The sun sets behind McKinney ISD Stadium during the 2018 NCAA Division II National Football Championship game between Ferris State University and Valdosta State University played on Dec. 15, 2018. Valdosta State won the game 49–47. (Courtesy of MCVB)

McKINNEY, Texas [June 19, 2019] – The City of McKinney and McKinney ISD are poised for another three years as hosts of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II Football Championship, an event that means both a sizable economic impact and national exposure for the city and North Texas area.

According to an economic impact study that was commissioned by the City of McKinney and released in May, the North Texas community could experience an economic impact of approximately $1.1 million from out-of-state visitors when the NCAA Division II Football Championship returns to the McKinney ISD Stadium on Dec. 21, 2019.

The study breaks down the predicted 2019 economic impact as follows. (This estimate includes only anticipated expenditures by fans visiting from outside Texas.)

Hotel room nights:  2,006
Hotel Expenditures:  $213,345
Food & Beverage:  $347,506
Entertainment & Shopping:  $445,503
Other Taxable Expenditures:  $123,999
Projected Economic Impact:  $1,130,353

Pregame ceremonies held at McKinney ISD Stadium before the kickoff of the 2018 NCAA Division II National Football Championship between Ferris State and Valdosta State on Dec. 15, 2018. (Courtesy of MCVB)

As the study points out, the “gain” represents a true addition to the local and state economy by including only expenditures from outside the state. Expenditures by those attendees who live in Texas would result in an increase to this projected economic impact.

“Events that bring in more than $1 million in economic activity to our community is a win in our book. But not only that, our city received positive exposure on a national stage and showcased our community to thousands of visitors,” said City Manager Paul Grimes about McKinney’s selection as host for the next three years following the city’s successful turn in 2018. “That level of publicity was incredibly valuable.”

The NCAA Division II Football Committee announced on March 12 that the Lone Star Conference and McKinney ISD Athletic Department would serve as hosts of the NCAA Division II Football Championship game for the next three years (2019-2021). The teams will tentatively arrive in McKinney on Wednesday, Dec. 18 and spend two days practicing and doing community outreach in local schools. Among additional local events planned for fans and the community at large are a community-wide Fan Fest on Friday evening (Dec. 20) and a competition between local restaurants that will run throughout the weekend. Additional related activities will be announced once plans are finalized.

The new McKinney ISD Stadium on opening night of the 2018 football season.

“We are delighted to be selected to host the NCAA Division II National Championship game in McKinney for the next three years, especially given the economic impact it will have on our city,” said McKinney ISD Athletic Director Shawn Pratt. “An event like this gives us the opportunity to showcase McKinney ISD Stadium and the Community Event Center, as well as our Texas hospitality.”

McKinney’s choice as the NCAA Division II Football Championship host through 2021 came on the heels of the city’s much-lauded performance in planning and hosting the 2018 championship.

“We so enjoyed seeing the interactions between the community and our visitors from Valdosta State and Ferris State. We repeatedly heard compliments from the teams, fans, players, and coaches about the warm welcome, the first-class practice and game-day facilities, and the McKinney hospitality they experienced,” said Dee-dee Guerra, Executive Director of the McKinney Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The 2018 game was McKinney’s first such event to host in the 12,000-seat McKinney ISD Stadium. The facility had just opened in August 2018, barely two months before the October 4, 2018, announcement by the NCAA Division II selection committee that the city would host the Dec. 15 championship game. (McKinney won the bid to host in 2018 following a last-minute announcement that the originally-scheduled site, Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, was undergoing field repairs that wouldn’t be done in time for the mid-December game.) Area organizers had just over two months to make preparations to plan the game and related events.

“The cohesive partnership that exists between the City of McKinney, McKinney Chamber, McKinney ISD, and the McKinney Convention & Visitors Bureau, as well as our community partners, enabled us to quickly pull together all the pieces involved in planning a memorable event. We’re so looking forward to the opportunity to host the event for the next three years,” Guerra said.

With additional lead time for planning the 2019 event, organizers anticipate strong ticket sales and an increase in overall attendance at the 2019 championship game and its related activities. The final two teams competing in the 2019 game in McKinney on Dec. 21 will not be determined until the semi-final games are played on Dec. 14.

“Hosting the NCAA Division II National Football Championship was a huge honor for the City of McKinney and presented an unprecedented opportunity for us to welcome the fans of both teams to Texas with our unrivaled hospitality,” said McKinney Mayor George Fuller. “I’m proud of how our city was represented at the game and accompanying events, and we are honored that the NCAA has decided to return for several more years of games in McKinney.”

For more information on the 2019 NCAA Division II National Football Championship, visit d2mckinney.com or NCAA.com.

Source: McKinney ISD Athletics and McKinney Convention and Visitors Bureau

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