The economics of a UT home game

• If the fifth-seeded Longhorns had won the SEC championship game, they would have earned a bye — and played their next game in a semifinal in a neutral site, never getting the chance to host a playoff game.

Why it matters: Home UT football games pump tens of millions of dollars into the local economy.

What they're saying: "The bump in activity is a bonus for local businesses this holiday season," Austin Chamber of Commerce CEO Jeremy Martin tells Axios.

💰 The bottom line: What might have been a sleepy pre-Christmas weekend in Austin will instead see thousands of fans descend on the city, picking up hotel rooms, renting cars, buying doodads on South Congress and eating out (and tipping servers) at restaurants.

👀 How to watch: UT faces the 12th-seeded Clemson Tigers at 3pm at DKR-Memorial Stadium.

• Tickets were available for as little as $82 apiece yesterday.
• The game airs nationally on TNT, with Texas a 12-point favorite.

What's next: The winner will play fourth-seeded Arizona State in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta.