015, when Texas beat Kansas State, and in 2017, when Texas lost in overtime to Oklahoma State. .
But this weekend's game, when the top-ranked Longhorns host the No. 5 Bulldogs, is one of the biggest college football games of the year as two Southeastern Conference powerhouses square off.
ESPN's College GameDay is also in the city, and the media company is showcasing the crossover between F1 and college football this weekend, with a SportsCenter segment live from COTA and the Elle Duncan Show on-site. We have many planned. On Friday, legendary football coach Nick Saban took a hot lap and Jess Sims tested the American college football knowledge of several drivers, including Lando Norris.
It will be a different weekend than previous F1 events, especially since the popularity boom.
“It's really exciting to see these two cultures come together, because they're both formidable. America's iconic college football and Formula 1 racing,” said Texas Executive Senior Associate of External Relations. Athletic Director Drew Martin said. “Those are really, really unique and distinctive sporting cultures, and to see them come together on a weekend like that is nowhere else in the world.”
College football game days will be different, especially those within the SEC.
Sure, there's the typical tailgating and ritualistic cheering. But Texas is raising the bar and the university is reinventing what the game looks like in Austin. “When you come to a football game at the University of Texas, you'll get the most of Austin's culture, starting with being the live music capital of the world,” Martin said.
The Longhorns hold pregame concerts at Longhorn City Limits, which lean into the city's street festival culture like Bebo Boulevard. And then there's the Smokies Midway, named after the state fair.
“It's not traditional, but it's the best environment in the country for a football match,” Martin added. “We're not talking about huge tracts of land and grounds and tailgating grounds. It's just a giant three-ring circus.”
And when college game day comes to town, there's even more chaos added. Texas received more than a week's notice, but this will be the fifth time in seven years that the university has hosted the performance. Either way, it's a major logistical feat, but given the relationships they've built over the years, “we know what they need, what they expect, and how we're going to make sure they're on the show.” “It's rather a matter of how we're activated and how we're attracted to it,” Martin says. That game doesn't kick off until 7:30 p.m. ET, so there are more fans. ”
Jess Sims interviews Lando Norris for ESPN. (via ESPN)
Today will be marathon day, a three-hour college game day in the morning, followed by the festivities.
“I know Europeans especially like college football, especially the halftime show. It's surprising, but when there's a college football game, groups come from Europe because it makes for a great weekend. They especially I love the marching band halftime show,” said COTA Chairman Bobby Epstein. “And while it may be a given here, the glitz and atmosphere and all the fun of the college football atmosphere is so uniquely American that I think international visitors like it. We know and look for it on the weekends to improve the overall experience. ”
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Epstein expects “at least 250,000 people will be in downtown Austin that night” by Saturday between the Texas-Georgia game and F1. Martin expects more than 100,000 people to gather on the university's campus in downtown Austin that night.
It's a tough turnaround for those attending both sporting events, as F1 qualifying will take place from 5-6pm Central Time and the college football game will kick off at 6:30pm Central Time. . There's no extra pressure when it comes to security or traffic management. COTA and Darrell K. Royal Memorial Stadium are approximately 17 miles apart (by toll road). But Eminem's concert is also that night.
Oscar Piastri visited the Longhorns' stadium this week. (via McLaren)
Although Saturday's tickets are sold out, COTA has created another ticket package option for soccer fans called the “Split the Upright Package.” Epstein said “Saturday was sold out, mainly because of Eminem,” but there were still spots available on Friday and Sunday. Combine Friday and Sunday general admission tickets for as low as $289. COTA says this is cheaper than one ticket per day.
“I think most hotels have a three- or four-night minimum,” Epstein said. “So if Georgia fans are going to this game, they're going to say, 'What else are we going to do for the rest of the weekend?'” Well, you can buy Friday and Sunday. Come out to the truck. ”
Martin did say that conversations about this package started in the spring, but “as we start to determine what the availability is and how we can activate this and people move forward. We came to it quite late in the process because we realized over time that there was going to be a lot of demand for this game. ”
He added, “As Texas football sells out on a season basis, we knew there would be no individual tickets in stock for this game, so we were able to get tickets late in the game for the weekend.” Ta. The additional opportunity to enjoy both active activities and both sporting events was really appealing. ”
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“The initial reaction was just a deep breath, a big international F1 race and a big, big national impact on this particular SEC matchup, not just a little soccer game,” Martin said. “I think it was a big deep breath of, 'How do we approach this?'”
University of Texas Athletics and Circuit of the Americas have begun discussions about how to work together. Some factors are beyond their control, such as restaurant availability and rising hotel prices. “When you have two major sporting events on the same weekend, some of that is unavoidable,” Martin said. But the challenges extend beyond the downtown area. Due to the sheer number of planes entering the metropolitan area, air traffic control is rerouting some flights.
This is a big weekend for Austin, with fans from all over the world flocking to Texas for the two biggest events on both sports' calendars. F1's first of the year's final six races has begun, with title contention erupting and a new technical debate unfolding at COTA. Meanwhile, the Longhorns hope to continue proving their worth in their first year in the SEC and maintain their No. 1 spot.
“You can be intimidated by it, you can worry about what could go wrong, what won't work out, or you can accept it and say, 'The whole world is going to be watching Austin, Texas, on the weekend of October 19th. It is also good to say, “Dew.''
“That's exciting.”
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Top photo: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
