BATON ROUGE mdash; Days before kickoff, preparations are underway as fans nationwide travel more than 1,000 miles to fill Tiger Stadium for LSUrsquo;s sixth consecutive sold-out home game of the season.Among those flocking to Death Valley is LSU alumna Marsha Bryant, who traveled from Connecticut." I love to come to home games," Bryant said. "I've been an LSU fan my entire life, and I'm always happy to come home. LSU is home, and so having the opportunity to come and get to see the Tigers play... that's win-win."It is not just dedicated alumni and season-ticket holders filling the stands and streets. Tourism officials say capital city game days have transformed into a major national draw for casual sports fans and travelers seeking authentic Louisiana culture.Laura Cating, executive vice president of marketing and public affairs for Visit Baton Rouge, said marquee home matchups alongside game-day alignments with Southern University are driving a surge in regional travel."They're coming because they want to go to Tiger Stadium," Cating said. "They want to see the Human Jukebox Band out at Southern. Whatever it is, it's a bucket list experience for them, and they've got to get that checkmark."That influx translates into substantial revenue for area businesses. From hotels and restaurants to gas stations and retail shops, Visit Baton Rouge estimates home-game weekends inject $10 million to $20 million into the local economy.On a typical weekend, Baton Rouge hotels average a 62% occupancy rate. On Southeastern Conference game weekends, occupancy jumps to 76% mdash; a 14-percentage-point increase that triggers sellouts across the metro area.As hotel occupancy climbs, room rates follow, generating higher lodging tax collections to fund local infrastructure, roadsnbsp;and public services. Tourism metrics also indicate a 7.1% bump in local restaurant and bar sales during home-game weekends.Visit Baton Rouge is collaborating with LSU on patron surveys to track economic impact more closely, with updated figures expected in the spring.nbsp;Permalink| Comments ...read more read less