FORT COLLINS, Colo. — A major game this weekend presents a big opportunity for Fort Collins businesses to capitalize on the expected influx of customers.

The Rocky Mountain Showdown is taking place at Colorado State University for the first time since 1996 and local sports bars are busy preparing.

“We’ve been talking about this since June,” said Nate Haas, owner of Krazy Karl’s Pizza. “We’ve been having meetings and making sure we’re prepared for this. I think we have the right people in place and we’re ready.”

Ethan Carlson of Denver7

The atmosphere on CSU’s campus is different this year, with fans excited for the game and believing the Rams can pull off the upset.

“There’s a huge buzz right now and everybody just wants us to beat them,” said Benjamin Bomes, owner of Mo Jeaux’s Bar & Grill. “It’s the first time it’s been here in a long time. And I think everybody’s just excited to have a Rocky Mountain Showdown here.”

The extra excitement means extra preparations for these local establishments. More customers means more food and more staff.

“It took a whole week just to plan the staffing, plan the food, and then all the X factors,” Bomes said. “Normally we would go through this amount, but we had to plan for double that. And there’s just a lot of math and formulas to get it right.”

Bomes estimates they’ll sell 2,500 wings this weekend, up 66 percent from the 1,500 they sell on a normal weekend. For Haas at Krazy Karl’s Pizza, it’s clear that the better the Rams do, the better it will be for business.

Ethan Carlson of Denver7

“When the alumni leave the stadium, when CSU wins, they want to go out and keep the party going,” Haas said. “When they lose, there’s a little bit of a depression, a hangover, and everyone just wants to go home. We see that every game this season. I expect it to be even more so on Saturday.”

These entrepreneurs are not immune to the infectious optimism that flows through Fort Collins. They believe CSU has a real shot.

“After it was so exciting last year and we’re playing at home this year, I think people are a bit excited and think we have a chance,” Bomes said.

“You’ve got to keep their stars in check, and if you don’t, it’s going to be a long night,” Haas said. “We’ll see. CSU has its own stars, so we’ll see who shows up.”