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Businesses in State College brace for economic hit after Big Ten postpones fall sports season, including football

Business owners near Penn State University say football season is the busiest time of year for them.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Every fall, Penn State football fans pack into Beaver Stadium, which can fit more than 106,000 people.

Before and after Nittany Lions games, the fans go to East College Avenue, where they gather over large amounts of food and drink at any number of establishments.

For business owners there, Saturdays in the fall are the busiest and most profitable days of the year.

For this fall at least, those days are already gone as the Big Ten has postponed all fall sports seasons, including football. 

"I think it's really obviously going to be a little rough. Football is such a big part of everyone's income in town here," J.R. Mangan said. He is originally from Dunmore and now owns Cafe 210 West. Businesses like his, and Champs Downtown bar, now brace for an economic hit.

"For game night, we're packed to the brim. We have people all over the booths, people upstairs, downstairs. As far as the postponement goes, it's going to be a strike for a lot of the bars and establishments downtown," Jason Choo Assistant General Manager of Champs Downtown said.

Joseph Bruno is a freshman running back for the Nittany Lions. His disappointment is more personal.

"It was really sad to hear. All of the training and stuff like that, and then it just gets taken away from us. It's kind of heartbreaking," Bruno said.

For Bruno, as well as the business owners downtown, there is hope that the Lions may be able to take the field in the spring.

For 2020, they are all coming to the grips with the news that Saturday afternoons will be unusually quiet in State College.

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