WASHINGTON (AP) - A new report says the annual college football bowl game played in Washington helped pump nearly $18 million into the region last year.

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The Washington Examiner, citing numbers from the Washington Convention and Sports Authority, reports that the 2010 total is more than double that of 2009 because the Military Bowl attracted nearly 26,000 people from out of town.

The figures show that roughly 15,500 visitors came for the game in 2009 and that the total gross economic impact was roughly $7.7 million.

Attendance for last year's game between Maryland and East Carolina was 38,794 - an increase of 68 percent.

Organizers are hoping the game's economic impact will lead to funding for upgrades at the nearly 50-year-old RFK Stadium.

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Information from: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com