Mizzou’s Thursday night football game to impact Columbia’s economy, traffic
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The return of Mizzou football is just one day away and the game is expected to bring several thousand fans to Columbia.
The season kicks off Thursday night against Louisiana Tech bringing several thousands to Columbia impacting the city's economy, security and traffic.
"You have in-state fans, out-of-state fans, and you also have the visiting team. They come into the city and spend the night, eat in our restaurants, purchase our retail, so it is a huge impact to the city of Columbia," said Amy Schneider, the director of the Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau.
One local business said they are looking forward to the start of the football season.
"We're excited to see the whole team we keep them fed and happy all summer long and they're really excited," said Jason Paetzold, owner of Bud's BBQ.
Some businesses said they had some concerns they might not see as much business with football on a Thursday versus a Saturday.
"I don't think we'll see till after. We haven't had a Thursday game since 2015 so I don't exactly know what it is going to look like," Schneider said.
Thursday night football is a big deal to the university.
"It's a wonderful way to open up our season, it's a great opportunity for us to get a chance on the national stage," said Christian Basi, MU Spokesman.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol works with the university and other agencies to address traffic concerns. With the game on a Thursday and more fans in the area, the Patrol says people should expect increased traffic.
The university is asking some employees to stay home to help with traffic control.
"We asked any staff member who is able to work from home and is not in a public facing role to go ahead and work from home beginning at noon tomorrow," Basi said.
The university is working with several agencies to ensure the safety and security of Thursday's activities.
Basi says it is important for people to stay hydrated, stay alert, and if you see something say something.
Go Como is offering free rides to the stadium tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. People are asked to park in the Armory lot and catch a shuttle from there.
