ATLANTA — The city of Atlanta is ready for a substantial economic boom as the University of Georgia Bulldogs prepare to face off against the University of Alabama Crimson Tide inside Mercedes Benz Stadium.
The stadium and the city will be packed with fans cheering on the Dawgs in the Southeastern Conference Championship Game.
“Downtown is going to be absolutely electric. The atmosphere is over 75,000 people downtown. It’s a game that has been anticipated all year,” William Pate, Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau official, said.
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Pate said the ACVB predicts millions of dollars to be pumped into the local economy thanks to the big game.
“It’s really an opportunity for us to generate economic activity across the entire hospitality spectrum. It really begins with the hotel stays. Downtown is almost completely sold out. It’ll be a great financial win for the city,” he said.
“We started preparing about a month before this. From sourcing everything we need, staffing,” Gillen Greene, manager of Stats Brewpub, told WSB Tonight’s Larry Spruill.
Greene said this weekend is a big one for the business since they are located in the heart of Atlanta, and 80% of their restaurant has been reserved online.
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“This is like our Super Bowl. This is the busiest day of the year for us,” Greene said.
Besides the SEC Championship, Atlanta still has several big games on the way:
- HBCU Celebration Bowl on Dec. 16th
- Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Dec. 30th
- College Football National Championship in 2025
- The Federation Internationale de Football Association game is coming in 2026.
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