Indianapolis expecting $150 million economic impact from CFP championship game

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – The city is one week away to crown a champion during the College Football Playoff National Championship downtown.

Thousands of fans will pour into downtown as the University of Alabama faces the University of Georgia in the big game.

Both teams are expected to arrive Friday night.

There will be a virtual news conference between Alabama and Georgia head coach and players.

The championship game will be a rematch of their SEC championship game on Dec. 4 which Alabama won 41-24.

WISH-TV is a proud to be the official local broadcast partner of the 2022 College Football Playoff Indianapolis Host Committee.

It consists of more than 400 members and more than 200 volunteers.

Sports Director Anthony Calhoun spoke with Chairman of the Host Committee Mark Howell during Sports Locker on Sunday who said the game will create a $150 million impact.

“With everything the city has been through over the past 22 months with the pandemic and the quarantine and the challenges we’ve had in downtown this College Football Championship has been something for the community to rally around and get involved in,” Howell said. “Something to be super proud of and it’s going to bring in a level of energy and life to downtown that’s going to kick start 2022 in the best possible way.”

The entire downtown will be busy from Friday to Tuesday with events, free concerts and a huge playoff fan central at the Indiana Convention Center.

WISH-TV is the first to announce there will be a College Football Playoff Kick Off and Security briefing on Tuesday morning.

The meeting will be between Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Indianapolis Fire Department, Marion County Public Health Department and more organizations.