Norman restaurants, hotels preparing for an influx of people for commencement, playoffs

The College Football Playoff game in Norman is just a little over a week away, and there is excitement in the air.

OU students are ready for the match up against Alabama under the Oklahoma Memorial Stadium lights.

"I think it's really cool cause we've been, last few years haven't done as well, but I think this is an opportunity to show on the national stage how good we're doing," OU student Benjamin Lewis said.

The game is expected to draw thousands to Norman.

"I think it will probably bring a lot of people into town from probably all over the state," Lewis told FOX 25.

In addition to the game, OU December commencement is happening next Saturday, making for a busy weekend on campus.

"On game days regularly there's already a lot of people, but I can only imagine how this is gonna be especially since it's a playoff game and it's like the first time in history I think," Louie's Grill and Bar waiter Aaron Tietiz said.

Tietz was supposed to fly home to Texas on December 18 but decided to change his flight so he doesn't miss the action.

"Everyone's excited. That's another reason why I changed my whole flight," he said. "Just like be here because it'll be a good day for waiters too to work the whole day."

Hotels in the Norman area are virtually fully booked.

The Noun Hotel on Campus Corner has single digit availability left and is also expecting an influx of people to fill its two restaurants.

"With our restaurants being open to the public, we expect a tremendous influx there. The hotel is small. We only have 91 rooms, and so a limited number in that capacity. But on a normal game day, we'd see between 7,000 and 8,000 people. We see probably 10,000 expected for this weekend with commencement," General Manager Justin George said.

The hotel will offer things for people to do even if they aren't staying at the hotel or going to the game, in an effort to contribute to the gameday experience in Norman.

"We have a 75-foot LED wall that will come into our ballroom space. We have food trucks available. We have live music available. We have Rally Kitchen and Bar, and One Bar both available throughout the day," George said. "We encourage everyone to come."

George told FOX 25 the busy weekend gives a chance to showcase Norman.

"We have a tremendous entrepreneurial spirit in the community. We have a lot of local businesses, and this really gives them a time to shine," he said.

Read the story: https://okcfox.com/news/local/norman-...

Have a tip? Email us at [email protected]
Have a video or photo you want to share? Upload it to okcfox.com/chimein/
www.okcfox.com
TikTok:   / fox25news  
Facebook:   / foxokc  
Twitter:   / okcfox  
Instagram:   / okcfox  
Newsletter sign-up: https://okcfox.com/sign-up

FOX 25 is an Oklahoma-based station and a FOX television affiliate owned and operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group. Sinclair owns and operates, programs or provides sales services to 163 television stations in 77 markets. Sinclair's television group reaches approximately 38.7% of US television households and includes FOX, ABC, MyTV, CW, CBS, NBC, Univision, and Azteca affiliates.

#okc #oklahoma #news #fox25