FAMU football's economic impact on Leon County is about $11.5 to $13.4 million study says

In 2020, Downs & St. Germain Research surveyed 689 FAMU football season ticket holders (online) and at FAMU football games (in-person) for the City of Tallahassee and Leon County Office of Economic Vitality to determine the total economic impact resulting from new dollars spent from outside the county.  The survey took into account money spent on hotels, restaurants, groceries, transportation, fuel, entertainment, shopping, and "other expenses".

The study found that a typical FAMU Football season sustained 94 direct jobs and 38 indirect/induced jobs and accounted for $2,064,700 in direct wages and $1,576,200 in indirect/induced wages.

The survey which relied on Visit Tallahassee Visitor Tracking Studies also estimated  that a typical FAMU football season had a total economic of between $11.5 to $13.4 million on Leon County, sustaining anywhere between 132 to 154 jobs. The study relied on attendance figures supplied by the NCAA  between 2015-2019 with an average season attendance of 84,346.

 
The survey found that attendees who live outside of Leon County spent 6,527 nights in Tallahassee/Leon hotels, motels, RV parks, campgrounds, etc, while attending FAMU football games.  With the average person spending 2.8 nights in Leon County.  Twenty-six percent were “day trippers” and 31 percent (the most) spent two nights in the county.

Accommodations
Fifty-four percent of FAMU fans typically stayed in hotels, 33 percent stayed with family/friends, and six percent stayed in Airbnb’s the study found.

Seventy-four percent of visitors dined out, 62 percent visited family and friends, 56 percent shopped while in town.