‘The Game' Brings Excitement, Big Economic Boost to New Haven

The excitement is building in New Haven for 'The Game,' between Yale and Harvard at the Yale Bowl, not only for football fans but also for the businesses that get a boost from their visit.

The Yale University Football Team can clinch an outright Ivy League title for the first time in 37 years with a win Saturday afternoon over Harvard.

According to the Yale Athletics Ticket Officer, there have been more tickets sold before this year’s game day at the Yale Bowl than ever before. The university is expecting a crowd of more than 50,000 football fans.

Every two years when Yale hosts the game against its rival from Cambridge, New Haven’s restaurants and hotels see a big boost in business.

On Friday, Terri Montag and her daughters from Ohio checked in to the Omni Hotel in downtown.

"I turned it over to my daughters," she said. "They kind of did the research and we’re at the Omni, beautiful, the architecture."

Montag’s oldest daughter Victoria is only in the eighth grade, but she already has her sights set on attending Yale.

"Because of all the wonderful opportunities and experiences that they offer here," she said.

For her 14th birthday, Montag is visiting the Elm City for the first time. The family plans to take a campus tour Friday before watching the 134th meeting between Yale and Harvard on the football field.

"It is tradition,” Terri Montag said, "it is kind of what we have comparable in Ohio with Michigan and Ohio State."

There are 306 guests rooms at the Omni Hotel on Temple Street and every one of them will be occupied this weekend, Director of Sales and Marketing Dana Zimmerman said.

"This is every other year that Harvard comes to play Yale so of course it’s really fantastic," Zimmerman said. “All the alumni come back for it."

John Brenna is the chef and owner at Elm City Social and Olives and Oil.

"We’re expecting a lot of business," he told NBC Connecticut.

With the big rivalry game in town this weekend, Brennan said reservations have been made for 200 guests Friday and Saturday at each restaurant.

"It’s like really rich in history just like the city of New Haven," Brennan said of The Game. "So we love it, we love to see new people in the city, show them what we got, show them that New Haven is really great culinary scene and a great bar scene as well."

"Of course, we we’ll accept Harvard fans just keep the cheering to a minimum," he joked.

Yale alumnus Brian Reilly is planning to tailgate with family and former roommates at the Yale Bowl Saturday morning.

"It means a lot," he said. "It is always a fun day, it is always a huge turnout, but I can understand why it’s a big turnout tomorrow because we’re going win the Ivy League outright."

City of New Haven Deputy Director of Emergency Operations Rick Fontana said Yale, New Haven and West Haven Police are working together to keep the large crowd of football fans safe.

"Know your surroundings," Fontana said. "If you see something say something, but we’ll do our best, we collaborate with Yale University on a daily basis."

The early fans arrive, the better, Fontana said, because "when you do metal detection it creates a longer line for everybody."

Knowing security is a top priority for Yale and local police, Reilly said he can stay focused Yale and Harvard’s clash on the field.

"I don’t worry about it," he said, "if I do that means the terrorists are winning."

Parking is sold out at the bowl, but there will be free shuttle buses from City of New Haven Parking Garages downtown.

Yale is asking any fan who plans to bring donations for the Connecticut Food Bank to only bring non-perishable items and not turkeys.

Gates for the Yale Bowl will open at 11 a.m. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.

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