Golden Triangle communities are preparing to reap the benefits of another Mississippi State University football season.
MSU’s football season begins Saturday with a home tilt against the University of South Alabama.
Starkville stands to see the biggest impact, economically. Greater Starkville Development Partnership CEO Jennifer Gregory said data from the 2014 football season, which is comparable for this year, showed visitor spending during a Friday to Sunday period for one MSU football game creates more than $13 million in economic impact in Oktibbeha County. Of that, more than $9.9 million is direct economic impact.
A football weekend also generates about $615,000 in tax receipts for Oktibbeha County, according to the memo Gregory provided.
In the memo, Gregory notes economic impact is not limited to Starkville and Oktibbeha County.
“We believe the overall impact of each ball game to be much greater to the Golden Triangle region and Winston and Lee counties, as there is a great deal of leakage of hotel, food and fuel expenditures,” she said.
MSU’s home games draw tens of thousands of visitors to the region. Gregory said Starkville normally sees 60,000-80,000 visitors for each football game.
The Partnership hosts events in conjunction with football weekends, Gregory said.
“We will be hosting New South Weekends beginning next Friday night” she said. “This campaign includes Friday night events downtown and around town, and Bulldog Brunch and Browse on Sundays, which features special shopping from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.”
Columbus
MSU football games are also an economic boon for Columbus, according to Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Nancy Carpenter.
Carpenter said the city’s approximately 1,500 hotel rooms are still filing up for the South Alabama football game. However, she said even if only half the rooms are full, it could lead to a $450,000 impact.
However, Carpenter said, rooms are filling up faster for the Bulldogs’ Sept. 10 home contest against the University of South Carolina — the team’s Southeastern Conference opener.
“With an average of over two persons per room for two nights, I estimate over $1 million will be the economic impact,” she said. “That could certainly be true for several home games like Texas A&M and Arkansas, as well as South Carolina. Auburn could easily sell out as well.”
Games against closer schools, such as Samford University, may not have the same type of impact, Carpenter said, because they will likely not generate the same amount of overnight visits.
Carpenter said about 2,500 visitors come to Columbus for schools with smaller fan bases, and as many as 5,000 people may come for schools with big fan followings.
She said the CVB will offer transportation to and from hotels for guests for all home MSU football games.
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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