Football fever is heating up now that August is here --the Longhorns' first game is less than a month away.

The Texas Gridiron kickoff happened Friday at the Hyatt Regency in Austin, hosted by the Austin Sports Commission.

Each year the college football season provides a big shot in the arm for the local economy. From hotel rooms to restaurants, everyone benefits when the University of Texas Longhorns take the field.

But no one really knows the true dollar figure since the latest figures are dated and don't include major stadium renovation.

Soon, the Darrel K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium will have an entire new North End. It's the last phase in the $176 million construction project that's been three years in the works. At the Posse East, owner J.V. Cook is anxious for the stadium to be finished.

"With the addition of the stadium over there they should have close to 100,000 people," he said. The Posse East is quiet now, but Cook says most of his earnings are racked up during football season,

Sales of beer and burgers at the Posse and the added amenities of the stadium have yet to be figured into the economic impact of Longhorn home games.

The figures are outdated. The latest available numbers are from 2001 and estimate direct economic impact of the football season at $47 million. Per game, it's listed as $9.5 million.

During the first ever Texas Gridiron kickoff the focus is football. The non-profit Austin Sports Commission is promoting all things positive about the game and topping the list is economic impact.

"And we've had numbers that have been out there for UT football games that's been close to $25 million for every home game," said Executive Director Matthew Payne.

Payne promises a new study will be finished before the season kicks off. Meanwhile, Cook is counting on more exact numbers. He's also anxious for the slow summer season to end.

"We're looking forward to business really picking up once school starts and football season starts up. Hopefully we're going to have a good year again this year with the Longhorns," Cook said.

The Longhorns report on Sunday and start their training camp practices on Monday.