In October 2014, the Mississippi State football team had reached the high-water mark in its long history: unbeaten and ranked No. 1 in the college football standings.
To help the public understand just what that kind of success meant to the Starkville economy, the Greater Starkville Development Partnership put together a white paper that laid out how much one home football weekend meant to Starkville financially. Assuming a capacity crowd at every home game, the impact was $13.3 million per game in sales for area hotels, shops, businesses and restaurants. Tax revenues for the city were estimated at $615,934.
Multiplied over a seven-game home schedule and the economic impact of the 2014 season was projected to be $93 million.
On Saturday, Mississippi State opens its 2023 football season with a home game against Southeastern Louisiana, and while Mississippi State may not reach the heights of that 2014 season, there’s a very real chance that the economic impact of the 2023 season could be the greatest ever.
For the first time, Mississippi State will play eight home games this season, which based on 2014 estimates would be an additional $14 million in combined sales and tax revenue. That’s likely a conservative figure, when inflation is taken into account.
Last season, Mississippi State had an average home game attendance of 54,520. If this year’s team has the same average attendance, 434,000 fans will attend games over the course of the season.
The economic impact extends beyond Starkville. On a home game weekend, hotels in Columbus are at capacity. Columbus restaurants get a part of the action, too, as well as other businesses that cater to travelers.
It’s not just quantity but quality as far as the schedule goes. Mississippi State will host three teams currently ranked in the Top 25 – No. 4 Alabama, No. 5 LSU and No. 22 Ole Miss – as well as welcoming in-state foe Southern Miss. All of these games should ensure large crowds, which translates into revenue.
A team’s success is measured by what happens on the field.
But the economic impact is measured by how many fans are there to watch.
Ideally, the 2023 season will be a success on the field and at the cash registers from Starkville to Columbus.
There are millions of reasons to be excited about the 2023 season, especially if you count the dollars.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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