BOONE, N.C. – Appalachian State Athletics launched A Mountaineer Impact initiative in March, and the impact athletics has on the high country economy is also meaningful.
In a recent study done by the Center for Economic Research and Policy Analysis (CERPA) at Appalachian State, the estimated economic impact of App State Athletics on Boone and the surrounding areas is in the neighborhood of $54 million annually. The economic activity generated by the Mountaineers leads to about 640 jobs and almost $20 million in earnings in the region.
Whether it's spending in Boone by fans on a game weekend, visiting teams and fans filling hotels, restaurants, and shops throughout the athletic year, or local services partnering with App State Athletics, the Mountaineer Black & Gold is big business throughout the area.
"As a university and department, we were curious about the impact Appalachian State Athletics has on the area economy," Athletic Director
Doug Gillin said. "One of our goals is to be the strongest possible partner to and a stimulant for area businesses. Our hope is to continue to build on the $54 million annual impact, and that as that impact grows it will only enhance our partnerships."
The study was conducted by Todd Cherry and Ash Morgan, directors at CERPA and professors in Appalachian's Department of Economics. "Athletics has many different impacts to the area, but this study focuses on the economic impact," explained Cherry. "The economic impact is meaningful because the events generally attract people and spending to the area that would not be present otherwise."
The 2016 football season saw record attendance for App as the Mountaineers led the Sun Belt in per game attendance and hosted the biggest crowd in Boone's history with 35,000 on hand as Miami visited in September. More than 150,000 poured into Kidd Brewer Stadium at some point during the season, many spending the weekend – or week – in the area. ACC and regional foe Wake Forest visits The Rock in September in what will be another overflow crowd for Kidd Brewer Stadium and another capacity and lively weekend for the area.
The benefit doesn't end in local restaurants and shops. The economic activity arising from Mountaineers Athletics led to $3.6 million in additional indirect business taxes to local governments, according to the study.
The study used a regional input-output model to compute the total economic contribution of the Appalachian State Mountaineers. "Not all impact studies are created equally," Morgan said. "We took great care in created a region-specific model and cleaning the raw data, with the goal that the estimates are as accurate as possible."
