Montgomery prepares for 5th annual Raycom Media Camellia Bowl

MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) - Cramton Bowl is quiet for now but not for long. In just days the bowl will welcome thousands of fans.

The stadium is already being transformed for the occasion; the tents are up along with the signs. All that’s left is the game itself.

Mayor Todd Strange is spending much of the week promoting it and feels very good about it all based on the previous four years.

‘"Obviously, they’re in high gear right now. This year we just gotta make sure that weather is above freezing without any rain," Strange said.

The match-up features Georgia Southern and Eastern Michigan. The teams arrive on Tuesday with fans coming in two days later. The estimated economic impact should be about $15 million, not to mention a national audience.

“The exposure. We’ll have three or four commercials during that period of time and a lot of skyline views and people talk favorably about Montgomery," Strange said.

In years past the game has averaged around 21,000 spectators. Georgia Southern fans have snatched up 4,000 tickets, 2,000 or so for Eastern Michigan. The mayor says that’s good five days out.

“The key, frankly, is getting our local people to come out and get in these stands, a beautiful venue and ESPN loves this venue,” the mayor added.

The Raycom Media Camellia Bowl will be the second bowl game on TV on Saturday. Montgomery’s time to shine is just around corner.

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