Tucson’s new bowl game is giving a local economy a welcome holiday bump.
The inaugural Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl will kick off Dec. 29 with Colorado State University facing off against the University of Nevada at Arizona Stadium.
Organizers expect 8,000 to 10,000 people — including teams, bands and fans — to visit Tucson for the game. The University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management has estimated that the bowl game will have an economic impact of $25 million.
Area hotels are getting a shot of revenue from the game and filling rooms that otherwise would be empty this time of year.
Front and center are the resorts hosting the teams and bands. The JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort & Spa is the host hotel for Colorado State, while Loews Ventana Canyon Resort is hosting Nevada. The Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort in Oro Valley is hosting the schools’ bands and cheerleading teams.
Ghee Alexander, general manager of El Conquistador, said the hotel is filling up during a normally slow holiday time, noting that the resort typically gets a little busier on Christmas week and that the week before is usually slow.
“We are actually full — it’s been a great piece of business for us,” Alexander said.
While most bowl guests are scheduled to start arriving Monday and Tuesday, many were arriving as early as Saturday, boosting the number of room nights expected to be sold for the game from about 400 to more than 700, he said.
“It’s great for us. We’re excited to host them, and this being the first year (for the Arizona Bowl), we hope we have a lot of opportunities for growth in the coming years,” Alexander said.
Dan Carraher, director of sales and marketing at Marriott Starr Pass, said thanks to the bowl, the resort is sold out the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day for the first time in its 11-year history.
“It’s huge for us; it’s huge for our associates, particularly on the banquet side,” Carraher said.
Alan Young, executive director of the Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl, said ticket sales could be a little better but just serving the thousands of visitors provides a major economic boost.
“That’s part of why these bowls are treasured, because they provide a little bit of economic impact during the holidays,” said Young, who also is CEO of the Arizona Sports & Entertainment Commission.
Besides the resorts hosting teams, bands and their entourages, Arizona Bowl organizers booked blocks of rooms for fans at local hotels including the Lodge on the Desert, the Viscount Suites Hotel and the Sheraton Tucson on Grant Road, Young said.
Other hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues are benefiting.
On Dec. 27, the bowl will host both teams for a private party at Old Tucson Studios, complete with gunfights and a bull-riding demonstration. On Dec. 28 there will be a free Arizona Bowl block party downtown from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., and a big tailgate party is scheduled at the University of Arizona on game day.
While many local drinking establishments stand to benefit from festive fans, the Independent Distillery, 30 S. Arizona Ave. is the home for Nevada fans, while the High Wire Lounge, 14 S. Arizona Ave., is the home for Colorado State fans.
Other local companies working with the Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl include A-Team Security and Event Services, Wholesale Lithographers, Finley Distributing, El Charro and Arizona Party Rental, bowl organizers said.
Several local nonprofits also will get a boost from the game.
Half of the sales of $25 and $50 tickets go back to non-profits when purchased using a designated code, and the non-profit logging the most sales will receive a $5,000 donation.
Additionally, all of the bowl game’s net proceeds go to Tucson-based charities including the United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona, Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson, MyTeam Triumph, Tu Nidito Chidren & Family Services, Ben’s Bells and Bag It, which helps cancer patients.
Besides the immediate impact of spending by teams and fans, the bowl gives visitors a taste of Tucson that might whet their appetites to return for vacations or retirement.
“Hopefully they’ll come back for leisure,” the Hilton El Conquistador’s Alexander said.
Luring bowl fans back may be easier then when the last bowl game was played here — the Insight.com Bowl in 1999. Since then, downtown has been rejuvenated with new restaurants and night spots, and a streetcar connecting downtown to North Fourth Avenue.
“We have to sell Tucson as a destination first, long before we sell ourselves as a resort,” Starr Pass’ Carraher said. “As the downtown has grown it has provided more options.”
Young said bowl organizers have worked closely with VisitTucson, the area’s main tourism agency, to assure teams and fans from out of town have plenty to do while they’re here — and plenty of reasons to come back for vacation, or even to retire or live here.
“That’s one of the goals, to get them to come back not only for vacation, but maybe to buy a house or start a business here,” Young said.
