The impact of the Adrian College’s faceoff against Saint Norbert for the Harris Cup went far beyond the hockey rink. As well as being a momentous occasion for the Adrian College Bulldogs, it was beneficial to the surrounding economy. Over the weekend, the area was inundated with tourists, filling up hotels and restaurants. This caused a short-term influx of money into our economy and will have lasting ramifications as well.
For Adrian College Hockey, winning the Harris Cup was a major accomplishment. The Bulldogs had a substantial victory against Saint Norbert, scoring the greatest number of goals in a Harris Cup game in Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) history. The Harris Cup is awarded to winners of the NCHA league championship playoffs. In hockey, this cup has been a long-standing tradition, with the first of these trophies being awarded in 1998. However, it was not renamed the Harris cup until 2002 and was awarded under that name the following year. After their victory in the Harris Cup, the Bulldogs will be competing in the National Quarter Finals.
In addition to the Harris Cup being a boost for the Bulldog Hockey season, it had a major impact on the economy at large. Massive sporting events often bring in a wide array of visitors from other areas. In 2019, 180 million people in the United States traveled to a sports event, as participants or spectators, which generated 69 million room nights. This causes regional spending to skyrocket. Throughout 2019, these travelers spent $45.1 billion. Not only did this create $103.3 billion in business sales but provided $14.6 billion in tax revenues, $6.8 billion going to state and local governments. Sports tourism is predicted to the be fastest-growing segment in the travel industry, with a compound annual growth rate of 16.1% from 2021-to-2030. Although these are national averages, it is not hard to extrapolate the added financial benefits this would bring to Lenawee County in terms of patronage, by bringing parents, alumni, and hockey fans to the city to cheer on the Bulldogs.
In addition to generating funds for the economy, having more tourists for a large-scale event also promotes the area. In 2019, sports tourists spent $8.6 billion on food and drink while traveling for an event. One can conclude that individuals are actively looking up places to eat, lodge, and shop before the game. Also, these pre-game activities are great for word-of-mouth promotions. Not only does tourism garner recommendations to friends and online reviews, but in the modern era, if it wasn’t photographed and posted on social media, it never happened. Therefore, places in customer service are likely to see an uptick in online mentions. As well as local mentions, the Harris Cup has gotten coverage from the NCHA, NCAA, as well as various other news, collegiate, and athletics-related outlets. increasing notoriety in the college and the surrounding area.
Hockey has been a serious point of interest for Adrian College since the program’s inception in 2010. Since then, it has expanded to include 4 men’s teams and 3 women’s teams, bringing the college an additional 270 student-athletes. Often, these students have been recruited from various regions of the United States, Canada, and other continents as well. The numerous successes of the team have helped to increase the renown of the school overall and provide revenue for the economy through increased recruitment of hockey students and major events held at the college.
Next week, they will be headed to the National Quarterfinals, which are to be held in Arrington Arena on the Adrian College Campus. Lenawee Now wishes the Bulldogs the best and many successful future seasons. Victories for the Adrian College Bulldogs are also victories for the Lenawee County economy.