UGA, Ole Miss matchup bringing big bucks into Athens

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - This weekend thousands of people will flood into Athens for the highly anticipated UGA-Ole Miss matchup.

Both football teams are undefeated and ranked in the top 10 by the College Football Playoff committee.

Large crowds mean a large amount of money will be spent in the Classic City this weekend, too. Local business owners say the 7 p.m. kickoff will likely guarantee them more sales on Saturday.

“We like night games, selfishly. As do I think the restaurants and the hotels because it just brings more people in for a longer period of time,” Laura Beaghan, who owns University Spirit, said.

Executive Director of Visit Athens, Kaite Williams, says large games like UGA-Ole Miss have a ripple effect on the Athens economy.

“You’re going to see the impact in downtown, at our restaurants, at our retail shops, and then throughout the town at gas stations and grocery stores,” Williams said.

Williams says Athens has been preparing for this SEC showdown since the beginning of the season. They expect about 150-thousand visitors this weekend. And if you’re looking for a hotel, unfortunately, everything is booked. The nearest available rooms are about 30 miles away in Commerce.

“This is a huge weekend for the Athens economy,” Williams said.

Visit Athens says tourists spend about $434.7 million dollars annually. Many of those dollars will be made this weekend.

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