Fans visit the Fort Worth Stockyards ahead of the Armed Forces Bowl – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

It’s a sellout game for Friday’s Armed Forces Bowl at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth. Ahead of the showdown, fans spend some time enjoying the festive scene at the Stockyards.

It’s the place to be in Fort Worth less than 24 hours before kickoff. The Stockyards are known for having plenty to do and see during the holidays. This year, it only made sense for University of Oklahoma and Navy fans to join in the festivities as well.

OU student and Texas native Kevin Daniel came out with his dad Jeff for a little excitement before the Bowl game.

“Just to know something that’s really local to me so I don’t have to travel all the way to Birmingham, Alabama or Tampa, Florida. It’s an hour’s drive from my house and I get to see my team play,” said Daniel.

He said it was the perfect time to experience something for the first time.

“This is my first time ever going to the Stockyards, period. So just to look around and see, even if you shop a little bit, just to see everything that’s going on here, it’s definitely something I would come back to ,” he said.

The Fort Worth Stockyards brings in more than $134 million annually with retail and restaurants. An end of the year Armed Forces Bowl in town is sure to provide an added boost, with Sooner fans rubbing shoulders with Navy fans.

“My daughter and her boyfriend are midshipmen, so yeah, we’re going to the game,” Todd McWhorter said.

McWhorter said it only makes sense for his family to root for the Navy.

“Oh, we’re Texas fans too, so we hate OU. So we’re looking forward to them beating OU,” he said.

And he said one of the best ways to bond, apart from the game of course, is to spend time here.

“Her boyfriend is from out of town, so we like to bring him down here and show him around, and it’s just a great opportunity,” he said.

The Defense Bowl kicks off Friday at 11 a.m. central time.