Night football games help Chapel Hill economy

Fans are used to seeing Carolina Blue skies during football games, but this season, that will change.

The 23rd-ranked Tar Heels will kick off their season against Liberty on Saturday at 6 p.m. It is the first of two evening home games this season. Last season’s evening game against Miami was the team’s first since the 2009-10 season.

“We’ve gotten a lot of feedback from our fans that they enjoy night games,” said Rick Steinbacher, a spokesman for the athletic department.

“Particularly early in the year, when it’s a lot hotter at noontime versus starting at 6 p.m. or at 8 p.m.”

The University does not have control over when games are scheduled to kick off. That decision is made by the ACC and its television partners, Steinbacher said.

“We were able to go to them and let them know how strong our interest was in having more night games, particularly in September,” Steinbacher said. “We were fortunate enough that it worked out that way this year.”

Local businesses could stand to benefit as much as the fans. Fleming Fuller, general manager of He’s Not Here, said the bar is expecting a high turnout Saturday.

“We’re excited,” he said. “We’re hoping for the best, so we’re prepared for as big a game as we can possibly have.”

He’s Not isn’t the only business preparing for a big turnout.

“On a game day, our wait could get up to two hours,” said Top of the Hill floor manager Steve Torchio. “The restaurant really gets packed and full.”

The University has done multiple studies on the economic impact of football games on the community, Steinbacher said.

“We did one for the Notre Dame game back in 2008,” he said. “The study found that the economic impact of that one game for the entire weekend was about $6.4 million for all of Orange County.”

Groups of non-resident fans at last season’s Thursday night game against Miami spent on average $198.99 per group per day, according to a study by the University.

The return of football, along with higher expectations for the team this season, will be good for businesses, Fuller said.

“We’re ranked, and that brings so much more enthusiasm behind the football program, and I think that’s really going to drive sales up,” Fuller said. “It’s going to be nice to have that spike in revenue for the whole town of Chapel Hill, not just for us.”

Steinbacher, who was a linebacker for the Tar Heels from 1990-93, said the addition of the night games also benefits the players.

“Players hate sitting around waiting all day to play, because you’ve got a lot of nervous energy, you’ve got a lot of butterflies, so I don’t think anyone likes sitting around waiting to play,” he said.

“Having said that, once the game starts and you get the butterflies out, I think they really, really enjoy playing in a night environment where usually the crowd is more into it — the crowd is more energized, more engaged.”

city@dailytarheel.com