Boca Raton will be in the national spotlight tonight as Temple University and the University of Toledo square off in the Marmot Boca Raton Bowl.
It's the second year in a row Boca Raton has hosted the college football bowl game. The city and Palm Beach County both hope to take advantage of the exposure.
Fans from Philadelphia and Toledo are expected to be among the 20,000 or so at FAU Stadium for the game. More than 2 million TVs are expected be tuned into the game on ESPN.
The Palm Beach County Sports Commission says last year's inaugural bowl game generated more than $4million dollars for the local economy. The commission's executive director is optimistic this year's event could be bigger.
The city of Boca Raton is a sponsor of the game, pledging $200,000 to the event. In return, commercials about the city will air during the live TV broadcast.
Officials from Discover the Palm Beaches have been targeting people in Philadelphia and Toledo/Detroit via social media. The tourism agency wants to encourage people from those markets to visit Palm Beach County and spend their money here.
Tourism is the county's largest industry, having grown for 69 consecutive months, according to Discover the Palm Beaches.
Todd Weber from outside Dallas made the trip to Boca Raton for the game. He say's he's been impressed with the area so far, saying highlights include the food, beaches, and weather.
"We've had a great time. Boca Raton has lived up to everything it's known for and more," Weber says.
He is one of many fans are staying at the Boca Raton Resort and Club. President John Tolbert says events like this show the city as more of a college town, than the Seinfeld stereotype of the city.
"There is so much energy and vibrancy here. To have that kind of exposure all over the world, with ESPN being such a great partner to the event, it's great for the county, it's great for us," Tolbert says.
He admits the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is generally slow. So a big event like this brings in much needed guests to stay at the hotel.
County Commissioner, and former Boca Raton Mayor, Steven Abrams says the nationally televised game is basically one big commercial for the area.
"The ones who can't make it down are, of course, going to be watching television and they're going to see the palm trees swaying in the breeze while they're sitting in 20 degrees," Abrams says.
He points out there are only about 40 bowl games. So for Boca Raton to be selected as a host is a big deal.
Security is a top priority at such a big event. The bowl will follow the NFL's policy for bags. It means you won't be able to bring in a bag or purse bigger than your hand, unless it is see-through.
Security will check bags at the gates, looking for prohibited items like umbrellas, noisemakers, laser pointers, and balloons.
Most fans aren't worried about an outside threat at the game. One says she hopes the clear plastic bags makes it faster to get through the gate.
"If you don't have a bag that they actually have to open up and look inside and go through, they can just look through the clear bag and and see exactly what you've got in there," Judi Gilreath points out.
Expect to see a lot of law enforcement officers at the game. FAU police is leading the security detail. But agencies like Boca Raton Police, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, and Florida Highway Patrol will all be helping.
The game kicks off at 7p.m. at Florida Atlantic University Stadium in Boca Raton. You can watch it on ESPN.
