A study commissioned by Real Salt Lake shows the estimated 15,500 visitors at the June 4 qualifier spent $12.7 million on hotels, restaurants, shopping and entertainment, give or take a million. That comes to about $820 per person during the average three-night stay.

"Considering people are traveling on their own dime [compared with conventiongoers who probably charge their companies], I thought it was a high-spending crowd," said Alan Isaacson, who analyzed the data for RSL as a research analyst with the University of Utah's Bureau of Economic and Business Research.

By comparison, the 17,800 visitors at the last Outdoor Retailer show spent $18 million, according to Isaacson's research.

The soccer qualifier "was a win for soccer, it was a win for Salt Lake and, economically, it was a win because there were real dollars that came into our community from outside," Real CEO Dean Howes said Friday.

Team officials are trying to persuade the public to pay half the tab for a $60 million stadium, partly because they believe soccer will provide an economic boost to the community. RSL is analyzing potential stadium sites, including spots in Salt Lake City, Murray and Sandy.

But Howes acknowledges the World Cup qualifier was atypical.

RSL home games don't draw nearly as many visitors - or their dollars.

He estimates 90 percent of the fans at home games come from Utah, and economists such as Isaacson say the money locals spend related to these matches doesn't lift the wider economy.

"If you have a local person spending money here, it's already money that's within the Salt Lake economy," Isaacson said.

Nearly 40,800 people attended the qualifier between the U.S. National Team and Costa Rica, and about 62 percent were from Utah. Fans came from 48 states (none came from Missouri or Rhode Island, according to RSL). And there was at least one person each from Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Congo, El Salvador, France, Germany, Guatemala, India and Mexico. After Utah, Costa Rica brought the most fans.

Sen. Howard Stephenson, who has seen the study, said it proves to him the team should remain at the University of Utah instead of seeking taxpayer money to build a new stadium. "If that's what the economic impact is [at Rice-Eccles] why would taxpayers kick in $30 million to get the same result?"

Stephenson, a Republican and head of the Utah Taxpayers Association, is pushing RSL to remain at Rice-Eccles and could seek legislation to allow beer sales at the U. stadium for soccer matches and to change the team's lease agreement there.

While RSL doesn't want to stay there long-term - it wants to control the revenues and experience at its own stadium - Stephenson said he will continue to pursue the idea.

"We will work to make it an offer they can't refuse," the Draper Republican said. "The U. does not have a marketing mentality for that underutilized facility. That's a shame. There ought to be an arrangement with Real that provides for a greater sharing of concession revenues."

The U. pockets 90 percent of net revenues from concession sales, 27 percent from merchandise sales, 75 percent from suite rentals sold by the U. and 25 percent of those sold by the team.

The first-ever World Cup qualifier in Salt Lake City at Rice-Eccles was considered a huge hit - and a coup for RSL. The U.S. team won and star player Landon Donovan gushed: "The crowd was absolutely awesome. I really hope we come back here."

U.S. coach Bruce Arena said that match was the "first time we've felt so at home during any qualifying game."

RSL staged the qualifier hoping to prove to politicians and taxpayers that the community supports soccer and to follow through on promises that the team would bring in other events besides home games. It also was to show Major League Soccer that the state could successfully host other international events, like the friendly between the L.A. Galaxy and Real Madrid on Monday.

"We did it because we wanted to prove we could," Howes said. "There should be, from all of us, an appreciation that this community supported this thing the way they did."

hmay@sltrib.com