Economic Significance of College Football as a Tourism Attraction

1. Economic Significance of College Football as a Tourism Attraction Dr. Anthony W. Dixon Dr. MARK Henry

2. Introduction • Sport tourism: • “All forms of active and passive involvement in sporting activity, participated in casually or in an organized way for non-commercial or business reasons that necessitate travel away from home and work locality” (Standevan and DeKnop, 1999, p. 12)

3. Introduction • Three types of sport tourism: • Active • Event • Nostalgia

4. Introduction One of the primary motivations for hosting sporting events is the anticipated economic impact. U.S. event sport tourism generated $27 billion in 2001. In 2001, 38% of U.S. adults attended a sport event as spectator or participant, while on a trip of 50 miles or more.

5. Introduction • Review of literature: • Active and passive client profiles (Kurtzman & Zauhar, 1995) • Examine aspects of sporting event spectators (Getz, 1998) • Collegiate sporting event spectators and significance as tourism attractions (Irwin & Sandler, 1998) • Lack of research on U.S. college sporting events and as a community tourism attraction (Gibson et al., 2003)

6. Purpose • Why college football? • Recognized as second most popular sport in America • Total home attendance for all Division I – FBS • Over 34 million each year for past 5 years • Statement of Purpose: • The purpose of this research is to determine whether college football is a tourism attraction and estimate the economic impact of the activity.

7. Research Questions RQ1: Is college football a tourism attraction? RQ2: What are the expenditure patterns of non-local residents attending college football games? RQ3: What is the direct, indirect, and induced economic impacts of college football on a local economy? RQ4: What are the characteristics of non-local residents attending the university’s college football games?

8. Methods On-site sampling Systematic sampling with a random start Research assistants systematically collecting email addresses Participants sent link to online questionnaire N = 769 Response rate = 47.2%

9. Findings • Total sample: • 69% of respondents non-residents of study region • 60% male and 40% female • Age = 38 • 50% college degree and 23% college graduate degree • 56% annual household income over $80,000 • 25% of respondents stayed overnight; average 2.38 days • Attend 5 games on average • Been visiting local area for 16 years • Financially responsible for 2.3 people • Attendance = 546,004 • Estimated non-resident attendance = 375,651 • Average travel distance to stadium was 87 miles • 50% of respondents residing outside 50 miles of stadium

10. Findings • Non-local residents • 32.2% were sport tourist (staying overnight) • Attended 4.65 games • 2.31 days • 122 miles from stadium • Visiting area for 18 years • 67.8% were sport excursionist (day trippers) • Attended 5 games • 108 miles from stadium • Visiting area for 18 years

11. Findings Average expenditures of non-local residents in study area. * Significant at the .o1 alpha level.

12. Findings • Economic impact of College football games (2008) • Non-resident spending: $41,041,553 • Direct: $35,277,696 • Indirect: $8,895,072 • Induced: $5,338,992 • Total: $49,511,808 • Jobs: 727

13. Findings Job creation breakdown:

14. Application • Tourism organizations • Develop relationship with University Athletic Departments • Market local attractions • Additional activity available to potential visitors • Initiate strategies to covert day trippers to overnight visitors • Local businesses • Develop relationship with University Athletic Departments • Sponsorship or other marketing activities • Local government • Foster relationship with University Athletic Departments

15. Application • Significant economic impact • Sport tourism as economic development strategy • Justify public subsidies to support promotion of college football • Expenditure patterns: • Athletic departments can use to increase sponsorships • Local businesses can use to develop more effective marketing strategies to target potential customers • Issue • Non-local residents visiting area for approximately 18 years

16. Conclusion Results indicate college football may be tourism attraction. College football does provide significant economic impact on local economy. Encourage communication between local government, university athletic departments and tourism organizations.

17. Questions