The McKeesport Area School District will operate on a two-hour delay after the Steelers-Texans playoff game. 

"As a Pittsburgher, I get it. As a parent, I think it's a little excessive," Amber Rucas said. "It's football."

One mom said she hadn't heard until KDKA told her. 

"I love the Steelers, I've been a Steeler fan since my father had me watching it from 5 years old," mom Suzanne Tapper.   

As to the why, there are two different reasons. The first one is more emotional. "We are die hard Steeler fans," Superintendent Don MacFann said. 

The second reason is more practical. MacFann said the district's goal is to maintain an overall attendance ratio. "We would much rather see our students miss a few minutes of instruction per subject than miss an entire day of instruction" due to absences, MacFann said. 

So, with permission, everyone is allowed to show up two hours late.

"To all McKeesport staff, students, and families, cheer on our Steelers this evening and attend school tomorrow!" MacFann said. 

Steelers Nation gets fired up at rally

McKeesport students aren't the only ones excited about the Steelers-Texans game. On Monday morning, local leaders got the energy going early with a pep rally. Fans from across the country made it down to the Allegheny County Courthouse to get pumped up.

KDKA met people from California, Virginia and Arizona. They're all here for one thing: seeing a Steelers win inside Acrisure Stadium Monday night.

"We are going to kick butt, and we are going to win," Sandi Bartlett of California said.

Add in "Monday Night Football" and a home playoff game, and that just takes it all to a new level.

"It's that time of year. Steelers are in the playoffs and it's a great feeling right now," said David Hopkins of Homewood.

Out-of-town fans made the pep rally a stop on their pilgrimage to the game tonight. For some, it's their first time seeing the Steelers in the Steel City.

"Home game. Playoff game. That's all. Being in the moment," Carlos Montoya of Arizona said.

Others are season ticket holders and try to get to as many games as possible. Even if that involves red-eye flights from California — the state, not the borough in Washington County.

"We ended up booking our flights before we had even finished the game last week," Kay Sirianni from California said.

Of course, nothing fires up die-hard fans like Da Beard, Brett Keisel. 

"We are ready. We're built for this, right, Pittsburgh?" Keisel said.

"I love the atmosphere. That's what makes the whole ballgame so I can't imagine what tonight's going to bring," Jason Keene of Virginia said.

There was no shortage of confidence from fans as well.

"I think Aaron Rodgers is going to pull it out," Keene said.

"That's why we got him was for this moment," Hopkins said.

For fans, this is their first real taste of a home playoff game in almost a decade. The last home game was in the 2021 playoffs, but it was the COVID year when only so many people were allowed in. Prior to that, you have to go back to the 2017 playoffs.