They have filled up area hotels and have been seen out on the town eating at restaurants and shopping at local stores.
It doesn’t take long to spot the football players and fans who are in town for the Texas Bowl.
Just look for the Baylor Bears wearing their green and gold or the Illinois fighting Illini who are proudly displaying the orange and blue.
The game will be played at Reliant Stadium on Wednesday, December 29, but there is plenty of fun leading up to the 5 p.m. kickoff.
(for ticket information go to: http://www.thetexasbowl.com/)
On Tuesday, both teams visited the Depelchin Children’s Center, which is the official charitable beneficiary of the 2010 Texas Bowl.
I was there while some of the Illinois team members visited DePelchin and spent a good amount of time joking and laughing with the children and their parents, signing footballs and helmets and handing out Texas Bowl t-shirts.
Later, hundreds of people packed into the Westin Galleria hotel ballroom for a pep rally featuring Baylor fans, cheerleaders, the marching band and the football team.
Coach Art Briles, the former University of Houston coach, and Baylor Quarterback Robert Griffin were definitely the two biggest stars of the show.
The Bears are playing in their first bowl game since 1994, so you can only imagine the enthusiasm and high expectations for this game. Sic ’em Bears.
Mary Benton Media 
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