Football is one of the most popular sports in the United States. Fans spend thousands every year on tickets, gas, and bar-b-q. Economically, this money feeds into local businesses, the university that hosts the game, and whatever charities that university chooses to give too.
The Alabama vs. LSU game, played last Saturday, November 5, 2011, was probably one of the biggest games this century. Where did all that money go? Plenty of it went into local businesses as people bought food in Tuscaloosa before, during, and after the game. Many people probably drank as they usually do, and that sin tax probably helped stimulate the T-town economy a significant amount.
All that ticket money went to plenty of places: the athletic department at the university, a fund to build up the Bryant-Denny Stadium, and tornado relief efforts in Tuscaloosa. The benefits of a big game like this, a very local, but given Tuscaloosa’s current state, that is a very good thing.
The financial effects of a huge game like the Alabama LSU game stretch out beyond Tuscaloosa if one examines the hotel business in surrounding cites. The news reported that hotels and motels in Meridian, Mississippi were booked to capacity with swarms of LSU fans who were supporting their team.
ReplyDeleteI think of all the preparation that people go through just to look their best---perhaps a new outfit, a new hair style, or a manicure or pedicure or both!
The fact that people would go out and get a make-over would filter into their own local economies, but I did not think about the hotels thing. That was an interesting thought.
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