I keep looking for stuff about what losing football due to COVID is going to cost college towns. Here’s something I found in The Athletic ($$) about the hit businesses in Lincoln, Nebraska are expecting to take from less or no Nebraska football fans this season:
The 89,000-plus who pack into the stadium and the thousands more who watch the game from tailgates and bars come from all over. A 2014 study from UNL’s Bureau of Business Research found that 69 percent of fans who attended Husker football games in 2013 traveled to Lincoln from outside the area. And they spent a lot of money.
According to the study, Husker football ticket holders’ off-site spending in Lincoln totaled an estimated $42.9 million for eight 2013 home games, an average of almost $5.4 million per game. Out-of-town visitors accounted for an estimated $4.3 million of that average. Football fans combined to spend nearly $18 million on food and $7 million on lodging during those eight weekends. The study determined the overall impact of Nebraska athletics on the local economy in 2013-14 was an estimated $245.5 million.
One bar owner estimates that the take from Nebraska’s seven home game dates pays the bills for most of the year. Given what local hotels charge, I can believe it.
But those home games with two-night minimum and even higher rates do make a difference. At Embassy Suites, the cheapest two-night reservation available right now for the Purdue game on Sept. 5 costs $814. At The Kindler, it’s $941.
It’s not pretty.
Get The Picture 
This is one of the reasons I have consistently advocated that the WLOCP game be played home and away.
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So, fuck all the businesses in South Georgia that make good money that weekend, eh?
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No, fuck Jacksonville, that corrupt megalopolis that bribes the school’s to play there to benefit JAX merchants. And don’t throw that South Georgia red herring out there Bluto. The Jacksonville governmental officials don’t pay off UGA and FU to play the game there to help out South Georgia. Those guys know that playing the game in JAX lines the pockets of THEIR merchants—not South Georgia.
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That red herring money spends just like Athens money, Mayor. Regardless of what you think Jacksonville “intends”.
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Talk to the Golden Isles….then get back to us…
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I did. They said “stop trashing our beaches and private property”. They also said “we’re year-round resort destinations, we’ll be ok.”
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It’s still one of two biggest weekends of the year. The one year that law enforcement cracked down on the underage drinking and people trashing the beach, the local business leaders screamed the loudest. It’s never been attempted again. Don’t kid yourself. They want the money. Bad.
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Do you have a problem that the city of Atlanta and the Atlanta Sports Council “bribes” schools to play in MBS? We get your angle. When the financial incentive to play in Jax isn’t worth it, the schools will go home and home. Until then, you’re tilting at windmills.
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Megalopolis? Have you been there? Lol
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The gulf beaches are way better, Chuck. No need to rub it in….
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Lol. I personally prefer Kauai. But its harder to drive to.
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My wife and I hiked Napali on our 25th anniversary. Taking the family back next year to see if the boys can surf.
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Ain’t gonna lie. That’s nice. I’d live that. My SO has never done Hawaii. Only problem is it’s crazy expensive. Lot cheaper when I flew my own plane to Honolulu then went on adventures.
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We stayed in a condo, rented a car and basically went native for a while.
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Honest question… Georgia Florida first played in Jacksonville in 1915 and minus some breaks have routinely played there. It is one of what I think is only four neutral site games left in the country in the regular season. Is losing that history worth it for a home and home? Is your sole reason financial? Are you an Athens business owner? I know Athens business owners are big proponents of a home and home. I personally will never be a wealthy person that can party at Saint Simons and attend the game and basically have a second annual vacation. I know a lot of those people are protective of that, also know they do spend a lot of money In those areas. I have been to the landing in Jacksonville and didn’t really think it’s that big a deal. I also, from everything but in person experience, know that the swamp is an absolutely abysmal arena and our fans will be subject to a lot of ill treatment. Too many people, too many times, from too many fan bases, have told me this.
Your argument is to h*** with Jacksonville which is an argument but I would like to see it expounded upon.
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The problem is right now the athletic departments collect huge paychecks from Jax for playing the game there at the expense of the college towns. If you start playing home and home, then the schools give up a sizable share of the payoff with the money transferring to the local businesses/towns. I don’t think that’s going to happen anytime soon.
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I don’t think the athletic departments see that as a problem. 😉
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All the Florida fan’s businesses anyway.
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The GA/UF rivalry in Jacksonville seems like one of the last hold-overs from CFB yester-year. We might should hold onto as many of those as possible.
There will be serious impacts to businesses in the wake of this pandemic, including many bankruptcies. It will affect municipalities as well. It will roll down hill to individual employees and the impacts will have a lasting effect for some time.
At some point the government will come looking for payback and things could get even harder for those trying to recover. Financial holes can be a bitch to dig out of. I expect larger companies are poised to buy smaller companies in trouble.
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For What it’s Worth:
The Athens restaurants, stores and simple folks working the home games might know a bit about this if you can find a store open come November. If there is games and if fans are allowed in at say 30% it’s gonna be hard to operate at 5-8% profit margin when most home games you can’t walk in downtown Athens for the massive draw from across the entire state of Georgia.
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