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Economic impact of LSU homecoming in Baton Rouge

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BATON ROUGE - The weekend of October 12 is LSU homecoming. It features a variety of events leading up to the Tigers' primetime matchup against Ole Miss.

LSU homecoming brings alumni back to campus. Combine that with a rivalry game at night, and you have a recipe for success for many businesses.

Homecoming week is one of the busiest times of year for LSU. It is also one of the most profitable for business. WBRZ spoke to one custom college apparel store that designs their own LSU gear.

"Homecoming gets really busy, especially because it is an SEC game. So usually by Friday morning we see an uptick in the amount of customers that come in. Especially on gameday too, there's like heavy traffic down the street, so we definitely get a lot of customers," B-Unlimited: LSU's Eva Price said.

WBRZ spoke to the LSU ticket office, and they said two things that stand out. The average ticket price runs between 60 and 90 dollars. With Tiger Stadium capacity at 102,321, that's over $7.6 million in ticket sales alone. That's not even including stuff like tailgating and food.

At one of the RV tailgate lots, WBRZ met one family whose RV cost $400,000. Another family set up their own hot tub.

"We brought a hot tub. It's fantastic; you know everyone loves it. Mostly people get pushed in. It's a very unwilling experience, but it definitely hits right when the Bud Light's kicking through your veins, you know," LSU tailgater Elijah Wills said.

The family even made their own inflatable nightclub, filled with a couch they found on Amazon.

Bars and restaurants are also places that see some of the biggest booms during the homecoming weekend.

WBRZ spoke to Walk-On's, a local hotspot. They said for smaller games, like against Nicholls, for example, they do about $40,000 to $60,000 in sales.

For homecoming and big games like Alabama and Ole Miss, they do $90,000 to $110,000 in sales, most of that being liquor.

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