Collegiate Volleyball Coming to Iowa

Greater Des Moines has been awarded the 2015 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Regional Championships. The Championships will be hosted in December by the Des Moines Area Sports Commission, a division of the Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau, Global Spectrum and the University of Northern Iowa. 2015 will be the first year Greater Des Moines has hosted an NCAA Volleyball Regional Championships.

“We’re elated NCAA stakeholders continue to recognize Greater Des Moines as a sports destination,” said Greg Edwards, President and CEO of the Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau and Des Moines Area Sports Commission. “This announcement is a win for Greater Des Moines. This event will undoubtedly bring major national exposure and economic impact to the local community.”

 “We’ve delivered proven facilities and elevated the experience for NCAA athletes, coaches and fans in Greater Des Moines,” said Global Spectrum’s Chris Connolly, General Manager of Wells Fargo Arena at Iowa Events Center. “From record ticket sales at the 2012 Division I Women’s Basketball Regional Championships to breaking NCAA Fan Fest attendance at the 2013 Division I Wrestling National Championships—we look forward to pushing the envelope again in 2015.”

Greater Des Moines has hosted five NCAA events in the past five years, including:

Division I Wrestling National Championships - March 2013 ($15 million in economic impact; broke NCAA Fan Fest attendance records)

Division I Women’s Basketball Regional Championships - March 2012 ($2 million in economic impact; set highest attendance of the 2012 regional sites)

Division I Men's & Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championships – June 2008, 2011 and 2012 ($4 million in economic impact per each year hosted)

The Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to promote Greater Des Moines as a fun, vibrant and affordable destination statewide, nationally and internationally. Our focus increases visitors to our community through meetings, conventions, sports events, leisure travel, and group tours, thereby contributing to the local economy.