Nichols College students head to Phoenix to study the business of the Super Bowl

By Laura Haefeli, WBZ-TV

BOSTON -- This year's Super Bowl was packed with excitement. Two star quarterbacks and two brothers faced off as thousands of fans flocked to Phoenix to see it all go down, including a group of students from Nichols College in Dudley, hoping to find out why football is more than just a game.

Superbowl 57 was a masterclass in touchdowns and tackles on the field, but for a group of students, it's a masterclass in money, off the field.

"The local benefit of a Super Bowl in Phoenix is absolutely tremendous," said Nichols college student Austin Paul.

Paul, a sports marketing major, and his Nichols College classmates caught a flight to Phoenix, home of the 2023 Super Bowl, to study the big game's financial impact on the local economy and what it takes to prepare for the busy weekend.

"The amount of guests fans is absolutely fantastic for the economy, really boost everything, restaurants find a huge amount of money," said Paul.

"They get profit and revenue from all the different people coming and spending money here," said Nichols student Felicya Decicco.

Their plan is to bring what they learn back to Massachusetts and apply it to their own future.

"I've learned so much in Phoenix that I can put into real life, seeing how this big event that everyone knows about is run really helps me," said Decicco.

While Nichols students get a front-row seat to Super Bowl celebrations, dedicated fans back east are packing Boston bars - cheering on their teams.

"It's the Super Bowl, it's exciting no matter what," said Josh Uzarski, the President of the Philadelphia Eagles Fans of Boston.

For local spots like the White Bull Tavern - a game thousands of miles away even benefits them packing their bar with dedicated fans hoping for another Super Bowl win.