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Economic Impact of Alamo Bowl

  • ....was not what they wanted. Down 1/3 from last year. Why? Baylor. But, they are still happy with it.

    From the SAEN:
    Economic impact of 2011 Alamo Bowl Lower Than 2010.

    GlobalScape reports record revenue in 2011
    The economic impact of the 2011 Valero Alamo Bowl dropped by more than a third from the year before, in large part because it did not draw as many fans who count.

    The bowl, held Dec. 29 and won by Baylor in an offensive shootout with Washington, 67-56, attracted a crowd of 65,256, the fifth-highest in bowl history. But only 38,590 fans were counted in Thursday's impact report because they traveled to San Antonio specifically for the game, stayed several nights and made expenditures that would not have arisen if the bowl had not been held.

    With Baylor so close, some fans day-tripped or stayed just a night or two and spent less money. Others lived in San Antonio already and so were not counted.

    The pertinent fans spent $21.5 million on hotels, restaurants and other services in San Antonio. In 2010, 46,349 visitors were counted in the impact report and direct spending reached $32.6 million, the third-highest in the bowl's 19-year history.

    Bowl officials and hospitality experts were pleased with the 2011 impact, which they said would have been higher if the excitement and media attention the game drew were included.

    The impact report, compiled by Strategic Marketing Services and SportsEconomics, said Baylor fans spent an average of 2.3 days in the city, or a little more than a day less than the average visitor from the University of Washington stayed.

    Nearly 72 percent of the fans surveyed for the study said they were at the game to support Baylor.

    “Spending per day was up, but their stay was shorter,” said Richard Irwin, president of Strategic Marketing.

    Officials said the game's visitor count also suffered because one of the players was Heisman Trophy-winning Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III. That drew more “casual” fans who either lived in San Antonio or were here for another reason and therefore were not included in the impact count.

    But Griffin's presence and the offensive fireworks in the game also increased the amount of attention the game received.

    “There was probably more buzz (around the game) than we've ever had,” said Rick Hill, the bowl's vice president of marketing. “The better the profile of the Alamo Bowl, the better it is for the city.”

    The report said the overall impact of the 2011 bowl was $39 million, a figured totaled from direct and indirect spending. Included in the total impact is $1.3 million in tax revenue for the city.

    Casandra Matej, executive director of the San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau, praised the results.

    “The Valero Alamo Bowl again provided a huge end-of-the-year boost for our city by drawing a large out-of-city fan base during what is typically a slower time of year,” she said in a news release by the bowl.

    David Bojanic, the Anheuser-Busch Foundation professor of tourism at the University of Texas at San Antonio, said the bowl's economic clout remains solid, despite the slip last year.

    “When you look at that second tier (of bowls), it holds its own,” he said.

    wpack@express-news.net

    BuGrad95

  • This is not accurate.

    The Alamo Bowl drew better ratings than BCS bowls. 92% is more likely the number of fans for Baylor that were in San Antonio. This is some sort of aggy publicity joke - -

    the retail establishments, boat tour guides, waiters and hoteliers etc etc were blown away by the surge in business and the difference from the year before and before that.

    We made a huge unexpected and far and away bigger econmic impact on the economy in SA than they had experienced in many years. This is what everyone told me.

    osoprimo

  • osoprimo said...

    This is not accurate.

    The Alamo Bowl drew better ratings than BCS bowls. 92% is more likely the number of fans for Baylor that were in San Antonio. This is some sort of aggy publicity joke - -

    the retail establishments, boat tour guides, waiters and hoteliers etc etc were blown away by the surge in business and the difference from the year before and before that.

    We made a huge unexpected and far and away bigger econmic impact on the economy in SA than they had experienced in many years. This is what everyone told me.

    These numbers didn't include tv ratings or that type of thing. Just dollars and cents spent by bowl attendees. Most Baylor folks made a day trip, or only spent 1 or 2 nights, so hotel occupancy and restaurant business was great for that short period. It happens all the time with a "local" team in a bowl. It's why SDSU didn't play in San Diego. Last years Alamo Bowl was Okie Lite and a PAC school, therefore more fans in need of food and lodging. It's not a knock on Baylor really. Would happen with any Texas team.

    BuGrad95

  • Too many Baylor people who just game in for the day and only stayed one night. The day before the game it was all UW. Not until gameday did Baylor show up.

    Our fan base...smh

    The X Factor898

  • I call BS. Aggy, Tech and UT fans don't live nearby as well?

    ct_wallace ●

  • ct_wallace said...

    I call BS. Aggy, Tech and UT fans don't live nearby as well?

    Last year was Oklahoma State, so they had to stay longer. That's the only comparison they made. I don't know how it compares to years when other Texas teams were there, but it's likely very similar.

    BuGrad95

  • The "X" Factor said...

    Too many Baylor people who just game in for the day and only stayed one night. The day before the game it was all UW. Not until gameday did Baylor show up.

    Our fan base...smh

    X were you even in San Antonio? I was there for three days before the game and one day after. The ENTIRE river walk was Green and Gold.

    There was MAYBE 1 UW fan for every 10 Baylor people that I saw. Quit your hate of our fan base, the Baylor people were there and in force.

    dwtucker90 ●

  • dwtucker90 said...

    X were you even in San Antonio? I was there for three days before the game and one day after. The ENTIRE river walk was Green and Gold.

    There was MAYBE 1 UW fan for every 10 Baylor people that I saw. Quit your hate of our fan base, the Baylor people were there and in force.

    That was my experience as well.

    Volunteer

  • dwtucker90 said...

    X were you even in San Antonio? I was there for three days before the game and one day after. The ENTIRE river walk was Green and Gold.

    There was MAYBE 1 UW fan for every 10 Baylor people that I saw. Quit your hate of our fan base, the Baylor people were there and in force.

    X was there and had a party in the upstairs of Pat O's that I attended with several on here. I do disagree about the UW fans being more earlier in the week.

    @TruthOrBear247

    Brian Ethridge ●

  • The "X" Factor said...

    Too many Baylor people who just game in for the day and only stayed one night. The day before the game it was all UW. Not until gameday did Baylor show up.

    Our fan base...smh

    I was there, Buddy, and you are wrong about it being all UW. We outnumbered UW fans on the Riverwalk the day before, and on game day and the day after, we overwhelmed them.

    Portly

  • Portly said...

    I was there, Buddy, and you are wrong about it being all UW. We outnumbered UW fans on the Riverwalk the day before, and on game day and the day after, we overwhelmed them.

    Which I think also affects these numbers, the Washington fans were few and far between. They just weren't interested in spending thousands of dollars to follow a 7-5 team halfway across the country. The Big 10 schools had a much better following when it was Big 12 vs Big 10.

    BuGrad95

  • BuGrad95 said...

    Which I think also affects these numbers, the Washington fans were few and far between. They just weren't interested in spending thousands of dollars to follow a 7-5 team halfway across the country. The Big 10 schools had a much better following when it was Big 12 vs Big 10.

    Washington fans weren't interested in following a 7-5 team, and too many Baylor fans got there late Wednesday or early Thursday.

    Your name's Lebowski, Lebowski. Your wife is Bunny.

    trey3216

  • Our family had a great time. And as a result of the Alamo Bowl, and our experience, we will consider returning to San Antonio soon, when otherwise we probably would not have. That aspect of economic impact probably was NOT included in the report. How many cities this size can you wonder around in at 1-2 am in the morning and feel safe. We did. Great Time - Great memories!

    Dusty Bear ●

  • Dusty Bear said...

    Our family had a great time. And as a result of the Alamo Bowl, and our experience, we will consider returning to San Antonio soon, when otherwise we probably would not have. That aspect of economic impact probably was NOT included in the report. How many cities this size can you wonder around in at 1-2 am in the morning and feel safe. We did. Great Time - Great memories!

    The article isn't bad, but the title is terrible. The overall impact on the city of San Antonio was arguably the best ever for the Alamo Bowl. Heisman winner, exciting game, and a near sellout. Not a bad day for Baylor fans or San Antonians.

    X was there (I met him at Pat O's), but his assessment is inaccurate, but was probably due to specific areas he happened to be while downtown. I was all over throughout the week going downtown and throughout the city the days leading up to the game and the days after. Game day it was easily 5:1 Baylor fans v. UW and at worst 3:1 at any given time during the week.

    BexarBear

  • There is no question that there was more purple on the Riverwalk on the Wednesday afternoon the day before the game than there was Green/Gold. I even had a few restaurant managers ask me "where are all the Baylor folks?"

    I would estimate that only 1 out of every 3 Baylor people stayed more than 1 night.

    The X Factor898

  • The "X" Factor said...

    There is no question that there was more purple on the Riverwalk on the Wednesday afternoon the day before the game than there was Green/Gold. I even had a few restaurant managers ask me "where are all the Baylor folks?"

    I would estimate that only 1 out of every 3 Baylor people stayed more than 1 night.

    so? Why is that an issue? I drove in the day of the game, spent the night and left the next day. Nothing wrong with that.

    CammoTX

  • CammoTX said...

    so? Why is that an issue? I drove in the day of the game, spent the night and left the next day. Nothing wrong with that.

    I didn't say there was anything wrong with it.

    I mean, I personally feel that a bowl trip is a multiple day/night experience. You go down and make an event of it.

    But the point really was that people thought the article was false. It wasn't and the reason it wasn't is because we had so many fans just stay for around 24 hours.

    The X Factor898

  • I asked hotels and restaurants about their experiences in years past with the Alamo Bowl crowds and these folks stated there was nothing like this; they quickly added that okielite did not show nearly as well as Baylor. The day before the game there was a huge Baylor influx, but 2 days before, there was not a huge Baylor influx. That has never and will never change for the Alamo Bowl so long as 1 team is from the Big XII.

    We ate up in the Tower of Americas restaurant the night before the game and watched the Baylor men's basketball game on t.v. Those folks said they hadn't seen this type of business in a long time for the Alamo Bowl. The Sprint store (not close to the River Walk) personnel said they'd been surprised at the business from Baylor folks.

    I'm stating that this article was written with a pre-conceived conclusion - intended to diminish Baylor's impact on the City.

    osoprimo

  • Who cares? Do I really care whether or not the SA hotels made as much m0oney as they would like off the Alamo Bowl? Is there some hospitality industry God judging us?

    Bowl officials are driven by gate attendance and TV revenue--that's what makes their money. by these standards the game was off the charts. 5th best attendance in hizstory in a down economy and highest ratings of any non-BCS bowl. Job done. Baylor will be on every bowl's "A" list because it has an offense that tends to light up the sky and, even after RGIII, several exciting players.

    Whether we're beer guzzling hotel occupying hordes like Nebraska fans is irrelevant to any indicator of program success that matters.

    1713Baylor ●

  • The "X" Factor said...

    There is no question that there was more purple on the Riverwalk on the Wednesday afternoon the day before the game than there was Green/Gold. I even had a few restaurant managers ask me "where are all the Baylor folks?"

    I would estimate that only 1 out of every 3 Baylor people stayed more than 1 night.

    X,

    What I'm saying is that you and I were both on the riverwalk at the same time and have two different observations. For whatever reason, where I was had an overwhelming number of BU fans and where you were had an overwhelming number of UW fans. FTR, I was near Boudro's and then on the far north side near the Pearl Brewery area. There were 3 groups of BU fans at La Gloria's at the Pearl Brewery (6-15 per group) and I don't remember seeing a single UW fan there.

    BexarBear

  • Most of the folks I knew drove down morning of and stayed the night. So X is probably right.

    If you only looked at the 24 hours before and after the game, Baylor fans did really well.
    If you were to look at the economic impact several days before the game, then it was probably less than some other schools, simply because fewer baylor fans came in that early.

    BaylorGuy314 ●

  • BexarBear said...

    X,

    What I'm saying is that you and I were both on the riverwalk at the same time and have two different observations. For whatever reason, where I was had an overwhelming number of BU fans and where you were had an overwhelming number of UW fans. FTR, I was near Boudro's and then on the far north side near the Pearl Brewery area. There were 3 groups of BU fans at La Gloria's at the Pearl Brewery (6-15 per group) and I don't remember seeing a single UW fan there.

    It was just my observation. I could certainly be wrong. I know my whole group didn't arrive until that evening/night before the game. I was there at 10 am that morning.

    Not a big deal. We won.

    The X Factor898

  • All I know is Cornerhouse skipped out on the party.

    @TruthOrBear247

    Brian Ethridge ●

  • Brian Ethridge said...

    All I know is Cornerhouse skipped out on the party.

    I was giving him hell about that last night as he decided to watch a movie instead of watching Sweet 16 games.

    That guy has really dropped off. He used to be cool.

    The X Factor898

  • The "X" Factor said...

    I was giving him hell about that last night as he decided to watch a movie instead of watching Sweet 16 games.

    That guy has really dropped off. He used to be cool.

    Say it ain't so.

    @TruthOrBear247

    Brian Ethridge ●

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