BOISE -- The biggest regular season game in the history of Boise State football is now the hottest ticket in the nation's capital.
According to a FedEx Field representative, only a couple thousand tickets remain for Monday night's matchup between 3rd-ranked Boise State and 10th-ranked Virginia Tech.
It is going to be quite a scene on Monday, as a near sellout crowd, an estimated 85,000 people, cram into the home of the Washington Redskins to see Boise State's marquee matchup.
But how many of those will be Bronco fans, considering the game will be played just a few hours - by car - from the home of the Hokies?
More than you might think.
Virginia Tech Athletic Director Jim Weaver said his school sold close to 30,000 tickets to the game as a part of their season ticket package, but the Broncos sold out their allotment of 7,000 tickets for the game several weeks ago.
And Bronco fans have bought thousands more from FedEx Field directly.
If the scene at the Boise Airport and on flights heading out of Boise is any indication, Bronco fans are flying to the game in droves, and have been for days.
All this, despite the down economy.
"We'll support them wherever they go. If we have to scrimp and save our money to do it, we'll do it," said a member of the Chapman family.
"We just wanted to make it a trip, and our Broncos, they've done so well in the past, we just really want to support them," said Roberta Deklotz.
"I'm expecting a huge Boise State turnout. We are going to make up for the amount of fans that we have. We're going to be as loud as we can. I don't expect to have a voice when I get back," said Robert Rogalsky.
"I think the destination made it a 'must-go' kind of game. We had a lot of people that made this a vacation, as well as going to a Boise State game,” said Diana Rolig with Global Travel. “So, it was kind of a two-fold reason that people were going back. And, it's great, because, it really is a once-in-a-lifetime type of trip."
Global Travel and Harmon Travel both said they sold hundreds of travel packages to the game. That's about half of what they sold to the Fiesta Bowl. But remember, this is a regular season game.
The Broncos and Hokies aren't the only ones with something riding on Monday's game.
Idaho Sen. Jim Risch has placed a friendly wager with Virginia Sen. Mark Warner.
The senator of the losing team will pose for a photo in the winning team's colors on the steps of the Capitol.
The Boise State-Virginia Tech game will be broadcast at 6 p.m. Monday night on ESPN.
As the official station for Bronco Nation, KTVB will have coverage from Landover, Maryland, before and after the game -- starting Saturday morning with a four-hour edition of the Saturday Morning News beginning at 6 a.m.
That kicks off 13 hours of live coverage on NewsChannel 7 with Dee Sarton, Mark Johnson and sports reporter Ryan Larrondo.
