PULLMAN — The Washington State University football team will play its 2023 home opener this afternoon against Wisconsin, but will do so with a monumental shakeup looming for the Cougars’ athletics program.

WSU has been navigating conference affiliations ever since the Pac-12, a conference it’s been aligned with for more than a century, began to dissolve this summer. At this point, 10 of the conference’s teams are set to depart for new affiliations one year from now, leaving WSU and Oregon State as the only two members of the Pac-12.

It’s an unnerving time for the Cougars — and it also leaves the city of Pullman with uncertainty. Businesses in Pullman rely on WSU events, athletics in particular, to bring customers into town. What will the effect be for restaurants, hotels and the Pullman airport when marquee programs like USC and Oregon are no longer making regular visits to the Palouse?

Some business owners are confident the Cougars’ new opponents will pick up the slack just fine, while others are less confident. But, all acknowledge that it will be a change.

Expert outlook

Doug Tweedy, a regional economist, said that athletics is important, and is a large economic contributor to the region. Sports brings in people to the area and they spend money in both Whitman and Latah counties.

Tweedy said the biggest industries that see a bump from sports programs are leisure, hospitality and food retail. Health care also gets a boost, as athletes are treated during the season and more physicians are attracted to sports rehabilitation programs.

He said there’s a noticeable increase in revenue in Whitman County during sports seasons. The revenue uptick begins in September, when the first football games kick off, and decreases in April, after the basketball season finishes.

Tweedy added that other events like Parents Weekend and concerts also affect revenue spikes.

The lowest months of revenue are April through August, Tweedy said, when students leave after the semester concludes and fewer events are scheduled.

Tweedy mentioned that Whitman and Latah counties are affected greatly by their respective universities. For instance, Tweedy said, almost half of employment in Whitman County is from WSU. Also, the institutions support many industries in the region.

He added WSU and the University of Idaho are one of the three keystones to the Palouse’s economy, along with agriculture and manufacturing.

Relying on sports

Tweedy said local businesses depend on fans coming to support their profits. Revenue spikes during the fall, and many businesses rely on capital made during sports seasons for their yearly profits.

A good example that points out sports’ impact came during the pandemic, Tweedy said. When sports seasons were canceled and games scrapped, a large revenue drop ensued.

He said the industries that were impacted most usually saw a bump from sports programs, including leisure and hospitality.

Tweedy mentioned that the number of workers in these fields dropped by nearly half during the pandemic, which also could have affected profits and overall business health.

Food and beverage

Tawny Szumlas, owner of Rico’s Public House, said the busiest time for the pub is during football weekends. She added people will come in for all the games, and they get a lot of sports fans.

She said the pub won’t know how it’ll be affected by the change until WSU athletics moves forward with its decisions. She added the pub can usually gauge how busy it may be based on what teams are coming to town. But, everything is up in the air right now, she said.

“We won’t know until we get that first year under our belt,” Szumlas said. “This really pushes to the forefront that we need to upgrade our town.… Right now, we’re a stool with one leg and that’s WSU, so when WSU has something that happens, it impacts everyone.”

JD Capler, manager at Cougar Country Drive In, said the restaurant’s sales almost double on game day weekends. He added it’s common for cars to wait in the parking lot, or in the street, to get in the drive-through.

He said WSU football has a big and loyal fan base, which they see on game days. He added the store will do fine and fans will still come in no matter who’s the Cougar opponent.

Hospitality

Tim Cordodor, general manager at the Courtyard by Marriott in Pullman, said the hotel relies on WSU’s football season for a large chunk of its fall revenue, and is an important factor in funds generated over the year.

He said the hotel often sells out during homecoming games and Parents Weekend. He added the teams that come in affect how booked the hotel is; if WSU isn’t playing good teams, they see that in their revenues.

Mike O’Brien, general manager of the Best Western in Moscow, said the change won’t impact the hotel immensely because WSU and its athletics program won’t go away. He added fans are going to come to Pullman and support their team regardless of who they are competing against.

He said one of the peak times at the hotel is during sports seasons. He added the hotel relies heavily on football and basketball programs to bring fans to the Palouse.

The hotel is booked fully when WSU and UI are scheduled on the same weekend. He added it comes down to the popularity of the team, and if other events are scheduled, as to whether they’ll be fully booked.

Travel

Tony Bean, executive director at the Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport, said sports is so significant to the airport that athletics was taken into consideration when designing its new terminal building. He said since sports have a big impact on the demographic the airport serves, it needed to support athletic travel.

The terminal is designed to accommodate athletic charter aircrafts, as well as commercial travel. The airport can split regular passengers from charter passengers in the terminal if needed.

Sports also supports jobs at the airport, Bean said. When charter aircrafts land, it’s additional work for the airport’s staff, beyond its day-to-day duties related to commercial flights. Jobs at the airport include loading baggage, marshaling planes and supporting whatever teams are coming into Pullman.

Bean said athletics impacts the airport’s enplanement numbers, which are the amount of people who are getting on a plane. For instance, last year the airport broke its all-time record of 75,000 passengers, and 5,000 of that number were charter travelers. He added athletics is a big chunk of charters.

Also, WSU teams, other than football, travel commercially, he added. Other teams are a large metric in passenger numbers at the airport.

The airport sees a significant number of fans travel for sporting events, Bean said. He added they see a bump in travelers during sports seasons.

Bean said he is unsure how the change will affect the airport until the conference announces more information about WSU’s opponents.

“WSU will be fine but it may take away some affinity for people who watch and get attached to athletics,” Bean said. “It will be a new normal.”

Grocery

Even grocery stores report increased sales on football weekends.

Bradley Francis, a local business owner in grocery sales, said sports is fundamental to business revenues. He added stores like Grocery Outlet see more sales in beer and party-type items in the frozen section and general grocery.

He said supermarkets will also see a boost in sales when parents are in town. Football games, Parents Weekend and the beginning and end of the semester draw in students’ parents.

Francis said one of the first things he noticed moving to town a few years ago was the community’s pride around WSU’s football team. He added he’s heard some customers say they may not buy a season ticket or go to games if WSU is playing against less popular teams.

“Definitely makes me think I have to plan for slower days,” Francis said. “Where I’m not going to have my large rush before games.”

Only time will tell

While businesses in the area are wary of how the decision may affect profit produced during the fall season, only time will tell if they’re impacted.

Tweedy said WSU and UI are the only games in town, and both universities pull from a large region as the hub for rural counties in the area. He added people in the area, not just alumni, are dedicated to intercollegiate sports.

Phil Weiler, vice president of university marketing and communications, stated in an email that regardless of what conference WSU ends up in, its football squad will still be playing the same amount of teams on Saturday afternoons in the fall.

The only thing that will change are the opponents, he added. And while old rivalries may go away, they will be replaced by new ones.

“Athletics will continue to be an integral part of the fabric of Pullman,” Weiler stated.

Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com.