IU Athletics is no stranger to media attention and bringing economic opportunity to Bloomington. Every year, IU basketball brings major broadcasting networks to Bloomington, networks to Bloomington and ticket sales, regardless of the team’s success, are high. The highlight of the IU sports year is historically the basketball season, and for the rest of the year we’re just waiting for the next basketball season to begin. That’s no longer the case now that our football team has become one of the most closely watched stories in the college football world.
For 19 years, I’ve watched Indiana football struggle to win games — but the thing it seemed to struggle the most with was captivating fans, alumni and B-town. When I was young, I attended many IU football games, and hardly anyone was in the stands. As a freshman last year, I found the story wasn’t much different. This year is different: This iteration of Indiana football has played with passion, won games and brought fans back to the stands.
The extra attention and fan support brought a flurry of extra opportunities for the Bloomington community, such as hosting ESPN College Gameday, CBS’ B1G TIME game and Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff show. Like most college towns with good football programs, this helps to boost the local economy. Take Duke University for example: when it hosted Gameday against Notre Dame on September 30th, 2023, its hometown of Durham, North Carolina, took in over four million dollars. According to ABC 11 in Durham, “that's based off the nearly 10,000 hotel room nights booked, and the money those thousands of visitors brought to different areas and businesses in the Bull City.”
While the dollar amounts aren’t as significant, Bloomington will experience similar economic benefits. For a typical home game this year, Ann Bastianelli, a marketing professor at IU’s Kelley School of Business, estimated a local economic impact of $260,000 dollars for routine home games and $580,000 for the homecoming game against Nebraska. When TV crews come to town, like College GameDay, Bastianelli forecasts “maybe 25% in higher sales receipts.”
College towns explode when the football team is playing well and winning. The atmosphere, combined with sunny fall days, is electric.
Kirkwood Avenue has been abuzz the past few weeks. Places like the Village Deli are tracking the team’s record on its front windows. The street is packed with students, families, and visitors, every home game. You can see how the town has embraced the football team this year and how businesses in Bloomington have leaned into its success. This type of college town atmosphere can excite alumni, donors, and high school students who are considering their college options.
Last year, there was minimal excitement in watching football. It was always just something to do on a long trek to basketball season. This year, the whole town seems to be celebrating the season. Memorial Stadium has already been sold out for multiple games and will be sold out for the final home games. That just hasn’t happened in my lifetime living in Bloomington or being an IU fan.
When you consider it, our town’s infrastructure is made for having a successful football team. We’ve got a downtown area within walking distance of the stadium, space for tailgating, and a beautiful campus. This year, Bloomington and the university have reaped the benefits, and hopefully, the future will remain bright.
Jack Davis (he/him) is a sophomore studying journalism.
