COLLEGE STATION, TX — Local businesses have come to count on Texas A&M football for the extra money it attracts to the Brazos Valley.
It's money local businesses can capture and build upon.
No business depends on football's flood of fans more than hotels.
Te Vineyard Court Designer Suites has seen a boost in business as football returned to Kyle Field.
”With the students coming back to school, the parents coming to visit and people coming into town for the games our occupancy has definitely picked up tremendously,” said Victoria Jackson, property manager of Vineyard Court Designer Suites Hotel.
But growing crowds require more hands-on deck, so the hotel gives more opportunities for its staff to make extra money.
”We didn’t have any new jobs created but we were definitely able to offer more hours to the people we already had staffed with us,” said Jackson.
"It definitely helps increase wages for everybody here, I think having the games back in town definitely helps people in the hospitality industry everything from hotels to the movie theaters, restaurants,” said Jackson.
With a cap of 25% capacity for football games at Kyle Field, businesses will take all the help they can get from this football season.
Kindra Fry with Visit College Station says she's determined to bring visitors back into the community.
"This is an estimate based on a study we did several years ago, but approximately 17 to 20 million dollars per weekend of an SEC home game,” said Fry.
The numbers now are not nearly as close as what they once showed, but Fry says this past weekend's home game brought many new visitors to local hotels.
”Every business in Bryan College station has definitely had a positive effect from the games being back here in town,” said Jackson.
How positive? Experts say each Aggie home game supports more than 3,000 jobs the valley wouldn't have without A&M football.
According to Texas A&M athletics in the Brazos County, one out of every 46 jobs is supported by collegiate sporting events and the visitors that come to enjoy it.