Meet SDM's 2023 Champions of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism

Powerful and innovative. Those are two words that we have long associated with this industry. And in previous years, we have learned two more: Determined and resourceful. It takes all four of these qualities to bring events to life.

This year’s honorees, our 2023 Champions in Economic Impact in Sports Tourism, have lived up to all those superlatives and many more. Whether they are events at the local or regional levels, or those that crown champions on a nationwide or even global scale, they have been a driving force in our economy, adding more than $932 million to this awards cycle alone.

Oh, and that’s just events that won awards. Think about the metrics when you add in all events nationwide, every week of every year, in every community. The contributions are truly outstanding.

This year, we are recognizing some very special events: Those who have been honored every year since the inception of this awards program. They are as follows:

HALL OF FAME – Champions | 50th AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships
Location: Orlando, Florida | Total Room Nights: 64,960 | Total Economic Impact: $350 million

HALL OF FAME – Champions | Minto US OPEN Pickleball Championships | Collier County Visitors Bureau
Location: Naples, Florida | Total Room Nights: 16,516 | Total Economic Impact: $14 million

What is interesting about these two honorees (which, added together, brought a whopping $364 million in economic impact) is that they come from two completely separate sectors of the industry. The AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships have long been a powerhouse and a go-to event for youth volleyball players. The Minto US OPEN Pickleball Championships represent a sport that is absolutely exploding in popularity, and while it still attracts a mainly adult audience, the average player age is trending downward with each passing year.

Each year, we are impressed by both the scope of events entered into the awards program and the incredible work being done on the part of event owners, destinations and others to bring them to fruition. The winners, we realize, are not just those who hoist the trophy on the field of play or go home with great memories (whatever the outcome of the game); they are those who make the events happen and without whom, it is safe to say, there would be no events at all.

As you browse through these pages, take a moment to look beyond the economic figures and the room nights used, and think about the way that all of us, every day, help to move our industry forward and keep our economy humming.

Congratulations to all our honorees, and congratulations to all those who are part of this industry as a whole.

LARGE MARKET

Champions

2023 NCAA Women’s Final Four
Dallas Sports Commission
Location: Dallas, Texas
Total Room Nights: 24,141
Total Economic Impact: $40.3 million
With over 18.9 million broadcast views, the 2023 NCAA Women’s Final Four was the most-watched women’s college sporting event in history. The championship had an economic impact of over $40.3 million as LSU beat Iowa in the championship game, two days after Iowa’s historic upset of unbeaten South Carolina. Several ancillary events, including Tourney Town, the Bounce and the Super Saturday Concert, also contributed to the event’s massive success.

Champions

2023 NCAA Wrestling Championships
Tulsa Sports Commission
Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Total Room Nights: 10,258
Total Economic Impact: $19.12 million
The 2023 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships took place at Tulsa, Oklahoma’s very own BOK Center on March 16-18, 2023. Wrestling fans from around the country gathered in downtown Tulsa to experience the thrill of live wrestling as the most talented athletes from around the country faced off. With a crowd of 16,855 for the finals, the event’s attendance totaled 95,245 over six sessions.

Champions

Balling on the Beach
Visit Lauderdale
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Total Room Nights: 17,967
Total Economic Impact: $17.38 million
Balling on the Beach is the premier youth basketball tournament in the country. The event was created in 2019 and started at a six-court basketball facility with less than 100 teams. This event is now hosted in the Broward County Convention Center where 43 courts were laid. More than 540 teams participated, which brought in over 8,000 participants, 1,000 coaches and more than 12,000 accompanying parents/spectators.

Champions

North American Sand Soccer Championships
City of Virginia Beach
Location: Virginia Beach, Virginia
Total Room Nights: 8,000
Total Economic Impact: $13.9 million
NASSC is the world’s largest celebration of beach sports culture. The event spans 30 blocks and includes amateur soccer, professional soccer, volleyball, kickball, field hockey and flag football. Over 70 vendors, two pro stadiums, a free kids’ clinic and oceanfront entertainment make NASSC a fun family vacation. Fans cheer on sand soccer games from their hotel rooms, team reunions happen on the boardwalk and sounds of upbeat music and laughter fill the beachfront.

Champions

2023 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series™
Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
Total Room Nights: 10,505
Total Economic Impact: $13.65 million
A sold-out crowd of 56,961 fans attended the 2023 NHL Stadium Series between the Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, generating $13.6 million in total economic impact. The tremendous partnership led by the Carolina Hurricanes, N.C. State University and the NHL, and supported by multiple community partners, was a massive success by any measure. The full NHL Stadium Series week included ancillary activations in the days before and after the game, resulting in a $20.1 million total impact for the region.

Champions

LIV Golf Tulsa at Cedar Ridge
Cedar Ridge Country Club
Location: Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
Total Room Nights: 3,216
Total Economic Impact: $4.26 million
LIV Golf came to Tulsa for an explosive weekend of big hitters at Cedar Ridge Country Club, May 12-14, 2023. Legends like Dustin Johnson, Cam Smith and Phil Mickelson led teams of world-class players over three days, joined by some of Oklahoma’s finest like Eugenio Chacarra, Charles Howell III, Peter Uihlein, Talor Gooch and Abraham Ancer, making this an unmissable event for golf fans from near and far. The “golf but louder” event included live music, great eats and interactive fun at the festival-style Fan Village and Kids Zone.

Champions

2023 USA Gymnastics Championships
Tulsa Sports Commission
Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Total Room Nights: 4,000
Total Economic Impact: $3.36 million
Nearly 1,900 acrobatic, rhythmic and trampoline and tumbling athletes descended on Tulsa, Oklahoma for the 2023 USA Gymnastics Championships June 19-24 at the BOK Center and Cox Business Convention Center. The 2023-24 U.S. Junior and Senior National Teams were named in each of the three disciplines. Performances also helped determine selection for several international events. Tulsa hosted 2,200 event attendees with a total economic impact estimated at $3,361,321.

Champions

Frosty Faustings XV
DuPage Sports Commission
Location: DuPage County, Illinois
Total Room Nights: 2,498
Total Economic Impact: $2.81 million
From humble beginnings to its celebratory 15th year, Frosty Faustings epitomizes the emergence and relevance of esports in the sports tourism industry. In one of the largest esports events in the Midwest, gamers took over DuPage County’s largest hotel. Over 3,500 people from throughout the U.S. immersed themselves across 25 game titles for the right to call themselves champions. The four-day event was also an official qualifier for the Arc World Tour. Cheers, chants, and adrenaline kept participants and spectators on the edge of their seats.

Champions

Boys ECNL Florida National Event and Girls
ECNLFlorida Regional League National Event
Greater Orlando Sports Commission and
Orlando North Seminole County Sports
Location: Sanford, Florida
Total Room Nights: 3,868
Total Economic Impact: $7.37 million
In 2022, ECNL Girls launched the first-ever national event series for the ECNL Girls Regional League. Sanford, Florida was the first city to host an event in this series. The ECNL Girls Florida Regional League National Event is an elite girls’ soccer tournament ranging from U16-U19. In 2017, ECNL launched the inaugural ECNL Boys season. Sanford, Florida was one of the first cities to host an ECNL Boys National Event. Boys ECNL Florida is an elite boys’ soccer tournament ranging from U15-U19.

MID MARKET

Champions

57th AAU Junior Olympic Games
Catch Des Moines
Location: Des Moines, Iowa
Total Room Nights: 81,320
Total Economic Impact: $69 million The AAU Junior Olympic Games is the largest multi-sport event for youth in the United States. The 57th Games marked the seventh time Iowa has hosted the event, more than any other location. The 11-day event, July 26 to August 5, brought in an economic impact of $69 million with 14,500 participants. This year’s AAU Junior Olympic Games featured 11 different sports competitions, including AAU’s marquee track and field event, the largest sport at the Games, which had 11,211 participants. 

Champions

The 2023 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota
Visit Knoxville Sports Commission
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
Total Room Nights: 31,000
Total Economic Impact: $35.5 million
The “Super Bowl of Bass Fishing” pitted 55 of the world’s best bass anglers against one another in pursuit of the title of Bassmaster Classic Champion. The event reached 4.5 million viewers across the two days of TV coverage and broke records for engagement on the web and social channels. The largest Classic ever saw a total attendance of 163,914 throughout a weekend of events in Knoxville.

Champions

2023 National Senior Games presented by Humana
SportsPITTSBURGH
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Total Room Nights: 13,745
Total Economic Impact: $30.9 million
The 2023 National Senior Games presented by Humana brought over 10,000 athletes ages 50 to 100 to Pittsburgh to compete in 21 sports over 12 days. This year’s theme, “Bridging Champions Through the Ages,” spotlighted the intergenerational impact of Senior Games as participants inspire others to be active at every age. Held every other year, the National Senior Games is the largest qualified multi-sport event in the world for seniors and promotes the challenge and camaraderie of competitive sports.

Champions

U.S. Youth Soccer Southern Regional Championships
Visit Baton Rouge
Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Total Room Nights: 10,868
Total Economic Impact: $24 million
This youth soccer event attracted more than 15,000 attendees, including 3,792 participants with boys’ and girls’ teams between the ages of 13 and 19 plus coaches, families and fans representing 237 teams from 11 states.

Champions

ECNL Boys National Playoff
North Carolina Fusion & Greensboro Convention and Visitors Bureau
Location: Greensboro, North Carolina
Total Room Nights: 30,000
Total Economic Impact: $20.9 million
Teams competed from all across the USA for a chance to win the National Championship in their respective age groups.

Champions

2023 Venice Equestrian
Fox Lea Farm, Inc.
Location: Venice, Florida
Total Room Nights: 14,084
Total Economic Impact: $12 million
The annual Winter Equestrian Tour brings the best equestrian competitors to Venice, Florida each year. For over 40 years, Fox Lea Farm has been a top destination for equestrians from all over the world. Known for its boutique-style setting, Fox Lea Farm provides a safe, friendly and welcoming show environment for riders starting with Crossrails continuing all the way up to Grand Prix level. Whether riders are competing in the $24,999 Grand Prix or Hunter Derby, it is certain to be an exhilarating experience for riders and spectators alike.

Champions

US Youth Soccer 2023 Eastern Regional Championships
Visit Loudoun/Loudoun Sports Tourism
Location: Loudoun County, Virginia
Total Room Nights: 7,157
Total Economic Impact: $8.35 million
The US Youth Soccer 2023 Eastern Regional Championships brought more than 5,000 athletes to Loudoun County, Virginia, from June 23-29. This marked the first time the annual event, which has taken place since the early 1980s, was hosted in the area. Teams from 13 states competed across 21 fields, including at Philip A. Bolen Memorial Park and the new Hal & Berni Hanson Regional Park, after having gone through a year-long competition to earn a spot in the storied event.

Champions

US Youth Soccer Eastern President’s Cup
Valley Forge Sports, Events & Tourism Authority
Location: Conshohocken and Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Total Room Nights: 6,000
Total Economic Impact: $5.5 million The US Youth Soccer Eastern President’s Cup is a five-day tournament, one of four regionals with winners advancing to the USYS National President’s Cup. This was the first time in 10 years that the tournament was held outside of West Virginia, with the number of teams growing from 80 on average to 120, representing 15 state associations. The bid was driven by a partnership years in the making between EPYSA and Valley Forge Sports. The 2023 USYS Eastern President’s Cup was the largest outdoor sporting event ever held in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

Champions

2023 Hoop Group Atlantic City Jam Fest
Atlantic City Sports Commission
Location: Atlantic City, New Jersey
Total Room Nights: 4,455
Total Economic Impact: $5.08 million
The 2023 Atlantic City Jam Fest, hosted by Hoop Group Basketball, kicked off the NCAA July live period with 450 teams playing on 34 courts at the Atlantic City Convention Center from July 5-7, 2023. Over 150 college coaches ranging from Division I, II, and III were in attendance to watch 4,000+ athletes compete for the championship. This tournament teed up the final Hoop Group Showcase League event of the season.

Champions

TSSAA Spring Fling
Rutherford County Convention and Visitors Bureau
Location: Rutherford County, Tennessee
Total Room Nights: 7,357
Total Economic Impact: $4.85 million
Spring Fling is an Olympic-style event where the state’s top high school athletes compete for championships in tennis, baseball, softball, soccer and track & field. The Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA), in conjunction with the Rutherford County Convention and Visitors Bureau (RCCVB), hosted this athletic extravaganza from May 23-26, 2023. Over 43,000 people attended Spring Fling this year, with an economic impact of $4.8 million.

Champions

TSSAA Girls’ and Boys’ High School Basketball State Championships
Rutherford County Convention and Visitors Bureau
Location: Rutherford County, Tennessee
Total Room Nights: 5,102
Total Economic Impact: $4.57 million
In 2023, the Rutherford County CVB and the Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletic Association (TSSAA) celebrated 48 years of successfully coordinating the Girls’ Basketball State Championship and 34 years of planning the Boys’ Basketball State Championship. This two-week event takes a great deal of planning and communication for successful implementation to provide an excellent experience for participants and attendees. There were approximately 54,000 attendees for both of these tournaments, with an economic impact of $4.5 million for both weeks.

Champions

IRONMAN 70.3 Pennsylvania
Happy Valley Happy Valley Sports and Entertainment Alliance
Location: State College, Pennsylvania
Total Room Nights: 7,170
Total Economic Impact: $4.44 million
Come experience the rich history and endless adventure that awaits. The IRONMAN® 70.3® Pennsylvania Happy Valley consists of a 1.2-mile swim in Foster Joseph Sayers Reservoir at Bald Eagle State Park, a scenic 56-mile bike ride through the beautiful rolling hills of Centre and Clinton Counties, culminating with a 13.1-mile run on the campus of Penn State University including a unique finish line experience for athletes inside Beaver Stadium, home to the Penn State University Nittany Lions.

Champions

2023 NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Championship Allentown Regional
PPL Center & Discover Lehigh Valley
Location: Allentown, Pennsylvania
Total Room Nights: 555
Total Economic Impact: $4.37 million The 2023 NCAA Men’s Division I Ice Hockey Allentown Regionals hosted by PPL Center, held March 24 and 26 in Allentown, PA, generated more than $4.37 million for the local economy, according to analysis from Discover Lehigh Valley. This year’s NCAA Regionals sold 15,422 tickets, including 76.5 percent to residents outside of the Lehigh Valley. Participating schools included Michigan, Penn State, Michigan Tech and Colgate. PPL Center has been selected to host the 2025 NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Regionals and looks forward to another successful event.

Champions

Queen City Classic
Visit ClarksvilleTN
Location: Clarksville, Tennessee
Total Room Nights: 4,524
Total Economic Impact: $4.29 million The Queen City Cup is an annual tournament run mainly by The Clarksville Soccer Club. This organization hosts a Spring and Fall Classic that bring in thousands of athletes and their families. The Classic is an event that Visit Clarksville supports and will continue to support. In a national market full of athletic events, organizers are proud that the Queen City Classic is homegrown and continues to increase Clarksville’s prominence as a place for youth sports.

SMALL MARKET

Champions

Cooperstown All Star Village 2023 Season
Otsego County Tourism
Location: Oneonta, New York
Total Room Nights: 63,665
Total Economic Impact: $94.79 million
Cooperstown All Star Village™ is a world-class youth baseball experience and family resort located in the birthplace of baseball. This year, the season broke attendance records with 763 teams and 12,000 participants. In addition to Major League-style baseball fields and amenities, the village offers onsite lodging for the whole family, full-service dining, heated swimming pools and entertainment. As of 2023, the facilities at Cooperstown All Star Village are part of the Ripken Baseball family of complexes.

Champions

United State Fastpitch Association World Series
Visit Panama City Beach
Location: Panama City Beach, Florida
Total Room Nights: 27,476
Total Economic Impact: $26.3 million
The two-week World Series event for USFA brought in 380 teams for 2023, rebounding from the 2020 COVID year of 160 girls’ softball teams. This is a summer tradition for PCB and always brings huge crowds of softball families enjoying PCB for softball and a vacation for a seven-day event with Sunday to Saturday stays. Locally owned and operated by John Cain and now in its 25th year, the event garners $26 million-plus in economic impact and brings in 388 teams over 27,000 room nights.

Champions

The 2023 Grand Slam World Series of Baseball
Visit Panama City Beach
Location: Panama City Beach, Florida
Total Room Nights: 24,831
Total Economic Impact: $24.74 million
The Grand Slam World Series, now in its 19th year, was held in Panama City Beach at Publix Sports Park and Frank Brown Park. This multi-week series for youth baseball hosted 377 teams and 5,262 players for an economic impact of more than $24 million.

Champions

Nike EYBL Peach Jam
North Augusta Parks, Recreation and Tourism
Location: North Augusta, South Carolina
Total Room Nights: 8,288
Total Economic Impact: $11.83 million The Nike EYBL Peach Jam highlights the best high school basketball prospects in the country. It is the championship event for the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League and is annually held in North Augusta, South Carolina.

Champions

New Year’s BaseballFest and New Year’s SoftballFest
Visit Panama City Beach
Location: Panama City Beach, Florida
Total Room Nights: 8,800
Total Economic Impact: $8.79 million
BaseballFest and SoftballFest are the nation’s premier New Year’s events for amateur baseball and softball, respectively. Over 150 teams, ages 9U to 18U, compete annually in Panama City Beach, a world-class vacation destination. Athletes, coaches and families ring in the new year with a spectacular “Beach Ball Drop” celebration at Pier Park. Economic impact is substantial, with nearly 100 percent of attendees traveling into the destination. For more information, visit BaseballFest.com and/or SoftballFest.com.

Champions

NSE/FC Alliance Club Soccer Series
Rocky Top Sports World
Location: Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Total Room Nights: 12,198
Total Economic Impact: $8.79 million
The NSE/FC Alliance Club Soccer Series is a series of soccer tournaments from Labor Day weekend through April. With divisions for boys and girls in U8 to Varsity, tournaments attract national participation. Several college showcases help high school soccer players get scouted. All events are sanctioned by Tennessee State Soccer Association and attract teams from across the country. This tournament series continues to increase its economic impact year after year and Rocky Top is grateful for the partnership with event owner Jon Schneider and his team.

Champions

American Cornhole League (ACL) World Championships
The City of Rock Hill Parks, Recreation & Tourism Department
Location: Rock Hill, South Carolina
Total Room Nights: 17,552
Total Economic Impact: $8.16 million
The ACL World Championships, held at the Rock Hill Sports & Event Center July 29 through August 6, 2023, brought over 7,000 visitors from around the country and 2,272 participants for the week-long event. The event generated an economic impact of $8,169,387 and featured 17 hours of live coverage on ESPN2 during the Ocho Takeover on Friday, August 4.

Champions

2023 Mississippi Bombers Southeast Summer Invite
Visit Oxford
Location: Oxford, Mississippi
Total Room Nights: 4,243
Total Economic Impact: $7.82 million
The 2023 Bombers Southeast Summer Invite hosted by mTrade Park and Visit Oxford was a four-day event featuring 122 elite fast pitch teams. All of the participating teams traveled outside of the local community from all over the Southeast to play in this prestigious tournament. Oxford provides a unique atmosphere of small-town charm with award-winning restaurants and unique shopping while also being home to the University of Mississippi. The Bombers Southeast Summer Invite provides a tremendous economic impact to Oxford and is a hallmark event on the mTrade Park tournament schedule each year.

Champions

2022 OSSAA State Football Championships
University of Central Oklahoma & Visit Edmond
Location: Edmond, Oklahoma
Total Room Nights: 2,000
Total Economic Impact: $7.12 million
The City of Edmond and UCO’s Chad Richison Stadium provided the perfect setting for a single-destination celebration of Oklahoma high school football for the 14 teams (over 1,400 athletes), cheerleaders, bands, families and fans. This event was set apart by its first-rate competition venue and strong commitment to hospitality and service for participants’ and attendees’ overall experience. The stadium’s central location made the championship games accessible to teams and families from across the state.

Champions

2023 SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament
VisitGreenvilleSC
Location: Greenville, South Carolina
Total Room Nights: 8,450
Total Economic Impact: $6.57 million
The 2023 SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament took place in Greenville, South Carolina, serving as the conference tournament for the Southeastern Conference. This marked the sixth year the SEC Women’s Tournament played in Greenville. 2023 set a record for SEC attendance, with an impressive turnout of over 57,000 fans who gathered to enjoy the legends’ reception, the lively fanfare, the downtown dribble, and the 13 exhilarating tournament basketball games. Ultimately, the University of South Carolina emerged as the champions.

Champions

State Title Belt Tournament
City of Edmond, Visit Edmond
Location: Edmond, Oklahoma
Total Room Nights: 4,800
Total Economic Impact: $5.17 million
In its inaugural year, the State Title Belt Tournament drew 1,800 athletes aged 18 and under. Boys and girls competed in this baseball and softball tournament from across the state, vying for a State Title Belt. The tournament utilized two city-owned parks, J.L. Mitch Sports Fields and A.C. Caplinger Sports Complex, for the three-day tournament. This remarkable youth sports event brought over $5.1 million in total economic impact to the City of Edmond.

SPORTS TOURISM HEROES

Champions

Strike King Bassmaster High School Championship
presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors
Visit Anderson
Location: Anderson, South Carolina
Total Room Nights: 9,285 Total Economic Impact: $2.73 million The Strike King Bassmaster High School Championship presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors took place at Green Pond Landing on the shores of Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina. The event featured 481 boats, over 1,000 participants and collected over 10,000 room nights for the Anderson community.

Champions

Publix Savannah Women’s Half Marathon & 5K
Savannah Sports Council
Location: Savannah, Georgia
Total Room Nights: 3,157
Total Economic Impact: $1.87 million
The Publix Savannah Women’s Half Marathon & 5K is 13.1 miles of tree-lined streets and city squares in beautiful Savannah, Georgia. Participants experience Savannah as they run through some of the city’s most scenic spots, and cap it all off by finishing in front of the Forsyth Park Fountain, the perfect setting for the ultimate girls’ getaway.

Champions

2023 USTA National Championships
Visit Springfield, IL
Location: Springfield, Illinois
Total Room Nights: 1,352
Total Economic Impact: $1.64 million
Originally scheduled for 2020, USTA returned to Springfield, Illinois after over a decade’s absence. The event was the largest nationals in the USTA’s 46-year history, topping 2,200 athletes in 500 events. USTA gives out $2,000 worth of scholarships to graduating seniors and athletes still competing and continuing their education.

Champions

Ron Jon Beach ‘n Boards Fest
Space Coast Office of Tourism
Location: Cocoa Beach, Florida
Total Room Nights: 2,500
Total Economic Impact: $1.5 million
This is the nation’s largest active lifestyle spring break sporting event, with Florida’s most prestigious pro surfing contests, as well as its largest tournaments for high school girls’ volleyball and for kayak fishing. Other sports included open water swim, SUP and foil board, as well as a skateboard half-pipe, wakeboard demonstrations, a beach 5K, beach yoga and the onsite activation of more than 30 partners. Beach ‘n Boards Fest is an alcohol and tobacco-free event that began in 2013. The 2023 festival drew more than 40,000 attendees.

Champions

2023 WSWA Freestyle & Greco Roman State Championship
Snohomish County Sports Commission
Location: Monroe, Washington
Total Room Nights: 2,478
Total Economic Impact: $1.39 million
The WSWA Freestyle & Greco Roman State Championships were held at the Gary D. Weikel Event Center at the Evergreen Fair State Park in Monroe, Washington. This year’s state championship had 1,766 wrestlers and 4,500 spectators in attendance over two days. With year-over-year membership growth and the support from the local businesses, hotels, and the Snohomish County Sports Commission, WSWA successfully increased participation for this event by hundreds over 2022.

Champions

National Collegiate Wrestling Championships 2023
Discover Puerto Rico
Location: San Juan, Puerto Rico
Total Room Nights: 1,410
Total Economic Impact: $1.03 million
The NCWA was excited to bring the 2023 National Championships to Puerto Rico. Over 600 athletes from 94 colleges across the country converged on the Puerto Rico Convention Center to be a part of the biggest College Championship event in the history of Puerto Rico. The island’s leadership, including Discover Puerto Rico’s Carlos Deliz, University of Puerto Rico’s Dr. Jose Betancourt and Orsini Productions, all worked together to make it happen. The athletes leave it all on the mat to be crowned National Champion.

Champions

Valentine’s Classic Volleyball Tournament
Foley Sports Tourism
Location: Foley, Alabama
Total Room Nights: 961
Total Economic Impact: $760,000
The Lower Alabama Volleyball Club is in its eighth year hosting the annual Valentine’s Classic at the Foley Event Center. 2023 was its best year thus far, bringing the team count to 100. Over the years, this event has grown by leaps and bounds, garnering almost a 600 percent growth in economic impact from when it began in 2018. On Friday, a college coaches’ recruiting camp was held where players were able to work directly with college coaches from across the Southeast. The tournament featured teams from Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida and North Alabama.

Champions

2022 International Powerlifting (IPL) World Championships
Gulf Shores | Orange Beach Sports & Events
Location: Orange Beach, Alabama
Total Room Nights: 1,107
Total Economic Impact: $598,993
More than 300 elite athletes from across the globe converged at the Orange Beach Event Center at The Wharf in Orange Beach, Alabama, October 20-23, 2022, as the International Powerlifting (IPL) World Championship moved from Russia to Alabama. The event was originally slated to take place in Russia prior to the country’s invasion of Ukraine. This global event was particularly impactful during an otherwise slow time in the market, exposing Alabama’s beaches to a broad international audience.

Champions

2023 Frontier League All-Star Game
Chicago Southland Visitors & Convention Bureau
Location: Crestwood, Illinois
Total Room Nights: 281
Total Economic Impact: $185,600
For the first time in 20 years, the Windy City ThunderBolts hosted the 2023 Frontier League All-Star Game at Ozinga Field in Crestwood, Illinois. The Frontier League is the biggest MLB Partner League, featuring 16 teams stretching from Illinois to Upstate New York, plus three teams in Canada. Those markets comprise over 20 million residents. Despite threats from Mother Nature, both the skills competition and All-Star Game were played to an enthusiastic crowd, resulting in a huge economic boom for the Chicago Southland.