BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Both Alabama and Auburn are getting ready for bowl games. The Alabama Crimson Tide will take on Cincinnati at the Cotton Bowl and Auburn will play Houston in the Magic City.
The Birmingham Bowl is expected to mean big bucks for the city and if you plan to roll with the tide in Texas, it may cost you a pretty penny.
Alabama fans are still rolling after Saturday’s big win over Georgia, and many are rolling out the dough to attend the Cotton Bowl in Texas on New Year’s Eve. Tickets start at over $130 a piece.
Clay Ingram with AAA said if you want to go to a game, start making plans now.
“The key is to plan ahead because everything is going to fill up quickly. Whether you’re looking at flights, hotel rooms, if you’re looking to buy tickets; you need to get that handled quickly,” Ingram said.
Meanwhile, Auburn fans are staying in state for the Birmingham Bowl at the new Protective Stadium, becoming the first SEC team to play at the new facility.
“It’s a huge win for the city of Birmingham. And that’s exactly why we made these investments in our facilities so we can host teams of this statute right here in the city of Birmingham,” said Birmingham City Councilman Hunter Williams.
Williams said having an in-state team play in the Birmingham Bowl is a win for the city.
“We expect a huge economic return from a city’s perspective both from hotel rooms, sales tax from people visiting and people attending that game, but also people right here in the city that might go grab a beer or grab some lunch before going to the game,” Williams said.
With both games happening around the holidays, be sure to plan for longer travel times and busy restaurants and bars.
“It’ll be crowded, it’ll be congested no matter where you’re going. Availability is probably already limited, I’m quite certain of that. So, planning ahead becomes much more important,” Ingram said.
Tickets are still available for the Cotton Bowl and the Birmingham Bowl. To purchase tickets to the Cotton Bowl, click here. To buy tickets to the Birmingham click here.
