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Badgers, Tigers invade Lambeau Field

In this Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2015, photo, Wisconsin cornerback Sojourn Shelton warms up before the Holiday Bowl NCAA college football game against Southern California in San Diego. Leaping at Lambeau Field might come at a price for the Wisconsin Badgers. They might be better off staying on the ground on Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016, in the marquee season opener against No. 5 LSU because the celebration could be a penalty in college football. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) ORG XMIT: NY198 (Gregory Bull / AP)

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Green Bay is bracing itself for an invasion of Badgers and Tigers.

Fans of Wisconsin and LSU are expected to make this a big weekend at Lambeau Field with their Saturday game (12:30 p.m., ABC). The Green Bay Press-Gazette reports that this college opener could be bigger than the Packers’ 2011 season opener after they won the Super Bowl.

LSU fans travel well, and the Press-Gazette reports seven charter flights are scheduled to land Thursday. That’s on top of a parade of fans for both teams arriving by RV, car and bus.

Tony Onellion, an LSU season ticket holder from Slidell, Louisiana, says some Tigers fans won’t be coming due to catastrophic flooding in the state. But he says many others will be eager for a break.

“They may be ready to get away for the weekend,” he said. “Let’s just go and get the hell away. It’s Labor Day weekend afterward.”

Some Tigers fans are closer to home. Rachel Johnson lives in De Pere, but most of her family is from Louisiana. She and her husband attended LSU.

“It will be the first and only time I’ll wear purple in Lambeau Field,” Johnson said. “I’m looking forward to just hearing the Louisiana accent again. I figure they are going to be everywhere.”

Onellion said LSU and Wisconsin fans have a lot in common when it comes to football, including hard-core tailgating.

“I think they should expect to see themselves with a different, funny accent,” Onellion said. “We’ll trade boudain and andouille for kielbasa and cheese and brats. I’m bringing two packages of andouille and two packages of crawfish boudain for friends. This is good stuff.”