Frogs in the Natty

The Houston TCU fans' guide to tailgating, parking, and parties at the CFP National Championship in L.A.

It's a weekend full of festivities in Los Angeles for the College Football Playoff National Championship

College Football Playoff

Thousands of TCU fans — many from the Houston area — will descend on the City of Angels this weekend to witness the Horned Frogs play No. 1 Georgia in the College Football Playoff National Championship. The game itself is at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California on Monday, January 9 (4:30 pm Pacific, 6:30 pm Central). As Dallas-Fort Worth fans scurry to secure flights, hotel accommodations, transportation, and those pricey tickets, details on the many festivities leading up the game may have been missed.

Here’s a quick overview of fan-friendly events happening all weekend long, including tips on parking, tailgating (is there tailgating?), maps, and more. Staying home for the game? Head over to Fort Worth for the 12 best watch parties at local bars and restaurants.

SoFi Stadium Quick Facts
The elaborate SoFi Stadium opened in September 2020 and is the centerpiece of a district called Hollywood Park, a 300-acre sports and entertainment destination located in Inglewood, California. It’s the home of the Los Angeles Chargers and the Los Angele Rams NFL teams. Fun fact: the stadium is slated to host the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 2028 Olympics. It can seat up to 100,000 people with expandable seating and is the largest stadium in the NFL.

At 70,000 square feet, SoFi’s Infinity Screen is the largest videoboard ever created in sports. It’s 120 yards long and holds about 2.2 million pounds of digital LED. It’ the only dual-sided, center-hung videoboard in the world. No matter where your seats are, you won’t miss one play.

Parking at SoFi for the National Championship
Parking is extremely limited with digital permits available for purchase only in advance for on-site and off-site lots. Stadium parking lots will open at 10 am and will remain open for two hours after the end of the game. Here’s a map for reference.

Another option is Inglewood Park & Go – remote parking with shuttle service that runs every 15 minutes. A bus rideshare service called Rally will also provide roundtrip transportation to the game from various districts around the Los Angeles area. A minimum number of riders is required.

Tailgating
To be clear, tailgating is prohibited for this game, so leave the coolers tents behind. (Apparently this is a College Football Playoff rule for the National Championship, not a rule of SoFi Stadium or California in general.)

But there is an official tailgate hosted by the College Football Playoff. Called the Allstate Championship Tailgate, the free event is open to all ticket holders. Running from 10 am-4 pm on game day January 9, the sponsored tailgate will be held in lots B and C outside SoFi Stadium. It will feature interactive games, sponsor activations, concessions, live broadcasts by ESPN, and performances by both TCU and Georgia marching bands. There’ll also be live concerts by Kelsea Ballerini and Yiera Kennedy.

TCU is also hosting a tailgate, but tickets are already sold out.

Playoff Fan Central
This three-day, family-friendly event, which runs Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10 am-6 pm daily, is free to attend and will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center South Hall. Go for games, clinics, band performances, special guest appearances, autograph sessions, and exhibits celebrating the history of college football. Note that TCU star running back and NFL Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson will appear on Sunday at 11 am for a live podcast recording for "Always College Football" with football commentator Greg McElroy. Here’s the full schedule of appearances.

Extra Yard 5K
Looking to burn a few calories before the big game? Sign up for the College Football Playoff’s family-friendly 5K race (that’s 3.1 miles) to held at 8 am on Sunday in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. Each participant will receive a t-shirt and a finisher medal. Registration is $50, or $40 for teachers and educators. Proceeds will benefit the College Football Playoff Foundation’s Extra Yard for Teachers initiative. Registration ends Saturday night at midnight.

Taste of the Championship
If you don’t want to mess with dinner reservations and still get an exclusive taste of everything delicious Los Angeles has to offer, buy tickets for Taste of the Championship, happening 4-7 pm Sunday at a chic LA event space called Hudson Loft. The fundraiser event will feature gourmet food and drinks be prepared and served by local chefs via meet-and-greet stations. Proceeds from the $300 ticket will benefit the College Football Foundation’s Extra Yard for Teachers initiative.

Other good things to know

Only clear bags are allowed inside SoFi Stadium and they should not be bigger than 12” x 6” x 12”. Small clutch purses are permitted, but they can’t exceed 4” x 6”.
There’s also a College Football Playoff app for those who want to keep updated with breaking news and game updates.

Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images

Horned Frogs will be painting the town purple.

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only the best in HOU

Houston's IAH soars as 4th best airport for holiday travel in 2024

George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston

George Bush Intercontinental Airport/Facebook

Houstonians are in safe hands at George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

Houston's punctual and award-winning George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) has just been rated the fourth best airport in the country for the upcoming holiday travel season, so says a new report by travel experts Locals Insider.

The study examined the percentage of on-time departure flights at 50 of the biggest airports in America to discover the 10 best and worst airports for traveling during the holidays. Departure statistics and reasons for delays were analyzed from November 17, 2023 to January 3, 2024.

According to the report's findings, IAH had an on-time departure rate of 85.8 percent during the 2023 holiday period. That means out of the 13,921 total scheduled flights departing from the airport, only 1,976 flights were delayed. That's a pretty good track record.

IAH has been working hard to deliver the best travel experiences for its passengers, including opening its new Terminal D, investing in much-needed bathroom upgrades, showing off its award-winning art and entertainment program, and providing top notch dining experiences.

Though IAH appeared on Locals Insider's top 10 best list, Houston's William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) descended onto the travel guide's 10 worst U.S. airports for holiday travel this year.

Appearing at No. 8, HOU isn't the worst offender on the list, but its holiday season delay and cancellation rate in 2023 was 22 percent.

"Although Houston’s William P Hobby experiences fewer departing flights compared to other airports on our top 10 list, it’s still prone to disruptions," the report's author wrote. "Overall, more than one in five (22 percent) of departing flights are either delayed or canceled during the holidays."

The study's data found 1,178 holiday flights at HOU were cancelled in 2023, and only 19 were delayed.

Ranking as the No. 1 best airport for holiday travel is Washington Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., which had an 88.6 percent on-time departure rate.

For Houstonians that will be traveling this holiday season, Locals Insider recommended five best-practice tips for a smooth travel experience: Book an early morning flight as those are less prone to delays (additionally, book a direct flight), apply for TSA PreCheck to avoid long screening processes, and budget more time to arrive early to the airport.

The report also suggests packing light and shipping gifts to their intended destination ahead of time.

"Even the TSA recommends shipping your wrapped gifts rather than packing them in your luggage or carry-on," the report said.

The top 10 best U.S. airports for holiday travel in 2024 are:

No. 1 – Washington Dulles International
No. 2 – Minneapolis-St. Paul International
No. 3 – Salt Lake City International
No. 4 – George Bush Intercontinental
No. 5 – Ronald Reagan Washington National
No. 6 – Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International
No. 7 – Newark Liberty International
No. 8 – Detroit Metro Wayne County
No. 9 – Chicago O'Hare International
No. 10 – Charlotte Douglas International

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics defines the Thanksgiving travel period from November 17-28, and the winter holiday travel period from December 14 through January 3, 2024. The study included data from both holiday travel periods, sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and Airline Service Quality Performance System (ASQP).