 "Photo: Sam Grenadier")
Texas Tech football has not only grabbed the interest of college football fans this season, but may help increase the public's interest in Tech and Lubbock.
An estimated $17.2 million in free advertising for the Hub City was provided by ABC's Saturday Night Football.
Marcy Jarrett, the executive director of Lubbock's Convention and Visitors Bureau, Visit Lubbock, said the organization estimates the publicity value from the Tech vs. Oklahoma State game to be worth $17.2 million. The organization estimated this number by calculating references to Tech and Lubbock into 30-second commercial slots and valuing news articles referencing Tech and Lubbock leading up to the game.
Saturday's airing of the Saturday Night Football game between the Associated Press' No. 2 Tech and then-ranked No. 8 Oklahoma State received a Nielson Media Research Group rating of 7.2, which was the most-watched program aired during its time slot, Jarrett said.
Jarrett said for the Saturday Night Football broadcast, film crews went around the city during the week leading up to the game and collected footage of Lubbock features that are not usually seen in many other parts of the nation, such as cotton.
"This was effectively a three-hour infomercial for the city of Lubbock," she said. "People are interested in things they don't see every day. The announcers mentioned and referenced Lubbock and Tech frequently during the game. We're very grateful for Texas Tech and the exposure the school gives the city."
The Tech-OSU game was the second consecutive game Saturday Night Football aired from Lubbock.
Jarrett said Visit Lubbock estimates the Lubbock economy gains $5 million to $7 million for every Tech home football game. The estimate is based on many factors, including lodging, eating, car repairs and shopping.
"The impact varies," she said. "It depends on the opponent, how they're ranked, Tech's ranking and what time kick-off is. Winning means more shopping. Fans buy everything with a Double-T on it to display how proud they are in the team."
If Tech becomes a perennial college football contender, she said, Tech and Lubbock will continue to benefit from the national media exposure.
"It would go a long way towards the Chancellor's goal of increasing Tech's student population," she said. "It gets students more interested in the school and that, in turn, benefits the economy because more money will be coming in."
After a bye week this week, Tech will play a third consecutive game on Nov. 22 before a national TV audience on Saturday Night Football against No. 5 University of Oklahoma, a game that will be broadcast live from Norman, Okla.
Although a game in Norman will feature OU and unique features found in and around that city, Jarret said she anticitpates that the national media exposure could garner interest in the university.
"Any time Tech gets national exposure, it's a good thing," Jarrett said. "Tech will be mentioned and tied back to Lubbock."
Be the first to comment on this article!