Opponents like Rice University and SMU typically barely rouse the fan bases of programs like Texas and Texas A&M. In fact, many Longhorn and Aggie backers are known for staying away from games like this weekend's openers.

It'd be a watch-from-the-couch, why-bother-baking-in-the-sun-weekend most years.

"Typically, you can get into a game like this against Rice for well under face value," says Pat Ryan, co-owner of The Ticket Experience, a Houston-based ticket broker that sells a lot of college football ducats. "Most years, you could get a good seat for $25 easy. And if you're down on the street before the game, you'll find some people just giving away tickets. You can get in for free. People will just eat it.

"The game's not even sellable. Everyone can watch it on television and it doesn't seem worth the effort to get to the stadium."

Of course, that's most years. This is 2011, the year when everything's been turned upside down and all around in the Texas college football landscape. Now, Ryan tells CultureMap, many UT fans are having trouble finding any tickets to the Saturday night game with Conference USA Rice for less than $50. And good seats are running more than $100.

It turns out that the Longhorn Network's inability to get any decent-sized cable company or satellite service to carry it is great for someone. Scalpers.

With LHN's "exclusive" Texas-Rice broadcast available in less homes than there are seats in Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, there are suddenly a lot more folks who actually feel the need to be in that stadium. That last-minute deal with Grande cable doesn't qualify as major — or change anything.

"We're seeing people who were planning to sell their tickets, pulling them back," Ryan says. "We saw a bunch do that two days out. They were waiting, but once they realized that the Longhorn Network wasn't going to get the cable deals done, they decided to go and use their tickets themselves."

Nothing like an unintended virtual TV blackout to re-stoke some UT passion.

The ticket transformation might be even more dramatic up in College Station. Just a few weeks ago, an Aggie fan could snag a seat to Sunday night's opener against SMU for $30 on the secondary market. Now, those same seats are running around $125 each.

What's brought about the change? SEC fever.

"The news about the (move to the) SEC changed everything," Ryan says. "People just seem to be really pumped up. They're upbeat about the program. Suddenly, a lot of people want to be at that game."

The 12th Man isn't just mobilized. He's opening his wallet. Wide.

Another League

Still, when it comes to big-money college football tickets, it turns out that no one can compete with Jerry Jones. Or at least Jerry World.

For even as prices to UT and A&M jump up, two teams that aren't even from Texas are drawing the most cash of all. The Saturday night, primetime matchup at Cowboys Stadium between No. 3 Oregon and No. 4 LSU — the premiere game of the sport's opening weekend — is putting things in another tax bracket.

Want a seat at the 50-yard line? That will be $1200. Want an actual seat anywhere in the building? Try $250.

"LSU's stadium holds a lot more people than Cowboy Stadium and people want to be at that game," Ryan says.

About the only thing that's not selling crazy for Oregon-LSU? The standing room only tickets that Jones opened up for $50. Those, you can pick up for less than face value.

Meanwhile, back in Houston, on a smaller scale, the University of Houston has a chance at setting its attendance record at Robertson Stadium in the Saturday afternoon game with UCLA.

Welcome to college football's opening weekend. Where the eyes are definitely on Texas. And its money.