Merchants and hotel operators say they aren't seeing anywhere near the levels of business they experienced last year from the annual Music City Bowl football game, which will be played this afternoon at LP Field.
Hotel occupancy is off about 20 percent downtown, and 30 percent to 35 percent in the airport area compared with the same time last year, said Walt Baker, executive director of the Greater Nashville Hotel and Lodging Association.
And many downtown Nashville businesses say they haven't seen the crowds they drew in the period leading up to last year's game between the University of Kentucky and Florida State University.
Most blame this year's choice of teams: Vanderbilt University and Boston College.
"One team is based here, and the other is not known as a traveling team," Baker said, noting that in times past when Boston College has played here, it has not drawn well. "It's just a recipe for a bad hotel performance in bowl week."
But bowl officials "really didn't have a choice which teams to pick," Baker acknowledged.
At the Nashville Outfitters store on Second Avenue downtown, manager Scott Huffman said his store has seen very few visitors here for this year's game, a huge turnaround from 2007.
"Last year, we did very well with all of the Kentucky fans in town," he said. "Their alumni group even rented the front part of our store and sold their own fan souvenirs from here."
Virtually nobody from Vanderbilt has come in, he said. "Vandy fans aren't interested in buying Nashville souvenirs."
At the nearby Charlie Daniels Museum, manager Gina Lane said some Boston College fans had been in, but some had a strange question.
"They wanted to know, 'Who is Charlie Daniels?'" she said. "I guess country music isn't all that big in Boston."
There were some Boston College fans exploring downtown attractions on Tuesday afternoon, though, and they said they were enjoying Nashville and spending money.
"We've just spent about $500 on boots," said Ron Hovsepian of Holliston, Mass., who brought his wife, Megan, and three of his four children to the event. His son John is a senior wide receiver on the Boston College team.
BC student Robert Kaplan drove down from Boston with his friend Mike Keating, an 18-hour trip that they made in a Toyota Prius "to save money on gas," Kaplan said.
Kaplan and Keating were shopping downtown Tuesday afternoon as well, and Kaplan said he was "spending money I don't really have. I'll probably have my credit cards maxed out by the time I get back."
Allotment almost soldVanderbilt encouraged even its local fans to stay in hotel rooms and patronize local businesses as part of their Music City Bowl experience, said Rod Williamson, the university's director of external relations.
"We completely get it that the bowl is more than just a football game," he said. "We want to be a good Nashville citizen, and we understand there are economics at play. We have gone to great lengths to sell our tickets."
As of Tuesday morning, the school had sold more than 13,000 of its allotment of 13,500 tickets, and expected to sell out by game time, Williamson said.
Boston College probably will end up having somewhere between 3,000 and 4,000 of its own fans at the game, which is something of a disappointment but was expected, said Scott Ramsey, president of the Music City Bowl.
But combined ticket sales, including those sold directly by the bowl organization, should total "about 53,000," he said.
"We consider that a success, since we had a goal of 55,000," Ramsey said.
That's down from the past two years, when the event was a sellout; the stadium seats nearly 69,000. But before 2006, the event was averaging about 50,000 a year.
"This year is a little different," he said. "We have two private schools playing, and one is not in drivable distance. And the economy is affecting everybody nationally. All things considered, we're very pleased. I just hope that everyone who bought a ticket will show up and give us a good showing on national television."
Some Vandy fans traveled to Nashville for the event and will be staying overnight in hotels and spending money in restaurants and stores.
Among them is Ed Hahnfeldt of The Villages, Fla., whose son is a kicker on the Vanderbilt team. Staying at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, which also houses both teams and their cheerleaders, Hahnfeldt said he "drove to Nashville for every home game all season," and wasn't about to miss the bowl.
Bob and Sandy Lindeman drove up on Tuesday from Tullahoma, just 80 miles away, and spent the night in Nashville before going to the game.
"Our daughter graduated from Vanderbilt, and I've been coming to Vandy games for 20 years," Bob Lindeman said. "I never thought they would ever be in a bowl game, but there was no way I was going to stay home and miss it."
BC fans are scarceAt McFadden's Restaurant and Saloon on Second Avenue, Barbara Raines, assistant to the marketing manager, said Tuesday afternoon she was surprised that not many Boston College fans had shown up yet, considering that the restaurant also has a location in Boston.
"We're a traditional Irish pub, what I like to call the 'Cheers' of Nashville," she said, referring to the legendary Boston pub made famous by the television sitcom.
"You'd think a lot of the Boston folks would come in."
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