A Losing Season for Notre Dame is a Loss for Business

by Sarah Rice (srice@wsbt.com)

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(WSBT photo)

By Beth Boehne

Story Created: Nov 16, 2007 at 6:46 PM EST

Story Updated: Nov 16, 2007 at 6:58 PM EST

(WSBT) Local businesses usually count on Notre Dame football to bring in customers. But this year, that's not happening.

Instead, a losing season means the local economy is losing business, too.

Notre Dame has only won one game this year. The losing season is not only impacting the economy, it's also putting a damper on the spirit we usually feel this time of year.

It’s one of most happening spots in town on the Friday before a home football game. Well, it was a few years ago.

"We had the Bill Bonas porta-parties out there and they were a great feature for what we used to do for the tailgate parties,” said Jesse Arredondo, who owns Casa del Rio.

The day before the last home game of the season, it looks much different.

"If I would have put two or three of those parties together, I probably would have had to close the restaurant because I wouldn't have made it,” Arredondo said.

Last year, area businesses like hotels and restaurants raked in $6 million every home game weekend.

But with Notre Dame's 1-9 record this year, that number is down.

"Everything now is a little less low key, less energy, not quite as much pageantry around it which means you're not spending as much money,” said Mark Eagan with the Chamber of Commerce.

Even scalpers are taking a hit.

WSBT News asked a scalper how he’d compare this season’s sales to last season’s.

“Oh about half, maybe not even half,” he said. “A lot of people lost a lot of money on these games this year."

But the Chamber of Commerce says it's more than just about dollars and cents.
The losing season is also taking a toll on the spirit the Irish usually bring to town.

"It's a little harder to feel that pulse this year,” Eagan said.

"Campus just isn't as alive as it was,” student Flannery Kearney said. “It felt like last year it was just flooded with people on football weekends and now it just feels empty sometimes."

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