BELK BOWL: Businesses welcome fans as game brings economic boost

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Wake Forest defeated Texas A&M 55-52 Friday in the Belk Bowl at Bank of America Stadium in uptown Charlotte.

[TRAFFIC ALERT: Road closures begin Thursday for Belk Bowl FanFest, game]

"I would rather sweat than be cold," Rick Copeland said.

Fans flood uptown before kickoff

Hundreds of people enjoyed a free concert put on by former American Idol winner Scotty McCreery before the game Friday morning.

Fans getting ready for the matchup told Channel 9 that they were trying to not let the cold bother them.

"I am cold, but I will be alright," Zach Blevins said, wrapped in a Wake Forest blanket. "This blanket is keeping me warm, so no complaints."

Economic impact on Charlotte

The Belk Bowl matchup is boosting sales at Charlotte businesses by 30 to 50 percent.

"As soon as 11 o'clock hit and the doors unlocked, just a flood of people came in and we hit the ground running," Ink N Ivy mixologist Stephen Kuzminski said.

Fuel Pizza's uptown locations had been preparing for the event for days and planned to have a tent close to the stadium to attract more fans.

"If you been hanging out all day watching football in the cold, you want to get inside somewhere -- have a couple beers, have a slice of pizza -- so definitely going to see a good crowd as soon as that game lets out," Ethan Rohrbaugh, manager at Fuel Pizza, said.

Officials with the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority said that the Belk Bowl had a $23 million economic impact on the city last year, with $12 million in direct spending.

Will Webb, executive director of the Belk Bowl, said 2016's game drew more than 46,000 fans to Charlotte. He said this year's attendance numbers probably won't be as high.

Webb told Channel 9 that he thinks the bitterly cold temperatures kept some fans at home and that the long journey for Texas A&M fans was also too much for some people.

Even though attendance may not be as strong as it was in 2016, business sales are still soaring.

"Most of the Center City hotels were full. The Westin told me they had 400 people checking in yesterday," Webb said.

Despite the bare patches in the stands during the afternoon game on Friday, the economic benefit from the game isn't faltering.

“We average about $15 million in economic impact. We're hoping we'll be at or close to that or even exceed it,” Webb said. “We knew Texas A&M wasn't going to bring a big crowd, but they bring a big brand."

The fans also bring a lot of energy to the streets of uptown Charlotte.

"My heart is pounding a million miles an hour. I'm super excited!" Wake Forest fan Joe West said.

Texas A&M fans estimated most families are spending more than $1,000 on the thousand-mile trip.

"It's SEC football, so it's worth it all the time," Texas A&M fan Jeff Pullen said.

No matter who wins on the field, nearby business owners said they're the true winners.

"If you win, you come to eat and drink to celebrate. If you lose, you come to eat and drink to mourn," Kuzminski said with a chuckle.

One key thing you can't put a price tag on is the value of ESPN's national television coverage.

Webb told Channel 9 that the way the game showcased Charlotte to people who were watching across the country was invaluable.

Belk officials said the company enjoys the exposure that its brand and Charlotte receive from the bowl game.

"It's an opportunity for people who are not familiar with Charlotte to come and experience the great things the city has to offer and there is so much fun and excitement around the bowl," Belk spokesman Andy Izquierdo said.

Security measures in place

Police want people to know the extra security isn't just for the Belk Bowl on Friday; it also applies to all of the fan events.

[LINK: Stadium policies]

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said patrolling the event will be similar to how they work on New Year’s Eve.

Police said there will be an increase in the number of officers on bikes and motorcycles. They also said officers will be openly carrying patrol rifles and, in addition, there will be vehicle mitigation barriers in place to protect fans.

City leaders don't have an estimate of how many people will be in town but expect the number to be in the tens of thousands. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Maj. Gerald Smith said the Police Department has been preparing for the Belk Bowl since last year's game ended.

“Our security plans and measures go beyond just the event itself,” Smith said. “You will see an increased police presence.”

Police encourage people at the game to report anything suspicious.

Players, coaches help people in need at food bank

Channel 9 was at the Second Harvest Food Bank Wednesday morning as the players handed out food to residents.

[Wake Forest to play Texas A&M in Belk Bowl]

Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson said his players are happy to help people in Charlotte.

“The reality of it is, in every community, there are people who go hungry,” Clawson said. “I think it's good for us to do things for the community. It's a reality check for our players.”

Wake Forest, Texas A&M teams take in the Queen City

Players and coaches have also had time to tour and experience the Queen City ahead of the big game.

The players rode on the track at Charlotte Motor Speedway Tuesday, and also toured the facilities and interactive displays.

Each player lined up to ride along with a driver from the Richard Petty Driving Experience.

The race car that Clawson was in reached 160 mph.

"I felt every bit of it,” Clawson said. “I'd still say a game-winning field goal feels a little more tense than that, though."

Adrenaline will be pumping again Friday when the Demon Deacons and Aggies face off.

"There's plenty on film to see that we're going to have to show up, and especially traveling this far east against probably a home crowd for them, we're kind of fired up to play them," Jeff Banks, Texas A&M's interim head coach, said.

Banks became interim coach after the university fired Kevin Sumlin and hired Jimbo Fisher to start next year.

"With what's happened with the transition in coaches, I think this team is out to prove and show the country what we're made of," Banks said.

The Demon Deacons coach said the fact remains that they're going to face a good football team.

"They've got athletes all over the field, and we're going to have to play at a really high level," Clawson said.

Later on Wednesday, players picked out their own bowl gift at the Belk store in SouthPark Mall.

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