Stocks to Watch Following the Kickoff of Football Season

College football season made a roaring comeback Labor Day weekend, and professional football returns this week. So now that Football season is about to be in full swing, what stocks will be affected and what might they do? While investors can't put money directly into football teams other than the Green Bay Packers due to a pact between owners to keep teams private, it's still possible to cash in on football season by looking at companies that tend to benefit from the lucrative season. Retailers providing sporting goods and outdoor apparel can be a good bet with tailgating season about to be in full swing. From footballs, to athletic apparel, to other assorted tailgating gear, sporting goods stores are often a one stop shop for non-food tailgate items. As fans look to stock up on gear, shares of companies like Dicks Sporting Goods

stand to benefit. Brands such as Under Armour

and Nike

could also see a boost as high school players buy their gear for the season and teams replace worn out and broken gear from previous seasons. The company's expensive sponsorships of football teams come through during the season as their gear is used by the best players on the field in front of millions of fans. While expensive, the product placement should help boost sales for the athletic apparel companies. Historically both stocks tend to follow a similar trend, nearly to the T, with Under Armor just recently crossing above Nike and moving ahead in share price. While both stocks bottomed out in early 2009, they have demonstrated steady growth for the past three years, and a strong football season should continue that trend. Ticket providers such as Ticketmaster

could also see a boost from the season. While football tickets are not as numerous as baseball or hockey, they tend to be much higher priced, especially for playoff games, meaning a higher commission for the middle man. Among other stocks affected by the start of football season are beer and spirit stocks such as Anheuser-Busch

, Molson Coors

, and spirit maker Diego

. With tailgates fueled by domestic beer and football stadiums turning out record crowds, fall is a good time for beer and spirit makers. All three companies have experienced a good summer, but with tailgating season right around the corner, its a good bet they will see continued growth. Shares of Anheuser-Busch traded up around $85.14, up roughly 1.15%.