I sat down to read the Local Voice (Oxford) this morning and came across this article about the economic impact of Ole Miss football has on the local economy. I sprayed coffee around the room. Ole Miss has many similarities to WSU, from its small town nature, its extreme isolation and surrounding poverty. Yet, they are on a different plant in terms of economics. Ole Miss football brought in $325 million dollars to the local economy in 2024. Imagine the Cougs doing that? A third of a BILLION. We'd be in Big 12 right now. The Cougs can't even dream of doing this. First and foremost, there's nowhere to spend that type of money. And we all know the best place to spend game weekend money is across the border. There is a lack of everything. Hence, the beat the traffic post game dash. However...
WSU, Schulz and the fans, bear our share of responsibility, but that responsibility also largely is on the the shoulders of the biggest freeloader out there, the city of Pullman. Downtown Pullman is in a sad state, Far worse than when I was in school in the 80s, and it wasn't good then. You don't have a (now defunct) plasma center as an anchor tenant. It screams poverty and desperation. I suspect my youngest chose CPP to study engineering this year over WSU (despite being initially very gung ho) because there was/is no "college town" in the traditional sense, and you are 80 miles from Spokane.
The city needs to get its act together, starting with the "better" than Moscow action plan (which it should always have been). It is time for a fundamental mindset shift. If the status quo is continued, imagine the what downtown Pullman will be like with WSU as a decade long member of the G5!
If, finally, there is the now or never action plan by the community, we know our duty is to support the shit out of it, just like Rebel fans do. But the city need to know something has to change to prevent the impending athletics/city of Pullman death spiral.
www.thelocalvoice.net
WSU, Schulz and the fans, bear our share of responsibility, but that responsibility also largely is on the the shoulders of the biggest freeloader out there, the city of Pullman. Downtown Pullman is in a sad state, Far worse than when I was in school in the 80s, and it wasn't good then. You don't have a (now defunct) plasma center as an anchor tenant. It screams poverty and desperation. I suspect my youngest chose CPP to study engineering this year over WSU (despite being initially very gung ho) because there was/is no "college town" in the traditional sense, and you are 80 miles from Spokane.
The city needs to get its act together, starting with the "better" than Moscow action plan (which it should always have been). It is time for a fundamental mindset shift. If the status quo is continued, imagine the what downtown Pullman will be like with WSU as a decade long member of the G5!
If, finally, there is the now or never action plan by the community, we know our duty is to support the shit out of it, just like Rebel fans do. But the city need to know something has to change to prevent the impending athletics/city of Pullman death spiral.
Historic Ole Miss Football Crowds Generate $325M Economic Impact – The Local Voice
www.thelocalvoice.net
