The Economic Impact

and Community Benefits

OF WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

Academic Year 2017-18

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2
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1

KEY FINDINGS 2

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4

Introduction 4
Objectives 5
Key Findings 6
Methodology 8

APPENDIX A. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL 10

The Economic Impact Generated from WVU Football 11
The Employment Impact Generated from WVU Football 11
The Tax Revenue Impact Generated from WVU Football 12
WVU Football Fan Profile 12

APPENDIX B. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY MEN’S BASKETBALL 14

The Economic Impact Generated from WVU Men’s Basketball 15
The Employment Impact Generated from WVU Men’s Basketball 15
The Tax Revenue Impact Generated from WVU Men’s Basketball 16
WVU Men’s Basketball Fan Profile 16

APPENDIX C. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY OTHER OLYMPIC SPORTS 18

The Economic Impact Generated from WVU Other Sports 19
The Employment Impact Generated from WVU Other Sports 19
The Tax Revenue Impact Generated from WVU Other Sports 19

APPENDIX D: INTERVIEWS WITH KEY STAKEHOLDERS 20

APPENDIX E. DEFINITION OF TERMS 21

APPENDIX F. EXPANDED METHODOLOGY 22

APPENDIX G. FAQS OF ECONOMIC IMPACT ASSESSMENTS 23

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 KEY FINDINGS

ECONOMIC IMPACT
ON THE STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA
Economic Impact Visitor and Fan WVU Athletics
on the State Spending Operations

$302.7M $246.1M $56.6M

EMPLOYMENT IMPACT
ON THE STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA
Total Jobs Jobs from Operations Jobs from Visitors

2,109 291 1,818

TAX IMPACT
ON THE STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA
State and Local
Tax Impacts

$18.6M
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 ECONOMIC IMPACT
ON THE COUNTY OF MONONGALIA
Economic Impact Visitor and Fan WVU Athletics
on the County Spending Operations

$78.8M $63.3M $15.5M

EMPLOYMENT IMPACT
ON THE COUNTY OF MONONGALIA
Total Jobs Jobs from Operations Jobs from Visitors

709 119 590

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 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION
In the fall of 2017, West Virginia University Athletics In achieving this mission, the defining
(WVU Athletics) requested the services of Tripp Umbach, principles are reflected in Mountaineer
recognized as a national leader in economic impact P.R.I.D.E.
research, to measure and illustrate the economic impact
P People – They will recognize that the
and community benefits of WVU Athletics on the state of
foundation of WVU Athletics is the people –
West Virginia and Monongalia County. This report serves
student-athletes, coaches, staff and the greater
as a deliverable for all stakeholders to better understand
Mountaineer community.
and identify the significant value of WVU Athletics to the
state of West Virginia and its local economy. As shown R Respect – They will represent and embrace the
in this report, West Virginia University and its athletics importance of diversity, inclusion, sportsmanship,
program are an integral part of the state’s economic and and fairness.
social fabric of Morgantown, Monongalia County, and
I Integrity – They will operate with commitment
the state of West Virginia.
to fiscal integrity, personal accountability, and
compliance within the rules, policies, and
The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics at West
procedures of respective governing bodies.
Virginia University sponsors 18 varsity sports with more
than 500 student-athletes competing in baseball, men’s D Dedication – They will dedicate resources to
and women’s basketball, women’s cross country, football, promote growth and development of the academic,
men’s golf, women’s gymnastics, women’s indoor and physical, emotional, and social well-being of
outdoor track, rifle, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and student-athletes and professional development
women’s swimming and diving, women’s tennis, women’s of coaches and staff.
volleyball, women’s rowing, and wrestling. E Excellence – They will commit to comprehensive
excellence by positioning sport programs to
The mission of the West Virginia University Department compete with distinction at the highest levels
of Intercollegiate Athletics is to provide the means to academically and athletically.
empower student-athletes to develop as leaders and
achieve their full potential academically, athletically, and
personally. As an integral part of WVU, the Department
of Intercollegiate Athletics is committed to supporting the
broader mission of the University through the integration
of athletics in the academic community.

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West Virginia University competes in the Big 12 Conference
in all sports except men’s soccer (Mid-American Conference)
and rifle (Great American Rifle Conference) and strives in its
athletics program for national excellence and prominence.
Accordingly, the recruitment of student-athletes and
emphasis on and support of athletics are national in scope.
WVU’s student-athletes consistently rank above the national
and Big 12 average in Academic Progress Rate (APR) and
graduation rate.
Athletic success is also prominent at West Virginia. The
football and men’s basketball programs, in their respective
sports, are the number 14 and number 22 in victories in
the nation. Rifle has won more national championships
(19) than any program in the country, and women’s
soccer played for the national championship in 2016. The
athletics department continues to have national success
in a Power Five conference, ranking among the country’s
top programs in the all-sport Directors’ Cup listings. In
2017, West Virginia was ranked as the fifth-best of the
Big 12 school’s athletic program in the country based on
athletic success for that year. West Virginia has won Big 12
Conference championships 11 times since joining the league
for the 2012-13 academic year and WVU has averaged 92
percent capacity in attendance at home football games at
Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium in the last five
years. During an era in which all sports, including college
football, are challenged with declining attendance, West
Virginia in 2018 averaged 58,157 fans for six home games in
its 60,000-seat stadium, an increase of nearly 4 percent over
2017. For the 14th time in 15 seasons, home attendance
exceeded 54,800. Additionally, the men’s basketball
program, in 2017-18, played before an average of 12,303
fans, an 8.1 percent increase over attendance the previous
season and a ranking of No. 27 among the 353 NCAA
Division I programs, at the 14,000-seat WVU Coliseum.
This economic impact and community benefits report aims
to capture a series of economic and societal contributions
from WVU Athletics to the state (West Virginia) and local
(Monongalia County) levels.
OBJECTIVES
Tripp Umbach began the project by interviewing internal
personnel as well as local business and community leaders
to gain insights on the various positive impacts and
benefits of WVU Athletics. This initial step provided Tripp
Umbach context and confirmation of the various forms of
qualitative (intangible/social) and quantitative (tangible/
economic) benefits produced by WVU Athletics.
This economic impact analysis utilizes primary data
sets such as financial expenditures and employment
numbers of WVU Athletics to assist in generating the
multiple economic impacts associated with WVU Athletics
(including tax revenue enhancement for government).
Tripp Umbach collected detailed financial data broken
down by specific geographies (where possible) to
determine the economic impacts by area.
WVU ATHLETICS
ECONOMIC IMPACT
STUDY OVERVIEW
STUDY PERIOD
Financials from Fiscal Year 2017 and
Game Attendance from Spring/Fall 2016
and Winter 2017 Seasons
THIS STUDY INCLUDES
WVU Athletics with breakout analysis
for Football and Men’s Basketball
STUDY GEOGRAPHY
State of West Virginia and
Monongalia County
METHODOLOGY
IMPLAN
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 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A second tier of data, even more significant in terms
of economic impact, was visitor and fan spending
information. Tripp Umbach placed careful consideration
and attention in collecting firsthand data points directly
from individuals present and attending home games in
Morgantown (football, men’s basketball, and women’s
basketball). These collections, through the means of
intercept surveys, specifically identified an individual’s
place of origination (residence) and, therefore, aided the
project team in determining the value of new money
(fresh dollars) entering into the state and local economy
as a result of WVU Athletics events. This process was
completed through 613 intercept surveys, in which
both local and visiting patrons were randomly surveyed
in person at six WVU home games (two football, two
men’s basketball, and two women’s basketball). This data
is extrapolated over game attendance figures to help
calculate overall economic impacts.
Primary goals and objectives of the
analysis include:
1 Measure the most current (2017) economic
and employment impacts at the state and
county levels for WVU Athletics.
2 Quantify the impact of tourism and visitor
spending at WVU Athletics events supported
by direct intercept survey research.
3 Determine the government tax revenue
impact of WVU Athletics at the local and
state levels.
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KEY FINDINGS
Operations and visitor spending by WVU Athletics and
its fans, directly or indirectly, affect residents throughout
Monongalia County and the state of West Virginia.
WVU Athletics generates $302.7 million annually in
overall economic impact for the state and $78.8 million
annually in overall economic impact for Monongalia
County.
WVU Athletics affects business volume
in three main ways:
1 Direct expenditures for goods and services by WVU,
staff, and visitors. This spending supports state and
local businesses, which in turn employ individuals to sell
the goods and provide the services;
2 Indirect spending within Monongalia County and the
state of West Virginia. The businesses that receive direct
payments re-spend this money within the state and
local economies, thus creating the need for even more
jobs; and
3 Induced spending by households either directly
employed by WVU Athletics or the local and state
businesses selling the goods or providing the services.
WVU ATHLETICS GENERATES
IMPACT IN WEST VIRGINIA
Overall economic impact of
WVU Athletics across the county:
$78.81M
Overall economic impact of
WVU Athletics across the state:
$302.67M
Source: Tripp Umbach using IMPLAN results from WVU Athletics data.
The $302.7 million total annual economic impact is noteworthy and significant
because that total represents “new money” entering the state’s economy that
would not occur without the presence of WVU Athletics.1

State and local government tax revenues attributable

to the presence of WVU Athletics totals $18.6 million
annually. Through its local spending as well as direct and
indirect support of jobs, the presence of WVU Athletics
strengthens and increases the local and statewide tax
base. WVU Athletics is an integral part of Monongalia
County and West Virginia’s economy – generating tax
revenue, jobs, and consumer and business spending.

The WVU Athletics Department generates 2,109 jobs

in the state of West Virginia and 709 jobs in
Monongalia County.

These jobs (both full-time and part-time) include not only

direct employment by WVU Athletics, but also indirect
and induced jobs created by supply and equipment
vendors, contractors, and laborers for the construction
and renovation of WVU facilities and jobs created in the
community at hotels, restaurants, and retail stores in
support of WVU Athletics’ workforce and its visitors.

WVU Athletics supports thousands of jobs statewide in WVU ATHLETICS GENERATES

virtually every sector of the West Virginia economy in IMPACT IN WEST VIRGINIA
areas such as construction, business and professional
services, restaurants and hotels, information technology,
WVU Athletics directly or indirectly
security, and temporary employment companies.
supported throughout the county:

709 JOBS
WVU Athletics directly or indirectly
supported throughout the state:

2,109 JOBS
1 The results presented in this economic impact report are generated on an annual
basis. The economic impact in future years can either be higher or lower based
on spending and number of athletics programs, games, and visitors. Source: Tripp Umbach using IMPLAN results from WVU Athletics data.

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 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

METHODOLOGY 2

The approach taken in this analysis was decidedly
conservative.3 Economic impact begins when an
organization spends money. Studies measuring economic
impact capture the direct economic impact of an
organization’s spending, plus additional indirect and
induced spending in the economy because of that direct
spending. Visitors also create economic impact when
they attend WVU Athletics’ home sporting events. The
models were constructed to show the fresh dollars that
enter the state of West Virginia’s economy due to home
games from out-of-state fans, visiting teams, bands, spirit
squads, and media. Residents outside of Monongalia
County, but from the state of West Virginia, who attend
games are captured in the Monongalia County models;
however, their contribution is not counted in the state of
West Virginia models given an appropriate consideration
that such a cohort has an opportunity to spend that
money on other activities in the state.
The methodology employed in the calculation of
these impacts is IMPLAN4. Primary data to conduct the
analysis was collected from WVU Athletics including
(when available):
Total economic impact measures the dollars that are
generated within the state of West Virginia due to the
presence of WVU Athletics. This measure includes not
only the direct spending by WVU Athletics and visitors
on goods and services with a variety of businesses within
the state, but also the downstream effects (indirect
and induced effects) on business volume generated
by other secondary businesses as a result of that initial
direct spending. Furthermore, this measure includes
WVU Athletics’ direct spending on payroll as well as
the downstream effects that employment has on the
economy as individuals spend their household earnings.
This analysis takes into account that certain dollars spent
by WVU Athletics do not remain in the state as such
dollars “leak” out of the state in the form of purchases
from out-of-state vendors. These out of-state purchases
are correctly not included in WVU Athletics’ economic
impact on the state. The multipliers utilized in this study
are derived from the IMPLAN software.

• Annualized capital and operating expenditures

• Employment, payroll, and benefits numbers

• Certain tax information

2 See Appendix E, Appendix F, and Appendix G for more information on the methodology of this study.

3 Conservative models were strictly used when calculating economic impact in IMPLAN. Additionally, the analysis did not include fan and visitor spending for individuals who
did not intend to attend the home game but such discretionary spending (e.g. food, beverages, etc.) at peripheral locations was substantially affiliated with the home game
(i.e. viewing of game at personal residences, bars, restaurants, etc.). Furthermore, the analysis did not attempt to quantify visitor spending for participation and attendance
at sports camps conducted throughout the year. Tripp Umbach used internal estimations where data did not exist or was provided.

4 Minnesota IMPLAN Group Inc. (MIG) is the corporation that is responsible for the production of IMPLAN (IMpact analysis for PLANning) data and software. IMPLAN is a
micro-computer-based, input-output modeling system. With IMPLAN, one can estimate Input-Output models of up to 528 sectors for any region consisting of one or more
counties. IMPLAN includes procedures for generating multipliers and estimating impacts by applying final demand changes to the model.

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As illustrated below, three types of economic impact are
calculated in the analysis: direct, indirect, and induced
impacts.

Tripp Umbach surveyed six home sporting events from

the 2017 football and 2017-18 basketball seasons and
collected 613 intercept surveys. The surveyed events
were as follows:

• WVU football - October 14, 2017, vs. Texas Tech and

November 15, 2017, vs. Texas

• WVU men’s basketball - January 15, 2018, vs. Kansas

and January 27, 2018, vs. Kentucky

• WVU women’s basketball - February 5, 2018,

vs. Texas and February 14, 2018, vs. Kansas

DIRECT VS. INDIRECT VS. INDIRECT IMPACT

DIRECT INDIRECT INDUCED

Investment in Purchases for IMPACT
construction and area suppliers Household spending
expenditures for from earning of
operations direct and indirect
expenditures

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 APPENDIX A. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL

The West Virginia University Mountaineers football team, originally

classified as a College Division school in the 1937 season, joined

the University Division in 1939 and has been a source of pride for

Mountaineer fans across the country ever since. The football program

has captured 82 winning seasons in its successful history, including

one undefeated season in 1922 and nine seasons with at least 10

wins (1922, 1969, 1988, 1993, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, and 2016).

The Mountaineers have won or shared 15 conference championships,

including eight Southern Conference titles and seven Big East

Conference titles. WVU ranks 14th in victories among all NCAA FBS

programs and claims the most victories among programs that have

never claimed or won a national championship. West Virginia has

played in football bowl games in 22 of the last 26 seasons, including

the Sugar Bowl two times, the Fiesta Bowl and the Orange Bowl. The

Mountaineers have finished with final Associated Press top 25 rankings

in 10 of those seasons, including four inside the top 10.

Neal Brown is WVU’s head coach, the 35th in school history. West

Virginia plays its home games on Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar

Stadium on the campus in Morgantown and has competed in the Big 12

Conference since the start of the 2012-13 academic year.

OPERATIONS

VISITORS

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THE ECONOMIC IMPACT
GENERATED FROM WVU
FOOTBALL
The overall economic impact of WVU football –
combining direct and indirect spending by visitors and
WVU football operations – was $223.4 million in 2017.
The overall economic impact of WVU football
operations on the Monongalia County Area was $4.8
million for an impact on the state of West Virginia of
$29.5 million in operational spending.
The overall economic impact of WVU football visitors
on the Monongalia County Area was $44.3 million for an
impact on the state of West Virginia of $193.9 million in
visitor spending.
Figure 1: Direct and Indirect Spending for WVU
Football Operations and Visitors (In Millions)
$29.5
$193.9M
$4.8M
$44.3M
COUNTY STATE
THE EMPLOYMENT IMPACT
GENERATED FROM WVU
FOOTBALL
The overall employment impact of WVU football –
combining direct and indirect jobs by visitors and WVU
football operations – was 1,329 in 2017.
The overall employment impact of WVU football
operations in the Monongalia County Area is
63 jobs for an impact on West Virginia of 134 jobs
due to operations.
The overall employment impact of WVU football visitors
in the Monongalia County Area is 382 jobs for an impact
on the state of West Virginia of 1,195 jobs due to visitors.
Figure 2: Direct and Indirect Jobs Created
by WVU Football Operations and Visitors
134
1195
63
382
COUNTY STATE
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 APPENDIX A. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL

THE TAX REVENUE IMPACT The objective of the survey was to understand and
GENERATED FROM measure the spending habits of WVU football and
WVU FOOTBALL visiting team fans.

The overall tax revenue impact of WVU football in the Survey respondents were required to be 18 years or
state of West Virginia is $9.8 million. older, permitted to be a fan of either WVU football or
the visiting team, and asked to answer for only their
household5 – one response per family or individual.
WVU FOOTBALL FAN PROFILE
In the fall of 2017, Tripp Umbach surveyed fans attending
two WVU football games at Mountaineer Field at Milan
Puskar Stadium: October 14, 2017, vs. Texas Tech and
November 15, 2017, vs. Texas.

These games were selected due to their variance in

position on the schedule, and survey participants were
5 Annual household income represents two (2) combined incomes using the
chosen randomly at gates around the stadium. surveyed average.

WVU FOOTBALL
FAN PROFILE
WVU FOOTBALL SUMMARY OF
• Lives in Monongalia County
SURVEY FINDINGS AVERAGE
DAILY VISITOR SPENDING
• Attends the game with multiple
family members or friends
$281
• Earns an annual household income
of $80,000 to $120,000

• Works in labor/skilled labor, oil and gas,

education, and healthcare
$86
• Typically attends most or all $51
WVU football games
Average daily Average daily Average daily
spend of spend of West spend of visitors
• Typically drives to the game Monongalia Virginia visitors from outside of
County visitors (non-Monongalia West Virginia
County)
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 APPENDIX B. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY MEN’S BASKETBALL

The West Virginia Mountaineers men’s basketball team competes in

NCAA Division I and has been a member of the Big 12 Conference

since 2012. The WVU men have won 13 conference tournament

championships and made 29 appearances in the NCAA Tournament,

and the Mountaineers have reached two Final Fours (1959 and 2010),

three Elite Eights, and 11 Sweet Sixteens. The Mountaineers have also

appeared in 16 National Invitation Tournaments, winning in 1942 and

2007. Most recently, West Virginia, through the 2017-18 season, had

winning records in 14 of 15 seasons and won at least 25 games in each

of the last four seasons. 

Bob Huggins, who played for WVU in 1975-77, is in his 12th season

as the head coach and ranks No. 8 all-time with 819 Division I victories

through the 2016-17 season. Since 1970, WVU has played home games

at the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown.

OPERATIONS

VISITORS

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THE ECONOMIC IMPACT THE EMPLOYMENT IMPACT
GENERATED FROM WVU GENERATED FROM WVU
MEN’S BASKETBALL MEN’S BASKETBALL
The overall economic impact of WVU men’s basketball The overall employment impact of WVU men’s basketball
– combining direct and indirect spending by visitors and – combining direct and indirect jobs by visitors and WVU
men’s basketball operations – was 505 in 2017.
WVU men’s basketball operations – was $35.5 million
for 2017.
The overall employment impact of WVU men’s basketball
operations in the Monongalia County Area is 9 jobs for
The overall economic impact of WVU men’s basketball
a total statewide impact of 52 jobs due to operations.
operations on the Monongalia County Area was $3.9
million for a total impact on the state of West Virginia of
The overall employment impact of WVU men’s basketball
$7.2 million in operational spending.
visitors in the county is 165 jobs for a total statewide
impact of 453 jobs due to visitors.
The overall economic impact of WVU men’s basketball
visitors on the Monongalia County Area was $11.1
million for a total impact of $28.3 million on the state
of West Virginia in visitor spending.

Figure 3: Direct and Indirect Spending for Figure 4: Direct and Indirect Jobs Created by
WVU Men’s Basketball Operations and Visitors WVU Men’s Basketball Operations and Visitors
(In Millions)

$7.2M 52
453
$28.3M

$3.9M 9
$11.1M 165

COUNTY STATE COUNTY STATE

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 APPENDIX B. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY MEN’S BASKETBALL

THE TAX REVENUE IMPACT chosen randomly at gates around the arena. The
GENERATED FROM WVU objective of the survey was to understand and measure
MEN’S BASKETBALL the spending habits of WVU men’s basketball and
visiting team fans.
The overall tax revenue impact of WVU basketball in
the state of West Virginia is $4.6 million. Survey respondents were required to be 18 years or older,
permitted to be a fan of either WVU men’s basketball
or the visiting team, and asked to answer for only their
WVU MEN’S BASKETBALL household6 – one response per family or individual.
FAN PROFILE
In the winter of 2017, Tripp Umbach surveyed fans
attending two WVU men’s basketball games at
WVU Coliseum: January 15, 2018, vs. Kansas and
January 27, 2018, vs. Kentucky.

These games were selected due to their variance in

6 Annual household income represents two (2) combined incomes using the
position on the schedule, and survey participants were surveyed average.

WVU MEN’S
BASKETBALL
FAN PROFILE WVU MEN’S BASKETBALL
SUMMARY OF SURVEY
• Lives in Monongalia County FINDINGS AVERAGE DAILY
VISITOR SPENDING
• Attends the game with multiple
family members or friends $137

• Earns an annual household income

of $80,000 to $90,000

• Works in education, oil and gas, $63

business, or healthcare
$22
• Typically drives to the game or walks Average daily Average daily Average daily
spend of spend of West spend of visitors
Monongalia Virginia visitors from outside of
County visitors (non-Monongalia West Virginia
County)
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17
 APPENDIX C. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY OTHER OLYMPIC SPORTS

BESIDES FOOTBALL AND MEN’S BASKETBALL, WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY

SPONSORS A WIDE RANGE OF OTHER OLYMPIC ATHLETICS TEAMS:
MEN’S WOMEN’S CO-ED
• Baseball • Basketball • Rifle
• Golf • Cross Country
• Soccer • Gymnastics
• Swimming & Diving • Rowing
• Wrestling • Soccer
• Swimming & Diving
• Tennis
• Track & Field
• Volleyball

WOMEN’S SPOTLIGHT TEAM CO-ED SPOTLIGHT TEAM

The West Virginia women’s basketball team put together
12 straight winning seasons through 2017-18 (this season
is No. 13) and made 10 NCAA Tournament appearances
in the last 13 years. Created in 1996, the WVU
Mountaineers women’s soccer team has been as member
of the Big 12 Conference since 2012. The program has
qualified for the NCAA Tournament in each of the last 16
seasons, making the quarterfinal round twice (2007 and
2015) and finishing as the national runner-up in 2016.
WVU women’s soccer plays its home games at Dick Dlesk
Soccer Stadium in Morgantown and has been coached by
Nikki Izzo-Brown since the program began.
West Virginia University proudly boasts the most
successful rifle team and individual programs in NCAA
history. The Mountaineers have collected 19 team titles
and 28 individual titles (the figures are nine and 10,
respectively, more than the second closest program)
since 1983. West Virginia also hosted the 2019 NCAA
Rifle Championships in March 2019. The meet was the
last collegiate competition for graduating senior Ginny
Thrasher, who brought acclaim to WVU when she earned
a gold medal in the 10-meter air rifle competition at the
2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

MEN’S SPOTLIGHT TEAM

The Mountaineers baseball team has been a member
of the Big 12 Conference since the 2013 season. The
team currently plays at Monongalia County Ballpark in
the adjacent city of Granville, W.Va., and is coached by
Randy Mazey. The program has captured five conference
tournament championships and 15 regular-season
conference and division titles and has appeared in
OPERATIONS
12 NCAA Tournaments.

VISITORS

18
THE ECONOMIC IMPACT
GENERATED FROM WVU
OTHER SPORTS
The overall economic impact of WVU’s other sports –
combining direct and indirect spending by visitors and
WVU other sports’ – was $25.8 million for 2017.
The overall economic impact of WVU other sports
operations on the Monongalia County Area was
$6.9 million and generated a statewide impact of
$13.7 million for operations.
The overall economic impact of WVU other sports
visitors on the Monongalia County Area was $4.8
million and the statewide impact of $12.1 million for
visitors spending.
Figure 5: Direct and Indirect Spending for
WVU Other Sports Operations and Visitors
(In Millions)
$13.7M
$12.1M
$6.9M
$4.8M
COUNTY STATE
THE EMPLOYMENT IMPACT
GENERATED FROM WVU
OTHER SPORTS
The overall employment impact of WVU other sports –
combining direct and indirect jobs by visitors and WVU
other sports’ operations – was 275 in 2017.
The overall employment impact of WVU other sports
operations in the state of West Virginia is 92 jobs
and the impact on Monongalia County is 47 jobs.
The overall employment impact of WVU other sports
visitors in the state of West Virginia is 183 jobs and
the impact on Monongalia County is 43 jobs.
THE TAX REVENUE IMPACT
GENERATED FROM WVU
OTHER SPORTS
The overall tax revenue impact of WVU other sports in
the state of West Virginia is $4.3 million.
Figure 6: Direct and Indirect Jobs Created by
WVU Other Sports Operations and Visitors
92
183
47
43
COUNTY STATE
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 APPENDIX D: INTERVIEWS WITH KEY STAKEHOLDERS
As part of the WVU Athletics economic impact study, Tripp Umbach interviewed internal and external
stakeholders to understand the perceptions and opinions regarding WVU Athletics and its teams. Below are
three key themes that were consistently mentioned during the interviews, as summarized by Tripp Umbach.
1. WVU ATHLETICS IS VITAL
TO THE LOCAL ECONOMY
AND CULTURE OF THE REGION
It was well understood by both internal and external
interviewees that WVU and its athletics programs were
extremely valuable to the local, regional, and statewide
economy. Respondents were quick to recognize the
fervor and excitement that surround Saturday afternoons
in Morgantown when the Mountaineers take the field for
football. External respondents noted the buzz the teams
of West Virginia University create, particularly when they
are winning, and how that translates into spending in the
local economy.
It was often mentioned by respondents that West Virginia
possesses zero professional sports teams, and that helps
manufacture a level of support and enthusiasm for WVU
that is among college’s best. The passion goes beyond
football, however. Many interviewees were quick to point
to the success of the men’s and women’s basketball
programs, as well as WVU baseball, women’s soccer, and
by far the most successful program in terms of winning
– the co-ed rifle team. It was clear that fans of WVU
Athletics view their teams as lifelong investments that
translate to passionate fandom and dollars in the local
and state economies.
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2. MOVING TO THE
BIG 12 CONFERENCE
WAS THE RIGHT DECISION
Many respondents were keen to the ramifications,
including both the benefits and challenges, of WVU’s
decision to move from the Big East Conference to the
Big 12 Conference for most of its teams. When noting
the benefits, interviewees pointed to the increased level
of competition, excitement, security, and geographic
presence of the Big 12. Several interviewees were
disappointed in the loss of regional rivalries such as Pitt,
Penn State, and Virginia Tech but applauded the efforts
by WVU Athletics to reignite these rivalries individually in
conjunction with the move to the Big 12 Conference.
3. WVU ATHLETICS IS
IN A HEALTHY PLACE
AND IS TRENDING IN
A POSITIVE DIRECTION
Perhaps the most consistent theme that arose during
the interviews was the sense of optimism surrounding
the direction and future of WVU Athletics. There was a
clear sense of satisfaction with the state of most of the
programs – including the marquee teams such as men’s
basketball and football. Respondents felt the football
team was doing a great job reinventing its image and
making game days more comfortable for families. Many
individuals were aware of the investments the university
was making into its athletics teams and felt that the
program as a whole was being led by smart, committed,
and talented people.
 APPENDIX E. DEFINITION OF TERMS
STUDY YEAR
Fiscal Year 2017.
TOTAL ECONOMIC IMPACT
Total impact of an organization is a compilation of the direct
impact, the indirect impact, and the induced impact generated
in the economy as a result of the organization.
DIRECT ECONOMIC IMPACT
Direct impact includes all direct effects the organization has
on the regional area due to the organizational operations.
These items include direct employees, organizational spending,
employee spending, as well as spending by visitors to
the organization.
INDIRECT ECONOMIC IMPACT
Indirect impact includes the impact of local industries buying
goods and services from other local industries. The cycle of
spending works its way backward through imports or by
payment to value added. The impacts are calculated by
applying direct effects to the Type 1 Multipliers.
INDUCED ECONOMIC IMPACT
The response by an economy to an initial change (direct
effect) that occurs through re-spending of income received
by a component of value added. IMPLAN’s default multiplier
recognizes that labor income (employee compensation and
proprietor income components of value added) is not leakage
to the regional economy. This money is recirculated through
the household spending patterns causing further local
economic activity.
MULTIPLIER EFFECT
The multiplier effect is the additional economic impact created
as a result of the organization’s direct economic impact. Local
companies that provide goods and services to an organization
increase their purchasing by creating a multiplier.
DIRECT TAX PAYMENTS
Direct tax payments made by an organization to a unit
of government.
INDIRECT TAX PAYMENTS
Government revenue that is collected by governmental units
in addition to those paid directly by an organization, including
taxes paid directly by employees of the organization, visitors to
the organization, and vendors who sell products to
the organization.
DIRECT EMPLOYMENT
Total number of employees at the organization based on
total jobs.
INDIRECT EMPLOYMENT
Indirect employment is the additional jobs created because
of the organization’s economic impact. Local companies that
provide goods and services to an organization increase their
number of employees as purchasing increases, thus creating an
employment multiplier.
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 APPENDIX F. EXPANDED METHODOLOGY
IMPACT ON STATE BUSINESS
VOLUME AND GOVERNMENT
TAX REVENUE
West Virginia University Athletics is a large employer in
Monongalia County, and as such, is a major generator of
personal income for county residents. Businesses operating
within West Virginia in the wholesale, retail, service, and
manufacturing sectors benefit from the direct expenditures
of the department and its staff and event visitors on goods
and services.
Additionally, many of these “direct” expenditures are
re-circulated in the economy as recipients of the first round of
income re-spend a portion of this income with other businesses
and individuals within West Virginia.
METHODOLOGY AND DATA
UTILIZED FOR THE ESTIMATION
OF THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF
WVU ATHLETICS
The economic impact of WVU Athletics was estimated using
IMPLAN (IMpact Analysis for PLANing), an econometric
modeling system developed by applied economists at the
University of Minnesota and the U.S. Forest Service. The
IMPLAN modeling system has been in use since 1979 and
is currently used by more than 500 private consulting firms,
university research centers, and government agencies. The
IMPLAN modeling system combines the U.S. Bureau of
Economic Analysis’ Input- Output Benchmarks with other data
to construct quantitative models of trade flow relationships
between businesses and between businesses and final
consumers. From this data, one can examine the effects of a
change in one or several economic activities to predict its effect
on a specific state, regional, or local economy (impact analysis).
The IMPLAN input-output accounts capture all monetary
market transactions for consumption in a given time period.
The IMPLAN input-output accounts are based on industry
survey data collected periodically by the U.S. BEA and follow a
balanced account format recommended by the United Nations.
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IMPLAN’s Regional Economic Accounts and the Social
Accounting Matrices were used to construct state-level
multipliers, which describe the response of the state economy
to a change in demand or production as a result of the activities
and expenditures of WVU Athletics. Each industry that produces
goods or services generates demand for other goods and
services, and this demand is multiplied through a particular
economy until it dissipates through “leakage” to economies
outside the specified area. IMPLAN models discern and calculate
leakage from local, regional, and state economic areas based
on workforce configuration, the inputs required by specific
types of businesses, and the availability of both inputs in the
economic area. Consequently, economic impacts that accrue to
other regions or states because of a change in demand are not
counted as impacts within the economic area.
The model accounts for substitution and displacement effects
by deflating industry-specific multipliers to levels well below
those recommended by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
In addition, multipliers are applied only to personal disposable
income to obtain a more realistic estimate of the multiplier
effects from increased demand. Importantly, IMPLAN’s Regional
Economic Accounts exclude imports to an economic area, so the
calculation of economic impacts identifies only those impacts
specific to the economic impact area; in this case, the state of
West Virginia or Monongalia County. IMPLAN calculates this
distinction by applying Regional Purchase Coefficients (RPC)
to predict regional purchases based on an economic area’s
particular characteristics. The RPC represents the proportion
of goods and services that will be purchased regionally
under normal circumstances, based on the area’s economic
characteristics described in terms of actual trade flows within
the area.
MODEL INPUTS
AND DATA SOURCES
Model inputs included the audited, actual Fiscal Year
2017 expenditures as provided by WVU Athletics.
 APPENDIX G. FAQS OF ECONOMIC IMPACT ASSESSMENTS
WHAT IS ECONOMIC IMPACT?
Economic impact begins when an organization spends money.
Economic impact studies measure the direct economic impact
of an organization’s spending, plus additional indirect spending
in the economy as a result of direct spending. Economic impact
has nothing to do with dollars collected by institutions, their
profitability, or even their sustainability, since all operating
organizations have a positive economic impact when they spend
money and attract spending from outside sources.
Direct economic impact measures the dollars that are generated
within Monongalia County and the state of West Virginia
due to the presence of WVU Athletics. This includes not only
spending on goods and services with a variety of vendors within
the county and state, and the spending of its employees and
visitors, but also the business volume generated by businesses
within West Virginia that benefit from spending by WVU
Athletics. It is important to remember that not all dollars spent
by WVU Athletics stay in West Virginia. Dollars that “leak” out
of the state in the form of purchases from out-of-state vendors
are not included in the economic impact that WVU Athletics has
on the state of West Virginia.
The total economic impact includes the “multiplier” of spending
from companies that do business with WVU Athletics. Support
businesses may include lodging establishments, restaurants,
construction firms, vendors, temporary agencies, etc. Spending
multipliers attempt to estimate the ripple effect in the state
economy where the spending occurs. For example: Spending
by WVU Athletics with local vendors provides these vendors
with additional dollars that they re-spend in the local economy,
causing a “multiplier effect.”
WHAT IS THE MULTIPLIER EFFECT?
Multipliers are a numeric way of describing the secondary
impacts stemming from the operations of an organization.
For example, an employment multiplier of 1.8 would suggest
that for every 10 employees hired in the given industry, eight
additional jobs would be created in other industries, such that
18 total jobs would be added to the given economic region. The
multipliers used in this study range from 1.8 to 2.0.
The Multiplier Model is derived mathematically using the
input-output model and Social Accounting formats. The Social
Accounting System provides the framework for the predictive
Multiplier Model used in economic impact studies. Purchases for
final use drive the model.
Industries that produce goods and services for consumer
consumption must purchase products, raw materials, and
services from other companies to create their product. These
vendors must also procure goods and services. This cycle
continues until all the money is leaked from the region’s
economy. Three types of effects are measured with a multiplier:
the direct, the indirect, and the induced. The direct effect is
the known or predicted change in the local economy that is
to be studied. The indirect effect is the business-to-business
transactions required to satisfy the direct effect. Finally,
the induced effect is derived from local spending on goods
and services by people working to satisfy the direct and
indirect effects.
• Direct effects take place only in the industry
immediately being studied.
• Indirect effects concern inter-industry transactions:
Because WVU Athletics is in business, it has a demand
for locally produced materials needed to operate.
• Induced effects measure the effects of the changes
in household income: Employees of WVU Athletics
and suppliers purchase from local retailers and
restaurants.
• Total economic impacts are the total changes to the
original economy as the result of the operations of
WVU Athletics. Direct effects + Indirect effects +
Induced effects = Total economic impacts.
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 APPENDIX G. FAQS OF ECONOMIC IMPACT ASSESSMENTS
WHAT METHODOLOGY WAS USED
IN THIS STUDY?
IMPLAN (IMpact analysis for PLANning) data and software.
Using classic input-output analysis in combination with regional
specific Social Accounting Matrices and Multiplier Models,
IMPLAN provides a highly accurate and adaptable model for its
users. The IMPLAN database contains county, state, ZIP code,
and federal economic statistics that are specialized by region,
not estimated from national averages, and can be used to
measure the effect on a regional or local economy of a given
change or event in the economy’s activity.
WHAT IS EMPLOYMENT IMPACT?
Employment impact measures the direct employment
(employees, staff, administration, etc.) plus additional
employment created in the economy because of the
operations of WVU Athletics.
Indirect and induced employment impact refers to other
employees throughout the region whose jobs exist because
of WVU Athletics’ economic impact. In other words, jobs
related to the population – city services (police, fire, EMS, etc.),
employees at local hotels and restaurants, clerks at local retail
establishments, and residents employed by vendors used by
WVU Athletics.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN DIRECT AND
INDIRECT TAXES?
Direct tax dollars include taxes paid directly by the organization
to the state and/or county, while indirect taxes include taxes
paid to the state by vendors that do business with WVU
Athletics and individuals.
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IS THIS A ONE-TIME IMPACT
OR DOES THE IMPACT REPEAT
EACH YEAR?
The results presented in the WVU Athletics economic impact
study are generated on an annual basis. The economic impact
in future years can either be higher or lower based on spending
and number of athletics programs, games, and visitors.
WHAT ARE TRIPP UMBACH’S
QUALIFICATIONS TO PERFORM
AN ECONOMIC IMPACT
ANALYSIS FOR WEST VIRGINIA
UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS?
Tripp Umbach has completed more than 200 economic impact
studies over the past 25 years for major research universities
across the country. Tripp Umbach is the national leader in
providing economic impact analysis to leading healthcare
organizations, universities, and academic medical centers.
Additionally, since our founding in 1990 Tripp Umbach has
completed hundreds of economic impact studies in the tourism
and sports industry. Our clients include the national parks
services, PGA golf events, Susan G. Komen Race for the
Cure, Pittsburgh Regatta, NFL teams, college athletics and
conventions centers.
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 PO Box 877, Morgantown, West Virginia 26507
(304) 293-2101 | www.WVUsports.com

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