U of I Homecoming Weekend bringing a boom in business

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) — Homecoming week has officially kicked off on campus at the University of Illinois.

With students, families, and now alumni on campus, the foot traffic is having an impact on local Champaign businesses.

Many retail shops and restaurants look forward to September, due to the high volume of traffic entering the city.

"You see an influx in food and beverage. You see people staying at our hotels. Even things like our gas stations and our convenience stores, those really pick up as well as people forget things last minute things when they come to town. And it really is a boom to our economic impact" says Terri Reifsteck, Vice President of Destination Branding and Development at Experience C-U.

The money that fans and families attending the games spends in downtown Champaign, goes directly back into the city. Businesses share it is an experience everyone benefits from.

"We're putting tips into their pockets, we're creating jobs, and we're generating that tax revenue that then gets back to be reinvested into our community for things like infrastructure and community services."