Report: College Football championship brought $156.6 million to Indianapolis area

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The 2022 College Football National Championship brought $156.6 million economic impact to the Indianapolis area, according to a report released Friday.

The study, conducted by Rockport Analytics and released by the Indianapolis Host Committee, found the four-day event — Jan 7-10 — exceeded the preliminary estimate of $150 million impact.

“Our team invested more than five years of strategic planning towards executing a successful CFP weekend,” Mark Howell, chairman of the board for the Indianapolis Host Committee, said in a news release. “We are proud the event created a lasting, positive affect in our community through numerous legacy projects while also adding a much-needed boost to our economy to kickoff 2022.”  

The review found the College Football Playoff generated $53 million in wages for local tourism and other industry workers.

It also found the average visitor spend $281 per day in Indianapolis, and people with tickets to the game stayed in the city for 3.4 days.

The Jan. 10 championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium saw Georgia beat Alabama 33-18 for its first national championship in football in 41 years.

Rockport Analytics estimates that 24% of visitors to Indianapolis were from Georgia, and 10% were from Alabama. The game broadcast on ESPN had a national viewing audience of 22.6 million people.

“1,040 media-related visitors generating an estimated $34 million in media exposure for Indianapolis,” Susan Baughman, president of the Indianapolis Host Committee, said in the release. “All-in-all, this event weekend provided our community a strong start to the year.”