As college colors clash each January in ‘Sports City, USA,’ Frisco community welcomes visitors to mesh with Texas culture
By Jack Reaney SENIOR EDITOR
Drive due north from Dallas and put Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird” on repeat. After about four plays, you’ll arrive in a Texas community of roughly 225,000. Frisco’s population swells by about 20,000 whenever a sellout crowd packs Toyota Stadium, home of FC Dallas and events like the NCAA division I FCS national championship.
“It is one of the most fun ways to kick off the year in Frisco. We love welcoming the teams, and giving them a true embrace in Frisco,” Christal Howard, president and CEO of the Frisco Chamber of Commerce, told EBS a few hours before kickoff on Jan. 6. Howard said Frisco calls itself “Sports City, USA” but visitors are often surprised to see the experience extends beyond sports—with unique restaurants and shops, the experience is more diverse than expected.
Local business owners like Brian Wysong of Tumbleweed TexStyles look forward to the annual FCS championship. Wysong and his business partner, Jeb Matulich, were local high school teachers when they created a Texas-inspired lifestyle apparel brand in 2011 and their designs caught fire. They’ve since sold their designs to roughly 2,000 retailers across the Lone Star State, but their flagship store remains in Frisco.
On Jan. 6, Tumbleweed’s front table was decked in yellow and green, an assortment of North Dakota State gear—the Bison have played in Frisco for the FCS title 11 times in the past 14 years, so the city knows them best.
“The wonderful thing about a city like Frisco that is driven toward sports and tourism, is that when local sports—from soccer, and of course, football—take place, people want to stop and get a souvenir… and feel like they truly walked away with a taste of Texas, and a taste of Frisco,” Wysong said. He and Matulich love exchanging stories with each unique fanbase, especially when college football comes to town.
“You know, Frisco is proud of the growth. The people in our community,” Wysong said. “So not as a store owner, but as a resident here in Frisco—my kids go to school here—we are always excited about this game because we get to show off a city and a town that we’re very proud of.”
Howard said the Frisco community gets to know the spirit and passion of each team, and frequent visitors like Bison fans have become familiar with the city. Fans from colder climates typically appreciate the warm-weather January visit—although in 2025, she said contestants brought their Montana and North Dakota weather with them as game time temperatures dipped below freezing and greater Dallas prepares for snow later in the week. Visitors always take advantage of the food and drink, and Howard said new restauranteurs have been known to underestimate the amount of beer they’d need on hand.
She said the annual event generates upwards of $10 million, but she’s most excited about the anecdotal stories of connection between her host community and those visiting.
“We love the teams and their fans because they truly come here to have a good time. We’re ready for them,” she said, adding that there’s enough to do and see in Frisco to warrant a multi-day trip beyond just the football game.
The best way to get to know the city is to compete for championships there on a regular basis. Montana State fans hope to continue earning hotel points in Frisco as the Bison have in recent years.
A group of Bobcat fans spoke with EBS while waiting in line at Hutchins BBQ, a local treasure with smokers in the parking lot, a rustic wood interior and a reputation for keeping a line out the door. Jeff Keller, Elliot Keller, Ben Davis and Brandon Thompson made their first trip from southwest Montana to Frisco when the Bobcats faced North Dakota State in early 2022. Jeff said it was an ordeal—they had to go through Omaha due to a snowstorm, but they ended up having a blast.
“So we said, if they come back down again, we’re going to join them and make this a tradition,” Jeff said.
Thompson remembers his first thought seeing Frisco in January 2022.
“The Bison, it’s like their home away from home,” he said, pointing out that the Bison have won nine out of 13 FCS championships since 2011. “So wherever we looked, it was all green and yellow.”
In 2025, Thompson was impressed by the amount of Montana State fans he’d seen since arriving on game day. But he said Frisco is still loaded with North Dakota State fans.
“And so we’re trying to flip the script,” he said.
Without the benefit of hindsight, Elliot said he couldn’t see a way the Bobcats wouldn’t win on Jan. 6. “‘Cats are gonna roll. ‘Cats by a million.”
Davis remembers hearing about Hutchins BBQ from Texas-based rodeo clown Flint Rasmussen. When they sat down with brisket, pulled pork and “Texas Twinkies”—a jalapeño stuffed with brisket and cream cheese, all wrapped in thick bacon—they knew they’d made the right choice before a long evening at Toyota Stadium.
Around sunset, thousands of eager tailgaters pushed through the stadium gates.
The Bison fans on one side of the stadium reveled in a dominant first half, cheering their Bison into the locker room with a 21-3 halftime lead.
Across the field, Bobcat fans erupted throughout the second half as the ‘Cats mounted a persistent comeback. In total, 18,000 fans packed the soccer stadium and stayed on their feet from kickoff to confetti.
When the dust settled on a three-and-a-half hour game and the Bison regained their throne for the first time since beating Montana State in 2021, Bobcat players wished each other well, sharing tears and forceful hugs. Quarterback Tommy Mellott led his teammates in prayer before the Bobcats waved thank you and goodbye to thousands of traveling fans.
Players’ families joined them on the field, expressing their pride despite the outcome. Sophomore receiver Taco Dowler wore a smile as he posed with a group of family members, the Toyota Stadium sign in big letters in the background.
As the program continues to reach new heights, young players like Dowler will look to spend more time introducing the Gallatin Valley community to Frisco. And after two championship losses in four years, they’ll keep working toward that elusive season-ending win.
