COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS — It’s spring break for a lot of people in the Brazos Valley and that includes Aggie student Jeremy Lovell and his son Peyton.
They’re spending their days fishing at Aggie Park, throwing in a few lines and even making some big catches.
“Yeah, we caught one, actually we caught a total of two,” Jeremy said with enthusiasm as he threw his son’s catch back in the water.
Just as quickly as the fish reentered water, Peyton was attempting to put another worm on his hook.
“Dad!” he exclaimed.
“It looks like you’re having a hard time,” Jeremy said while laughing.
Peyton quickly replied, “Yeah, I can’t get it.”
While they’re enjoying the sunshine this week, come Thursday it will be a different story.
And no, a storm isn’t coming, unless you consider the Texas A&M Aggies taking on Penn State in the first round of March Madness one.
“We're going to sit at home, eat popcorn and hopefully the Aggies win,” Jeremy said.
Aggies Head Coach and SEC Coach of the Year Buzz Williams is taking the Ags to the tournament for the first time since 2018.
If you ask the Lovells about their fate in the Big Dance, well:
“Aggies all the way! Yeah!”
Before fans like this father and son duo watch the team, people from all over are coming to town and spending cash at local businesses.
“The stores were packed, we had people in here for hours,” said Blake Bodin, director of marketing at Aggieland Outfitters, remembering when the Aggies learned their fate heading into March Madness.
The store that sits on George Bush Drive, is adorned with a thumb of a size even the Jolly Green Giant can’t fathom and in the shadow of Kyle Field, keeps things fresh and always updates its inventory.
They began selling new T-shirts with the March Madness logo.
“Regardless if it's maroon, it's white, it's black, it's green,” Bodin began. “People want it, they have to have it.”
With the newly found energy, they hope to keep the sales up and know that this fandom has no problem doing so, win or lose.
“[Customers say] I still love it, I still have my alma mater, I'm still a former student, and they just want to show their pride,” he said, with a smile.
For now though, most people here in Aggieland have two things to say.
“Gig ‘Em!” The Lovell duo said, with their thumbs up and smiles across their faces.
