The steady sound of generators providing power to hundreds of televisions.
The voices of new and old friends playing washers, reminiscing, predicting final scores.
The familiar smell of hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill.
Maroon and white plastered proudly on cars, businesses and people across the city.
Huge tent sales offering Aggie gear at discount prices.
Mountains of sodas, chips and snacks stacked in the entryways of local grocery stores.
And, of course, the perfect tailgating spot, complete with tarps, chairs, cooking equipment, fellow Aggies, friendly rivals, plenty of food, and likely a good amount of alcohol.
Football season has arrived and is making itself well-known.
At Spence Park across from Kyle Field, fans are allowed to show up at noon the day prior to stake out a tailgating spot.
By 2 p.m. Friday, hundreds of Aggie football fans had already set up their canopy, and many more were sure to come.
Seniors Taylor Reed and Allison Wheeler, both 21 of Houston, decided this year they'd try something new: Setting up a tailgate by themselves.
It took a little while, but the students eventually got it up and walked away satisfied and looking forward to spending Saturday under their recently assembled shelter.
They'll be joined by a number of their Kappa Delta sorority sisters, Reed said, and Wheeler's family will be coming as well.
Not far from their spot, Melissa Burns was helping her parents set up one of four of their canopies.
Burns didn't attend A&M, but her two children did, as well as her father and several other family members, she said. They've made a tradition out of tailgating since 2003.
"At tailgating, you get to see people you haven't seen since last football season," she said. "It's a fun day spent outdoors."
Relatives from Dallas and Houston are coming for the game against Stephen F. Austin, she said, adding they're expecting as many as 50 family members to show.
It's no secret that football season provides a hefty economic boost for Bryan and College Station, said Shannon Overby, executive director of the Bryan-College Station Convention and Visitors Bureau.
According to A&M athletic officials, the university's sporting events rake in about $314 million for the local economy, she said, and "the biggest chunk of that is definitely from football."
Also, Overby pointed out, it's a time for Bryan and College Station to put on their best hosting faces in hopes of keeping people coming back.
"You never know who's coming in," she said.
The bureau helps assist visitors in finding hotels, food and entertainment, and the fall is always busy for staff members, Overby said.
"The phone calls haven't been near as many as we used to get," she said. "This time last year, we launched our website, so now visitors can do a lot of things online."
Tailgating tips and recipes were added as features to the website Friday, she said, and on gamedays a live scoreboard will be updated regularly.
Overby is an Aggie herself -- class of 1991. While she doesn't always get a ticket to the games, she said, she never misses a tailgating opportunity.
"I call it the hoopla," she said. "I love all the hoopla. I love to watch the march in, I love the party atmosphere. No matter win or lose, everybody has a good time."
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