Foley Sports Tourism Complex will be the home of the Alabama Soccer Association State Cup for the next five years. ASA returned for a second year November 4-5 and again had such a great experience they signed on to hold the event in Foley through 2022.
The State Cup brings the best youth soccer teams from around Alabama. ASA Executive Director Tom Condone said they are excited to bring this kind of quality soccer to Foley for years to come.
“We are thrilled to continue our great partnership with the Foley Sports Tourism Complex," said Condone. "The complex is state of the art and the ability to bring our state championships to the Alabama Beaches as a destination is very exciting.”
Both in 2016 and 2017 more than 100 teams competed at the State Cup. With age divisions ranging from U14 to U19, players traveled with their families. This caused Foley hotels to be at or near occupancy when the event was in town.
Foley Sports Tourism Complex Director, David Thompson said State Cup and events like it are the reason the complex was built in the first place.
“We’re very proud of how far we’ve been able to bring the Foley Sports Tourism Complex,” Thompson said. “We know that once an event comes to Foley that we can win them over with our special brand of hospitality. That’s exactly what we’ve been able to achieve with the State Cup. This helps us continue in our mission to brand Foley as a one-of-a-kind sports tourism destination.”
The contract extension is the second soccer event extension to come this year. Back in June, the Sun Belt Conference signed on to host their women’s soccer championships in Foley for the next two years. With the Foley Event Center now online, the complex is looking to replicate their success with the indoor sports tourism market as well.
Thompson said he is working to work with key events rightsholders to secure long-term contracts for economically-impactful events, like State Cup, so there is some regularity to the complex schedule that both spectators and local businesses can count on.
“Now our community can count on seeing visitors in early November,” said Thompson. “That’s a time of year that’s generally considered off-season for the area. This helps us become more consistent economically throughout the year.”
For more on the State Cup or any FSTC events, visit our website at www.FoleySportsTourism.com
There are no comments
Please login to post comments