ESPN College Game Day good for Local Economy

For the second time this season, ESPN’s iconic college football pregame show, College Game Day, will be in Clemson this weekend for the matchup between #3 Clemson and #5 Florida State.  The excitement surrounding this game is a huge benefit to the local economy explains Seneca Mayor Pro Tem Ronnie O’Kelley, who also serves as the IPTAY Representative for Oconee County.   “Even though 83,000 can get into the stadium, I beat you there will be double that in the parking lot.  It is going to be a huge day in this community.  It is going to be probably the largest game you have ever seen at Death Valley, I would think, and I have seen some big ones over the years.” ESPN’s College Game Day will run from 9am until noon on Saturday. The show will originate from the north end of Bowman Field.  The top ten matchup is also great exposure for Clemson’s IPTAY, adds O’Kelley.  “Without IPTAY none of it happens, you have no ball team; you have no players because IPTAY pays for the education of the players and the facilities and things like that.  It has people interested again to buy season tickets, of course, you have to be a member of IPTAY and it has people asking what do I do.  A lot of people think they can’t afford to be a member of IPTAY, you can be a member of IPTAY for $140 a year and still buy two tickets.” Saturday’s show will be the second broadcast from Clemson this season and will be the first time Game Day originates from the same location twice in one season since 2007.   O’Kelley concludes that these are exciting times for Clemson University. “Its exciting times for Clemson.  You are number 3 in the nation, no matter how you look at it and this game pretty well, I hate to say it, it almost determines the rest of the year because whoever wins this game is probably going to be your Atlantic Conference Champion.” The top ten matchup between #3 Clemson and #5 Florida State kicks at 8pm Saturday night and the game will be televised on ABC.