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Small towns brace for altered college football schedules

Business owners in Maryville, Missouri, and Baldwin City, Kansas, say college athletics help their bottom lines.

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A Northwest Missouri State University football game in 2019 with a large crowd of spectators.
A Northwest Missouri State University football game in 2019 with a large crowd of spectators.
Greg Echlin

College football brings in the bulk of the revenue to run most college athletic programs. Many schools have decided to give it a go during the COVID-19 pandemic, though some schedules have been delayed. And just Wednesday, the NCAA announced it’s canceling the Division II and III championships. Regular games are still on for now, though that could change soon.

The economic effect of college football is felt not only on campus, but in the surrounding communities, which depend on students and their families patronizing stores and restaurants when they attend sporting events. So local business owners are keeping an eye on the athletic calendar.

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