photo by: Chad Lawhorn/Journal-World

The north end of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, which includes a new conference center, is pictured on Oct. 16, 2025.

Now, Kansas football is starting to add up to a big success.

No, a bowl bid has not materialized. KU will be going to the exact same bowl as Notre Dame (but won’t have to go to confession seeking forgiveness for sadistic thoughts towards a certain selection committee.)

Rather, there is another sign suggesting that KU’s recently completed football season was a big boost to the Lawrence economy. Lawrence had the best growth in retail sales of any major market in the state during the mid-September to mid-October period, according to a new report.

While you can never know the exact reason for such a surge, it is reasonable to think KU football played a role. The Jayhawks were back to playing football games in Lawrence after a season of games in Kansas City while David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium was under construction last year. That alone should produce a noticeable uptick, but additionally the new stadium has a lot more opportunity for fans to buy stuff. (Stuff, by the way, is a synonym for alcohol and nachos large enough that I had to buy them their own seat.)

The latest data comes from the monthly sales tax report put out by the Kansas Department of Revenue. While it is labeled the November report, since that is the month it was released, the numbers actually measure sales that were made in the mid-September to mid-October range. That puts the period squarely in the middle of football season, and Lawrence found itself in an unfamiliar spot for that season — on top.

Lawrence’s retail sales during the one-month period grew by 9.7%. That was well above the statewide average of 2.8%, and also was significantly better than any other major retail market that we track in the state. Here’s a look at those one-month growth totals:

• Lawrence: up 9.7%

• Lenexa: up 7.5%

• Shawnee: up 6.2%

• Olathe: up 4.1%

• Sedgwick County: up 3.6%

• Merriam: up 2.6%

• Topeka: up 1.4%

• Manhattan: up 0.9%

• Salina: up 0.6%

• Kansas City, Kan: down 0.1%

• Statewide: up 2.8%

Again, it is impossible to give football the full credit for the boost. Local sales taxes apply to all types of purchases, including utility bills and groceries, both of which can add up in a hurry. Plus, it is worth noting that 9.7% growth is extremely strong, but it is not the best growth rate Lawrence has posted in the year. Lawrence posted an 18% growth in retail sales in the February report — meaning sales made in mid-December to mid-January — for reasons that still aren’t clear. But after that one stellar month, sales numbers became pretty stagnant.

That is until the October report came out. Just like this most recent report, Lawrence significantly outperformed the state as a whole during that one-month period, posting an 8.3% increase for the month. That one-month period covered mid-August to mid-September, making it the first period that included the return of home football games. The November report was the second such period, and it produced even stronger numbers.

Again, it might be coincidence that the uptick coincides with the return to football. I’m not sure City Hall budget-makers care. They likely are pleased the numbers are growing, no matter the reason. Sales tax collections are a major source of revenue for city operations, and city leaders have been counting on about a 5% growth in sales tax revenue to keep budgets on track. For the year, Lawrence sales tax collections are up 4.2%. That doesn’t include a special type of sales tax called a “use tax,” which is applied to online purchases. Those use tax numbers also are up, and when they are added to the total, Lawrence should be pretty close to its 5% number. Plus, Lawrence is now solidly having one of the better years among the state’s large retail markets. That wasn’t the case several months ago. Here’s a look at those year-to-date numbers.

• Manhattan: up 4.6%

• Sedgwick County: up 4.4%

• Olathe: up 4.2%

• Lawrence: up 4.2%

• Salina: up 4.0%

• Merriam: up 3.7%

• Lenexa: up 2.9%

• Topeka: up 2.5%

• Shawnee: up 2.1%

• Kansas City, Kan: up 1.9%

• Statewide: up 3.3%