Drive down South University Drive in Fort Worth, and the passion TCU fans have for TCU football is immediately apparent.
There are signs on every block saying “Give ’em hell TCU!” and “Thank you Max!” in reference to the star quarterback, Max Duggan.
The campus is abuzz going into Monday’s national championship game against Georgia, even with the students still home on the holiday break.
“It feels good. It feels like we are arriving on the national stage where this university and program belongs going forward,” TCU alumnus Garrett Evans told the Dallas Express.
“It’s a dream come true, ” said Ricky Stuart. ” I don’t think anybody has the words to describe it. Everyone I know has been on cloud nine all season. We were hoping for a good rebound year to get back on the right track. This is just phenomenal.”
The fan morale can best be described as “cautiously optimistic” with a sense of “well, we’ve shocked people before” thanks to the adversity and obstacles the team has overcome so far this season.
“I think they’re gonna win it all for sure,” exclaimed TCU fan Brad Feld.
“I think TCU has a fantastic shot to shock people,” Evans said.
“I like being the underdog, honestly,” remarked Stuart. “We don’t have anything to lose.”
The footprint is growing nationally as well. Feld made the trip from Pittsburgh to Waco to Fort Worth for TCU’s basketball games against Baylor and Iowa State this week and told the Dallas Express he wishes he was going to be there on Monday.
“We’ll be back home watching for sure,” he said. “But, if this hadn’t already been planned, we might’ve made a detour and actually be at the game.”
Not to mention the impact that appearing in the game is already having, which could be amplified with a win.
“We took a tour earlier and they told us their enrollment was way up, largely because of sports,” Feld said.
“The value in having an opportunity to play in a national championship is invaluable to the program and university at large,” Evans added. “This gives kids around the country exposure to what we have going in Fort Worth but elevated to a higher level.”
TCU will be hosting a watch party for the game at Schollmaier Arena on Monday night. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and kickoff is scheduled around 6:30 p.m. CST.