The Football Economy

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On football weekends, Pietryga says, business at her State Street pizza and sub shop starts picking up on Fridays, with orders delivered to RVs parked at Pioneer High School and elsewhere. On game day itself, Pizza Bob's schedules all twenty of its student employees--compared to a normal weekend shift of six.

A 2007 report by the Anderson Economic Group estimated that U-M football contributes well over $100 million a year to the Ann Arbor area economy. That's almost $12 million worth of tickets, food, lodging, and shopping per game.

"A good amount of money is dropped in Ann Arbor," says Sarah Okuyama, innkeeper at Burnt Toast Inn, a bed and breakfast with two locations near downtown. She sells out most game weekends, often to older alumni who want to savor Ann Arbor again. And her guests buy more than Michigan memorabilia: "Fans go to art galleries and shopping," says Okuyama. "Football has a powerful impact on the city."

At Bivouac on State Street, parents of current students sometimes come in before the game to pick up raincoats or winter wear for their kids, says owner Ed Davidson. "People are in a good mood--they're on vacation and they have time to shop." Most sales come before the game, but Bivouac is busy all weekend.