2023 Nike Steel City Freeze to Bring 11,000 Visitors to Downtown Pittsburgh This Weekend

Snow on the ground in early February usually means one thing in Pittsburgh – it’s time for the Nike Steel City Freeze. Returning to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center (DLCC) this weekend, Feb. 4-5, for the seventh year, a record 400 teams and an estimated 11,000 spectators are expected Downtown, generating an estimated $3.8 million in direct spend for the local economy, according to SportsPITTSBURGH, a division of VisitPITTSBURGH.

The girls and boys club volleyball tournament continues to grow each year in the City of Champions and will utilize all five halls in the DLCC this weekend.

“Steel City Freeze has certainly found a welcoming home in Pittsburgh,” Tim Keating, co-Owner and Executive Director of GK Sports, said. “Our participants and their families look forward to traveling to Pittsburgh each year, particularly because of the walkability of Downtown and the many family-friendly attractions to visit. As the event owners, we are thrilled to return to Pittsburgh. The experienced SportsPITTSBURGH team has helped us grow this tournament each year. From our first meetings with them through our seventh tournament in Pittsburgh this weekend, the SportsPITTSBURGH team has helped us feel truly connected to the Pittsburgh community.”

“SportsPITTSBURGH takes great pride in cultivating relationships with annual event owners like Tim. We are delighted these events continue to grow, and we work diligently to ensure their continued return to Pittsburgh each year,” added SportsPITTSBURGH Executive Director Jennifer Hawkins. “Youth, amateur and collegiate sports events play a big role in Allegheny County’s tourism economy. They generate much needed revenue for local businesses, bring new visitors into the region and shine a light on the diversity of events happening in our region at critical points of the year.”

The Nike Steel City Freeze is the first of six annual or national events secured by the SportsPITTSBURGH team and their regional partners to take place in Pittsburgh through June 30.

• 2023 National Collegiate Women’s Gymnastics Regional Championships | March 30 – April 2 |

Petersen Events Center |Co-Hosted with University of Pittsburgh

• • The University of Pittsburgh and SportsPITTSBURGH combine efforts to co-host the first NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Regional in the Pittsburgh area.
  • One of four regionals taking place March 30 – April 2, nine teams and additional individual competitors not on qualifying teams will compete over four days in Oakland.

• 2023 National Collegiate Women’s Bowling Regional Championship | April 5-9 |

AMF Lanes Mt. Lebanon |Co-Hosted with Duquesne University

• • Duquesne University and SportsPITTSBURGH combine efforts to co-host the first NCAA Women’s Bowling Regional in the Pittsburgh area.
  • The 2023 regional marks the first of four consecutive bowling regional championships Duquesne and SportsPITTSBURGH will host at AMF Lanes Mt. Lebanon (2024, 2025, 2026).

• 2023 Western PA Bruins Spring Tip-Off | April 14-16 | David L. Lawrence Convention Center
  • This homegrown, girls club basketball tournament, run by Executive Director John Tate, a Pittsburgh native, returns Downtown for the third consecutive year; it was previously held in multiple gyms across the region.
  • An anticipated record 300+ teams, a jump from the 287 teams in 2022, will compete in Halls B, C, D and E at the Convention Center.

• 2023 Hoop Group Pittsburgh Jam Fest | April 21-23 | David L. Lawrence Convention Center
  • This annual youth boys basketball tournament has been hosted in Pittsburgh every year since 2006.
  • An estimated record 550+ teams are expected to compete in front of NCAA Division I coaches, with games slated to start as early as Friday morning.
  • More than 12,000 spectators are expected throughout the three-day tournament, generating an estimated $6.3 million in direct spend.

• 2023 East Coast Volleyball Championships | May 27-29 | David L. Lawrence Convention Center
  • Annually held on Memorial Day weekend each year since 2008, this girls youth volleyball tournament is on pace to welcome nearly 500 teams and an estimated 11,000 spectators. 

Also of note, the 2023 DICK’S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon Weekend returns May 5-7 to the Downtown and surrounding neighborhood streets. Nearly 40,000 runners and 300,000 spectators are expected to participate over the entirety of the weekend’s schedule of events, all planned in celebration of the 15th anniversary of the marathon.

To learn more about these events, please visit SportsPITTSBURGH.com.