The national college football spotlight shines on D.C. on Tuesday as the EagleBank Bowl takes center stage, and District officials hope the economic boost extends far beyond the beer and foam finger sales at RFK Stadium.
The second EagleBank Bowl takes on greater prominence than the inaugural 2008 game — a matchup of Wake Forest and Navy that was buried in the bowl mix with an 11 a.m. Dec. 20 start.
That game drew fewer than 29,000 fans, far short of the average bowl attendance of 55,183. Many, including the Navy squad, came from a short distance. Only 22 sponsors signed on.
But this year’s game has a forecast for partly sunny skies and a more fan-friendly 4:30 p.m. kickoff, and bowl organizers hope to seat 40,000 for the nationally televised battle. There are more than 60 sponsors and an intriguing first-ever matchup between UCLA and Temple, a marquee program from the Pacific-10 Conference versus a team from the Mid-American Conference that hasn’t been to a bowl game in 30 years.
“This is a dead time of year in D.C.,” said Steve Beck, EagleBank Bowl executive director. “It’s creating a lot of activity.”
The Washington Convention and Sports Authority won’t calculate the economic effect until after the week is done, spokeswoman Teri Washington said. District coffers need the boost — sales tax collections were down $12 million in October and November, the first two months of fiscal 2010, compared with the same period last year.
The District’s hotel tax is 14.5 percent, its restaurant tax 10 percent and its sales tax 5.75 percent. The game “enhances the image of our city,” said Ward 2 D.C. Councilman Jack Evans, but “it’s not going to save the day.”
“You’ll see a little bump in taxes from those areas,” Evans said.
But more importantly, he continued, “I think there’s an immeasurable quality for a city hosting a bowl game, and getting one marquee team and a decent team. It just puts us in a different league.”
Susan Raley of Mobile, Ala., flew into the District on Saturday to watch the game with her friend Beth Bennett, a UCLA alumna. She bided time sightseeing, dining at District restaurants and relaxing at the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel, UCLA’s temporary home.
“I’m a Bruin this weekend,” said Raley, who wore a powder blue UCLA cap despite her Alabama allegiance. “I’ve never been to D.C., so it’s a great experience for me.”
The most famous Temple alumnus, of course, is Bill Cosby. He will not attend the game.
“I feel honored to sit in my living room and watch this game and watch [Temple coach] Al Golden, the man who’s brought us to this point,” Cosby said in a video posted on his Web site. “I salute him.”
The party starts 12:30 p.m. Tuesday with a four-hour tailgate at the D.C. Armory. Admission is $20 for adults and $15 for children ages 4-12.
The EagleBank Bowl has a commitment to continue the game through at least 2013.
» 2010: Atlantic Coast Conference versus Conference USA
» 2011: ACC versus Navy
» 2012: ACC versus Army
» 2013: ACC versus Big 12 Conference
