Crews prepare for Capital One Bowl game

ORLANDO, Fla. — Thousands of fans are expected to pack the Citrus Bowl for the Capital One Bowl game on New Year's Day.

The Capital One Bowl is one of two bowl games that are being held at the Citrus Bowl this year. WFTV was there as thousands of fans turned up for the Russell Athletic Bowl Game Friday.

The games are expected to pump tens of millions of dollars into the local economy.

Eyewitness News spoke to Duane Clark during the Russell Athletic Bowl. Clark and some friends from church tried to jump-start a new barbecue vending business.

"Ticket sales are good. By my understanding, they've sold more than 40,000 and I'm hoping for 65,000 to 70,000 folks… so I'm looking for a good turnout," said Clark.

While 40,000 seats may sound like a lot to Clark, it's not enough to fill the stadium. Both teams were allotted 12,000 seats to fill, but neither team sold out.

The Orlando Visitors Bureau said it couldn't estimate hotel occupancy yet, but the weekend's economic-impact estimate was between $75 million and $90 million, including visitors who rent rooms.

On Saturday, Citrus Bowl workers were at the stadium preparing for the Capital One Bowl. Nebraska will face Georgia in the bowl game, which begins at 1:00 p.m. on New Year's Day.

WFTV