Visit Jackson Reports Record-Breaking EEI During 2021 JSU Season
December 10, 2021
![A red wall on the side of a sports stadium says "The City With Soul J-X-N Mississippi"](https://visit-jackson.imgix.net/images/City-With-Soul-mural-at-the-Vet.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=5b9d7a3d550c08c2f1cad2a28056f841 320w, https://visit-jackson.imgix.net/images/City-With-Soul-mural-at-the-Vet.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=4ed758d5c2d991de75deb55930b0f6d7 540w, https://visit-jackson.imgix.net/images/City-With-Soul-mural-at-the-Vet.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=9a32bc038e32ac6f0f46a67d774269b6 768w, https://visit-jackson.imgix.net/images/City-With-Soul-mural-at-the-Vet.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=bc9b800d910506c8604736515215a55d 1024w, https://visit-jackson.imgix.net/images/City-With-Soul-mural-at-the-Vet.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1200&s=20dc3c5e4db2e33ae40d6a0fffe3665a 1200w, https://visit-jackson.imgix.net/images/City-With-Soul-mural-at-the-Vet.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1440&s=08e9f237a7aa292f80efa02acd7f5c89 1440w, https://visit-jackson.imgix.net/images/City-With-Soul-mural-at-the-Vet.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1920&s=b0e402555941a8735cd71e717d024e9e 1920w)
Visit Jackson calculated over thirty million dollars ($30M) of economic impact for the 2021 Jackson State University fall football season.
The number is attributed to a record-breaking Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) team average of 42,293 fans in attendance for the home games at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in the City With Soul after the hiring of the NFL legend turned coach, Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders.
The numbers nearly doubled from the 2019 season, which is a more comparable pre-COVID-19 season than the modified spring 2020 season, where the season’s economic impact was over sixteen million dollars ($16M).
“Visit Jackson has been a consistent supporter of Jackson State Athletics,” said Jonathan Pettus, Vice President of Marketing for Visit Jackson. “We are proud of their success, and our partnership is stronger than it’s ever been before.”
Visit Jackson’s presence can be seen throughout Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, from the banners hanging from the field house to messaging on the marquees, mural and advertisements throughout the games on the jumbotron.
About Estimated Economic Impact (EEI)
Visit Jackson utilizes an industry standard for measuring how events impact destinations via a Tourism Academy calculating tool. The tool measures the economic value of an event and calculates its return on investment to local taxes. Armed with this information, destination organizations and CVBs like Visit Jackson are better prepared to make the case to policymakers and stakeholders for the ongoing development and growth of the events and meetings sectors. Updated annually, the calculator draws on ten different data sources to provide an industry-wide standard.
Media Contact
Yolanda Clay-Moore - ycmoore@visitjackson.com - or 601.345.2588 for interviews, statements and story ideas.