TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Championship college teams equal big bucks for the local economy.
This year in Tallahassee, two teams, FSU's women's softball team and soccer team, have won national championships.
So how does that translate into dollars and cents for the Tallahassee's economy?
And do women's college national championship teams bring in as much money in merchandising and tourism as the men's teams?
Mason Kaye, the general manager of Garnett & Gold, a Florida State fan-shop, says their brick and morter store won't be getting the FSU Woman's soccer Championship t-shirts and other merchandise until Wednesday. Tha is the case although you can buy them now online.
He wanted to get them earlier but couldn't because woman's team championship merchandise just isn't as much in demand.
"Football championship, we'd have the t-shirts here the next day because there would
be 80,000 people busting down the door ready to buy the shirts, lining up" he said, "Unfortunately women's sports don't get that kind of support."
It comes down to supply and demand economics with the vendors. He says there is no sense of urgency to produce the product as there would be with men's championship merchandise at a retail level.
He says woman's athletics don't get the hype men's athletics do and their merchandise sales don't compare but they do have a strong fan base and sales of FSU's women's soccer championship merchandise will be an economic boost for the store.
"It will definietly be a much needed boost," he said. "Hopefully it will be a bigger boost than anticipated. Softball was a huge boost."
As for tourism dollars, officials at the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce say these championship teams bring more people into the city.
"Anytime you have championship teams in your community it is going to breed economic activity."
And as the popularity of Woman's athletics grows so does the amount of money it generates.
"Womens athletics doesn't get the support that mens athletics does," Kaye said. "But in the 10 years I've worked at Garnett & Gold I have seen a significant rise in support of woman's athletics."
Rob Wilson, an associate athletic director at FSU, says having championship teams is great exposure for the university and FSU's athletics program, which translates into an uptick of student interest and applications.
