NEW ORLEANS — Those out driving on Tuesday may have noticed that I-10 was packed with Texas and Washington fans who drove in for the Sugar Bowl. Armstrong International was busy, too.
Throughout MSY, most travelers were wearing either purple or orange. Of course, those in purple were the ones more likely to be wearing a victory smile.
“We're headed back to Seattle as winners, and the freeway was full of cars driving back to Texas. So, go Huskies,” said a man who is a Washington supporter.
And those in orange were not so happy.
“Last night was pretty sad. Put my head down for a little bit after that game. Had a lot of chances. Didn't make it out,” said a young man who described himself as the biggest Longhorn fan.
But the Longhorns' six-point loss to the Huskies could not dampen the New Orleans experience for fans on either side of the field.
“I had a blast. I ate a lot of Cajun food which is awesome. Met a lot of people. Hung out with my friends, It's a lot different than Dallas. So, it was a great time,” added the young man.
“I had a great time in New Orleans. The food, the people, the culture,” said a woman who is a Texas fan from Philadelphia.
“We went to Bourbon Street. We went to the game. We ate at a couple of different great restaurants. All the same New Orleans, every time,” said a man who is a Texas fan. When asked what stood out for him, he replied, “Any of New Orleans gumbos, jambalayas, anything that's made here, not anywhere else.”
The University of Washington sent some student journalists to cover the Sugar Bowl, and what stood out were things Seattle just doesn't do.
“That parade, like New Orleans knows how to show up big. So, that was a fantastic time,” said a young woman, who is a senior at the University of Washington, who is a photojournalist.
“I think the parade was one of my highlights. You know, back home we don't have big giant parades with everybody lining the streets for miles, is what it felt like,” said a young man who is also a student journalist at the University of Washington. “I really enjoyed etouffee. The waiter at the restaurant had to help me (pronounce) with that one the first time. I kind of pointed to the menu and didn't know what to say.”
New Orleans and Company says the official numbers come out Wednesday, but right now they say hotel occupancy for Sunday and Monday is around 94 percent, and they said the Sugar Bowl was sold out with almost 69,000 fans, and that's not counting the people who came to New Orleans and watched it in local bars and restaurants.
“Extremely busy, nonstop, nonstop, but I'm not complaining at all. I'm loving it. I love it,” said a man who drives the airport shuttle from the Hampton Inn.
He is experiencing those crowd numbers firsthand.
“I worked the Sugar Bowl last year. This, last year doesn't even compare to this at all. Texas and Washington, they definitely came out,” he laughed.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.