I\u2019ve said forever that while I\u2019m not a football fanatic, I am a big fan of the positive vibe it brings to town. And right now, that Texas Tech vibe is absolutely on ten.<\/p>\n
With a possible Big 12 Championship appearance and\u2014if the stars align\u2014a spot in the expanded college football playoffs, the energy around the Hub City is buzzing like never before.<\/p>\n
The Big 12 Championship is scheduled for December 6th in Arlington. Sure, it\u2019s considered a \u201cneutral\u201d site, but anyone with a map and a pulse knows BYU\u2014likely Tech\u2019s opponent\u2014won\u2019t think anything in Texas is neutral. And yes, playing in the Big 12 title game is big, but playing in a playoff game? That\u2019s a whole different universe.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s where things get really interesting: the college football playoff format gives home-field advantage to the higher-ranked team. Current predictions have Texas Tech hosting the University of Miami right here in Lubbock<\/a> at Jones AT&T Stadium. If you can\u2019t see the cartoon dollar signs popping into the eyes of local businesses, don\u2019t worry\u2014everyone else can.<\/p>\n Because it\u2019s not just 60,000 people filling the seats. It\u2019s hotels selling out. It\u2019s restaurants packed shoulder-to-shoulder. It\u2019s bars, shops, museums, attractions, coffee shops, Uber drivers, and merch tables. It\u2019s TV crews, alumni, Miami fans, neutral fans, and everybody else who wants to witness something historic.<\/p>\n Why Local Businesses Should Root Hard for Texas Tech<\/p>\n People laugh when \u201ctourism\u201d and \u201cLubbock\u201d show up in the same sentence, but a playoff game is tourism\u2014just wrapped in scarlet and black. That money doesn\u2019t just appear; it circulates. It goes into paychecks, tips, supply orders, vendors, utilities, taxes, and the countless small businesses that make up this city\u2019s backbone.<\/p>\n