Leisure travel may have taken a hit in 2009, but sports tourism – where fans take to the road to follow their teams or go to special events such as college bowl games or spring training – is still booming.

Scott McCartney of the Wall Street Journal’s Middle Seat had an excellent article on this last week, where one expert estimated sports tourism bringing in $182 billion annually, including such events as the Olympics, World Series, Super Bowl and World Cup. The article also mentions the special flights that airlines add in preparation for bowl games and the packages filled with fan events (tailgates, parades, cocktail parties) that companies now put together for alumni.

Lest you believe that these trips only appeal to middle-aged men reliving their college glory days, let me say here that I’ve spent the past two days in Tampa, cheering my alma mater Northwestern University in their Outback Bowl bid against Auburn University (which we lost today in a nail-biting finish, but that’s another post).

I came with a former sorority sister not only because I wanted to cheer on the team but because after my layoff last month, I needed to let off some steam and have some fun. Roadtripping in a red convertible, drinking beer and yelling myself hoarse seemed as good a way as any.

(I also saw a ton of families, with even the littlest babies head to toe in purple).

Before I let loose, however, I went to the official alumni pre-game tailgate and talked with Al Cubbage, vice president of university relation, and Leslie Donovan, president of the Northwestern Alumni Association. Although it was raining, the two couldn’t be cheerier. That’s because the school sold out its entire allotment of 11,000 tickets to the game, as well as all of its Chicago-based package tour offerings – great numbers for a Big Ten school that cares far moire for academics than pigskin.

“We filled the plane,” Cubbage said with pride.

(Overall, however, attendance was down. According to the Tampa Tribune, only 49,383 people filled the stadium – the lowest attendance since the bowl’s inaugural game in 1986. The weather had a lot to do with it, as we watched much of the game under a light drizzle).

The numbers are also crucial because bowl organizers look to a school’s attendance and travel numbers before inviting teams to play. Large state universities such as Penn State or Ohio State usually perform well under that criteria, as they simply have more alums (Northwestern has about 8,000 students). Having the game in Tampa instead of San Antonio (where NU lost the Alamo Bowl last season) also helped, Donovan said, as Florida’s west coast cities, including Sarasota and Naples, are packed with retired NU alums. Still, the alum office heard of people coming from all over the country (and my friend came in from Wyoming, so I can attest to the draw).

That’s not to say purple ruled Raymond James Stadium. Auburn in Alabama is a drive market for Tampa, so an entire side was a sea of orange. But we must have been the big spenders – at nearly every merchandise vendor, the Northwestern paraphenalia was gone and the sellers looked stressed. ”We didn’t anticipate how much stuff you guys buy,” one told me, as I looked in vain for a shirt that wasn’t 2XL. Again, good for our future bowl invitations – and great for our hosts (Tampa estimates that the Outback Bowl has had a $700 million impact since it was founded nearly 25 years ago).

In the stands, our alums were spirited and rowdy. As we came back (twice) from being down 14 points and endured an overtime that had two false finishes, my friend and I worried and cheered and screamed ourselves silly with the alums around us. Even though we ultimately lost, there was no shame in our game. And the Outback Bowl delivered as an outstanding travel experience.

Just wait until next year…

Do you travel to see sports teams? Tell me who, why and where below!