Move to Arrowhead affects more than fans

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Since 2007, the historical KU versus MU Border Showdown has played on neutral turf at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., and it will remain there until 2012. The game used to alternate its location annually between Columbia, Mo., and Lawrence. Schools, fans and players have all benefited from the move to Arrowhead Stadium, but local businesses have also been affected.

Photo by Amanda Kistner

KU apparel hangs on racks at the Sports Dome, 1000 Massachusetts St. Some fans who attend the game are spending their money in Kansas City instead of Lawrence, said Sports Dome owner Brian Hoffman

According to Jim Marchiony, associate athletics director, there were a couple of reasons for this move, one being to benefit the schools and the fans.

“The first reason was for financial purposes,” Marchiony said. “Both schools will realize over a million and a half dollars per year from this game at Arrowhead ... Another reason was the desire to have more of a presence in the Kansas City area. We have a tremendous number of alumni in the Kansas City region so we wanted to have more of a presence there.”

Kelly Kluthe, St. Louis sophomore, attended the Border Showdown last year. She said that the location of the game at Arrowhead was beneficial.

“I think it is good because you can accommodate more people there,” Kluthe said. “It’s closer to the middle, so more people from both sides can get to the game.”

Besides the benefit for the fans, the third reason that Marchiony mentioned was for the players themselves.

“Another factor is that the players get a chance to play in a top-notch NFL stadium,” Marchiony said. “That is a big thrill for them. It is also a recruiting tool for both schools. Recruiting is very important for the long-term health and growth of a football program.”

There is one more group that has been affected by the movement of the game to Arrowhead: local businesses.

One such business is Sports Dome, 1000 Massachusetts St., which is owned by Brian Hoffman and manager Brad Wilson. Since 1993, Sports Dome has carried NFL, MLB and NCAA apparel ranging from sports jerseys to hats. Game days are typically high-sale days, Hoffman said.

“Fans will always shop for a home game but the timing is critical for a profitable game day,” Hoffman said. “6 p.m. game times or late afternoon is ideal both for the fan and for the downtown business.”

Out of all of the game days, Hoffman said the day and weekend of the Border Showdown were always the most profitable. Hoffman said when he found out the game was being moved to Arrowhead Stadium, he was upset; he said it affected business immensely.

“In the past two years we have seen almost nobody shopping within a few hours of game time,” Hoffman said. “It’s heartbreaking really.”

Hoffman said it was hard to watch a KU game knowing that more than 30,000 fans, including Lawrence residents, were spending their money in Kansas City instead of Lawrence.

Not all fans buy apparel on game days though, regardless of the game’s location.

“I don’t usually go to the local shops on game days because I already have a lot of T-shirts and stuff,” Kluthe said.

The game’s location does have a noticeable effect on local business because Sports Dome has tried to compensate for their losses.

“We have implemented discounts toward people that are attending the game,” Hoffman said. “As for the fans that are staying in Lawrence to watch the game, the same discounts apply to them as well but that fan is not going to be as overtly KU as one would as a fan at the game.”

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