From The State: Hotels, Restaurants, and Retailers Not Raking in the Dollars on USC Game Days

From thestate.com (10/10/09):

Shrinking attendance at USC football games this season is changing the playing field for Columbia-area businesses.

Despite winning all three home games, official attendance at Williams-Brice Stadium is down more than 7 percent so far from last year’s season average of 80,529.

Many Columbia-area hotel, restaurant and souvenir store operators say their football-weekend sales have dropped around 10 percent from last year.

They blame the recession that has lasted long enough to make even some of the most die-hard Gamecock fans close their wallets.

Average attendance at USC home football games in the past decade generally has been lower in recent seasons. Lou Holtz coached the team from 1999-2004, and Steve Spurrier took over in 2005. Attendance peaked during the last recession in 2001, which also was the team’s high-mark for wins in a season this decade.

2009: 74,602*

2008: 80,529

2007: 78,467

2006: 76,552

2005: 79,853

2004: 80,367

2003: 80,844

2002: 82,138

2001: 82,614

2000: 81,814

1999: 78,273