Hard Work Creates Some Great Luck For Idaho

Statement

By Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter

They say that you make your own luck and that people who work the hardest seem to be the luckiest.

Weren't we all feeling pretty lucky to have two great Idaho football teams not only be in bowl games this year, but also winning those games?

Of course, it took a lot of work -- not luck -- for the University of Idaho Vandals and the Boise State Broncos to get to their bowl games and win. The rewards for those universities, their students, athletic departments and team members are clear. What might not be as clear are the rewards for all of Idaho: Millions of dollars will flow directly into our state because of these bowl appearances and victories -- dollars that are even more critical in this harsh economic environment.

The rewards don't stop there, however. We had two tremendous national exposure opportunities to showcase our state. Idaho earned some priceless "reputational currency," a term used in the economic development community. Millions of people -- including company CEOs, site selectors and investors -- watched these games on ESPN and Fox and learned a little more about the best place in the world to live, work and raise a family.

After the Broncos won the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, the Boise Valley Economic Partnership valued the media coverage at $100 million to $150 million. This year, it could surpass that. The Humanitarian Bowl was aired on ESPN but that game also was covered in major national media outlets such as the New York Times, Los Angeles Times and Sports Illustrated. This year's Fiesta Bowl was viewed by 13.8 million people and discussed by virtually every major news outlet in the country. It's hard to calculate the full value of the media coverage and what that can mean for Idaho in the months and years to come.

Studies show that as university sports teams excel, their communities and states also prosper. In 2008, University of Idaho research economist and instructor Steven Peterson's calculated a Vandals bowl game would boost the impact of their athletics program by $3.7 million in sales, $2.3 million in earnings and payroll, 76 jobs, and $120,602 in sales taxes and property taxes. Sales of Vandals' gear during the month of December went up 110 percent, with proceeds going back to the university and into student scholarships.

Visits to University of Idaho's philanthropy site shot up 440 percent on game day and continue to remain above average. Visitors to the university's main web site surged with interest coming from Washington, California, New York, Colorado and Ohio.

We can expect benefits from these bowl games for months to come. Boise State has tracked the benefit of the 2007 Fiesta Bowl victory to everything from $1.75 million in increased scholarship funding to the recruitment of educator astronaut Barbara Morgan to its engineering school. Student applications rose by 9.1 percent that year. One alumnus from California was so inspired by the 2007 game that he sent a $250,000 pledge in support of the university's new business building.

With results like these, it's hard to oversell the impacts of these bowl games on Idaho's economy as we continue pursuing our Project 60 goals by creating career-path jobs. The ripple-out effects will continue to be felt throughout the state and we all get to enjoy those benefits.

It's a wondrous start to a new year, and we hope it foretells a great 2010 for Idaho.

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